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I wanted to let you all know that I've recently been selected by MyFab5 as one of their 3 Community Leaders to represent their Instagram @bestfooddallas. Eeeeks! I'm so excited. The 3 of us basically take control of their Instagram account every week and share with the Dallas community what awesome places are in town to eat! So if you have Instagram, follow @bestfooddallas! And @chompdallas if you haven't already. :P You'll get to see my daily food (and other life... but mostly food) adventures. :)
Once the 3 Community Leaders were chosen and introduced to each other, we decided to meet up in person for fooding and meet-and-greet. Now, who doesn't like brunch?! We decided to meet at Lark on the Park for Saturday brunch. 2 of us had never been but was on our list to try.
Lark on the Park
2015 Woodall Rodgers Fwy.
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 855-5275
http://larkonthepark.com/
Price (for brunch): $$
I had made a reservation online for noon. We were seated immediately once we arrived. Parking is pretty sparse over by Klyde Warren Park, so I suggest you do the complimentary valet at the garage right next to the restaurant.
I liked the space inside, it was bigger than I expected. High ceilings allowed the place to look brighter. It's also go big windows facing the park so you can enjoy the view.
We all kinda thought it was going to be awkward since none of us knew each other. But it wasn't at all. Food brings everyone together so we had a good base set already. It was just like having lunch with friends. We got to know each other, shared our favorite places to eat, etc. It was a lot of fun!
I chose the Asparagus Tart (fromage blanc, gruyere, prosciutto di parma, fried egg) $14~ It was a good portion size. I really enjoyed it. The tart was nice and flaky. It had a lot of flavor and I loved the prosciutto and fried egg on top. It was definitely filling without pushing me over the edge.
Smoked Salmon & Pumpernickel (salmon roe, cream cheese, cucumber, capers, tomato, red onion) $13~ (top right)
Fried Egg Sandwich (bacon, gruyere, toasted sourdough, arugula, fried potatoes) $12~ (bottom left) This was a huge sandwich! I got to try some of the potatoes. They were fried really well and yummy!
We had a great time. Hopefully we'll have another outing soon! :)
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
This place has been bookmarked on my Yelp for awhile now. Even though we were super full from dinner, we still had to go. How often are we in Houston? And it was only like an 8 minute drive from dinner. They have rotating flavors for each season and some of them are super unique. I really had my eye set on the hazelnut miso.
Cloud 10 Creamery
5216 Morningside Dr.
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 434-6129
http://www.cloud10creamery.com/
Price: $
Unfortunately they did not have the hazelnut miso, or half of the seasonal list actually... booo. But since we're here. Still gotta try something. It's a cute place. Bright walls/decor, fun.
My fiance's sister got the Mascarpone-Blueberry Tart (almond shell, mascarpone cream, blueberry compote, pink peppercorn) $5.25~?
Very interesting looking. Although it was premade and prepackaged. It was kind of like a shortbread cookie with cream and compote inside. It was frozen so quite hard to bite through. I wonder if it would be better if it was thawed out a little. Cool looking, but eh.
I got a Small Scoop in Waffle Cone (2 flavors: nutella marshmallow and passion fruit with white chocolate). $3.85 + cone $1.35~
The small scoop comes with 2 flavors. Both of my choices were really great. I particularly loved the passion fruit. It was really refreshing yet still creamy. Still bummed they didn't have the flavors I initially wanted to try, but it was still good. Not the cheapest place though. I guess next time I will call ahead to see what flavors are available before going.
We also tried the Marzipan ice cream, which had an almond flavor. Delicious. We got a pint to take back to his parents. $10 a pint! OMG! In Dallas we can get a quart...
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately but I'm at my last quarter of school (before graduation!!) and it's totally kicking my butt! But I can't skip Dallas Restaurant Week! (Benefiting the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home.) This year I'm only doing 2. Partially to save money and I have no time, but also the list was quite uninspiring honestly... I've been to most of the places on the list already. I really wish they would add more new places.
Restaurant week is well underway, and my first stop is Hibiscus. They only participate for the first week so you have to book fast. I went for the first time in 2012 and had a good time, so I thought I'd take a different group there this time.
Hibiscus
2927 N. Henderson Ave.
Dallas, Texas 75206
(214) 827-2927
http://www.hibiscusdallas.com/
Price: RW $35/person (not including tax+tip)
If you've been to Hibiscus or it's surrounding restaurants, you know that there's absolutely zero self parking whatsoever... Unless you want to be circling an area with terrible traffic and walk several blocks to your destination. It was raining Saturday (last time I went it was raining too.. is that a sign? haha) And I'm assuming it's because of the storm, the lights at the Henderson/75 intersection were all flashing red. Everything was backed up, and the valet to Hibiscus is probably one of the worst locations ever since it's right on the corner of the intersection. Business was crazy, as usual, and the valet was backed up too. We waited in the car, in line for a good 15-20 minutes, causing us and half the group to be late. The valet guys were trying their best. I felt bad for them...
Finally we made it in. There were a lot of people waiting in the front bar area. Our group was seated after we got there. I think they wanted the entire party there, but I told them several people were stuck in valet so they took us to our table. We were seated in the back room again, which is nice because it's not as loud. While waiting for the others, we were given the menu and our drink orders were taken.
Hibiscus does their menu differently than most other places. They offer the 3 courses but the appetizer, sides, and desserts are served family style and it's 1 order to every 2 people. Since we had a party of 12, we were able to get multiples of each. And everyone orders their own entrees.
We got 2 of each of the appetizers:
Perla Burrata (fig mostarda, radish, sourdough).
This was my favorite. Sweet and creamy and crunchy! The burrata was very delicate, it's an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It spread well on the sourdough crackers. The fig was sweet and paired the burrata perfectly. I think I ate half of a plate myself!
Lamb Ribs (brown sugar-sherry glaze, smoked mustard).
This looked delicious, and I don't even like lamb. I had to try some though. I could taste the gaminess which I didn't like, but it was pretty mild. But the crust on that rib was crispy and pretty amazing. The sauce and mustard was fantastic. I think this was the table's favorite.
Boston Bibb (citrus, chevre, candied cashews, avocado).
I liked this for the freshness. It also paired really well with the burrata. But it was underwhelming. There wasn't any dressing which puzzled me. But the bibb lettuce was fresh and tender and the other elements went well with it.
We're off to a good start. I've enjoyed the appetizer round. While waiting for the entrees, I succumbed to peer pressure and ordered a cocktail. haha. Basil Gimlet (pearl cucumber, basil, lime) $10~
The waiter said it's normally made with vodka but I requested Hendrick's Gin (my fav). And he said he would make it sweeter for me. :) It was yummy. Very refreshing, and just sweet enough for me.
For the entree round, no one ordered the chicken option... booo. So no pictures. Sorry.
I got the Sea Scallops (corn pudding, saffron squash, chanterelles).
I knew I wanted this one as soon as I saw their menu posted on their FB page. All the elements sounded fantastic. The plate was really pretty, but the portion size was quite small. But most scallop dishes tend to be this way. The scallops were seared and cooked perfectly. However, I did get a little bit of grit in one of them. The corn pudding was sweet and I liked the squash and chanterelles, I just wanted more of it. It was good, but not the best scallop dish I've had.
Tenderloin (marfa tomato, charred onion).
The more popular choice around the table. I thought it was missing something when they served it. It looks so sad on the plate... no sauce and so small. I found it weird that it came with no sauce whatsoever. But the steak was tender and paired well with the tomato and onions. It was just eh in general.
For the sides, we had 3 choices, so we got 2 of each as well.
Bloomsdale Spinach. Garlicky, yummy. It was nice to get green veggies with the meal.
Potato Puree. Smooth and creamy, loved it. The orders got messed up and we were given a 3rd one of this and 1 less spinach. So we told the waiter and he brought us another spinach. Extra potato! Score! :)
Mac & Cheese. This was by far my favorite of the night. Creamy and spicy. I loved the crunch on top. It was super rich and I loved it. haha. We all wanted more! They had changed everything on the RW menu since the last time I was there except this dish, and 1 of the desserts. I'm glad they didn't change these!
Annnnd it's time for dessert. There were 2 options so we got 3 of each.
Warm Chocolate Tart (blackberry, orange, Marcona almonds).
Sounded more interesting than it is. It was pretty but it's basically brownie in a tart shell. The tart itself was a bit dry. A scoop of ice cream or glass of milk was much needed. But I could really taste the orange infused in the tart. We actually had leftovers of these and no one cared to take it home..
Ice Box Pie (butterfinger, vanilla ice cream, oreo crust).
Amazing. Another favorite of the night. I'm so happy this stayed on the menu from last time. We really should've just gotten 5 of these and 1 chocolate tart. haha. Who doesn't love butterfingers and oreo? Perfect amount of oreo crust to ice cream ratio. YUM!
It was a great dinner. I think everyone enjoyed the food. However, when we were finishing up dessert, we noticed there was an ant on one of the tart plates. Just climbing on an almond... haha. We showed the waiter and he was very apologetic and said he would tell the kitchen. But that was pretty much it. Nothing else was really done about it. We didn't make a big deal out of it either. It was a nice evening, and it was just an ant... not something grosser. haha. But hopefully they'll get that fixed or under control or whatever they need to do. For the most part, the waiter and assistant waiters were all good. Friendly and just attentive enough. Our bills were separated with no issues. I'd go back again for another restaurant week in the future.
**I also want to give a special shout-out to the valet. Somehow during the rain/traffic/running late at the beginning of the night. I had lost my valet ticket. We went to the valet stand after dinner and knew they were swamped. But no one was rude to us and they tried to help me look for my keys. However, sometimes they keep the keys inside the car, in which case... I think mine was in my car. So they radioed out to the guys to look for it. I kept apologizing and they were totally cool about it. They found it pretty quickly too, considering they had more than 300 cars that night! I totally appreciate their attitude and prompt service. They definitely deserved the big tip! :)
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For dinner with the bachelorette party, we had a 7PM reservation at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris hotel. I have yet to try there. It's supposed to have some great views of the Bellagio fountains across the street. We were seated in the enclosed patio area where we got part view of the fountains. However, it was next to a doorway so there was a cold breeze that kept coming through. Saturday in Vegas was quite cold too.. Brrrrrr. The place was quite large, dimly lit, and a bit crammed. I felt like they stuffed too many tables into the space they had.
Mon Ami Gabi
(in Paris Hotel)
3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 944-4224
http://www.monamigabi.com/
Price: $$$$
Our waitress was friendly and greeted us. We started off with waters and also ordered their riff on a Sangria (with Gran Marnier). A pitcher was enough for about 7 full wine glasses. It was quite tasty! I normally hate sangrias because I don't like wine, particularly red wine, but the addition of the other flavors masked it quite well. :)
Then we got a whole Baguette (with whipped butter). We just ripped the bread with our hands. It was warm and crusty but still soft on the inside. The whipped butter was awesome. I think all butters should be whipped.
It also came with a Radish/Jicama? Slaw. It was light and refreshing. I really enjoyed it. But is this a normal French thing? Some sort of slaw with your bread? I didn't really understand the combo...
For starters, I got the Arugula and Butternut Squash Salad (frisee, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, sherry brown butter vinaigrette) $11.95~
It. Was. Delicious. I think one of the best salads I've had in a long time. There was nothing super unique about each element but the combination of everything together was perfection. The butternut squash was cooked perfectly. The combination of arugula and frisee provided some interesting texture. The pumpkin seeds were the crunch element and the cranberries were tart and sweet. It was perfectly dressed too. It wasn't drowning in dressing. You could taste the dressing but also each component. I almost thought of cancelling my entree and getting a second salad.
One friend got the Soup du Jour (English pea and potato; served hot) $9.95~
I wanted to get this too, so I got to try it. I was surprised it was warm because normally pea soups are served cold. I guess with the addition of the potato made it hot? It was rich and creamy... my kind of soup. It was poured table side, which I always love that kind of presentation. Quite filling, I'd imagine.
Frisee, Kale, and Warm Bacon Salad (soft poached egg) $11.95~ Two girls split this salad. It looked amazing. If my salad was that good, I'm sure this one was delicious too.
The entrees:
One friend decided to get an appetizer plus a side dish. Sea Scallops Gratinees (caramelized fennel and onion marmalade, mussel cream) $13.95~ It looked good. She said it was good but not great.
Garlic Spinach $5.95~ (in the background) Quite bland... Needed more salt.
Caramelized Sea Scallops (butternut squash puree, fall mushrooms, sage) $25.95~ Looked yummy, I didn't get to try it.
Poisson du Jour (daily fresh fish) $29.95~
This sounded interesting. I forgot what the fish was but it came on a butternut squash and coconut puree. Unique combination! I tried a little of the puree, it was weird at first but then you let it set in, and I think it works! I'm sure it would pair with the fish well.
Chicken Paillard (root vegetables, arugula, chick pea croutons, grana padano) $20.95~
I got this because I've heard of chicken paillard before, sounded very French. But it was basically a seared piece of chicken breast with a side salad. The chicken was bland. It needed seasoning and some sort of a sauce would've been great. The salad looked very similar to the one I just had, but was nowhere as good. I ended up dipping some of the chicken into my friend's merlot sauce for her steak which made a world of difference. It was a very disappointing dish. I left more than half the chicken uneaten. What a waste of 20 bucks. :(
-- While
trying to take pictures of all the other dishes... I forgot to take one
of my own. *Face Palm* But it wasn't worthy anyways...
Apparently they are known for their steaks so several girls got different kinds of steaks.
Classique Steak Frites (maitre d'hotel butter, served with signature hand-cut frites) $26.95~
Merlot Steak Frites (red wine sauce, merlot butter, served with signature hand-cut frites) $27.95~
My friend next to me got this so I got to try it. It was delicious. Mainly because of the sauce. The steak was large but fairly flat, which I tend to like instead of a thicker filet mignon or something. It was cooked well and had a lot of flavor with the sauce. This was the sauce I kept dipping my chicken into. It was sooo tasty. The frites (fries) were different.. almost like chips because they were flat and crispy. Soaking in the sauce was so addicting!!
Filet Mignon (merlot butter, red wine reduction, served with signature hand-cut frites) $36.95~ Sounds like the same sauce as the previous steak. So I'm sure it was pretty awesome.
We were all pretty stuffed after the entrees but then the waitress brought the dessert menus. Well... I probably wouldn't come back in the future so might as well try the dessert too. haha.
I shared a Lemon Tart (sun-dried cherries, brandy, tarragon) $8.95~
It was really good. I used to hate lemons but I'm getting more and more used to them. The tartness was right on.. and was a good ending to a heavy meal. The custard consistency was smooth and creamy. The crust was delicate and buttery. The best part was the cherries in brandy. A lot of flavor and countered the sourness of the lemon.
Two other girls shared the Chocolate Mousse (light semi-sweet chocolate mousse) $7.95~
It had crispy chocolate balls on top which added the crunch factor. The mousse was rich and velvety. The chocolate was dark so it wasn't too sweet. Good dessert.
Everything was pretty good other than my entree. One of my friends said the steaks were the best part. I'd agree (with the exception of my salad), but the steaks weren't the best I've had by far. Maybe that merlot butter sauce was though. haha. Service was good and attentive. Not sure if I would return though, maybe just for the salad, but there are so many other good places in Vegas I've yet to try.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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