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If you haven't noticed that I'm obsessed with City Hall Bistro, then you haven't been paying attention. haha. So when I got invited to the January Blog and Brunch, I responded pretty much instantly, and then counted down the days! So excited!
City Hall Bistro - Brunch
1321 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 651-3686
www.cityhallbistro.com
Price: $$-$$$
Love the space. Duh. :P But a tip for foodies who wanna take photos... request tables in the back, where the windows are. Instant lighting! You're welcome.
We had a big group that day... 20 people or so? Biggest Blog and Brunch I've been to. And you know what that means?! MORE food! :P We had a feast that was to die for. Keep scrolling for all the pics. Also... follow @blogandbrunchdfw on Instagram! :)
Breakfast Bread (muffin, daily bread, croissant, pain au chocolate) $5~ I didn't know where to start first!
I wanted one of everything! But I had my eye on those chocolate croissants. Probably one of the best chocolate croissants I've ever had. Mainly because it was completely filled with chocolate. Most places have that sad little dab of chocolate in the middle. At City Hall Bistro, they're not stingy. The dark chocolate was awesome, and the croissants themselves were flaky and buttery.
Another favorite was the carrot (and maybe banana or zucchini?) bread. I normally get turned off by anything carrot, but the way they crisped the edges of each slice... it was bomb. Texture was so good. I won't be mad if I get my vegetables that way. :P
Cheese (fruit jam, honeycomb, raisin pecan toast) $12~ I skipped this one because I'm not one for cheese boards. Need more stomach room for all the other foods!
Papas Bravas (crispy potato, garlic aioli, smoked paprika) $5~ Freaking love these potatoes. They are packed with flavor. Highly recommend!
Greek Yogurt (pomegranate, blueberry, caramelized honey, basil, blueberry meringue crisp) $10~
This was surprisingly one of my favorites for the day. I NEVER order yogurt at restaurants because... why? haha. But this was SO good. I actually went back 2 weeks later and got it. By myself. I mean... it's healthy! The yogurt is swirled with vanilla bean. The best thing on there is the blueberry meringue crisp. Adds a light and crispy texture to the creamy yogurt. It's not too tart, not too sweet. Just perfect. Just a note: most of the stuff we got were for sharing so they were bigger portions. Like the yogurt, the actual portion is individual sized... see photo with spoon. It's still quite filling though, just not great for sharing.
Hazelnut Waffle (nutella, banana, pure maple syrup) $12~ Always a good choice. I've already had this before. It's a solid dish if you want sweet for breakfast.
Frittata (roasted mushroom, leek, arugula, cheddar, tomato chutney) $15~ Um. Probably one of the best frittatas I've ever tasted. I don't even know how they packed so many flavors into this little slice of egg.
Mushroom Tartine (tarragon mascarpone, pickled beech mushroom, mustard seed, soft poached egg) $13~ Prettiest dish you ever did see. They were topped with edible flowers, so it's literally a garden on a piece of bread. Check out the perfectly poached egg p0rn. :P
Shakshuka (farm egg, roasted pepper, spicy tomato, ciabatta toast) $16~ I think this is my first shakshuka. It's basically poached eggs in tomato sauce and spices. Not sure if it's "authentic" but it was quite delicious. I really liked the flavor of the spicy tomato sauce.
Creme Brulee Toast (kumquat, vanilla custard, mint) $14~ I was very excited about this dish as I love french toast. However, I think it was one of the weaker dishes. The presentation is clean and pretty, but I like a fluffier french toast. It was more compact and flat...
Cauliflower (golden raisin, smoked paprika aioli) $10~ I love their cauliflower dish. Especially when served on the wood board. The addition of the golden raisins elevates the dish imo. And just a tip... you can get this during their Happy Hour for $5. :)
What a fantastic spread. My favorites still tend to favor the sweet stuff. hehe. Thank you, City Hall Bistro and Blog and Brunch, for having me. I'm ready for their new menu items now. hehe. In case you didn't know.. they change up their menu items from time to time. So most of the dishes I've had the first time I went are already not available. T_T So you better make reservations soon, if you want to try any of these!
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
It's the last day of 2017!! Hope your year was as sweet as mine. Here's my "Top 10 Sweet Bites" for the year. It was pretty hard to narrow it down. Y'all know I lurrrv my desserts.
These are not ranked btw... I love them all. But I've definitely have some more than others. And SERIOUSLY craving some right now...
- Starbucks Reserve (Legacy West).
This place has made me like coffee. Even if the coffee is topped with a scoop of ice cream. haha. :P The House Affogato from Starbucks Reserve is delicious. And I'm obsessed with this place. I love sitting at the bar so I can watch the baristas demo the siphon coffee. One of these days I'll have to go to one of their workshops! Also fantastic... the Cold Brew Malt... basically a coffee milkshake - Cold Brew, 2 scoops of ice cream, Starbucks' malt powder.
- Bisous Bisous Patisserie (West Village).
I've definitely spent a lot of time in West Village this year. Between Pok and the Summer Sammie pop ups from Bisous Bisous, it's like I lived there. I went almost every weekend they were available. Warm and flaky croissant waffles made to order with seasonal ice cream flavors sandwiched in the middle. So yummy!
- Val's Cheesecakes (Maple Ave, Lower Greenville).
Best cheesecakes ever. I definitely ate A LOT of his cheesecakes this year, include TWO whole ones. They make a great addition to any special occasion and he can do anything you want in his custom creations. My all time favorite... the Classic Blueberry. I still have a few jars in my fridge, better go get those now!
- Everett & Elaine (Legacy Food Hall & Dallas Farmers Market)
I first stumbled upon E&E earlier this year at the Dallas Farmers Market. They makes some of the most delicious looking desserts and pastries. But since they've opened their stall inside the Legacy Food Hall, I've discovered my favorite thing there. The Tiramisu Cotton Cheesecake. It's an Asian style (super fluffy) cheesecake with a decadent tiramisu topping. It's on a whole different level. You cannot compare it with anything else. Every single person that I've recommended it to has loved it.
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| Photo by @_rachelann_ |
- Commissary (Downtown).
Again, one of my favorite places this year. They have a gorgeous dessert display and so far everything I've tried is good. However, the first thing I had there, the Triple Chocolate Eclair, remains one of my favorites. It's like a Ferrero Rocher, which is one of my favorite candies. Plus it's fancy.
- North Italia (Legacy West).
Again, one of my favorite spots this year. Make sure you make room for dessert after all those amazing pastas. Their Tiramisu is probably one of the best I've had to date. Rich espresso flavor and cream, lots of chocolates, and the crunchy chocolate balls totally makes it.
- Tommy Bahama (Legacy West).
I didn't even know TB had restaurants until I went to the Legacy West grand opening. The decor is so festive and the food is quite fantastic. But... their desserts are definitely the star. One of the prettiest desserts I've had this year... and definitely the BEST creme brulee ever, imo. Their Pineapple Creme Brulee is baked inside an actual pineapple!! So bright and fun and fresh.
- District Food & Wine (Design District).
This is definitely a hidden gem. They're only open for lunch during the week so I don't think most people know it's there. But the BEST Lemon Cake of my life! I don't even really like lemon desserts very much and I chose this over the chocolate cake. What?? Not too tart or too sweet, the cake is fluffy and perfect. I still think about it from time to time.
- Emporium Pies (Bishop Arts District, Deep Ellum, Downtown McKinney).
This is my favorite pie place in Dallas so it's really hard to pick a single one that I love. But I found my absolute favorite pie this year... and that's a pretty bold statement coming from me. The Nutty Honey from the Fall Menu... peanut butter and honey. Please bring it back!!
- We the Birds Macarons.
So... these are not limited to 2017, but I've got to give a shout out to my friends at We the Birds for having the most beautiful and delicious macarons ever. I prefer theirs over Ladurée. Yes, you can quote me on that. I gifted several of their custom flavors to friends this year so I think it's relevant. :P Love y'all!
Sweet Dreams everyone! And have the most amazing 2018!
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
In October, I had a lot less media events to attend so I used my free time to connect with friends I haven't seen/talked to in a while. Plus I got to go to some of the places that I've been wanting to go for the first time, or return to cuz the first time was so good. City Hall Bistro blew me away when I went for a media dinner. I dreamed about it all the time so when I planned a brunch with a friend, I suggested it. She also loves this place so it was quickly decided. We just can't stay away!
City Hall Bistro
1321 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 651-3686
www.cityhallbistro.com
Price: $$-$$$
Checking out their brunch this time. They have a pretty small brunch menu, the rest of the options are available on their dinner menu as well. But everything sounded yummy. My friend is gluten free so we couldn't share a whole lot. I love my carbs. :P So naturally we over-ordered. She got 2 dishes and I got 2... and sampled each others.
We started with her choice, Chia Seed (apple, date, dried fruit, goji berries, cinnamon, labneh) $12~
The chia seeds are soaked in coconut milk (which is good cuz she's dairy free as well). The only dairy was the labneh that they usually dollop on top. So they just put it on the side. What a beautiful dish! Just lightly sweet the texture of the chia seeds were perfect. The fruits on top were strategically placed, I just loved the plating. It was a nice, light start to the meal.
Next was my pick: Hazelnut Waffles (nutella, banana) $11~ Too bad they don't have a gluten free options. These are yummy. I especially loved the hazelnut crumbles on top. It didn't really even need the maple syrup. The waffle texture was good, it didn't feel heavy. Which means I can eat more! :P
Her choice: Black Rice (harissa chicken, kale, sofrito, poached egg) $17~ I wanted this too, so I was glad she chose it. hehe. Also a beautiful dish. Loved everything about it. The flavors were great. I love black rice. The poached egg was so soft it just mixed with everything. And I like the greens in there since we didn't really have any other vegetables in the meal.
Lastly, this is not part of the brunch section but I wanted to try it since the first time I dined here. House-Made Cavatelli (braised short rib, fresh peas, parmesan) $14~
I love all pasta. And when it's mixed with short rib? Sold! Freaking loved it. This was my favorite. The pasta shape is fun... although you can also say they look like bugs. But delicious bugs! :P And the texture is on point! The short rib was SUPER tender. The peas and pea greens added a nice freshness since this is a heavier dish. I'd eat this dish again any day.
It was such a great meal. I loved catching up with my friend and enjoyed the lovely ambiance of City Hall Bistro. Got to try 4 new dishes there too so it's definitely a success. Hopefully I'll get to go back soon. There are more things to try!
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (for brunch):
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I recently got invited to a media dinner at Cane Rosso at White Rock. But it wasn't just a regular dinner... it was BRUNCH for dinner. Heck yea!! I'll take brunch all day, every day! They recently rolled out a new brunch menu and I was one of the lucky ones to check it out for free. :D I got to bring a friend, so she was lucky too. hehe.
Cane Rosso - White Rock
7328 Gaston Ave #100
Dallas, TX 75214
(214) 660-3644
www.canerosso.com/white-rock
Price (for brunch): $$
Brunch is every Saturday and Sunday from 11AM - 3PM.
My friend and I arrived super early so we got a head start on the drinks. Or... my friend got started on the drinks. haha. I prefer to eat my calories. :P Plus I don't really drink much alcohol. She started with a Raspberry(?) Hibiscus Moscow Mule. I think it was raspberry... not completely sure. But it was pink! She really liked it. Quite refreshing, and pretty, if we weren't sitting in a dark room. haha.
Then she moved on to the Spiked Sangria $6~ She loved it. Had about 3 glasses throughout the night. Haha. I don't drink, but I sure do bring friend that do! :P
Once everyone arrived, we started the dinner (er... brunch) with the Bomboloni (fluffly italian doughnuts filled with nutella; 3 per order) $8~
It smelled soooo good. Nothing smells better than a warm fried dough with nutella, you agree? I tried to get a good picture but it was quite dark in the dining room and it just kinda looks like a boob. hahaha. But the dough was nice and fluffy. I had to scrape off some of the sugar though, it was too much. And I wish they had actually done a cinnamon sugar instead of just sugar. Nutella is awesome. And they needed more of it. It wasn't completely filled inside the dough. Mostly just the dollop they pumped into the middle. It was yummy, but a few tweaks here and there would make it even better I think.
So we didn't really know what to expect from the dinner. We just knew they were bringing out several of the dishes to share family style. Turns out, they served us the ENTIRE brunch menu. O.M.G. We realized it too late so half way through we were already getting full! And I have a problem with going back for seconds if the food is just there in front of me. I need to get that under control! Ha!
The Hylander (meatballs, marinara, mozzarella on a housemade savory waffle; with fried potatoes) $12~
I was really excited about this dish when I accepted the invite. It just sounded amazing. Not the easiest to photograph though... And half of us ended up taking the dishes outside so we can use natural light. My favorite part of this dish? The savory waffles. They're so thick and had great texture. It's a little denser than a sweet waffle but I liked that. I felt like the meatballs and marinara were a bit one-note though. It needs a little pop of something... maybe some herbs? like basil? Or maybe some sort of freshness to lighten it? The combo of the waffles, meatballs, and fried potatoes was quite heavy. Which I found a lot of the brunch items to be. Not saying it's bad. I think brunch is about indulgence and it's meant to sop up the hangovers from last night's drinking right? hahaha. Oh... and all the dishes are quite big. I think they are definitely shareable, unless you are just famished.
Vegetable Frittata (italian style omelette with seasonal vegetables and cheese, small mista salad, bacon marmalade biscuit) $12~
Between the two frittatas, this was our favorite. It was just a little lighter and I liked all the veggies in there. I loveeeed that bacon marmalade biscuit. I mean... who doesn't like bacon marmalade?!? I liked that this was also served with a side salad. A little lighter and brighter than all the other dishes. Now if I can just add the hot soppressata to this frittata, that would be perfection.
Italian Stallion Frittata (italian style omelette with cheese, sausage, hot soppressata, and prosciutto cotto, fried potatoes, bacon marmalade biscuit) $14~
If you can't tell from my previous comment... the hot sopressata was my favorite part of this frittata. It was yummy! Loved it paired with the biscuit. I wish this was served with side of salad too... the potatoes are getting really heavy. And no one was really eating them. Meaning they just kept taunting me, and I ate too much. haha.
Breakfast Pizza (toppings change weekly) $14~
I'm not sure what all is on here. I couldn't hear the chef when he was introducing it. But there ARE potatoes. haha. There's also bacon and some sort of peppers. The peppers were fantastic... whatever they did with it, it had so much flavor and added a nice heat to the pizza. The potato chunks were too big and kind of clunky to eat. If they can cut that down smaller and crisp them up even more. It would be bomb. Overall, everyone loved the pizza. Great dough, great flavors.
Mother Clucker (crispy fried chicken on a housemade bacon marmalade biscuit, drizzled with habanero maple syrup, with fried potatoes) $12~ Make it a Mother Cluckin' Bastard (+hot soppressata and bacon marmalade) +$3~
So they served both version at the tables but didn't explain the differences. So my part of the table had the plain Mother Clucker. So I was confused as to why we were missing the bacon marmalade and other yummy meats on top. So we had to waive a waiter over to explain. Then we had to track down a Mother Cluckin' Bastard down the table so we can try some of that. The difference is night and day. I don't really know why they even offer the Mother Clucker. The Mother Cluckin' Bastard was so freaking amazing. The fried chicken was moist, the bacon marmalade and hot soppressata on top was an explosion of flavor. And the sweetness from the habanero maple syrup just rounded out everything. The Mother Clucker was as plain as can be... Just do everyone a service and remove that option so they will always be eating the better one. haha. Oh man... I'm seriously drooling right now. Lesson of the day: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS opt for the Mother Cluckin' Bastard.
Biscuits and Gravy (housemade bacon marmalade biscuits topped with calabrian chile sausage gravy) $8~
OMG... by now we were all very full. And this is another heavy dish. While I've been loving their bacon marmalade biscuits, it gets lost under this pile of gravy. And I love sausage gravy... usually. But didn't like this one. The flavor was very muddled. It was bland but wasn't? I don't know how to explain. But just having had the Mother Cluckin' Bastard with the explosion of flavors, this one just totally fell short. :(
Breakfast Panini (flavors change weekly; served with small mista salad) $11~
This is a behemoth of a sandwich. And it was my favorite of the night. Except I was too full to eat more than two bites of it. It was huge! And stuffed full of delicious things... the best part being this chili pepper spread. I think it was the same chili pepper as the ones on the pizzas. Soooo much flavor with a hint of heat. It elevated the sandwich. And the "bread" is actually pizza dough. Which is genius, because their pizza dough has great texture. Absolutely loved it. I just wish they wouldn't change the flavors weekly because the one we had was perfect.
Cane Rosso Hash (bacon, sausage, onions, potatoes, calabrian chiles, sausage gravy, and two fried eggs, small mista salad, bacon marmalade biscuit) $14~
The hash looked really good but there were a few elements I just didn't like. 1) The potatoes... oh the potatoes that we had with every other dish... they were too big. I prefer hashes to have smaller chunks of potato. Easier to eat imo. 2) The gravy is back as well. Still muddled and it just dulls the whole dish. I'd say remove the gravy and just load up the hash with the bacon marmalade/hot soppressata mixture. Yes? Yes? :P
Wafflebird (housemade sweet waffle topped with vanilla mascarpone, nutella, cookie butter, crushed speculoos cookies, toasted marshmallows, powdered sugar; with side of fruit) $9~
I thought I couldn't eat another bite... until the sweet dish came. It was b.e.a.uuuutiful! I mean.. just everything I love piled on a super fluffy (and surprisingly light) waffle. The waffle itself was perfection. I dunno how they get it so light and fluffy. The toppings were no joke... nutella, cookie butter, speculoos cookies? AND marshmallow? I'm glad there was a side a fruit so I felt a little "healthier". hahaha. But seriously, one of the best dessert waffles I've ever had. Easily one of my favorite dishes of the night. Get it. You know you want to.
It was a pretty epic meal. Mainly in the sheer amount of food I just consumed. haha. There were definitely some fantastic dishes, and some fell short. But I wouldn't be eating the entire menu next time I go so I know exactly what I will order again. Basically... bacon marmalade ALL THE THINGS! It is a great value for the money. All the dishes are very filling and the price point is all under $14 a dish. Thanks to Cane Rosso for having me. :)
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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