Sneak Peek: Standard Service opens Monday, 10/10!

One of the most anticipated restaurant openings in Rockwall... My friend first tipped me off that HG Sply Co was going to open something in our neck of the woods months and months ago. For the longest time I thought it was going to be a second location but never really heard anything about it. Last week, I realized it was going to be a different name, Standard Service. I've actually seen the name on Facebook at some point a while back but the name didn't jump out at me. So the opening kinda snuck up on us! Do you have any idea HOW exciting it is to get a new restaurant in Rockwall? There's not many great places to choose from and something with the caliber of HG Sply Co and Remedy is huge! hehe.

Standard Service
760 W. Ralph Hall Pkwy
Rockwall, TX 75032
(469) 651-1100
www.thestandardservice.com
Price: $$$+

Once I found out Standard Service is the new restaurant name, I followed it's opening closely. Unfortunately they pushed back their opening date a few times since I started checking on it. We (a group of us) had been talking about going yesterday, then we found out the opening day got pushed to Monday, 10/10. Booo... Well, me being me, I decided to do a drive by with a friend Friday afternoon just to see maybeeeee they're doing a soft opening?! It's super close to my house anyways. As I drove by, I saw a lot of people inside. So I decided to park and go inside. They were doing training still so all the staff was there. I confirmed with them the opening date. MONDAY! And then they told me I'm welcome to sit at the bar and get a drink. Ooooo. So I casually asked if they are serving food as well. They said food service started at 6PM and it would be on them since they are still doing training. What?!? They're serving food AND it's free?? I immediately texted my husband and said change of evening plans and we're going to Standard Service! haha. I met back at the restaurant with my friend and her hubby at 6:30PM. The hostesses were super nice and said we can totally sit at the bar to eat and drink. Turns out they were having their friends and family night with mock services to practice. We felt so special that we were still allowed in since we're neither friends nor family. Although after the meal we felt like friends. :P

The space is super cool. High ceilings, lots of wood, the bar has a large window that opens up to their big patio. There's a ping pong table in the patio too. Definitely a cool place to hang out now that the weather is cooler.

We were given a smaller menu for their mock service night but the entire drink menu was available. We were so excited we didn't know whether to order food or drinks or just keep looking around the restaurant. Our bartender (who also took our food orders) was Jessica. She was super friendly and gave a lot of suggestions. You can tell she was very excited about the restaurant opening and their offerings. And... they have Moscow Mule and Old Fashioned cocktails on draft! What what!?! That's pretty freaking awesome. And they were good too. We tried both.

*I'm including the prices of all the menu items but the meal was on the house since it was a mock service. Sooo freaking awesome!!! :D

HG Moscow Mule (42 Below Vodka, Lime, Ginger Holy Kombucha, Agave) $10~ Very refreshing and definitely strong (for a lightweight like me) haha.

Right Grain Old Fashioned (Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon, House-Mashed Barley Syrup, bitters) $10~ My friend really likes Old Fashioned and she said this one was really good.

Bison Chili Frito Pie (South Dakota bison, kidney, pinto, black beans, fritos, shredded cheddar, lime crema, guacamole, green onions) $9~ 

 

This was their only appetizer option of the evening so we go it first while still trying to decide what entrees to get. This was a pretty damn big portion imo. And it was definitely the prettiest frito pie I've ever seen. hahaha. Delicious!!! All the ingredients were super fresh and the flavors all complimented each other well. There wasn't too much of one thing or another. And it had the slightest little spicy kick to it. Yum. This could easily be a meal too.

The B-Webb (The Last Word: High Born Gin, Maraschino, Chartreause, Lime) $12~ 

Partial proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Hospital. They told us that they feature 5 different cocktails (the line up changes every so often) and each one has proceeds that go to a different charity. That's really awesome. Drink for charity, amiright? My friend got this. It was a pretty drink. It has a bitterness to it but is very smooth. Another winner.

Chicken Salad Wrap (chopped chicken breast, celery, green grapes in green goddess dressing, marinated tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, green onion, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, crispy brown rice; with side of potato salad) $13.50~ 

My husband chose this as his entree. I really liked the potato salad. You can also choose potato chips as your side. He liked the wrap... I thought it was ok. The flavor was fine but it was too saucy for me.

The Standard Stack (herbed smashbrowns with caramelized onion and jalapeno, green goddess dressing, marinated tx tomato and arugula; with choice of protein). Kansas City Kobe Beef Burger $15~ My friend's husband got this. He said it was good.

The Standard Stack (herbed smashbrowns with caramelized onion and jalapeno, green goddess dressing, marinated tx tomato and arugula; with choice of protein). Scottish Salmon $18~ 

I got the stack as well but with salmon. I shared it with my friend since we wanted to try everything. She said this was better than her husbands kobe beef burger stack. I ordered the salmon pink in the middle and it came PERFECTLY cooked. I mean.. just on point. And those smashbrowns... so good. Nice and crispy and flavorful. The whole thing was delicious and very well rounded. It didn't feel heavy at all. And at first the portion looked small to me, but its quite filling. Highly recommend this.

My friend got the Chicken Fried Chicken (sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, green beans, chicken gravy) $16~ 

We also shared this one. Jessica (our bartender) recommended this one. They use chicken thighs instead of breast so the meat was extra juicy and tender. The color on the batter looked dark but it wasn't overcooked. I really enjoyed the crunch on the batter. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and the gravy wasn't too heavy. I think the chicken was my favorite thing of the night. Then the salmon and smashbrowns were a close close second.

We were having such a great time and the restaurant had completely filled up. The noise level is a little high but it's energetic not overbearing. We chatted with Jessica a lot throughout the night. It was very cool sitting at the bar watching them make all the drinks too. Since it's still their training, it's like we got a behind the scenes look at the restaurant. For their first night of food service, we thought everything went really well. The service was fast, attentive, and friendly. The food was spot on, no major snafus on anything. I'd say they're ready to open!

Finally we decided to ask if they were serving dessert even though it's not on the limited menu and they said yes. They only have 2 dessert options. One is a coconut blondie, called The Lucy. The other was The Ricky (dark chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate sauces, chopped peanuts, whipped cream) $11~ 

Such cute names! You can guess which one we got. hehe. It was pretty freaking awesome. I was on a no sugar diet, but I cheated and had 2 bites. The brownie was super fudgy and they gave enough ice cream to brownie ratio (this is important!) We killed it pretty quickly.

What a fabulous night! I saw the executive chef, Danyele McPherson, walking around the dining room later in the night but didn't get to meet her. She seems really nice. I saw her when she competed on Top Chef and have kinda been following her movement since. She used the be the chef de cuisine at The Grape then moved to Remedy and HG Sply Co sometime in 2014. I freaking love Remedy... especially their burger. I'm very pleased to see that the burger is going to be on the menu at Standard Service.

If you haven't noticed my excitement for this new opening... I'm telling you now... They open on MONDAY! Lunch & Dinner - 7 days a week! What a great addition to Rockwall. Go check them out. :) And say hi to Jessica for me!

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Lyfe Kitchen - Plano

We went to the new Lyfe Kitchen in Plano earlier this month for a light lunch. We had just gotten back from our all-inclusive Cancun trip so we didn't want to eat too much. Need to get back in shape!

Lyfe Kitchen
1900 Preston Rd. #111
Plano, TX, 75093
(972) 867-5933
http://restaurant.lyfekitchen.com/
Price: $$

I had been here once before. I thought it was pretty good but slightly expensive. However, they have this awesome brussels sprouts side dish for just $4! And you get quite a bit! I had my eyes set on that one again.

It's a cute place, bright lighting and colors, and an herb garden/shelf thing as soon as you walk into the door. It helps to reiterate their concept of healthy and sustainable foods. They support local farms, promote sustainability, and is overall environmentally friendly. Nothing is fried, and they offer gluten free, vegan, etc. options. I totally love the concept. And I understand their need to price things a bit higher. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you.

It was my fiance's first time here. I knew he liked flavored water and juices and stuff so I pointed those out to him. They have some interesting waters, juices, and smoothies.

Orange Ginger Chia (fresh-squeezed orange juice, filtered water, lime, raw ginger syrup, lemon verbena, mint and chia seeds) $2.49~ 

This was quite good! I was surprised I liked it since I'm not a huge ginger fan. It was very refreshing, not too sweet, and the chia added some texture. If you haven't been following the food health news, chia is a recent trend. Supposed to be super good for you.

Roasted Salmon, Tomato & Fennel (sustainably raised salmon served with pan-steamed fennel, red onion, broccoli, zesty tomato sauce) $14.99~ 

He wanted something with protein so opted for the salmon. The fish was cooked well, but the flavors were quite light. Almost seemed bland at first, but the more he ate, the spicier it got. He can't really handle spicy so it was borderline too much for him. I got the spiciness, but to me it was very slight. It was an ok dish. Definitely light and healthy though.

Quinoa Crunch Wrap (whole wheat tortilla stuffed with quinoa tabbouleh, fresh crunchy vegetables avocado, edamame hummus, fireman’s hot sauce on the side) $7.99~ 

This was mine. It was very pretty! I loved it. Lots of veggies inside with all sorts of flavors and texture. I liked the combo of the quinoa with the avocado. The edamame hummus was great too! I'd get this again.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash (with dried cranberries, dijon vinaigrette) $3.99~ 

This is what I came for. Two of my favorite veggies in one plate for only $4!! Delicious! I think I can just order 2 of these as my main meal next time. hahaha.

This time was better than the first. I enjoyed my food a lot more. Guess you just have to order the right thing here... If you are into healthy food and/or have a special diet, this is definitely worth checking out. I'm totally digging this new trend of more local foods, healthy, sustainability. I really hope it continues down this path. :)

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Nazca Kitchen

On Tuesday I had lunch with my L2E crew from work. It's getting harder and harder to meet up with everyone, now that we're all on different teams... I suggested Nazca Kitchen. I was supposed to go there last week but ended up not going. The menu looks fresh and healthier. :) 

Nazca Kitchen 
8041 Walnut Hill Ln. 
Dallas, TX 75231 
(214) 696-2922 
http://www.nazcakitchen.com/ 
Price: $$ 

Nazca features South American cuisine... mainly Peruvian inspired foods. This type of cuisine is hard to find in Dallas so of course it's worthy of a try! The decor is open and bright, quite inviting. We were immediately seated at a booth. 

There were so many things I wanted to try on the menu, but I decided to stay healthy... But later I sabotaged myself with dessert... hahaha. :-/ 

I got the Perico Wrap (Spinach and bacon with scrambled eggs, cheddar, cilantro, onions, peppers) $6~ 

It was under the "lite" section in the menu. It was a good size for the price. I really liked it. Especially with the salsa on top. There was lots of spinach which was great. The eggs were cooked well and I got the saltiness from the bacon. Overall it was light but still filling. I took half of it to go for my lunch the next day! 

I also got the Baby Kale Side Salad (tossed greens, kale, carrots, feta, avocado, mustard seed dressing) $5~ 

I picked the carrots off since I don't like carrots. Everything else was great. It was really fresh. The dressing was unique...slightly sweet. I liked it. I took half of that to go as well! :P 

One friend got the Spinach Talon Chicken Wrap (Peruvian style aji amarillo chicken, spinach, cheddar cheese, eggs, pepitas, herb sauce and criolla) with side of Butternut Squash (butternut squash, red onion, cranberries and almonds) $10~ 

I was also looking at this. It was pretty similar to my wrap. I only got to try the butternut squash side, which was delicious! The squash was sweet and cooked well. The added almonds gave it a nice crunch. 

Another friend got Chile Jam Chicken Wrap (grilled chicken, leaf lettuce, almonds, criolla, yogurt and spicy chili jam on a sun dried tomato tortilla) with side of Quinoa (quinoa tossed in tahini glaze with broccoli, tomato, feta and pepitas, peppers, pecans and olives) $10~ 

I was also looking at this too! Haha.. all good choices. I tried a bite of the quinoa. Pretty standard if you've had quinoa before. Light and fresh. They both said the food was pretty good. 

Rum-Bread Pudding $6~ 

So I saw a check-in deal on Yelp to get a free bread pudding so I HAD to do it. Doesn't get any better than free dessert!!! Even though I'm supposed to be eating healthy during the week. haha. The bread pudding was super moist!! It wasn't overwhelmingly sweet like it looked. I thought it was pretty good. Would've liked more whipped cream on the side though. That little bit melted very quickly. 

The service was uber slow! It turned out to be a longer lunch break than we wanted. We also had issues splitting the check. But despite the lacking service, I enjoyed the food a lot. I think I would go again... just when I'm not in a rush. 

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Dive Coastal Cuisine

I've known about Dive for awhile now and never had the chance to go. Last week I met up with a friend for lunch so I suggested this place.

Dive Coastal Cuisine
3404 Rankin St.
Dallas, TX 75205
(214) 891-1700
http://www.dive-dallas.com
Price: $$-$$$

It's located in Snider Plaza. Business during lunch is really good! It was tough to find parking. We got there just in time and was able to find a table. It filled up soon after that. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you.

Everything sounded so good but I've always seen pictures of their wraps so I thought I'd give that a try. I got the Curry Shrimp Wrap (coconut rice, greens, granny smith apples, cucumber, creamy curry dressing; in a spinach tortilla) $13~

Every part of this sounded awesome. It was super fresh. There were plenty of greens which I really liked. The shrimp was jumbo and cooked well. The best is the curry dressing with the wrap. It added a richness and flavor to the freshness of the other ingredients. I also liked that they pan fried the wrap. It made the tortilla a little crispy on the outside. For the price, I thought the portion was too small. For $13 it should at least come with a side or something. Although it ended up being quite filling. I would totally eat this again.

My friend got the Seared Ahi Tuna Wrap (ginger slaw, cucumber, avocado, coconut rice with sweet chili and ponzu sauce; in a spinach tortilla) $13~ This is one of their most popular dishes. The color of the tuna against the greens was beautiful. He said it was really good. I just might have to try it for myself next time.

We also got the Shrimp & Tuna Tartare (cucumber, tomatoes, guacamole; served with house-made plantain chips). It had a different name on the menu but I can't remember what it was or the price... 

The tartare had a lot of flavor. A touch of acidity from lemon juice, a hint of spice and a creaminess from the guac. The plantain chips were fried perfectly. Super crispy but wasn't greasy. A good compliment to the tartare.

I really enjoyed the food. Everything was tasty and really fresh. I just think the prices are a tad high... But I would go back and try more items in the future.

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Vitality House

I've known about Vitality House for a few weeks now. It just opened not too long ago and features a lot of healthy, all natural foods. Plus it's pretty close to my work! So I really wanted to go check it out.

Vitality House
800 N Coit Rd
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 664-9299
http://www.vitalityhouselife.com/
Price: $$

I suggested it to my coworkers for our L2E Meeting. After the NBA Finals and eating out for every game, I needed to get my diet back on track! haha. I was excited about checking this place out. Their menu looked pretty yummy!

Walking in, the place is very bright and clean. Their color scheme featured green and orange and fit their theme well. Our waitress was super nice.

Their foods are all natural, some organic, low sodium, nothing fried, natural sweeteners, all natural poultry and grass fed bison. Pretty much everything is made in house and baked instead of fried. They even substitute apple sauce for some oil to cut some of the fat.

After looking at the menu forever (cuz I wanted to try so many different things!)...we finally ordered...

Dips and Chips (a variety of house made dips served with freshly baked pita chips) $4.25~ We got the Edamame Hummus and Black Bean Salsa. I've never heard of edamame hummus before. I thought chickpeas were what makes hummus 'Hummus'. I think it was basically a edamame dip that looked like hummus. haha. It was quite interesting. Very light, with a hint of acidity...probably lemon juice or something. I liked the texture, it was pretty smooth. I really liked the black bean salsa. It was light but also full of flavor and had a hint of spicy. The pita chips were nicely baked and crispy. I actually liked mixing the hummus and salsa together in one bite. The flavors from the salsa and the texture of the hummus really went well together with the crispy pita.

J got the Southwest Wrap (seasoned chicken, black beans, brown rice, tomato, pepper, onions, and avocado; with side of Sweet Potato Strings) $9.95~ The portion was pretty small for the price... The sweet potato strings were basically sweet potato fries that were baked. I expected 'stings' to be much thinner and crispier. The baked fries were quite soft... still tasted good though. The wrap was small...had some good flavors, I liked the avocado in there to add some richness. J liked it but said it was not worth the price.

K ordered the Greek Salad (tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, sprinkled with feta cheese and homemade tzatziki sauce) $8.95~ She also added Ahi Tuna on top for $3~ It was just a basic bed of greens with seared tuna on top. For $12...it wasn't anything special. The greens were fresh and the tuna was seared nicely. But again, a little too pricey. She enjoyed it though.

I got the Falafel Salad (falafel atop a bed of arugula with tomato and red onion, served with tahini and tzatziki sauces) $8.95~ I love falafel...the best I've had would still have to be in NYC. This wasn't really what I expected. The falafel were like half pieces on a bed of greens. The greens were pretty generic...but fresh. The falafel wasn't crispy enough on the outside and weren't super flavorful. It was ok, I wouldn't get it again.

I think the chips and dip were my favorite part of the meal. The other dishes were all fresh and healthy, but just wasn't spectacular. Plus we all felt it was just too expensive for what we were getting...especially since it's lunch. (They only open for breakfast and lunch btw...)

The waitress was super friendly, I really liked her. But the food took forever to come out (not the waitress's fault...). They weren't busy at all but we still waited a long time. I wonder if it's because they are making everything from scratch... But even so, it's not good for working people during lunch. Most of us don't have that much time to go out and eat.

So, I'd say overall it definitely didn't wow me. I appreciated the freshness of the ingredients but it wasn't special enough for me to go back any time soon. If they lowered their prices I might reconsider though! haha.

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