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Finally got around to checking out the new Caffe Bene over by H-Mart in Carrollton. I was pretty excited when it opened. I actually went to one of the Caffe Bene's in Korea!
Caffe Bene
1016 W Trinity Mills Rd.
Carrollton, TX 75006
(212) 586-2010
http://caffebene.com/caffe_bene/
Price: $
Walking in, it was like going into one in Korea... the decor is very consistent with what I saw in Seoul. And I really like their decor...wood furniture, mocha/brown color scheme. It's very cozy and warm.
They had a display case by the register with all their waffles and honey toast options. Looks so good! You order at the counter and they give you a buzzer. When the buzzer goes off you go pick up your order at the counter.
I love Asian thick toast desserts so I got a Banana & Walnut Honey Bread $7.45~
It was one of their new offerings. Kinda pricey! But it was huge! Very impressive and yummy looking. The bread had a nice crusty outside and soft on the inside. The bananas and walnuts were great on top. The only thing I wanted was more of that caramel drizzle on top. It was surprisingly not too sweet. I actually still prefer the thick toasts at Taiwanese cafes (the ones with peanut butter or other types of spreads on top) better, but this was pretty good too.
I also got the Misugaru Latte (Homemade Multigrain drink: black sesame seed, black bean, black rice, brown rice, barley) 12oz. $3.95~
I've heard about this drink and it sounded really interesting. I loved it! Never had anything like this... It was creamy and frothy and earthy with all the types of rice and grains and seeds. It's hard to describe the flavor but you can definitely taste the black sesame which I love. I would totally get this again. I got a hot latte this time but next time I might try the frappe version or something! :)
It's a cool place to hang out and chill with friends. I'll have to try one of their waffles next time too.
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My co-worker that lives in Rockwall has been raving about Perla's Kitchen and it's cakes for awhile now. She is a baker herself and says their red velvet cake is the best she's ever had. Now that just totally peaks my interest!
Perla's Kitchen
2455 Ridge Road, Suite 149
Rockwall, TX 75087
972-722-6162
http://www.perlaskitchen.net/
Price: $-$$
Now... Rockwall is pretty far from me (about an hour drive. yikes!) So I had some free time over the weekend and decided to pay my co-worker a visit. It's located in a small strip mall, very unassuming. The place isn't very big and not much decor inside. Walking in, I immediately see the display case full of cakes! Excited!! haha.
I got the Soup and Salad Combo (chicken and mushroom soup, Caesar salad) $7.99~
I had a cold so I thought some soup would be good. Plus I wanted something lighter so I can save room for dessert! But it was a huge plate. haha. The soup of the day was chicken/cream of mushroom. It was topped with big croutons and some cheese. Not a light soup. haha. It was yummy though. I love creamy soups and it warmed me up. Large slices of mushrooms and chicken in that little cup. I wish there was more soup than salad actually. I had asked for the Caesar salad to be lightly dressed. But it came drenched. :( I managed to eat some of it but I don't like too much dressing.
My friend got the Ahi Tuna Steak Sandwich (Italian loaf with aioli, tomatoes, red onions, baby greens, white balsamic vinaigrette; side green salad) $9.99~ It looked really good and I was told it was delicious.
We were actually quite full after the meal so we had a few bites of the cake and got the rest to go.
Lemon Cake with Strawberry Filling $4.29~
This was also a recommendation by another friend that lives in Rockwall. I had expected their slices to be bigger... I wonder if we hadn't gotten it to-go if it would've. :-/ But, it was really moist and I really liked the lemon flavor of the cake with the strawberry in the middle. The icing was a bit dense and quite sugary. Luckily the cake was pretty light so was able to balance it. It was pretty tasty.
Red Velvet Cake $4.29~
Of course we had to get this. Super moist like she said. I was surprised to see it more pink than red like in most other restaurants, but I guess that's good because they might've used less food coloring? The cream cheese frosting was dense and really rich...good but soooo bad for you. hahaha. I liked it a lot, but it wasn't the best red velvet I've ever had.
It was a good lunch. I'm glad I got to try it. Was it worth the hour drive just for the cakes? I can't say it is. But if I'm craving desserts in the Rockwall area, I'd probably go back and try some of their other stuff. The blueberry cream cake and bread pudding sounds yummy!
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I had a big holiday get together with a
group of friends before the new year. We
try to get together once a quarter, but
with jobs and babies and life, it's
longgg over due! I chose Mi Piaci
because one of my friends mentioned to
me a few months ago that they had squid
ink pasta. Sold! I had to go try it.
hehe.
Mi Piaci
14854 Montfort Drive
Dallas, TX 75254
(972) 934-8424
http://www.mipiaci-dallas.com
Price: $$$-$$$$
We had a party of 10 for Saturday night
around 7PM. We were immediately seated
and they put us in the private room with
a giant round table. Felt so grand...
definitely like a family holiday dinner
or something. hehe. At one point we even
closed the curtains so it was completely
closed off to the main dining area.
I was pretty hungry, so I attacked the
bread plate when they served it. I think
it was herbed Foccacia, garlic Foccacia
and bread sticks. The bread was awesome.
I loved the pillowy texture and lots of
flavor. I had to refrain myself from
eating it all. haha.
We got started with some appetizers and
salads.
One couple got the Calamari Fritti
(pan-fried with red chili sauce &
cilantro oil) $9~ (in the background...)
I got to try one. It
was awesome. The calamari was cooked
beautifully and each piece was huge. It
was like calamari steak fries. haha. The
sauce complimented it well.
I had the Insalata di Cesare (heart of
romaine salad with classic Caesar
dressing, garlic croutons, spiced
pumpkin seeds) $8~ My favorite part was
the pumpkin seeds, gave it that crunch
it needed. It was a good salad, nothing
fancy.
A few people got the House Salad. They
said it was really good.
Zuppa Aragosta (Adriatic style lobster
bisque topped with house made lobster
fritter) $9~ This looked really good. I
didn't get to taste it though. But those
who ordered it cleaned their bowls.
On to the entrees... They hand make all
their pastas and even have a window into
the kitchen where you can see the guy
making it. I thought that was pretty
cool.
Spaghettini Neri (house made black
spaghetti with butter poached blue crab
and chili butter) $24~
All the pastas
sounded great but I was here for this.
You can definitely tell the pasta was
handmade and had good texture. The
chunks of crab were big and cooked well.
I felt there was a bit too much pasta vs
sauce though, but wasn't a big deal
since I don't like too much sauce
anyways. I liked the sprinkle of bread
crumbs on top to add some texture. I
liked it but I still like the one at
Spoon better... It was a pretty big
portion too. I took half of it to go.
I also got a side of Broccolini Fritti
di Peperoncino (flash fried fresh
broccolini with red chili flake) $7~ I
think they prepared it another way
because it didn't seem flash fried nor
did it have chili flakes on it. Oh
well...still good veggies.
Fettuccine al Prosciutto (wide, flat
noodles in a light parmesan cream sauce
with prosciutto and peas) $18~
I was
able to have some of this. It's like a
alfredo/carbonara... super creamy and
decadent. I really liked it. The peas
were cooked perfectly and the sweetness
paired well with the salty prosciutto.
Not for those watching their waistlines
that's for sure. haha.
I didn't get to try anything else, but
it all looked yummy.
Penne All' Arrabiata (hand rolled quill
shaped pasta with spicy tomato sauce,
pancetta, vodka, basil and pecorino
cheese) $18~
Pesce Branzino (tamarind glazed Chilean
sea bass with lemon basil risotto,
radish sprout, with spicy sweet
portabella mushroom sauce) $30~
Maiale al Forno (spice-rubbed pork
tenderloin with parmesan polenta and
blackberry demi glace) $25~
Osso Bucco alla Milanese (braised veal
shank with traditional sweet pea and
saffron risotto) $38~
Funghi al Forno (oven roasted wild
Italian mushrooms) $9~
So our main waiter wasn't that great.
But the waiter that served our entrees
was super cool. haha. I mean the main guy wasn't rude or anything but after they cleared the entrees, the waiter came with the check. We were all chatting so no one realized that we weren't asked if we wanted any dessert or coffee, etc... at first. We thought it was weird so we called him back and said we at least wanted to see the dessert menu. I think he knew he made a mistake so when he brought the dessert menus he gave us some excuse saying he overheard some people talking about cake earlier and thought we had dessert already... Whatever. Even if we had cake earlier, that doesn't mean we don't want the option of getting more dessert!! Right?! There can never be too much dessert!
And we DID get dessert. I love how all
my friends love to eat. hehehe.
Gelati o Sorbetti (assortment of gelato
and sorbet made fresh daily) $6~
Torta di Limone (pistachio encrusted
lemon tart with fresh berries) $6~
Crema Italiana (maple-flavored custard
with fresh berries) $7~
I got Tiramisu (the Italian classic with
espresso and mascarpone) $7~ It was
pretty good. Nice and light since I was
already pretty full. But pretty
standard, not the best I've had.
Also, just FYI, they don't do split checks but
they can take multiple credit cards so I
took it upon myself to list out all the
totals for each card. Took a while,
but I'm used to it. But it would be nice
for restaurants to be able to do split
checks. Just my thought. Thanks. :P
It was a good time. The food was yummy and portions were pretty big. I probably wouldn't request the private table again though unless the group is bigger. It was hard to shout across the table. haha. I'd recommend this place for a special occasion.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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