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Today is my 30th birthday. Man do I feel old! XP But in honor of today, the post will be about my bday dinner this past Saturday! And just so happens to also be my 450th post since CHOMP! started. :)
I wanted to have a big dinner with a bunch of friends. I had a guest list of over 30 people, and now I must find a venue!! Trust me, it's not easy finding a place to eat for a party over 20 people. But I called up one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas, Blue Plate Kitchen, and they immediately said they would love to take care of my group. Sweeeet! It's not hard to see why I love this place so much.
Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen
6130 Luther Lane
Dallas, TX 75225
(214) 890-1103
http://www.kentrathbun.com/blueplate/dallas
Price: $$$-$$$$
I spoke with one of the managers, Melissa, a week prior to the dinner and went over seating and menu options. I chose to just have everyone order a la carte from the full menu since everyone has their own preferences. I had the option to do a set menu though, that might be fun sometimes. She was super nice and accommodating and I was sure everything would be great. We had agreed on one long table and 2 smaller side tables since the group was so big. But when we got there on Saturday, they were able to fit everyone into the long table, and it wasn't cramped or anything! I was very happy with that.
We were warmly greeted as we walked in. A few people were already there and at the bar. With a group that size, you are bound to have late comers, but the restaurant never rushed us. We hung around at the bar for awhile and finally when most of the group arrived, we sat down. We had a waiter and waitress taking care of us. I found out our waitress had the same birthday as me! So happy birthday to her today as well. :)
They had just changed from the winter to spring menu earlier in the week. Just FYI.
You know the best thing about eating with a big group of people? The variety of dishes, which means LOTS OF PICTURES!! I went down the table and told everyone not to eat until I got a picture of every different dish. Bwahahaha! It's my birthday, I can do whatever I want right?? :P hehe. Fortunately, they served one side of the table earlier than the other, so no one was really sitting around for too long before I got a picture. You ready to drooool??
I always love their bread baskets. Homemade mini biscuits and cornbread madeleines. Comes with whipped cinnamon butter and housemade jam. Warm and buttery and soft, and we can get refills!! :P
There were quite a bit of cocktails floating around but this is one of ones we got. Deep Eddy (sweet tea vodka). If you like sweet tea, this is a good cocktail for you!
Appetizers:
Polenta Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes (thyme goat cheese, Round Rock ancho honey) $9~
I got to try a bite. I really liked the breading on the tomatoes. But I do not like goat cheese and definitely tasted some. If you like goat cheese, this will be a good app for you. My friends enjoyed it.
Crispy Calamari (sweet peppers, okra, black garlic aioli) $12~
Really good. Thick cut calamari so you can actually get the texture of the squid instead of just batter. It was fried nicely and I liked the pairing with the sweet peppers and aioli.
Wood Roasted Duck Confit Flatbread (orange marmalade, brie cheese, red grapes) $14~
We got this and it was delicious. I usually love their flatbreads. I'm surprised they took the cheesy bread off the menu actually. Everyone's always loved that. But the duck was tender, you can taste the brie and the sweetness with the duck was a great combo. I especially loved the arugula on top which added that pepperyness that contrasted the other flavors. The texture of the flatbread was also spot on. I'd totally eat this again.
Quinoa-Kale Salad (walnuts, THC blueberry balsamic) $14~ This is a half portion because they split the order for my 2 friends.
On to the Entrees:
Wood Roasted Texas Quail (cornbread waffle, fried Brussels, citrus syrup) $19~
My bf and I shared this because we also got a couple side dishes. It was really good. The quail was pretty small, but that's pretty standard. Our favorite was the fried Brussels sprouts. And with the citrus syrup it was sweet and savory and delicious. The waffle was nice and crisp on the outside and paired well with everything. The quail was actually my least favorite part about the dish but it was still very good. The meat was tender and the body was stuffed with something. That took me by surprise, but it was a good surprise!
Hickory Grilled Wagyu Burger (sharp white cheddar, crispy shallots, Madeira aioli) $15~
Several people in the group ordered this. It looked mighty impressive! However, I heard mixed reviews on this. One friend said it was cold, another few others said it was very heavy, and one said it was under seasoned. :( Guess it was just a bad day for the burger.
Herb Roasted Airline Chicken Breast (wilted spinach, roasted carrots, apricot glaze) $18~
This looked like a really healthy dish. But was tasty too from what I heard. The apricot glaze was a nice touch apparently. They had messed up a friend's order of this, but I thought the restaurant handled it really well. They ended up giving a few other dishes to my friends and comped their entire meal. With a huge group like this, mistakes are inevitable, but I was impressed with the way they fixed things. :)
Beeman Ranch Chicken Fried Steak (green beans, carrot puree, jalapeno gravy) $23~ This looked yummy. And everyone who had it said it was good.
Gramma Minnie's Fried Chicken (cream cheese roasted garlic mashers, maple gravy) $24~
This was the one dish I was highly recommending to everyone. I've never had a bad version of this. The chicken is always super juicy and fried to perfection. I'd say it was the most ordered item on the menu and everyone loved it!! It's a lot of food too! I got to try the mashers this time and it is addicting!! The maple gravy was sinful, I can drink it... haha. I kept eating it off of my friend's plate. :P LOL!
Niman Ranch Pork Chop (white hominy grits, root beer demi) $26~ I think I've had this in the past? Not sure, but my friend said it was really good.
Chef's Seasonal Fish (stir fried veggies, Jasmine rice, ginger-soy butter) $26~? The fish was Mahi Mahi and the veggies were cauliflower. This looked really good and healthy too. Those who ordered it said they really liked it.
Five Spiced Big Eye Tuna (bamboo rice, fried avocado, wasabi cream) $29~
This was my other choice, but we didn't get it. I did get to try a bite of the rice from a friend's. It was slightly green and infused with wasabi!!! Now I really wish I had ordered this. I LOVE wasabi. haha. One friend really loved it too, another didn't know the wasabi was going to be in the rice and that was a bit much for her. They also both said they wanted more of the wasabi cream sauce.
Pan Seared Diver Scallops (house pork jowl, English pea risotto) $31~ Really beautiful dish. The colors of the risotto against the red/orange sauce was very pretty. Looked yummy too!
Ribeye 10oz. Center Cut Bone-In (grilled asparagus, pink peppercorn butter) $38~
My sister got this. She's not a fan of sweet and savory so her options were pretty limited since almost every dish had a sweet element to it. However, there was a balsamic reduction on the steak which was sweet so she was kind of disappointed. She said they should note that on the menu. I tried a bite of the steak though and it was cooked well.
Shrimp & Grits. This was the Blue Plate Special of the day. I think it was either $26 or $30. Very pretty colors!
Sides:
House Bacon-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts $8~
Gotta order Brussels sprouts anytime they're on the menu! Yum! Tender, flavorful, and lots of chunks of bacon. Although my bf and I both liked the fried Brussels sprouts on the quail dish even better.
Sauteed Baby Bok Choy $8~ We also got this. I really liked it. It had a lot of flavor.(This was half eaten btw... I forgot to take a pic at the beginning...)
Parmesan White Truffle Fries $8~ Didn't try it this time, but I've had it before.
Crab & English Pea Mac n' Cheese $10~
My friend got this, and I loved it. I couldn't stop eating it. And just so happens it was the same friend who had the mashers I was taking too. hahaha. I think I ate half the mac n' cheese myself. It was cheesy yet not saucy. I'm not a fan of the "wet" mac n' cheese that swim in cheese sauce. This was perfect for me. Al dente pasta, a little bit of veggies, that nice char on the top. MMmmmmm! :)
Dessert:
Most people were too full after dinner so only a handful of us got dessert.
They gave me a dessert on the house for my birthday. Yay! I chose Chef's Bread Pudding (warm rum sauce, Henry's ice cream) $8~
It was chocolate banana-bread bread pudding. I was already leaning towards this but as soon as I heard it was made from banana bread? Sold!! It was a big size too, sitting in a pool of rum sauce. So delicious. The bread pudding was warm and soft, but not overly mushy. You can definitely taste the bananas. I just wanted more ice cream! hehe. Definitely a recommendation.
Chocolate Lava Cake (cinnamon sugar churros, house made ice cream) $8~ Didn't see any lava, but the cake itself was smooth and rich, very very good. The churros were playful and fried well.
BPK's Banana Split (strawberry panna cotta, peanut butter crumble, bruleed banana) $8~ This was interesting. I would've never thought panna cotta in banana split form. haha. Very pretty dessert.
Creme Brulee (seasonal berries) $8~ Biggest creme brulee ever! Compare that to the one we got at Roy's the day before... it's over twice the size!
We had a fantastic time. I know I always enjoy my visits to Blue Plate Kitchen. And I'm so happy that people enjoyed the food (for the most part). More importantly, they all enjoyed the dishes I recommended! hehe. The waiter and waitress did a great job, they were attentive and split the checks for everyone without problems. We were the last group to leave the restaurant and yet they didn't ever make us feel like we needed to rush out of there. I always feel so welcomed and comfortable here. I'm glad they helped me celebrate this special occasion. Special thanks to the managers Dennis and Melissa, our two waiters, and everyone else that took care of us throughout the night. I will definitely be back and will continue to recommend Blue Plate Kitchen to others. And thanks to all my friends who came out to hang out with me! I feel loved. :D
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
On Saturday we went to an event in Lewisville in the morning. I knew I wanted to take my bf to LA Burger for lunch since it was only 10 minutes away from the event. I love LA Burger and I can't believe it's been 2 years since I was there last... They've opened a 2nd location since then in Carrollton, just across the street from H-Mart. SO excited, you would not believe!
LA Burger - Carrollton
1017 E Trinity Mills Rd. Ste 104
Carrollton, TX 75007
(972) 245-0505
http://www.la-burger.com/
Price: $
We got there around 1PM and the place was fairly busy, but no line at the register. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you.
I had to get the LA Burger (Angus patty, sauteed kimchi, teriyaki sauce, fried egg, jalapeno) $6.95~
I've tried several burgers here and this is my favorite. Fried egg... that's all I can say. I like the new addition of jalapenos too! The egg was perfectly runny and I see they've changed the bread since the last time I was there. Toasted with a slight crunch on top, but it was soooo fluffy. I also detected a little sweetness, like a Hawaiian roll! I LOVE Hawaiian rolls! haha. It was amazing. I was starving and it totally hit the spot. The meat was tender and the burger had so much flavor. Way to keep up the good work guys!
My bf got the Asian Hogi (bulgogi, lettuce, tomato, mayo, spicy mild sauce, on a toasted hogi bun) $5.95~
He got it without mayo. He loved it. And all my hype didn't make his expectations too high. Yay! I still liked my burger better but this was good too. Tender meat, the bread wasn't too hard. I would've wanted sauteed kimchi though, one of my favorite elements at LA Burger.
And can't go without getting the K-Fries (fries topped with onions, sauteed kimchi, bulgogi, cheese, sauce, cilantro) $5.95~? (don't exactly remember the price on this)
I get it with sweet potato fries because I like the sweet and savory combo. The fries were nice and crispy. All the toppings were fantastic. It's amazeballs. My bf loved it too. And he hates kimchi! I got him to like it!! Because it's sauteed it doesn't have as strong of that fermented flavor.
Shout out to one of the owners, Jon! It's been awhile since I've seen him, and we chatted for a bit and he also came by to check on our table. I'm so glad business is doing well. It's still one of my favorite burger joints in Dallas! :)
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
We went to Roy's again last Friday. Love that place! The main purpose was because my bf wanted to try their limited time Winter Trio. (And luck would have it, I happen to get a $20 off coupon in email! It was meant to be. haha) I had emailed the restaurant a couple weeks ago to see how long it's around for and they told me April 6th, so I made a reservation for 3/28. However, the day before our reservation, I came across an article saying that the dish is only through 3/23. Wait, what? So I called the restaurant to check. Apparently the lady I had first communicated with from corporate had sent the restaurant a message saying to have this for us when we went. How awesome is that? We definitely felt super special! :) Roy's has always had amazing service and I was completely impressed with this.
Roy's Hawaiian Fusion
2840 Dallas Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano.asp
Price: $$$-$$$$
We arrived for our 7:30PM reservation and was immediately seated. I immediately noticed that they had changed the entire look of their menu. It's thinner and more sleek looking now. And they've just updated to their spring prix fixe last week.
We got some waters and their spiced edamame and ordered a couple of cocktails. We really like their low calorie Coconut Frappe and Mai Tai Ultra.
We started with the Lakanilau Roll (Wagyu beef, snow crab, asparagus, avocado, sesame miso, truffled greens) $16.95~?
I recently saw this posted on their facebook page and it just sounded amazing. A tad pricey for a roll but it was sooo worth it. The quality of ingredients were great. I could definitely get the hint of truffle which paired really well with the wagyu beef. Wagyu literally means "Japanese cow", they are well fed and have a high amount of marbling. In Japan, wagyu can be synonymous with Kobe. The beef was sliced thin on top, really tender, and the asparagus had a nice crunch to add texture. I normally like to dip sushi in a thick wasabi paste (meaning I put a bit of soy sauce with my mound of wasabi, haha) but the sesame miso was yummy on its own and I only used minimal wasabi. We both loved it.
My bf obviously got his Winter Trio (Hoisin-Glazed Duck, grilled Kalbi Beef Short Rib, Singapore-Style Crab Cake; served with Asian vegetables and noodles) $26.95~
I'd say the duck was my favorite. The beef short rib was his. He really enjoyed the dish, I thought it was just ok. I've had much better other stuff at Roy's. It was just a bit sweet overall. Everything was cooked well and tender. But the crab cake was too salty. It did taste better when we ate it together with the duck. The noodles were a tad overcooked, and I'm a stickler for soft noodles.
I came in with the mindset to try new things this time, since I normally get the butterfish. I decided on the Dynamite Baked Hawaiian Swordfish (bok choy tempura, oshizushi rice, dragon sauce) $26.95~
I think I've only had swordfish one other time in my life so I wanted to try it again. I know that swordfish is a denser fish and it was... it was more like a steak. haha. I loved this dish. It was on the heavy side with the dynamite sauce on the fish, the cream sauce, and the tempura but oh sooooo good. If you've ever had a volcano roll, it was like they took that sauce, covered the fish, and baked it. Deeeeelicious. The rice was seasoned and had a slight tang to it like sushi rice. It paired sooo well with the sauce. The dragon sauce is basically a Korean chili sauce, not really spicy and had some sweetness to it. And I've never had tempura bok choy before. It was nicely fried and added another texture to the dish. I liked my dish way better than my bf's. :P I scraped my plate clean! Had to get all that yummy sauce.
For dessert, my bf assumed we were getting the chocolate souffle cake, but guess again! Trying new things, remember? The waitress mentioned the Lemon & Ginger Creme Brulee (topped with berries), and it sounded really good.
I don't normally prefer creme brulee but the lemon and ginger combo sounded refreshing. And it was! The flavors made it seem lighter than normal creme brulees and it was a great finish to our meal since we were both pretty full.
Once again, we had a great time at Roy's. I got to try a bunch of new things. :) Our waitress was all smiles and did a great job. I'm sure we'll be back again in no time.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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