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Dishers, Help This Lost Soul

Posted on January 22nd, 2008 10:09am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Restaurant News, Reviews

A dude, who obviously is too lazy to pick up a copy of D Magazine asks:

My wife and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary this Saturday and we are looking for a nice place to eat. We ate at the Restaurant Lola last year, and it was very nice. I am a bit of a plain Southern boy who likes meat and potatoes kind of food, so that narrows the choices considerably.Other restaurant ideas?

Well, the Mansion is nice and new. Bijoux is swell. Any other anniversary types out there who can shed some light on this poor man’s problem?

23 comments

  1. He says he is a meat and potatoes guy…WHY are you mentioning the Mansion? As a foodie, you should be capable of recommending more than just upscale, somewhat pretentious restaurants. Come on…And no, i am not an anniversary type who can shed some light on this poor man’s problem…sorry!

    @ 10:21 am on January 22, 2008

  2. Well the Mansion has a steak. Lordy, if he wants romance you just aren’t going to find much of it in a traditional steak house. Almost every restaurant in Dallas has steak and potatoes, this is Dallas. I’m looking out for the female who wants to taste something sexy.

    @ 10:37 am on January 22, 2008

  3. The Grape.

    @ 10:50 am on January 22, 2008

  4. Local is always great. He can get his meat and taters, while she can indulge in seafood, veal, or whatever Tracy has on the menu that evening.

    York Street rarely disappoints. While it isn’t the swankiest place on earth, he can still get something pretty basic, and she can might find something truly remarkable for herself.

    Hattie’s and Tillman’s in Bishop Arts are also great. While Tillman’s may not have the most innovative menu, it is spot-on great. Hattie’s always surprises me at how well they continue to executive great dishes. And that clean white interior reminds me a big of George back in the day.

    Of course, The French Room is just incredible. Yes, he can get steak and potatoes, but she can enjoy whatever Jason Weaver creates along with the wines Greg Cheval pairs for each course.

    @ 10:54 am on January 22, 2008

  5. Hattie’s is fun and puts a creative twist on old Southern favorites.

    @ 12:27 pm on January 22, 2008

  6. I second the vote for York Street – always fantastic, and the tiny space makes it seems special. French Room is also great, but my husband complains that the portion sizes are too small for guys! I’d also throw in a vote for Abacus – nice setting and great food (just skip the lobster shooters…they’re not up to the hype)

    On the other hand, have to totally disagree on the Grape. While the food is good and atmosphere can be great, we received such appallingly bad service for our Valentine’s Day two years ago that we haven’t been back (although it was our “traditional” V-day spot). A reserved table = we might have a table for you some time tonight, and when we do seat you it will be at an essentially communal table with large groups on either side. Not nice.

    @ 12:36 pm on January 22, 2008

  7. Hey Logan…thanks for the reply, but we sort of want upscale since it is for a special occasion. So far we have a couple of votes for York Steet. We really are going to go where ever gets to most recommendations so keep them coming!

    @ 1:12 pm on January 22, 2008

  8. I LOVE York Street- you will need to make reservations NOW! I am also partial to Al Biernat’s- they have great steaks yet I also can find good seafood. Plus the service is always outstanding- especially if you tell them it is a special occasion. I have eaten at The Mansion and Fearings several times since they have opened and I have been underwhelmed.

    @ 1:17 pm on January 22, 2008

  9. I hear the plain & dry burger & fries at Whataburger are pretty good. Or, you could always go with a turkey sandwich and cup o’ chili at Pot Belly. IJS.

    @ 1:27 pm on January 22, 2008

  10. Most nice restaurants in this town will have a very good steak. I have this (yes, chauvenistic) image of the Texas husband getting what he wants while the wife gets to experiment with the flourishes. York Street is fabulous, but wouldn’t necessarily think steak there. Al Biernat’s is a treat. Sevy’s has the best steak and french fries in town, and is both nice and fun.

    @ 2:08 pm on January 22, 2008

  11. This wife is not that way…I get what I want too or we don’t do it! I like seafood! Someone mentioned Trulucks…I have never been there, but is this a good place to go?

    @ 2:31 pm on January 22, 2008

  12. @ “The wife” — sorry, i should have mentioned that each of the places i named first-and-foremost have excellent non-steak choices. as a fully domesticated husband i do assume that making the wife happy is first on the list.

    @ 2:39 pm on January 22, 2008

  13. One of the most romantic spots in Dallas is Hotel St Germain. A perfect spot for an anniversary.

    @ 3:24 pm on January 22, 2008

  14. Hibiscus may also work.

    York street is special, btw. Cozy, welcoming, well-executed dishes. Very hard to get in.

    To K’s point — i’ve tried the mansion about a half dozen times across a decade (even once while staying at the hotel. one perception i have (at least about the pre-renovation mansion) is that if you aren’t known, or a regular, then the service and table location can be disappointing. my wife and i have let gift certificates lapse just bc we didn’t feel like dealing with the place.

    @ 3:25 pm on January 22, 2008

  15. Truluck’s can be good to surprisingly great, depending on the season and who is in the kitchen that night. Having said that, I will bet that if you call York Street well in advance for your reservation, you may be able to request steak and potatoes for his entree. I will also bet that Sharon considers, if not chooses, a local/Texas ranch for the beef…assuming she does not already have a steak purveyor on speed dial. Who knows? You may get a chance to try a tasty steak from Rehoboth Ranch in Greenville…all natural, grass fed and finished.

    @ 3:30 pm on January 22, 2008

  16. Hmmm..I am not sure if you deserve help. I mean, you made it to 6 years and all you are doing to celebrate is asking strangers on a blog for recommendations the week before? What are you doing for Valentine’s…watching a re-run of the Office? I bet your wife is a great girl who deserves a little romance to push her love buttons.

    @ 7:54 pm on January 22, 2008

  17. The Dixie House in Lakewood is like a Blackeyed Pea but not one.

    @ 2:09 am on January 23, 2008

  18. 2900. Great small place, fantastic food, jazz trio on occasion kicking out great background music. Try it, you’ll be glad you did.

    @ 8:30 pm on January 23, 2008

  19. Tramonta has a four course prix fix dinner menu for Valentine’s Day with or without wine pairings.

    @ 10:30 am on January 24, 2008

  20. I really enjoyed the comments. I flagged a couple of places to try and also to circle back around to see how they’ve progressed.

    But i can’t help feeling that this is a bit unresolved. Where did our “southern boy” and “the wife” end up? Can we have a he-reviewed, she-reviewed double blind follow-up posting?

    @ 8:21 am on January 29, 2008

  21. btw, i do hope you both had a great time wherever

    @ 8:26 am on January 29, 2008

  22. Duncan…we ended up going to Trulucks! We both ordered the sampler so we were able to taste the shrimp, steak, and chicken. It came with potatoes to the hubby was excited! We thought the shrimp was the best of the three, then the steak, and chicken was last. We had a WONDERFUL time and will remember our 6th anniversary as a success!! Thanks for your help!

    @ 2:07 pm on January 29, 2008

  23. I meant to post on this yesterday, but got a little tied up with work and such. As The Wife stated above, we went to Truluck’s. I thought it was a good imbetween. We were not disappointed.

    Our service was great, the food was hot and delicious and the dessert (HUGE slice of carrot cake with sauce and nuts) was well worth the $8 price tag. We had drinks at the Dragonfly beforehand – shout out to Andrew who is a tremendous bartender – and the night couldn’t have been better.

    We, too, have flagged a few of the comments above to try on later occassions and really appreciate all of the feedback care of the SideDishing community. Keep up the good work!

    @ 3:06 pm on January 29, 2008