Reader Review: Woodlands
I haven’t been to the recently opened Woodlands in Preston Forest, operated by Jack Baum, a veteran of the Dallas restaurant scene. Currently Mr. Baum is CEO of Food, Friends, and Company and Woodlands, his latest concept that he refers to as “somewhere between Houston’s and Jasper’s”, is also set to open another shop in Allen in June. A dedicated and disappointed Disher went for dinner the other night and files this report:
First of all, I hate to valet my car ten feet from the door. We parked ourselves and walked past the valet guy. He was not happy. We took our baby and asked for a high chair. We ordered a glass of wine. The waiter asked for our driver’s license. We didn’t have one. We got no wine. Fine. No problem. We ordered sparkling water. After we looked at the menu, we decided we didn’t want to eat there. Nothing sounded good. But the surly waitress came back with our water so we stayed. We ordered fingerling potatoes and chicken nuggets for the baby, a salad nicoise, and grilled tuna. They brought us food before they brought the baby’s food which is not a good idea. Instead they gave her a piece of peppery flatbread which the baby immediately spit out. Meanwhile, the manager was checking on every table but ours. The nicoise was covered in a vinaigrette dressing with no mustard. The tuna was boring. I ordered mussels and they were good. We paid $72 and left. Why the manager never came over to take care of a table that was not happy is beyond me.
24 Comments to “Reader Review: Woodlands”
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Stiffing the valet. Cheap.
Taking a noisy brat to a restaurant with $20 entrees. Classless.
Driving without a license (neither the Disher nor the spouse). Illegal.
Ordering after deciding nothing on the menu sounds good. Stupid.
Mentioning the spawn’s dislike of peppery flatbread. Irrelevant.
Complaining about lack of mustard in a salad that is clearly and accurately described by the menu as being dressed with “a garlic-herb vinaigrette.” Illiterate.
Whining about the manager’s failure to visit the table (when the diner didn’t ask to speak with the manager). Presumptuous.
This person sounds like the Dallas Observer stereotype of a D reader.
I have a thing about valeting my car ten feet from the door as well, but what’s up with neither of you having a driver’s license? And then you get annoyed enough about not getting wine that you felt the need to mention it here? Ummm…whose fault is that really?
Why can’t you people just hire nannies and leave your babies at home?!
My husband and I went to Woodlands about two weeks ago (a rare evening without the kids). The waitstaff was helpful and kept the meal well-paced. The food was delicious. I have a very flavorful and unique pasta dish, and my husband had a salad. We had some sweet potato fries with a lemon aoli (sp?) on the side — a perfect combo. We also ignored the valet — frankly at this location it is not necessary. We will go back. Our thoughts were nice atmosphere, flavorful (not adventurous) food and a good value. We would not bring the kids here, but that is fine.
Wine/license thing is due to the restrictions in Dallas on alcohol sales, has to be a private club. Database for tracking memberships is kept via driverse license numbers (state law), but usually you can get a temp membership with no problem. Maybe they worried you were undercover TABC, with a baby as a decoy (HA HA).
Nice to have an alternative restaurant to the major players in the hood (Mi Cocina, Mercury), however I don’t think the competition has to worry. It’s a very small restaurant (former Wendy’s location), has a smallish menu, but serves a killer martini at their bar (at least the night I was there). Not a bad place to go after kids events, let the kids run down to Prego Express and order a great pizza while you enjoy an adult setting.
“somewhere between Houston’s and Jasper’s”
wait, is that suppossed to be a good thing.
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Dishdain. Well done, well done.
I agree with Dishdain except for the Valet thing. Warning! Rant: I am getting so damn tired of the Dallas Valet Nazi’s. There is no logic to valet parking these days. Its not “glamorous” like the 50’s or something. I mean, even if its free, do you really want a stranger to have access to your vehicle and all its contents in these I.D. theft days, especially when the valet ticket states they are not responsible for anything damaged, lost, or stolen? The choice spots near the door should be left for people who don’t valet. Cone off the BACK of the parking lot for those that still want valet. The only time I even consider valet is if there is poor weather and the parking lot is more than 40 yards from the door. This is not New York, its Dallas with plenty of wide open space. I could go on ………..
Ugh… agree about valet parking. Ate lunch at Victory Park the other day… even after the restaurant validates your ticket, the price is $8. And when you hand the guy a ten, he doesn’t even pretend to offer to make change.
The whole thing is such a sham… The reason there is no self-parking close by is because it’s coned off by the valet mafia.
One of many reasons to avoid Victory Park.
That’s the exact reason I avoid Victory Park at all costs.
p.s Sounds like DishDain may be the “surly waitress they encountered.” Otherwise, how does she know their child was loud?
Victory Park can be navigated by parking a block south on the street and feeding a meter $1.
If I were a waitress, BradT, I’d be “sultry,” not “surly.” I know their child was loud and obnoxious, because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Sevy’s has free valet…and they will check on your table many times. Ask for a booth.
I worked in Snyder Plaza at a seafood restaurant for many years…this was SOOOO typical. Especially of a certain entertainment writer at Dallas’ only daily, but I digress…that whole “review” is what makes Dallas a sterotype. And I have an 8 month old and I would die before I went in some place like that or Sevvy’s and asked for a highchair.
Please stop posting “reader reviews”, just a bunch of wannabe foodies who gain self satisfaction by ********. Note to self, stop reading “reader reviews” unless they target valet parking. The valet thing is out of control.
This is a large lot at Victory that is free, but most people don’t seem to know it is there.
“kid Friendly” restaurant means “bad parent friendly”. It’s okay to take your kids to a nice restaurant as long as there taught that they can’t run around or make alot of noise or else they loose the privledge of going there.people who take there kids to Chucky Cheese and then expect their children to behave well in a nice restaurant should’nt be surprised by the sneers of other patrons. p.s…..letting your child eat spiced bread is just plain stupid.
KK, it sounds like you have some scoop on that “certain entertainment writer at Dallas’ only daily.” Care to give any details?
And I have no sympathy for the reader who wrote the review. The next time you decide you don’t want to eat at a restaurant, just don’t eat there. It’s not rocket science.
Let’s just say there are good diners and there are bad diners. to be fair there are good waiters and they are bad waiters. When you go into a retaurant and treat the waistaff and management like crap, only because you can or you think you can because you write for a newspaper you are the lowest of low.
Gosh Nancy, while I applaud Disher’s enthusiasm, I must also applaud you. You have confirmed something that I have known for years. Critics no almost nothing about the restaurant business on a working level. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? Have you ever cooked anything for others in a high volume environment? Have you ever waited tables, other than maybe for a month or so? Ever bussed a table? Washed dishes? Cleaned up after everyone has gone home?
Based on your choice of “bloggers” that are highlighted on this page, I would also be surprised if you have a journalism degree.
Disher said:
Quote:
“After we looked at the menu, we decided we didn’t want to eat there. Nothing sounded good.”
Woodlands has tenderloin, ribeye, bone in pork chops,chicken,salmon, trout, tuna, and vegetarian selections on the menu. Would you care for a cheesburger? They have one.
I would love to meet Disher, to learn exactly what he/she eats.
BTW (that means by the way, you can learn about it in advanced journalism) I wouldn’t dare putting my name on the byline of any review unless I had visited a place of business three times, at the minimum (ATM).
To be honest with other readers, I am not un-biased. I have a family member who works for Food and Friends. I am very aware of how much this company strives to make everyones dining experience a pleasurable one. I am also positive that they will be doing so for many years to come.
Good luck in the review biz (that means business) LOL.
BB
oops I misspelled “know”.
Hey Disher:
I have 3 places for you to try.
LUBY’S
EL FENIX
DENNY’S
that’s NOT a rank on ANY of those places… all of them are very good at what they do.
bb
I actually think this disher is getting a bad rap. I dined there (granted it was their first week)and it was mediocre at best. They had miles to go to get to Houston’s or Sevy’s standards if that is what they are striving for. The place is relatively new, so taking a kid (without knowing the place) is not worthy of the verbal lynching.