Food Feedback Friday

Posted on July 8th, 2011 9:00am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Food Feedback Friday

Hey, Dishers. Can you believe it is only the 8th of July?  Where did you eat this week? Did you find something fabulous? Did you find something foul? We’d love to hear your thoughts on your latest restaurant experiences. Here’s what you reported last week.

25 comments

  1. Went to Royal Thai to take someone who has never had Thai food. I used to go there frequently when I lived in that area, but this time I was VERY disappointed. I happily had the Panang and she had a chicken dish. The food just did not have it’s usual ‘pizazz’ and the service there is poor-unfriendly even. My dining companion was polite but I was embarrassed that I had bragged so much. The usual owner/manager was not there, and Anh, the friendly gorgeous hostess was absent as well. Has the ownership changed? On a lighter note, my dining companion was from out of state and we went to Rudy’s BBQ. She was quite charmed and the BBQ we had was delicious and juicy.

    @ 9:11 am on July 8, 2011

  2. We went to Neighborhood Services and the service, food and atmosphere was wonderful as always. My husband had the chicken pot pie, heavenly comfort food and I had an “albino” salmon – waiter’s description, not mine!

    @ 10:10 am on July 8, 2011

  3. We went to Artin’s Grill @ Shops at Legacy. The food was good, service was nice…just nothing too memorable. The bar was much busier than the restaurant, so maybe it is more of a drinking spot? The short-rib nachos were very delicious.

    @ 10:31 am on July 8, 2011

  4. Giving up on the shoulder clod from Lockhart, although the brisket was excellent. Had the kimchi fries with shortribs from Ssahm, gave me a bad case of hot farts. To be fair, I saw that one coming.

    @ 10:50 am on July 8, 2011

  5. Flew back to town on Monday evening, and had a tough time finding a place to eat dinner on the 4th of July holiday.

    We walked over to Dragonfly, which was apparently open, but we waited over 10 minutes for someone to greet us/seat us before we left. So we walked across the street to Trulucks – I haven’t eaten there in over 10 years – and the service and the food exceeded my expectations. The stone crabs were fabulous – especially in the garlic butter sauce. Seriously heavenly.

    @ 10:56 am on July 8, 2011

  6. Lucia…the peach crostini with house-cured lardo…pork and ricotta agnolotti with arugula…

    @ 10:56 am on July 8, 2011

  7. mia’s- still the best brisket tacos in town!

    @ 10:58 am on July 8, 2011

  8. Went to Neighborhood Services last night at Preston and Royal and the seafood special was wonderful along with the service by the waiter. Unfortunately the hostess stand/front desk was quite inept. Showed up and put my name on the list and was told 2 parties were ahead of me. Waited for approximately 15 minutes and was expecting to be seated after the parties had been seated. Then the hostess seats a couple that had come in after me. This couple had not called ahead as I later discovered so I realize that the host and hostess were in over their head with confusion. They even sat this couple ahead of another couple that came in after me. Bless the hostess as she seems sweet but just didn’thave an answer for the screwup. She got quite flustered when caught red handed also. This certainly would not have happened at Hillston/Houstons which Neighborhood Services aspires to copy. Nick has great concept and food. Just has to put competent people at the front of the house to match the rest of the restaurant. Others have told me of similar experiences and have taken NS of their rotation of restaurants for this same reason. I am now doing the same and will continue with Mercury Grill and Hillstone.

    @ 11:03 am on July 8, 2011

  9. Been on staycation this week so had some never-been-to-before dinner dates with the wife along with some favourites.

    Wolfgang Pucks 560. Great service, amazing space and generally very good food. Their sushi wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but was still very good. A shrimp egg roll construct was very yummy. Would go back for sure. Great place to take an out of towner.

    Il Cane Rosso. Good Caesar salad. Our pizza choice was wrong. Didn’t realise that Napolita doesn’t come with cheese. Is that even allowed? Olives and anchovies was just too salty. Ridiculously fast cooking ensures pizza served almost instantaneously. Horrible compact fluorescent lights at bar. Bleh draft beer choice. I don’t know, it was all ok, but for thin crust I much prefer Eno’s. It may have all the neccessary accredidation from august pizza authorities, but if you don’t like it….

    Al Biernats. Was really looking forward to this. First cocktail, sazarac, served in martini glass and was nauseatingly sweet. Sent back. Next up, Old Fashioned. There’s a glass called an old fashioned and it doesn’t look anything like a martini glass. Nor is it sickeningly sweet. So back that screw-up went. Stuck with a $14 bottle of Chandon they sell for $44. The calves liver was very good, but the sides were uninspiring. Mac’n'cheese was bland and barely better than Kraft. Seared Ahi Tuna was enjoyed by the missus. Overal vibe was a strange mix of HP old timers and some new, marginally douchey punters who kept on having to go outside for a cigarette. Not impressed at all.

    Ranchman Cafe, Ponder. It’s been over 15 years since I’ve been up there. Don’t remember it being quite so small. Compact fluorescents everywhere so surgery type lighting ensues which is not the best for a steak slathered in butter! Great service. Food was average. Fried green tomatoes & fried cactus served with small tubs of bland, ranch dressing. Both vegetables had enigmatic ‘green’ flavor. My rib (sic) steak was overdone and rangey tasting. Wife’s sirloin equally so-so. Apple pie a la mode was very good but the ‘premium’ ice cream was not Bluebell – is there any other brand?

    King Tut, Egyptian restaurant, Ft. Worth. I always enjoy Mediterranean food, miss all the old Greek joints of London. Menu looked ok. Gyro was tasteless, processed strips. Friend’s chicken shawrma came out as bizarre kind of chopped up chicken curry. Very odd. Equally odd was the chicken kebab the wife had. Strange, minced-chicken, turd shapes lacking in any discernible flavor. Voted Ft. Worth’s Best Greek Restaurant – must have been out of a field of one.

    Eno’s Pizza. Usual, good thin crust pizza. Ordered large meaning to take home left-overs but it didn’t happen. Server was very attentive and went to lots of trouble letting me sample beer etc. Always like this, familiarity and consistant food taste and presentation are what drives me back to restaurants.

    Mesa, Jefferson Ave. Second time. Still not super impressed. Everything has much of a sameness taste to it. Although my chicken was well cooked I didn’t feel it was that amazing nor out of the ordinary. I know it’s Vera Cruz food, but lack of salsa and nibbles seems wrong….

    Jonothans Oak Cliff. Been there about four times and have really enjoyed it every time. Generous servings of obviously, freshly made dishes inspires return business. Haven’t had anything I didn’t like. Not tried chicken and waffles yet, probably never will. Friendly service. Their bacon is the best!

    Tonight we’re off to Charlie Palmer and tomorrow Grill on the Alley in Plano. More will be revealed. Next week back to bowls of hot steam!

    @ 11:26 am on July 8, 2011

  10. last night i dined at Nonna off Lemmon across from Whole Foods. I started with a shrimp and fried green tomato appetizer which was delicious. For my main course i had to try the Ravioli with Maine Lobster… breathtaking. the ravioli was in a light oil with hints of garlic and butter, but did not take away from the lobster, simply complimented every bite. I had the mid course size portion, next time will upgrade to a main course size. Service was excellent and the atmosphere as well. It is a quaint space with tight seating reminiscent of NYC dining. Overall, love this restaurant and will go back often, especially since the menu is always changing.

    @ 11:41 am on July 8, 2011

  11. I’ve endured far too many meals this week at the Medical City Hospital. One bright spot was the pancakes in the cafeteria. These babies are cooked to order in a small lake of butter. The batter is fresh, and when they ask if you want butter on top, let them work their magic with a paintbrush full of melted butter artfully brushed over the top. The finished product covers the plate, so thankfully there’s no room for the powdered eggs.

    @ 12:10 pm on July 8, 2011

  12. @Daniel: Hospital? Hope everything’s ok.

    @kessler porker: I’m staycationing with you next year!

    @ 12:45 pm on July 8, 2011

  13. Beeman Ranch beef filet at Marquee Grill is just fabulous. Between that and the salted butter ice cream that my husband would leave me for, Marquee Grill gave us another meal worth talking about. Oh, and the Manhatten…he’d leave me for one of their Manhattens.

    @ 1:37 pm on July 8, 2011

  14. @Sarah – I actually missed out a couple! It’s embarrassing, I know!

    I’ll ask the missus about next year – if I haven’t had a heart attack by then.

    @ 2:39 pm on July 8, 2011

  15. Tried The Commissary again last night after a terrible service experience during their first month of business and must say they have improved a lot. I still think there is room for improvement but the food is consistantly great so I can’t stay mad for too long with my constant burger cravings.

    High marks for Cane Rosso lunch. Pizza and Salad for $20 is a great deal and it is done in 30 minutes which makes for great lunch and conversation time. It is also a nice touch that Jay & Sammy are starting to remember my face and taste preferences.

    @ 4:27 pm on July 8, 2011

  16. Thursday special at Zanata in Plano. Follow closely: any pizza, a PITCHER of Shiner or Franconia, $15.

    That’s ANY pizza and a 4+ glass PITCHER of beer for about the same price as the pizza. Or if you prefer, it’s a FREE pitcher of beer with each pizza on Thursdays.

    It’s the best thing in the history of things.

    http://zanatas.com/plano/

    @ 5:39 pm on July 8, 2011

  17. A week on Block Island included the following gems:

    Oar, an institution, outside, over the harbor, very nice, good grouper. I rediscovered dark rum and tonics from college (a long, long time ago in this neck of the woods).

    Dead Eye Dicks (across from the Narrangansett hotel, a beautiful site — porch of a white clapboard inn — but better to pass on the breakfast there). The swordfish was fresh, the staff was delightful. “No one’s more important than you” “That will happen”

    Three Sisters and Bethany’s (not that one, the one at the airport) for breakfasts. Classic New England eggs and potatoes.

    Beachead for lobster and the bouillabaisse was an inspiration (especially with the cloudy, chilly, 75 degree weather that we ‘suffered’ through today). Spicy, huge fresh hunks of fish, lobster, mussels, clams, and scallops. Not typical, merely wonderful.

    Walking or bike-riding to everything.

    Now before we took the ferry over we spent a day in the rather gritty Point Judith. Beautiful beach but not a place for the thin skinned, and probably best to avoid altogether if you don’t appreciate using f–k as a routine punctuation mark.

    Lunch at Champlains (an overgrown shack by the docks) was a lobster ravioli in a styrofoam container that was amazing. I have to surmise that the filling came into the restaurant’s dock and a local Italian vendor constructed the frest pasta and thick pink sauce with huge chunks of lobster from it. My only regret is that i couldn’t talk my wife into getting that dish so i could get the spaghetti vongole (RI is the only place I’ll comfortably order that) and try both.

    Dinner there was at a place called Hammerhead. The view (yet another deck overlooking the ocean), the drinks, the food (Lobster, steamers, mussels) was outstanding. The owner, unfortunately, was a bit psycho and we had a bit of an unpleasant confrontation at the end of the meal to ruin things. Again, nothing unusual for Gansett, but disappointing.

    @ 6:33 pm on July 8, 2011

  18. @ Rhode Island – no Olneyville NY System weiners???

    @ 7:27 pm on July 8, 2011

  19. Jay, if we had gone to Providence (the location i know for NY System weiners) we would have eaten Italian on DePasquale square.

    As silly as the distinction is for a state an hour from top to bottom, we are in “southern” Rhode Island.

    btw what do you think of Caserta’s pizza?

    @ 9:35 pm on July 8, 2011

  20. We lingered around Woonsocket (went to HS at Mt. St. Charles). Don’t remember Casertas…our spot was Mezza Luna. NY Hot Lunch was our spot for weiners (aka Gaggers).

    @ 10:14 pm on July 8, 2011

  21. At the insistence of a friend, we returned to Pho Colonial for lunch today.
    Everything was so much better than our initial visit just after they first opened. The lime marinated raw beef salad is one of the nicest dishes I’ve ever had. Perfect for a hot, humid day in Dallas. And, their lime, ginger ice tea (unsweetened) is, killer good. We noticed a complete change of staff from their opening days. This, to their credit. And, ours! Now I’m eager to return.

    @ 4:30 pm on July 9, 2011

  22. Finally dragged my parents and sister visiting from San Antonio to Cane Rosso today. Dad doesn’t eat cheese, so he had the Marinara pizza and added the soppressata. He had his first slice of pizza EVER in Naples, Italy four years ago, and declared that Cane Rosso’s was better, and the best he’d ever had. The rest of us normal (cheese-loving) eaters split the Ella and the Bianca.

    Pizzas were just as good as every other time I’ve been there and everyone agreed that Cane Rosso is the best pizza in Dallas. It makes me so happy to support a restaurant (and Jay!) who is so obviously passionate about its product.

    @ 5:19 pm on July 9, 2011

  23. I went back to Pho Colonial tonight by myself for dinner. I really just wanted a bowl of PHO. I’m happy to say, they’ve rectified all the complaints I had from my first visit just after they opened. Now, you can add anything you want to your PHO. They’ve listed all the ingredients on the big menu as you walk in. My (smaller size) bowl consisted of beef tendon and meatball. EXCELLENT! Now I won’t have to fight the crowd at Bistro B anymore. I noticed many Asians eating there as well. Always a good sign.

    @ 9:03 pm on July 10, 2011

  24. Went to Pho is for Lovers this weekend, it was delicious!!! Wonderful service and a great tasting Korean BBQ Banh mi with kim chi and spicy mayo YUMMMMMMM

    @ 1:47 am on July 11, 2011

  25. Dinner at Hattie’s. My three companions loved their meals, I wasn’t quite as happy. Had the pork chop special. Did not like at all what I think was their “grilled grit cake,” couldn’t tell exactly what it was. My fault for not saying anything and getting a substitution, because they would have been happy to substitute. The stuffed figs were also a disappointment. Five marble-sized figs rolling around on a bare plate. Presentation bad and overpriced for what you get.

    @ 9:52 am on July 11, 2011