If I told you that the city’s best pad thai doesn’t come from a small, authentic, family-owned and semi-unpronounceable restaurant, you’d probably be really surprised. If I went even further and told you that it’s made in some trendy West Village joint, you’d be shocked. Well, get ready. As potentially controversial as it is to throw around the term “best”, I feel pretty confidant when I declare that Tom Tom Asian Grill’s pad thai is the best in Dallas.
I love pad thai. It’s a dish that I’ll order anywhere that serves it. I’ve had it pretty great at some places (Asian Mint) and even good at fast-eating places (Pei Wei). I’ve eaten it in weird strip malls, little asian marts, and even out of a box. I have to say though that no one I’ve come across does it as good as Tom Tom does. The base of noodles tossed in spicy sauce has a fantastic flavor. I order mine with tofu which is always firm and browned around the edges. The vegetables (finely-shaved carrots and bean sprouts) are served fresh, not sauteed, which I think is one of the reasons why this pad thai excels. The crisp veggies make it fresh and add a lovely texture. On top lies delicate ribbons of egg, crumbled peanuts, chili slices, and the traditional wedge or two of lime. I actually feel sad as I get full when I’m eating this because I don’t want my meal to end. My only (and I really mean only) complaint is the heat. It can be so inconsistent. Sometimes, it can be really, really spicy. This particular occasion, it was child’s play. If they could work out some sort of medium between the two, it’s perfection.
My hairstylist came here from Thailand and while he was cutting my hair, I thought it’d be a great time to ask him where to find some good authentic pad thai. Expecting to hear about some hole-in-the-wall (as described in the beginning of this post), I was surprised when he laughed and said that believe it or not, it’s around the corner at Tom Tom. So affirmed by his answer, I can still trust my taste buds for now because it seems they’re leading me in the right direction…
If you can think of a pad thai that can rival it, please let me know! Either I’m right, or I’m wrong and have a new favorite dish. Either way, I win!
Price: $10.95
Tom Tom Asian Grill
West Village
3699 McKinney Ave. | Dallas, TX 75204
214.522.9866
Lately Maggiano’s has been my new hang out. Possibly because I was given a hefty little gift card to the joint, or maybe just because it’s a cool place to be, who knows? On my visits I usually get something to eat and (since I love the Italian food) it works out quite nicely. Usually I’m quite skeptical of the chain-style Italian restaurant, (Olive Garden and Johnny Carino’s to name a few), but Maggiano’s falls in the mid-level acceptable group along with Macaroni Grill and Buca di Beppo.
Anyway, on this day I decided to try the Ravioli with a pesto cream sauce and a touch of marinara—it ended up being the best decision I made all day. Being half Italian, I’ve learned a couple secrets about Italian cooking. 40% of it is the quality of sauce. If you can make a killer sauce, you’re almost halfway to making delicious Italian food. Another 40% is the quality of cheeses and anyone can go down to the deli and spend some money on quality cheese. So with just the sauce and cheese you’ve got 80% of perfection, leaving 20% for everything else. If you can get the sauces and the cheese right, I’ll eat your food and so will lots of other people. Well, Maggiano’s delivered on both accounts: the sauce was a rich but not overpowering alfredo mixed with a bit of pesto. Delightful. There was also a marinara sauce that was lightly added down the center of the dish; it’s slightly tangy taste was a nice contrast to the pesto-cream. The dish was topped with a grated blend of cheeses that were toasted to a beautiful brown crispy goodness in the oven before serving.
This was definitely one of the better Ravioli dishes I have tried and I can’t recommend it enough. Make sure to order some garlic bread too, so you can sop up all that excess sauce. It would be a crime to waste.
Price: $9 (lunch portion)
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Chocolate + Macha Green Tea = ?
After the first Vosges chocolate bar I reviewed generated such dubious responses, I thought it would be nice to pick one of their less-controversial flavors to try. I decided to go with the Macha Exotic Candy Bar because well, you’ve already seen that I like mixing tea with all kinds of things. According to its official description, “grassy and bamboo undertones of Japanese macha green tea gently rise around deep milk chocolate.”
On the plus side, the milk chocolate (41% cacao) was delicious—very smooth, aromatic, and rich. I am definitely more of a dark chocolate kind of girl, however this milk chocolate was perfect for me because it wasn’t too sweet. On the negative side, where is the macha?!? They weren’t joking when they said the flavor “gently” rises to the chocolate. The green tea was very subtle, elegantly present, but very, very faint. It left me wanting more! Now I know that sometimes it’s a good thing to leave someone wanting more. However, in this case my longing turned to a slight feeling of disappointment. It’s a lovely bar of chocolate, but sadly there wasn’t enough of what could have really set it apart.
Price: $7.50
Full disclosure: Before becoming a writer, I worked at this restaurant briefly in 2002 about a year after it opened. It was my first and last stint as a waitress. I (as it turns out) was not very good at it. Anyway, the restaurant was named Blowfish back then and was really good. I have no “kitchen horror” story whatsoever to share. I’ve been back a few times since, but because of the fast-paced nature of the industry, it is like an entirely new restaurant when I go in now—a new name even! All new faces, new sushi chefs, new menu items. So, I write this review as a once-but-no-longer semi-insider.
On sunny afternoons, there are few things I love as much as sushi. I can probably count the times I’ve eaten sushi during the winter on both hands. Whether it’s the fresh taste or light texture, there is just something about sushi that makes it more fitting for warmer weather. Today was lovely, so I decided to swing by Piranha Killer Sushi because it’s been a small eternity since I’ve eaten there. (If you talk to people who like sushi without all of the fuss of fancy dining, they’re bound to mention this place.)
I picked up the lunch Maki Bento Box (to go!) and was, in a word, delighted. It’s a lot of food for 9.95: miso soup, tuna roll, cucumber roll, 1/2 california roll, and a tuna sashimi side salad. It’s not the finest sushi I’ve ever had, but it’s a definite solid standard that tasted very fresh. The miso soup had a great flavor, but was the weakest part of the meal for two reasons. One, the tofu squares were almost non-existent. I think I got two. Also, the seaweed pieces were cut very large and were really chewy. I dodged them and enjoyed just the broth.
The basic rolls were great and simply prepared. The nori wrapping was fresh (I hate chewy ones!) and the rice had a great texture. The tuna in the rolls was rich–beautiful in color and texture. The highlight for me was the tuna sashimi salad. The (generously portioned) tuna pieces were laid upon a bed of mixed greens and then drizzled with a spicy red chili sauce and some sort of creamy aioli (maybe with a hint of ginger?). Roe and sesame seeds were sprinkled on top to finish it off. Beautiful.
Price: 9.95
851 N.E. Green Oaks Blvd.
Arlington, TX 76006
817.261.1636
335 W. 3rd St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817.348.0200
I’m just not a big fan of the cake. I do enjoy the cupcake, probably because it’s so compact and efficient in delivering its deliciousness. I also enjoy ice cream cakes too, but when presented with the options for desert, cake just doesn’t sit very high on my priority list. Despite all this, there are a few kinds of cake I do like. Lemon or Chocolate would probably be my birthday choices. Who doesn’t love a big glass of ice cold milk and a rich, dense slice of chocolate cake–maybe with a little fudge drizzled all over for good measure? Right? So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like certain cakes, but they aren’t really my go-to desert.
Well, the other day while I was talking about how much I loved pineapples, I started thinking about cake and how perfect a fusion of pineapple and cake would be. I had known there was such a thing as pineapple upside-down cake, but had never tried it due to all the maraschino cherries they usually contain. Intrigued by the idea anyway, we decided to put one together because I had a feeling this could quite possibly be my favorite cake ever. So we set out on the interweb to find an appropriate recipe to try.
We decided to replicate the recipe from one of our favorite food sites, Smitten Kitchen. The site is fantastic and was actually a big inspiration for our own beginnings. So we gathered the ingredients and dove right in.
From the pictures on SK, I immediately knew this cake was a winner. Who can resist a warm, thick layer of caramel? I know I can’t. The cake is a cinch to make too. A simple cake batter is mixed up (it definitely helps if you have a nice spacious mixer). Then you heat up a little brown sugar and butter caramel topping. Finally, you butter a pan and place some pineapples in the pattern of your choice neatly into its bottom. There’s really nothing to it. It’s simple and it’s perfect.
After all is said and done, the cake should look something like this. Let me tell you, my inclination was so right. This is my favorite cake of not only the moment, but most likely the next few years to come. The beauty is that the cake layer is pretty small and all that beautiful brown sugar melts into the top of cake and fuses with the pineapple juice, creating the perfect flavor. Definitely try this. It’s so simple, yet so delicious. A little dish recommended plate. Also go thank Smitten Kitchen too while you are at it.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Borrowed from Smitten Kitchen and adapted from Gourmet, February 2000
The original recipe for this cake had three teaspoons of cardamom in it, alternately loved and loathed by recipe reviewers. Having no interest in a chai-flavored cake, I took it out and was left with the most flawless and easy go-to upside down cake, something I look forward to making every summer.
Topping:
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
3/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tablespoons dark rum for sprinkling over cake
Special equipment: a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet. If you lack a cast-iron skillet of this size, make the caramel in a small pot and scrape it into the bottom of a similarly-sized cake pan. (I used a 9″ cake pan in the pictures above.)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make topping: Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.
Make batter: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)
Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle rum over cake and cool on plate on a rack.
Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.
Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.
I’ve never had a cupcake actually ruin my day. The very thought of it was ridiculous to me. While yesterday’s doughy travesty didn’t become the first, it got very, very close. To explain, I’ll start at the beginning and work my way up…
As local readers know, the weather here has been very strange. Sleet, snow and rain on one day, then lovely beaming sunshine on the next. On the cold days, I’ve really been on a chai kick. The tea’s signature spices of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves are a delicious combination. Mix them with warm sweetened milk and it’s my favorite cold morning treat.
Inspired by my current chai routine, I decided to bake some chai cupcakes from the book 500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You’ll Ever Need by Fergal Connolly. The combination sounded like a natural winner to me because it’s a blend of two of my favorite things.
Well unfortunately, what resulted was a disaster. The cupcakes turned out rubbery and chewy and the chai flavor (despite there being actual chai tea in the recipe) was very lacking.
I baked them for some friends of mine and (despite my already very negative feelings) served them. The following are their responses (in approximately three words):
Anna: Rubbery, doughy, bulky
Matt: Gumball gone bad
Robert: Painfully chewy and just damn gross
As you can see, the feeling was mutual all around. I’m primarily concerned because this is the first recipe I’ve baked out of this book. It’s so cute and loaded with wonderful sounding possibilities. However, if future results are anything like this one, I’m going to be extremely disappointed. I will chalk this one up to a faulty recipe or user error and make another one from the book soon. Be warned though, 500 Cupcakes, I am very wary of you right now.
(On one positive note, the icing was delicious! Creamy, lemony, and awesome—how could it not be with all that cream cheese and sugar? I will definitely hold on to the batch I made and use it to frost something else—another cupcake perhaps?)
Chai Cupcakes from 500 Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2 c. self-rising flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. chai tea powder
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) sweet butter, softened
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
2 egg whites
2/3 c. buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place 12 baking cups in a muffin pan. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and chai powder. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg whites slowly, beating well. Slowly add the flour mixture and finally, the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.
For the Frosting:
1 c. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl and beat until soft and light. Add the lemon and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Spoon the frosting over the cupcakes.
Store cupcakes unfrosted in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze for three months.
Chocolate + Bacon = ?
It’s definitely the wildest chocolate combination I’ve ever tried, but I seriously loved it. This innovative pairing came from Vosges Haut Chocolate, a luxe chocolatier who makes this exotic bar called Mo’s Bacon Bar. It’s rich milk chocolate mixed with applewood smoked bacon and alderwood smoked salt. The combination is crazy, but the result? Delightful. The sweet chocolate mixes elegantly with the salty, savory bacon. Pleasing to the palate and wonderful in texture (smooth with little crunchy bits!), this is an adventure in taste and very recommended.
Price: $7.50 (yeah, you heard me)
I think it’s really fitting that our first recipe review is one from Giada De Laurentiis. I don’t know if you’ve encountered this strange phenom in casual conversations or online, but this lady is seriously polarizing. (Check out the vicious goings-on in this post from our buddy Consumer Machine and you’ll know what I’m talking about!) You either love her or hate her and I don’t think many people fall anywhere in between (well, unless you’re me or Anthony Bourdain, but I’ll get to that in a minute).
On the hater side, there are some really passionate arguments citing all sorts of crimes from concealed weapons (too much cleavage) to inciting a riot (ridiculous over-pronunciations of Italian words). Those that love her appreciate her simple dishes, beaming smile, and yes, her over-pronunciations of Italian words.
Food-guru bad boys Michael Ruhlman and Anthony Bourdain (whom I love) have come up with a humorous (yet apropos) marriage of the two opposing schools by nominating Giada for their Golden Clog Award “The Alton” which goes to the celebrity chef who, despite “being on Food Network… manages to not suck.” Her nomination says it all: “Giada De Laurentiis: for doing everything (but the food) wrong and yet… still cooking consistently better than she has to.” Brilliant. Coming from them, that’s a huge compliment.
While she’s not my favorite Food Network character, most of the food she makes really looks delicious. An added plus is that her recipes are so simple and refreshing. Save for the occasional weird ingredient, they’re not daunting at all! And if Anthony Bourdain says it’s good, it must be.
I whipped up a batch of her Almond Blueberry Cookies and was impressed by how easy they were and how great they tasted. The only catch is that you need to approach these cookies not expecting a typical cookie at all. She should probably change the name to something more fitting like: Almondy Blueberry Muffiny Tops. They’re fluffy and lightmore like a muffin or a bread and less like a cookie. If that’s your thing, you will love these. The only suggestion I would make is to add a little bit more almond extract than the recipe calls for. Also, make sure you cook them until beautifully golden brown. The first batch I took out a little too early and they were just too doughy. Other than that, they were awesome. Love her or hate her, these cookies are (for me) a shining example that the girl can cook!
Almond Blueberry Cookies from Giada De Laurentiis
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: about 30 cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg york
1/4 to 1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer. Add egg and beat to incorporate. Add milk, almond extract, and lemon zest.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the almonds, then the blueberries. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using two small spoons, dollop mix onto cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
Not sure about you, but I grew up camping. California beaches, Northwest forests, Missouri rivers, Arizona deserts…well you get the picture. Anyway, the one constant no matter where I was and what time of year, was that we always had s’mores around the fire pit. The hot marshmallows, toasted to a golden brown perfection, mixed perfectly with the chocolate (I rolled dark) and graham crackers (I rolled cinnamon). There was nothing better as a kid, and still to this day I harbor a love for the irresistible treats.
Well, to my pleasure and hopefully yours, Dough Monkey has gone and done something special. They have decided to make a top-notch s’more, with quality ingredients, making us nostalgic for the bygone days of camping vacations, right in our own kitchens.
If you are not familiar with Dough Monkey they are a newly re-opened bakery at Snyder Plaza in Dallas. We will definitely be doing many more posts on the delicious products they serve up daily. Go check their website for an updated list of the trump delights they decided to bake up for the day.
Anyway, the S’Mores are amazing. Pop them in the oven for a sec, and then prepare yourself with a stiff glass of milk and a fork, for the gooey mess that you are about to indulge in. The rich chocolate, specialty graham, and honey enriched marshmallow all come together nicely and make for an awesome desert. Go try one now, even if your idea of camping is hotel rooms and resorts, I guarantee you’ll still love it.
Price: $6
6708 Snider Plaza | Dallas, TX
214-890-1300
I really only like two kinds of tomato soup: spicy gazpacho and tomato basil. Obviously because of the weather it’s been months since I’ve had gazpacho. So, this winter I’ve been trying here and there to find my favorite tomato basil. So far, I honestly like La Madeline’s the best. Seriously, it’s awesome. It has the perfect balance of tanginess and creaminess and also a great texture. Equally a plus is that it’s completely affordable and easy to find (La Madelines are all over the place). Dip a nice slice of the AYCE crusty bread in it, and you’ve got a delicious bowl.
On a recipe note, there seems to be one circulating online for a soup that reportedly tastes exactly like the restaurant’s. I tried it, but unfortunately my verdict is still out. On some sort of calorie-cutting whim, I used whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream. I didn’t think the substitution would make that big of a difference, but sadly, I was wrong. The creaminess of the soup was dramatically lowered and I ended up with a very saucy soup. I will definitely try it again soon and report back. Be ready.
La Madeline
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