There are two reasons why I love a great salad. The first being that it makes me think I’m eating healthy, because somewhere in our culinary history the word “salad” became synonymous with “healthy.” Now while this can be true, I’m more a fan of the salads that are hiding bits of unhealthy underneath their shrouds “health.” My second reason for loving salads is their kinship to the burrito. I love burritos because they round up all the ingredients that I savor from the Mexican side of things, and put them into a nice little container for me to eat them in. Now the salad lacks that solidifying wrapper, but it still carries the characteristics of bringing together a bunch of different singular ingredients and tossing them together for my enjoyment. To make up for the tortilla, usually a few slices of bread will do, but it isn’t a deal breaker. Happily, Eno’s manages to pull off a great faux-healthy salad (with bread to boot), which is why I can fully get behind their Italian Chopped Arugula Salad.
First off, from the picture you can see they threw in some bread, so immediately I was excited when the salad landed at our table. The components were all delectable, local and fresh: from the tasty ham to the perfectly cured olives, and back to the delightful artichokes and bacon confit. The ingredients are brought together around fresh arugula and then solidified with an oregano vinaigrette that was never overpowering, but complimented the rest of the salad to perfection. The size of salad was also pleasing, large and full of plenty of the ingredients. Nothing is worse than when a salad says it has (insert favorite ingredient) in it and then when it arrives at the table you find five in the whole thing. This salad had plenty of everything and made for a perfect shared starter before the main course of delicious thin crusted pizza.
Like I said, I’m a huge fan of the salad and Eno’s captures my need and exceeded my expectation with this dish. There’s nothing like a fresh tasty salad before a few slices of tasty pizza, continually accompanied by crisp glasses of cold micro brews. Go check out Eno’s the next time you are down in Bishop’s Art District, you won’t be disappointed.
Price: $10
407 N. Bishop Street | Dallas, Texas 75208
214.943.9200
Shouts of joy! The Meridian Room is coming back. There was a lot of misinformation before about why it disappeared. Now-former owner Mike Smith gave the full scoop to Unfair Park in this interview that went up this morning. The best news is that The Meridian Room will be back in the beginning of November. The dubious news is that it’s under new management. Good thing? Bad thing? Time will tell. I do know there will be a lot of people waiting to find out!
This good news comes to us via Dallas-blogger Dan. First the cake, and now this? Dan, your reader status has just been upgraded to platinum.
The Meridian Room
3611 Parry Ave | Dallas, TX 75206
214.826.8383
MAP | DIRECTIONS
Okonomiyaki, sushi, inari-zushi, soba: these are some of my very favorite meals. My Japanese heritage comes from my dad’s side of the family. Growing up, my Obachan (grandma) cooked delicious, authentic dishes that inspired my life-long love of Japanese food. When the new Japanese eatery Tei-An recently opened in the One Arts Plaza boasting handmade buckwheat soba noodles, I made it a must to check it out. What could be more enticing than a perfect bowl of soba?
Though there are other offerings (sushi, rices boxes, etc.), soba is the star at Tei-An. The noodles are served in the traditional style: plain with sauces for dunking. I chose the soba sampler to maximize my sauce options. While the noodles are traditional, the sauces certainly aren’t. Local southern inspirations have woven into the menu with sauces like Texas pecan, walnut, and creamy yam. These were served side-by-side more traditional flavors like black sesame and tentsuyu tempura. The sauces were flavorful, well-balanced, unexpectedly thick, and coated the noodles well.
The noodles themselves were perfect canvases. They were firm, but not in the same al dente sort of sense that other noodles are. Making pasta by hand is a labor of love, and in this case it was certainly appreciated.
At the end of my meal, the waitress showed me how traditional Japanese diners finish their soba meals with a teapot of steaming water. You pour the hot water into each of the little sauce cups and then drink the liquid like a soup. Soba-yu: lovely (and resourceful)!
So far, I’ve only had nice things to say about Tei-An. But to be fair, there are a couple things I need to mention. I said that soba is the star on the menu and I recommend that you stick to it. My mom tried a crab rice box that was really flavorless and disappointing. Strike one. Also not working in Tei-An’s favor is their portion sizes. I NEVER finish my meals. I actually hate it when I eat out and get a plate larger than my face filled with food. But at Tei-An, as I finished my entire serving of noodles, my eyes were already roaming to other plates at my table. Unfortunately, theirs were almost empty too 
For the price, you should at least leave feeling like you had an all-around satisfying experience. Strike two.
Fortunately, there’s no strike three. Despite the hiccups, I had a good time at Tei-An. It’s not the best soba that I’ve had but the sauces were innovative, the noodles delicious, and the service ridiculously kind. (See the card they left on the table they reserved for us.) Also, I want to add that their decor is very chic. It’s modern and earthy and the same time with exposed concrete walls, a slate fountain, etc. Try it at least once. And then get dessert on your way home…
Price: $14
One Arts Plaza
1722 Routh Street | Dallas, TX 75201
214.220.2828
Oh man. Fellow Dallas-blogger Dan just submitted his specialty cake photo and we’re definitely impressed. (Would you expect anything less from a guy who manages to run a blog all about mustaches? Certainly not.)
This cute kid loves it too! To be perfectly fair though, the credit should go to his creative wife who decorated this awesome sand castle cake using ice cream cones, shortbread cookies, and cookie crumbs. So pretty and way tastier than the real thing…
When we posted about the Starbucks cake I baked, we asked about the special cakes that you’ve made. One really nice reader, Jillian, shared pictures of two cakes that she’s decorated recently: a vinyl record cake (she made it for her boyfriend who’s a DJ) and HELLO KITTY! My hero!
Thanks Jillian for sharing! They look too sweet too eat! Now what we need to get started on is a little dish cake…
You had me at “coffee.”
There aren’t very many Dunkin’ Donuts locations in the metroplex (I know this because I looked for one near my house after seeing a commercial for the intriguing and possibly delicious egg white flatbread sandwhich). However, that’s about to change. As part of what looks like a major brand overhaul/makeover, they’re opening a lot of new stores in the metroplex. Over the next few years, they’re planning on adding more than 150.
That kind of expansion just has to make a company happy–right? Most definitely. So to celebrate their relaunch in DFW, Dunkin’ Donuts is going to be giving away FREE COFFEE this week. Yes! Now through Sunday, October 12, visit a Dunkin’ Donuts and you’ll get a medium coffee (hot or iced so you can go with whatever the crazy Texas weather has going on).
Plano peeps, you’re in luck. They have lots in your area. If you go, please get that egg white flatbread for me and let me know how it is…
Oh, and if you’re under house arrest or can’t make it this week to a DD near you, it’s ok. The free coffee deal will also be good for every Monday throughout the month of October.
Price: FREE
Multiple locations throughout the metroplex.
It’s news sad enough to ruin my day—no, my whole week. A little dish reader has informed me of this depressing development…
My very favorite bar in Dallas and the cornerstone of Exposition Park, The Meridian Room, closed its doors Monday. Sadly, the bar is a casualty of the DART line that’s being built there. (Now, that stupid line is completely irrelevant to me because The Meridian Room would have been my primary reason for using it. The actual method of transportation has eliminated the destination!)
I’m genuinely heartbroken to hear this. The Meridian Room has not only been a Dallas institution, but a place that’s been dear to my heart. So many good nights have been spent with friends under that red tin ceiling. It’s been a place of reunions, goodbyes, birthdays, and the location for our annual Thanksgiving Night of debauchery. I can’t see another bar in Dallas taking it’s place…
Meridian Room, you will be sorely missed.
Get more on the story here.
