Dinner @ Potager
We’ve been wanting to go to Potager for a while now & finally got the chance to check it out on Friday night for dinner. The restaurant’s concept is what had us most intrigued…
Archive for the ‘appetizers’ Category
The Place at Perry’s
This weekend we visited The Place at Perry’s and it didn’t take long for me to realize why so many people have rallied behind it. This is a really special place in Dallas—a destination worth getting a little defensive over…
Radishes & Bagna Cauda
Even though it’s out of step with the season to be roasting root vegetables, I was inspired by this NY Times article to make roasted radishes in a bagna cauda sauce.
Avocados at Abacus
Avocados are a pretty sexy vegetable fruit. They’re all about possibilities, and in a roundabout way they’re what landed me three seats away from Kent Rathbun for a private dinner at Abacus…
Perry’s Steakhouse Opens in Dallas
Back from Summer vacation it’s theeeee littleeeee diiiiiiish *roar!* There is an important update for all carnivores who will be dining soon in the Arts District.
Maki Bento Box @ Piranha Killer Sushi
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.)
The Wedge Salad @ Cliff Cafe
I’ll come right out with it. I’m a big, big fan of the blue cheese wedge salad. Studies have shown, if on your menu somewhere, you have the words salad, blue cheese, and wedge, in a semi close proximity, there’s a 87% chance I’ll order it. It really just depends on the last time I had a blue cheese wedge salad, and if it wasn’t at breakfast, then there you go. Anyway, at the Cliff Cafe next to the Bellmont in Oak Cliff, I found a version of said salad and it wasn’t the best or perfect BCWS I’ve ever had, but it definitely had some promise. My two major concerns were the over cooked bacon that felt like little rocks in my mouth, and the absence of a blue cheese dressing on the menu — it was served with a balsamic vinaigrette. Now the former sin cannot be forgiven — over-dried crunchy as hell bacon has no place in a fresh salad or anywhere else in the world of eats. The later problem wasn’t too much of an issue, but I definitely could have gone for a nice spicy blue cheese dressing instead. The main fault that ruined an otherwise tempting display of ingredients, was that the salad was not dressed, but rather drowned in the balsamic dressing which overpowered every other aspect of the dish. Seriously, you can’t tell from the picture, but this thing was swimming.
I’m not usually one for ‘dressing on the side’ bit, but at the Cliff Cafe my recommendation is to go that way, or try the ranch instead. It’s also a great salad to share, so step up to it as a starter on your next date to the Cliff Cafe. Then head over to the bar at the Belmont for a nice time getting boozed up on their friendly patio. It’s definitely one the official drinkeries of the Little Dish staff.