I can’t say often enough how grateful we are for everyone who reads this blog & the nice comments we get. That’s why I’d never do you guys wrong. No restaurant promo, or freebie, or stack of dollars* could tempt me into writing a review that is more favorable than honest because I don’t want to lead anyone into a culinary sandtrap.
That being said, I should first say that I haven’t actually been to Roots Coffeehouse, but I plan on it. ASAP. On paper the place sounds fantastic: a local, independent coffeehouse with a menu comprised entirely of fair trade & organic coffees. Plus free wi-fi, homebaked sweets, & a special honey vanilla latte that is of particular interest to me. Awesome, right?
Now, if you’re the kind of person who watches a movie & is always jumping ahead of the plot to guess what’s going to happen next, you’re probably wondering: “So why are you talking about a coffee shop before you’ve actually visited?” Well, I’ve got two things to say to you. First, chill out. You should just try to enjoy the movie & let it unfold instead of always trying to guess everything. Second, I’m talking about Roots now instead of later because they are running an amazing promotion that you need to know about right now.
Visit Roots in March & they will give you a free coffee card, which is good for a 12-ounce cup of coffee. EVERY SINGLE DAY IN MARCH. No catches. No stipulations. (Although if you want to keep your “Nice Citizen” badge, you should probably tip that barista who’s pouring your free cup of coffee.)
So I’m planning on heading over to Roots and will definitely write about it when I do. But this week is crazy & I won’t be in that neighborhood for a couple of days. Until then, I don’t want to keep you from missing one precious day of free coffee (’cause I love y’all like that). If you check it out before I get there, let me know what you think—ok?
* Maybe some stacks of dollars. (Sorry.)
9101 Highway 26 Ste. 101 | North Richland Hills, Texas 76180
See website for other locations.
817.503.7344
If you follow us on twitter, you might already know that we were hanging out in Atlanta this weekend. The main attraction that brought us there wasn’t the food (although that aspect ended up being quite wonderful.) It was the Georgia Aquarium. It’s actually the world’s largest aquarium & the pictures of it online look amazing. Excited by that, we decided it was time to start planning a trip to ATL…
Which brings us to the awesome trip we took to the World of Coca-Cola. Right across from the aquarium, it stands as a mecca to all things Coke. There’s a ton of vintage Coke ads & memorabilia, an example of a bottling line, a little 4D theater, & photo-op with the Coke Polar Bear… Overall it’s very cool, but the thing that makes it a place you need to visit while in Atlanta is the Tasting Room.
See, as you would probably guess, Coke isn’t just Coke & Diet Coke & Vanilla Coke etc. The company manufactures almost 400 different beverages around the world from Fanta to Vitamin Water & Odwalla. In the Tasting Room you get sip as much as you please of 60 different flavors from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, & Africa. Divided by continent, the fountains offered everything from familiar flavors—Fanta tastes the same in every language—to the bitter & bizarre (more on that in a bit).
On the highlights reel are two sodas from Latin America: Inca Kola (Peru) & Mazaran Lift (Chile). Tasting like bubble gum & apple respectively, they were new & interesting without being overly sweet.
Japan’s Vegitabeta had almost no taste & their unidentifiable flavor of Hi-C Ume was bland, but unoffensive.
Sugar overload definitely kicked in after tasting Africa’s Bibo kiwi and pineapple sodas. Definitely the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. I could feel my teeth cringe.
North America’s selection was as expected, however there was one surprise. Did you know that Barq’s makes a red creme soda? Like Big Red, but better! I had never seen it before, but will keep my eye out for it. Maybe it’s a regional thing we don’t have in Texas? Or maybe I haven’t spent enough time on the soda aisle.
While Latin America’s sodas were some of my favorite, unfortunately the losing flavor came from Italy. I had a feeling it was going to be a challenging taste because one of the guides told us to “make sure to try the Beverly, it’s verrrrrry interesting—our most talked about flavor.” Distinctively bitter, it’s got to be an acquired taste because I could barely finish the small amount in my glass. What I found out through research *cough*wiki*cough* that they didn’t tell us at the museum is that the bitter taste comes from the ingredient quinine, which is also found in tonic water. The amount of quinine in Beverly actually causes it to glow under ultraviolet light! If you travel with that kind of technology on you, be sure to check that out when you visit & report back, okay?
*drumroll please*
Back from a long vacation, it’s the liiiiiiiittle diiiiiiiiish! Hope you’re all having a nice 2010 so far. Thanks for checking back even though it’s been like a ghost town around here. TUMBLEWEEDS. Like I mentioned last post, we’ve been planning on updating the site and have lots of great things in store, so stay tuned.
In actual food-related news, we just had dinner at probably one of the most popular restaurants in Dallas, La Duni. Unlike many things that are popular, La Duni really deserves the attention. Their modern take on Latin dishes & beautiful desserts have become (in the small handful of times I’ve visited) some of my favorites.
But don’t be tricked into thinking that La Duni is a Mexican restaurant. Yes, they do have tacos, flautas & quesadillas on the menu. However, their flavors go way beyond the Mexican border with additions like Argentinean sausage & Pampero black beans. Here’s a mini-guide to set the record straight & help you brush up on your Latin before your next meal at La Duni…
Chimichurri – (See above) A green sauce originally made in Argentina & Uruguay. Ingredients often include parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar & red pepper flakes. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.
Plantain – A member of the genus Musa (bananas, basically). They tend to be firmer & not as sweet as the “dessert bananas” that we eat in America & are often used in savory dishes. When sliced & served fried, they’re also called “tajadas” in Honduras, Panama & other parts of South America. (That’s how La Duni serves them!)
Arepa – A flat, unleavened cornmeal bread from the northern Andes. Kinda like a tortilla, but thicker. A perfect addition to meat dishes.
Pabellon Criollo – (See also: Heaven) A traditional Venezuelan dish that’s made up of rice, shredded beef & black beans. Often served with fried plantain slices. At La Duni, you also get a slice of queso fresco & arepa.
Queso Fresco – A mild & soft unaged white Spanish cheese (See plate above.)
Patacones – Cooked green plantains that are smashed, crisped & then sprinkled with salt.
Chicharron – 1. super crispy pork rinds. 2. a fun word to say
Pisco – A Peruvian liquor distilled from grapes. The main ingredient in the Pisco Sour. (See above. See also: good times)
4620 McKinney Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75205
See website for other locations.
214.520.7300
Listed under “The Finer Things in Life,” excellent sashimi is one of the best culinary indulgences. It’s luxurious and smooth, sensuous on the tongue, and refreshingly light. After the Japan trip, I was worried that sashimi in the States would never be the same, but this weekend’s dinner at RA Sushi proved that wrong. But perhaps I’m jumping ahead, so let’s start at the beginning and work up to that…
This weekend we visited RA Sushi in Plano for the first time. Located in the Shops at Legacy, the place has such ambiance, you’d be shocked to find out they’re located nationwide. Choosing some of their newly added cocktails, we started dinner with a customary round of drinks…
Shiso Naughty: A good mix of sweet & sour. Sweet pineapple vodka & bright citrus yuzu is a nice combination. They incorporated a favorite savory herb, Japanese shiso, for balance, as well as something called X-Rated Liqueur (which sounds kinda gimmicky, but I’m willing to overlook because it was tasty).
Tea It Up: This is the Far East version of one of my favorite Summer drinks: Iced tea spiked with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. The idea is translated into Japanese with a zen green tea liqueur and a citrus twist.
Strawberry Soju Sunrise: The ultimate girly drink featuring Soju, yuzu, and fresh strawberry. Overall, their cocktails had a distinctly unique flavor that set them apart from the usual. I think this was because of the yuzu element, but I’m not completely sure. Call it drinker’s intuition.
White Sake Sangria: An updated take on a classic: Sauvignon Blanc, sake, peach, orange, and pineapple juice, plus a splash of yuzu sour. Delicious.
In addition to cocktails, RA also has some new additions to their menu, which (by the way) features a lot of options for those who don’t share in my exaltations of sashimi. They definitely won’t be relegated to boring chicken teriyaki.
To start, it was RA chips & salsa. Tasty & clever, it was a tuna tartar dip with avocado, jalapeno, cucumber, and cilantro. Served with fried wonton “chips” that would be delicious dipped in almost anything, it was a welcomed alternative to the usual edamame starter.
We also tried their Spicy Rice Crispy Treats for two reasons. One, because they sounded delicious. Two, because of the name. Cute! For the roll, they flash-fried sesame rice into strips of crunchy goodness, added spicy tuna, fresh lettuce, and avocado, and then wrapped them in soy paper. They were plated with two sauces: one soy-based, and the other a wasabi cream. Toasted nuts & bright red tempura flakes finished the dish, which I loved. Great taste and texture. If you like hand rolls, this would definitely be your thing.
Grilled Short Ribs with wasabi mashed potatoes found more favor with Brian than they did with me. They had a nice flavor & the potatoes were fabulous, but I’m always more interested in sushi. However, it was the perfect example of what I mentioned earlier: excellent options for those guests who don’t want to go raw. One other thing, these were under $8. Crazy.
Finally, the real highlight of the meal (where we started in the beginning) were the sashimi plates. They’re being offered as “RA Tapas” for the uber-reasonable price of $7.50. (Something that all of RA’s menu items seemed to have in common).
We chose the yellow tail with a garlic citrus ponzu sauce & scallions (above), as well as the salmon with marinated sweet onion dressing (below). Both were killer. Kill-ah. If you go to RA, you better try some of them or the little dish will wonder about your judgement.
While we have NEVER really talked about service on the little dish (we focus only on food), we feel we would be remiss not to mention our server, David. He was attentive and funny and knowledgeable, which is like a triple-threat in almost every profession.
Check back tomorrow when we post pictures of the beautiful dessert that finished the meal. Hint: It could also be eaten with chopsticks!
7501 Lone Star Dr. | Plano, TX 75024
469.467.7400
Other locations nationwide.
I really love honey. In fact, it’s one of my favorite flavors. I like it even more when it comes out of a bear-shaped bottle, but I feel torn about the fact. You have to be discerning about quality & unfortunately the best kinds don’t usually come in that cute little guy. The most flavorful honeys are usually local, organic, darker in color, and probably in a plain glass jar.
One taste of white gold honey changes all those preconceptions. Made from red clover honey in Canada, it’s the most interesting honey I’ve ever tried and though it’s very mild, it’s one of the most delicious. It has a beautiful ivory color and the lovely, thick consistency of whipped frosting. Surprisingly, both of those qualities occur naturally. The raw honey comes from a white nectar and solidifies because of its low moisture content.
As I mentioned, it does have a very mild flavor, which is why I suppose Teavana chose to carry it. It won’t overpower the other flavors in their tea. However, it tastes just wonderful by itself upon a piece of toast. This honey is so special, it makes up for the fact that it doesn’t come in a bear.
Shopping Note: While I couldn’t find this particular honey on Teavana’s website, I found an organic white volcano honey. The sales associate at the location I visited was absolutely raving about it and said that when I finished this jar, that was the next one I needed to try next.
Teavana
NorthPark Center
8687 N. Central Expressway | Dallas, Texas 75225
Other locations nationwide.
When we were making plans for our trip to London, there was one very special item on my list of things to do while there. Aside from the popular sites to see—the Tate, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben—I really wanted to have afternoon tea somewhere fantastic. On our last night in London that wish definitely came true. We had a champagne cream tea at the Ritz.
From the number of tables with cameras, you can see it’s a very popular place for those visiting the city or celebrating a special occasion. And it’s very obvious why. The tea room was beautifully done in ornate gold & rococo decor. The whole place was filled with a sense of excitement—lots of good people watching & servers running back and forth carrying three-tiered trays of sandwiches, scones & sweets.
The tea itself was served loose-leaf in a silver pot. I chose an elder-flower tea that was sweet all on its own & really delicious. I would love to buy some at a tea shop here. The selection of sandwiches featured ingredients popular in the UK: prawn, cucumber, “mature” cheddar, smoked salmon & watercress, plus egg and chicken salads made less creamy than the versions we have in the States.
The pastries, tarts, and mousses were rich & delicious. A raspberry & cream tart was made with a toasted pistachio crust. A strawberry napoleon was light & flakey with a vanilla custard layered in between sheets of puff pastry. The chocolate torte was beyond decadent.
While the sweets & sandwiches were wonderful, my favorite part by far were the scones. Light, not dense or dry, raisin scones were served with jam & the perfect clotted cream. It was the highlight of a fantastic experience. I really want to thank our friends Craig & Teresa for making it happen 
My grandmother always would have tea parties with us when we were little. It’s one of my favorite memories of her. Sitting in such a magical place, I thought about our little tea sets and homemade cookies. This formality was a far way away from those tea parties at home, but the feeling of specialness was very much the same. I wish she could have been there. In a way, I feel like she was.
While it might not be London, you can have Afternoon Tea at the Ritz in Dallas. I bet it’s just as tasty & you don’t have to worry about the exchange rate!
In London, I had a pint at my first authentic pub. Obviously, it was a little different than our idea of a pub. Families can go there to eat dinner, there’s a wider variety of people and ages, and the atmosphere is very nice and laid back.
While there, I had my favorite beer of all time, Fruli. It’s almost unfair to call it a beer because it was more like an alcoholic strawberry juice. It’s a very mild Belgium wheat beer and it’s unbelievably good. The bar had it on draught and a lot of people seemed to be ordering and enjoying it.
Here’s the dilemma now: HOW TO GET FRULI IN THE STATES? I’ve seen some mentions of it being imported here, but I can’t find any sites where I can actually purchase it by the bottle… the case… the truckload.
Any suggestions?
What the… It’s been a long time since we’ve updated! Good news though is that there’s a lot in the works: an interview with a local chef, a new correspondent, etc. Great stuff, so stay tuned.
Lately it seems like there’s been a lot of new places opening in the metroplex. We’ve tried Park a couple of times; it’s the newest opening in the restaurant-loaded Knox/Henderson area. It’s a really charming place that doesn’t need a glowing review from us. (It was packed both weekends we went.) But Park isn’t just about location, location, location. Their food is simple, but good and their drinks? Even better.
What I initially liked about Park was their outdoor patio. Sitting on a tree stump under strings of white lights, I felt like I was eating in a little urban forest. It’s very cute. Smitten for the ambiance, I also fell for Park’s philosophy on food. They have a rooftop herb garden, try to use a lot of local and organic products, and prepare their dishes to be uncomplicated and delicious.
The panzanella is a beautiful stack of local mozzarella, tomatoes, brioche, and a portabello pesto. It’s not groundbreaking cuisine, but it was delicious. The Live Oak Picnic Basket was unbelievably good: Windy Meadow Farms roast chicken, creamy fingerling potato salad, flaky biscuits, and a side of honey served in a red and white checkered basket. The Jones Taco Platter was a straight-forward presentation of a nice taco plate with short rib, chicken, and black bean varieties.
Food aside, Park would still be a destination I would visit because of their unique cocktail menu. A lot of them had savory components. Take the “Garfunkle”; it’s a gin collins with mint and ginger. The “Little Wing” was mixed with Hendricks, cucumber, basil, and a dash of cranberry.
My favorite was the “Marsha Marsha Marsha” with cognac, muddled blackberries, and sparkling white wine. Summer in a glass. Sangria by the pitcher was a good deal after we did the math and we were happy with it.
Crème brulée was an evening special and it was arguably one of the best I’ve had at a restaurant. Although, I’m really a bad judge because crème brulée is one of my favorite desserts and I love it most of the time
So to sum this all up: Park has a lot going for it. What’s not working in their favor, they really can’t help. The weekend clientele is kinda what you’d except for that area. If you’re not there to to see and be seen, it’s a little hard to just chill. Good for their businness, but it’s why I liked Park better on a Tuesday when we could enjoy that pretty patio in peace.
1921 Henderson Ave.
Dallas 75206
214.824.3343
Quick Rant:
Is it too much to ask for a burger that doesn’t fall apart halfway through trying to eat it? I understand the appeal of a messy burger; in fact, I prefer them sloppy. What I don’t like is my bun getting soggy and splitting apart before I’ve reached the end of my meal. It’s not a hard thing to remedy, although the majority of burger joints don’t seem to have a grasp on this technique. It’s simple science: slightly butter the bun, and then grill it for a quick second or two. This will create a simple, yet effective barrier to hold off the burger sauces from soaking into the bun. Can someone please put out a memo? Thanks.
Now that’s out of the way…
I’ve been hearing here and there that Mooya Burgers is the In-n-Out of Texas and at first glance those comparisons seem to be founded, but let’s not be hasty without an investigation.
Interior & Menu:
White tiles with accents of red and a plain simple menu, both harken to comparisons with In-n-Out. At Mooya Burgers you can order a Mooya Burger that’s essentially a double meat, double cheese burger (Double Double). You can also get a Junior which is a single cheese, single meat burger. They have a few other items, a hot dog, the expected veggie or turkey burger option, and that’s about it. Simple, just like In-n-Out. Where Mooya burger stands apart is in its toppings. Similar to the approach of The Counter, you can choose from all sorts of different ingredients to top your burger with. While not as complex as The Counter’s, things like jalepenos, A1 sauce, BBQ, and grilled onions offer you a chance to customize your experience beyond the usual.
Shakes:
Straight from a machine, just like In-n-Out, Mooyah’s is slightly creamier and the chocolate version I had was less chocolately tasting. Still delicious.
French Fries:
Fries are cut from whole potatoes, just like In-n-Out, although these are bit thicker and (dare I say) a bit tastier. Let’s be honest here, if you’ve had fries from In-n-Out, they aren’t the best things in the world. Basically, you overlook the fries inadequacies because the burgers are so damn tasty. It’s the truth. Most of the time I don’t even order fries, especially when I’m rolling drive thru. In-n-Out fries never make it home in a edible manner.
Burger:
I ordered a Mooyah cheeseburger with mustard, Mooyah sauce, jalapenos, pickles and onions. As you could have guessed from my rant above, the freshly baked, honey wheat bun arrived home a bit soggy, but still edible. (I went there twice. Once I took it home, which is where this complaint comes from. The second occasion I ate my food there and the burger held together much better.) It was definitely a good-sized burger–well cooked, but not tough. There was plenty of cheese to hold things together. (I opted for American, but you get a choice.) I wasn’t a fan of their pickles; they serve the thicker style chips that aren’t dill enough for me. I prefer the thinner standard pickles that most places serve. The jalapenos were also a bit of a disappointment. They didn’t carry quite enough heat and suffered from being overly pickled. I know, ironic. I won’t fault Mooyah for these dissapontments, I’m sure some people prefer their pickles and jalapenos this way. The onions were chopped, which I like, so bonus points for that.
Recap:
Anybody who has been to an In-n-Out won’t be fooled by any of Mooyah’s similarities, although I can understand how the comparisons are made. Other than being a tad pricey and not toasting their buns, they have a great thing going. The staff is super friendly and informative, and I’ll definitely head back in every now and again when I’m too lazy to drive to California for In-n-Out, or Ft. Worth for some Love Shack.
(Several locations in the metroplex)
2720 State Hwy 121, Suite 600
Euless 76039
817.571.7575
Saturday night we all went to Tim Love’s new Love Shack location in the really difficult to find So7 development. What’s familiar about it? A really, really delicious Love Burger and onion rings. What’s different? Well, almost everything else. The overall feeling of this Love Shack is more contemporary and trendy. There was a dj, a couple of dancing girls drunkenly celebrating a birthday, and not a cowboy in sight. (Hey, it’s still Cowtown!) Outside on the patio was a game area with a beanbag toss and something involving washers. Oh, and I heard Lady GaGa. All of these things added up to a very different experience than the one at the original Stockyards location. It wasn’t bad, just different.
In fact in some ways, it could be considered better. It feels like there’s a lot more seating, which was nice because they were really busy. Also, there’s an indoor sitting area that’s open air but still covered enough from the elements so you could enjoy a Love Burger in the rain! Additionally, they have a full bar featuring a mixed drink menu that’s pretty novel. I sipped on a jalapeno cucumber margarita that was refreshing and yet really had some heat to it. Very different, but maybe a little pricey because of its small size. (That glass is shorter than it looks.)
Speaking of small sizes, we were a little confused by the potions of fries and onions, which were about half of what we usually get at the original Love Shack. We’ll have to go back; maybe it was just an off night for potion control.
Finally (and this difference between the two locations might be the most crucial), they have an expanded menu. Different sides, a lobster roll, a salad of the day–you won’t find these sissier options on the old Love Shack menu. However, when you love the original Love Burger as much as we do, there’s not a big incentive to stray. Oh! And there’s one more major plus about this location. They accept credit cards! Cha-ching!
(website doesn’t have info on the new location as of yet)
817 Matisse Ste. 445
Fort Worth 76107
817.348.9655
