If you want to dine at The Zodiac downtown, you’ll to have to wait until January rolls around to get a reservation. However, that doesn’t mean you have to rule out a lovely lunch at Neiman Marcus. Across the street there’s the NM Fashion Cafe, which definitely deserves your consideration next time you’re downtown.
I lunched there today with some friends before checking out the store’s windows as a sort of kickoff to the Christmas weekend. While my entree was tasty but unremarkable (Southwest Caesar Salad), what came before & after made lunch really delightful.
To start, the Queso Tortilla Soup is a must. Non-negotiable. If you like traditional tortilla soup, you’ll love this updated version. Instead of the classic red broth with chunks of chicken & veggies, this soup is a cheesy, velvety, yellow cream. Next time, skip the cup; I’m getting a bowl.
After the meal, my friend Eric & I split a slice of the Strawberry Dream Cake, which was so cute it inspired the picture above. Strawberry cake with fluffy white frosting… it was delicious. Half is all you need, because it’s really sweet.
Stop by the Fashion Cafe if you’re downtown for lunch or shopping at Neiman’s or just looking for some cake.
Word to the wise: Get there early. We lunched a little later in the afternoon & by that time they were out of the daily special, as well as the angus burger. How exclusive.
1525 Commerce St. | Dallas, TX 75201
214.573.8250
Every year Dallas’ premier restaurants take part in Dining Out In Dallas, an annual fundraiser benefiting The Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation. DFW chefs each donate a table for 10 to be bid on & the proceeds go to this excellent cause. This year, we had the pleasure of getting a table at Local with family & good friends. In one word, it was delightful. In a lot more words, here’s the rundown of the full menu & how it went down…
Warmed nuts were a salty prelude to the meal & a gentle reminder to never underestimate the goodness of a homemade snack mix. Fried green beans were the first starter & paired nicely with a Chardonnay Terrazas Reserva ‘07 from Spain. The green beans were dipped in a flavorful batter & served with a ranch sauce for dipping. Delicious & unexpected—they’re as salty & addictive as their potato counterparts.
Amuse-Bouche: A cream soup (broccoli?) with crispy fried leeks. Comforting & nice, even though I can’t remember exactly what flavor the soup was. Cream of…cream.
Short Order First Course: Eden Creek baby arugula salad, with brown sugar sauteed asian pears, crumbled Pure Luck dairy blue cheese, toasted pistachios, and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette.
Wine: Riesling Thomas Schmitt ‘04 – Germany
From the description, you can tell this salad was very sweet. It might have been too much so, but the bites of blue cheese & salted pistachios—as well as the wine—added balance. The pears were perfection & everyone at our table was impressed with the honey vinaigrette.
Short Order Second Course: Seared Hudson Valley foie gras, house-made Texas toast, fresh fig and madeira compote
Wine: Rioja Luis Canas Crianza ‘04 – Spain
The surprise of the night. I’ve had foie gras once, possibly twice before this point. I couldn’t remember the difference between pate & foie gras because the two had sort of combined in my mind in the “not great, but you can bear it” category. This foie gras came like a ray of light—a major epiphany. I loved it. With the figs, it was perfectly perched between sweet and salty…incredibly soft and tender…rich and luxurious in texture. Liver? Really? Yeah, you heard me. It’s awesome.
Tall Order: Grilled grass-fed beef tenderloin filet, creamy Anson Mills grits, flash-fried spinach, roasted garlic-butter balsamic finish
Wine: Bordeaux Chateau Mouton Jean Philippe ‘03 – France
Everything in this dish was excellent. My filet was served rare; Brian’s was more medium-rare, so there was a little variance in the cooking. No matter because both filets were supernaturally tender. The grits were creamy & the spinach was a perfect compliment. This dish was the highlight of Local’s skill in the arena of New American cuisine.
Baby Desert Tasting: Warm mini chocolate souffle, brownie cookies, Ovaltine-spiked chocolate malt, spiced cake donut holes
Wine: Moscato d’asti Marenco Scrapona
Whimsical and delicious, it’s one of the best mini-dessert plates I’ve ever had. Usually there’s at least one dessert that falls short, but that wasn’t the case here. The chocolate souffle was rich, indulgent, and actually just the right size. The shake was lovely, the brownie cookies were far beyond what I was expecting, and the donut holes were a playful take on an American classic. I loved the sparkling moscato. So sweet & refreshing, it could stand on its own if served as dessert.
At the end of our meal, just when we thought it was over, a final parting bite arrived at the table: homemade thumbprint cookies with a cranberry-chutney center. One little bite…tart & sweet…it was like a farewell wave & a reminder to come back again for more.
2936 Elm Street | Dallas, TX 75074
214.752.7500
It feels like I spent my whole weekend running errands! Yes, I got a lot done, but what happened to taking a break? Sunday night, after some serious shopping, I was really hungry and in no mood to wait for table, order, etc., let alone cook something complicated.
I decided that I would choose a restaurant on the way home and order food to go. I was tired, a little cold from the weather, and in the mood for something really satisfying. “Treat yourself to anything you want!” (That’s what I told myself.) Mexican? Italian? Guilty food? Sushi? And with all those possibilities, you know what happened? Nothing. I drew a big blank. Nothing sounded perfect to me. What to do?
Then, like a bolt of lightning (or something a little less dramatic), it came to me. Sometimes when you’re in the mood for a certain something, something really good and delicious, only a home-cooked meal will do. Turning to my favorite cooking inspiration once again, I pulled an Ina Garten recipe that I remember her cooking on her show for times when you want something “earthy” (she loves that word) and simple. (Perfect!)
Cheddar Corn Chowder: Delicious, rich, and just the thing for the mood I was in. The recipe was really easy to follow; essentially you’re just cooking bacon and then adding everything to the pot to cook together. I would definitely make sure that you saute the onions long enough so they’re not crunchy and break up the smooth consistency of the soup.
I can’t vouch for it’s calorie count, but I can promise you that it’s so wonderful and will definitely feed a large group. (You’re going to need a very big soup pot!)
The recipe was delicious as is, but I felt really inspired to make a Southwest version of it next time. Sauteing green chilies with the onions and adding a different cheese would make that switch so easy.
(Brian is still gone, so it’s Dan behind the camera!)
Cheddar Corn Chowder from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
8 oz.bacon, chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
6 c. chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
12 c. chicken stock
6 c. medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 lbs.)
10 c. corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 lbs.)*
2 c. half-and-half
8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
*Editor’s note: I used the frozen corn because it was so simple.
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
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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