Smoke has been on our ‘brunch hit-list’, since it was transformed from the Cliff Cafe a while back. We finally were able to get over there on a Sunday afternoon and it turned out a lot of other people like to go there for brunch too.

We started out at the bar with their all-you-can-drink mimosas, which helped us pass the 45 minute wait. After scoping out all the plates that kept passing us at the bar, when we were seated we knew exactly what we wanted to eat. “One order of Biscuits & Gravy and an order of Heavy Handed Blueberry & House Made Ricotta Cheese Pancakes please!”

The B&G came out looking delightful. Two giant hand-made biscuits, cut in half and covered with a thin white country gravy. The biscuits were large and crumbled nicely when forked apart. While the texture was nice, the biscuits were on the sweet side, as was the gravy, so the combination of the two was more sweet than savory. To attest to the size, I couldn’t even finish the whole plate, although it’s a perfect dish to share. My only complaint lies with the ‘spicy sausage’ gravy. There was absolutely no spice to the gravy and I’ve had my fair share of spicy gravies. The sausage was also missing in action. I’m not even sure I got one bite of sausage on my plate. For Smoke being known for their meat selection, it was a bit of a disappointment. Look at the picture for yourself, do you see any sausage?

The pancakes were a hands down winner and decedent beyond my expectations. From the description I knew we were in for sensory overload. The combination of fresh whipped cream, unbelievably thick pancakes bursting with blueberries, and the plethora of vanilla poached apricots, was overwhelming to say the least. It was one of the best pancake dishes I’ve ever had. Some people might find it too sweet, but I’d recommend to share the dish with someone and get something else to accompany your meal if that’s the case. The menu has plenty of options and they all looked like good choices.

We’ll definitely be heading back into Smoke to try some of the other menu items. Check it out for yourself before you go. I was sad to see Cliff Cafe go, but Smoke seems to be a hit and I’d definitely add it to your shortlist for weekend brunch spots. Unlimited mimosas for $11, plus a menu full of great tasting options is a recipe for a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

Smoke
901 Fort Worth Avenue
Dallas, TX 75208-1710
214.393.4141

I love frozen yogurt, so the flood of stores that have opened in Dallas over the past couple years has made me really happy. But not all yogurt shops are created equal. One of my favorites has been Pinkberry because of the tartness of their yogurt & fresh toppings.

But *news flash* the number one spot is now held by Yogurtland & that’s because of Hello Kitty!

They’ve done a partnership with Sanrio & those cute characters have taken over the store with Hello Kitty cups, spoons & merchandise to buy like keychains & tees. Hello Kitty is my favorite so I was really excited to see this partnership. Plus, right now you can enter a sweepstakes to win prizes like a Sanrio shopping spree or free yogurt for life. You should hurry though, because the sweeps ends September 1. (I’m crossing my fingers for the Hello Kitty beach cruiser.)

So Hello Kitty aside, why should you love Yougurtland too?
1. You can serve yourself, put on your own toppings & pay by the ounce. (I like that format.)
2. They have great variety of flavors, including some that are unexpected like pistachio, key lime bar tart & chocolate milkshake.
3. The stores are clean, bright & cute.
4. They put fresh fruit in their water decanter. I think that extra touch is really thoughtful.

They have six locations in the Metroplex, you can find one closest to you here. (And if you were wondering, Hello Kitty’s favorite flavor is apparently strawberry!)

Oddfellows is a relatively new restaurant in the Bishop Arts area of Oak Cliff with some notable features that make it quite unique. For instance, their kitchen closes down everyday from 2pm-5pm even though they are still open. I haven’t confirmed this yet, but I’m assuming they turn into a coffee bar during those times, because another feature that sets them apart is their dedication to coffee. They house a $24,000 Italian-made La Marzocco Strada espresso machine which in the world of coffee aficionados is a big deal. I’m not super into coffee so I don’t have much to say on it, but my two cents is that if you like coffee, you owe it to yourself to at least check it out.

Anyway, some friends and I went down to enjoy a nice brunch this morning and we all had a great time. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was pleasant and the wait was minimal. I’ll definitely be going back because everything on the menu looked good and that was only at brunch. They also serve dinner and lunch, but I think the menus share a lot of items between them. Onto the food!

I’ll eat beignets wherever I can get them. Served with honey and lemon, the perfect compliment to your brunch-time coffee.

Oddfellows Benedict

Wonderful French Toast Bread Pudding. It was extremely rich, basically a bread pudding made from french toast, then reformed into little squares and grilled. Amazing. With the fresh fruit and a bit of whip cream, the syrup wasn’t even neccessary. Some of the best french toast in Dallas.

The biscuits and gravy were excellent. The thick and creamy gravy was spread generously over chunky and crusty buckwheat biscuits. A bit of cracked pepper on top and it was a perfect breakfast.

So head over to Oddfellows for brunch, lunch, breakfast, dinner or even just a coffee. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Oddfellows
316 West 7th Street
Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 944-5958

Burguesa Burgers is a new chain popping up around Dallas, brought to you buy the founders of Which Wich. I hope they do well, because I enjoyed my first visit there for a variety of reasons.

Here are the things I like about Burguesa Burgers.

1. Their name is “Burger” Burger.
2. They are a Mexican burger chain with style.
3. Their interior (at least the one on Ft. Worth in Dallas) is nice. They have a bar-service counter, booths, an open kitchen, and high glass walls. Very similar to a Waffle House look.
4. Free peanuts while you wait. Get some.
5. They have their own, in-house sodas made with real cane sugar: cola, orange, grapefruit, and lemon-lime.
6. They put a small donut around your straw when you order a shake. I love dipping donuts in ice cream, you should try it.
7. They give you this creamy, spicy mayo sauce on the side. Perfect for dipping your fries in. It’s quite delicious.
8. They have lime-aid.
9. The shakes are a pleasant surprise. Made with real ice cream and mixed when ordered: your choice of strawberry, vanilla or chocolate.

If you noticed above, I didn’t really mention the burger and that’s because it’s not that special. Their regular burger reminded me a lot of the burger served at a chain in CA called Del Taco. Although to be fair, they do have the La Monumental Burger which is some crazy combination of beans, ham, avocado, tortillas, and your traditional burger ingredients. It looks real wild and I wasn’t hungry enough to try it. I have a feeling though that the beans will just overtake everything else on the sandwich. I might have to go no beans. Even if the La Monumental isn’t the best thing in the world either, I’ll still continue to eat at Burguesa Burgers. They have a great looking menu, affordable prices, and they do lots of other stuff right. They even have breakfast tacos that I want to try, plus the chicken sandwich was a hit with my friend who was with me. Their bacon-wrapped hot dog looked legit as well. It is a bit funny, but I don’t see anything wrong with a place called Burguesa Burgers that does everything else on their menu better.

Three Locations around Dallas.

Gorgeous! My boss gave me a ribbon candy ring from Barcelona confectioner, papabubble! They have boutiques in New York, Tokyo & more cities where they make the cutest candy. Maybe I can visit them in Tokyo when I go in March???

Picnic Box from Boxsal
price: $24.99

Who doesn’t love a great picnic in the park? The problem is that you might not have a picnic basket lying around or even have an idea of where you might buy one. Then you might worry about how often you will actually use it and if it’s worth buying. Maybe you decide to forgo the basket all together and take a blanket and some take-out to your nearest park? Good thing for you, Boxsal has you covered. Today’s Date Box is an eco-friendly, affordable option for your next picnic in the park. It features everything you need for the transportation and consumption of your meal, all in a stylish package, begging to be enjoyed out under the sun. Go out and picnic!

Spice Jars from Anthropologie
price: $4.00/each

Are you still rocking those ugly stainless steel spice jars that came with your giant spice rack? Are you looking for a cute yet functional gift for the super chef on your list? If so, these adorable spice jars are a fit. Perfect colors, perfect price: go pick yourself up a dozen and surprise someone special this holiday.

Recipe Flags from Paper Source
price: $5.95/each

Even though my recipe books are beat and speckled with oil splashes, I still hate to dog-ear the pages. These illustrated flags are a cute and practical way to mark the recipes I want to remember to try. Another way to use them as a gift: Buy your favorite recipe book and mark the dishes you really loved for the recipient!

Heirloom Recipe Box from Rifle Paper Co.
price: $125.00

Everything that Rifle Paper Co. makes has a lovely vintage charm to it. The days of recipe cards seem to have passed, but like vinyl records and hand-written notes, there’s a really strong argument for their comeback. Cooking has a sentimental quality to it and this gorgeous box does it justice.

Macaroons from Sucre
price: $23.00

Macaroons are a labor of love… but no one will feel any less-loved if you pick up a box of the sweets from New Orleans-based boutique, Sucre. Their holiday box features 15 in the season’s favorite flavors, chocolate and peppermint!

Star Wars Cookie Cutters from William Sonoma
price: $20.00

These Star Wars cookie cutters are awesome. Either you know someone who loves Star Wars and also likes to cook (unlikely), or you know someone who loves Star Wars and likes to eat cookies (likely). Which ever the case, they’ll appreciate these cookie cutters all year long. I’d like a batch of Death Star sugar cookies please!

Cookies from Momofuku
price: $10

So you can’t fly them to David Chang’s famous Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar in New York this year. (Thanks, economy.) Plan B: Bring to flavors from his oven to them. Compost, blueberry and cream, and cornflake cookies come right to their door. For an extra $18, send them with one of their awesome tote bags.

Flask from J Crew
price: $34.50

Are you thinking about buying a loved one a nice bottle of liquor this holiday season? Well make sure they have the option to drink it on the go with this classy flask from J. Crew. Perfect for the dry family christmas party, or when you drag your boyfriend to go see the next Twilight. A pocket flask makes any occasion an enjoyable one!

Jam Jar Sweets
price: $3.50 (4oz. jar) – $6.00 (8 oz. jar)
Ready-to-eat homemade desserts meant to be eaten straight from the jar are the perfect way to send some love. They’d make a creative dessert to bring to a party, as well as a decadent snack on Christmas Eve. The company is local and their flavors are amazing. (Think gingerbread, peppermint brownie, s’mores, peach cobbler, and birthday cake!) Why not give it a go?

It’s way early to be thinking about the 2011 Dallas Farmers Market Hoedown, but we had such a good time that I can’t wait to recommend going next year.

The annual fundraiser was hosted by Dallas Farmers Market Friends & featured a ton of tasting tables from local restaurants & vineyards. I was really surprised by how many tables were there. So many in fact, I made sure I limited my tastings to just a bite or two, which proved hard when it came to delicious offerings like the ancho chili barbecue nachos from Kent Rathbun’s restaurant, Abacus.

Stephen Pyle’s Samar also represented itself well with a fork-tender pork shank served atop pureed sweet potato & diced pears. Expect a little dish review of Samar (hopefully in the near future) because it’s on our list!

Holy Ravioli had an amazing pumpkin ravioli with a spicy chipotle cream sauce. I love everything pumpkin during this time of the year & will definitely be stopping by the Lovers Lane store to pick up seconds.

Soups were the star for The Ranch at Las Colinas & Bin 303 in Rockwall. Their spicy tortilla & butternut squash soups (respectively) were perfection & some of my favorite of the night.

Dr. Sue’s Chocolate had a full selection of chocolate bark including flavors like hazelnut toffee & coconut. Dr. Sue Williams started the company as a way to offer preservative-free, all-natural chocolate so fans could reap the health benefits without all the other “stuff.” Delicious! You can find her chocolates at Eatzi’s & also online on her site.

The Cake Ball Co. also brought some of my favorite sweets with their seasonal flavors like white-chocolate coated pumpkin pie.

I’ve heard a lot about local-fave Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream & finally got a chance to try them. Henry himself was serving big scoops of his gourmet, handmade ice cream in coconut, cinnamon & more. No wonder he’s famous.

The Old World Sausage Company was another standout of the evening, serving up fresh, homemade Italian sausages in bite-sized sandwiches. They have a deli counter in Shed 2 over at the Farmer’s Market, so be sure to swing by and check-out their authentic and delicious meats.

A roasted buffalo brisket taco was one of the tastiest & most confusing dishes of the night. Tasty because the meat was spicy, tender & topped with pico de gallo, avocado crema. Confusing because it was brought to you by… Medical City Dallas? Is this what you get when you’re admitted in the hospital? Surely not, right? So I’m not sure what was going on with that.

The only table I just absolutely had to go back to was Hattie’s. Their Texas mushroom soup with croutons was ah-ma-zing. I’ve never had a bad thing from Hattie’s, so their winning streak continues.

Join the Dallas Farmer’s Market Friends, ‘like’ them on Facebook & keep your ear to the ground for news of the next year’s hoedown. In the meantime, swing by the farmer’s market & get something tasty to make yourself!

If you watch Biggest Loser, you know there’s this great part of the show where Bob the trainer has a “conversation” with one of the contestants that ends up being a not-so-cleverly disguised plug for a sponsoring product. My favorite is when he talks about fighting the urge to eat dessert and pulls out…a piece of Extra gum. Right, Bob. When I want a piece of cake or ice cream, I’m going to pull out my 5-calorie slice of gum and enjoy it.

With Extra’s original flavors the idea was pretty ridiculous. BUT WHAT’S MOST RIDICULOUS is that their new Desert Delight’s make it kinda plausible. They’re delicious! The mint chocolate chip & key lime pie flavors taste exactly like the real thing. So much so, it’s a little weird because at some point you’re like, “Why isn’t this bite of pie going away when I chew it.” (It’s not a bad thing.) The strawberry shortcake isn’t bad, but it’s not as exciting because it basically tastes like strawberry gum. The other two though are “wow.” It’s almost like dessert… almost.

Right now if you “like” extra gum on Facebook, they’ll send you a FREE sample pack to try. Go to their page & click on the “Dessert Day” tab.

Chocomize—I love this idea! Choose from a wide variety of ingredients like teddy grahams, oreos, even mini chipotle peppers & 23-karat gold flakes to create your own unique candy bar. They have a favorites page that might spark some inspiration. (I especially love the S’mores Bar with milk chocolate, mini marshmallows, and teddy grahams.) But you should probably make your own path & design your own creation! (P.S. The prices hover around $6 a bar.)

Check it out on chocomize.com