Citrus Bistro

Katie and I decided to try Citrus Bistro on Preston and Royal for dinner tonight. They had several tables set up outside, which seemed pretty popular. With allergy season in full swing, though, I asked if we could sit inside. We walked past the kitchen on the way to our table. I noticed that the chef from all of the press pictures was present, as well as a basket of fresh citrus fruits, both helping to put Citrus Bistro on the Dallas dining map.

Once seated at our table for two, I noticed that the walls were painted comfortable shades of sage green and butter yellow with Impressionist type paintings on the walls. It was a narrow dining room, but the seating wasn't uncomfortable.

We began with a glass of wine and bread and butter. All was gratis. Since they don't have their liquor license, they offered us a complimentary glass of wine. I noticed that others brought in their own bottles, so I'm guessing that is an option as well.


Katie and I weren't overly interested in ordering entrees this evening, so we chose to try several different dishes. Sometimes this garners attitude from waiters. Since we're in the middle of a recession, Katie and I generally blow it off. However, the waiters at Citrus could not have been nicer or more accommodating about our odd requests for dinner!

We started with a salad. Lettuce, apples, candied nuts, blue cheese, and a light vinaigrette with a bit of pepper was a great kick off.


We moved on from there to the calamari. Katie wanted it noted that this calamari contained no tentacles, she hates that. The batter was light and just the right amount of salty. The dipping sauce was delicious with chunky tomatoes. This was one of the better dishes we tried. Everything tasted very clean and fresh.


The Brie soup was up next. We were torn between the Brie soup and the lobster bisque, but our waiter told us that he works six days a week and that he eats the Brie soup every work day. This rich cream based soup was topped with a wedge of Brie. It was lovely and well worth ordering. Katie and I split a bowl of soup and we couldn't finish it! Luckily, it can be ordered by the cup!


We finished up with the lobster ravioli in a tomato-basil sauce. Out of the dishes that we ordered, this was our least favorite. It was very heavy into red peppers and Katie and I aren't. However, the lobster was a solid presence in this ravioli dish; if you like red pepper, you probably won't be disappointed.


Everything was tasty, but it seemed like it was an older crowd.
At least that was the case this Tuesday evening.
Best of luck to this new restaurant!!

T Room at 4510

For my b-day Jason took me to the T Room at 4510, which is possibly one of my favorite Dallas lunch spots. 4510 is a fancy shmancy shop that sells all kinds of accessories - located at 4510 McKinney. Tucked in the back part of this little shop is a T Room that is pretty much delicious.

At 4510 you can order half a bottle of champagne. Does it get better than that for lunch?

Jas ordered the combo of tomato basil soup and the grilled panini with avocado and turkey.


I ordered my favorite combo meal of apple-spinach salad and a grilled panini with Roma tomatoes, avocado, and mozzarella.The panini was the perfect amount of warm with yummy melted cheese and crisp tomatoes. The avocado was fresh and green. The spinach apple salad had candied pecans, blue cheese, and thinly sliced apples. It is dressed with a vinaigrette that pulls everything together perfectly.


I love this place and I really mean that.
For more info about the restaurant or the shop, click here.

Lazare- West Village

Emily was already at the bar having a glass of red when I showed up 2 minutes late for our dinner reservation. HAHA! I joined her with a glass of white and her birthday presents. The bar tender saw her presents and came over to talk to us and give us a jolly rancher birthday shot. For a shot, that was pretty good! Emily ordered a white chocolate martini after that. Needless to say, once we sat down to dinner at the table, food wasn’t as important as it usually is!

The atmopshere reminds me of a New York steak house. It is really dark with candles everywhere. The service was really great here! We ordered the vegatarian flat bread pizza, mashed potoatoes, and a cheesy dip that isn’t listed on their online menu. The pizza was decent, but neither of us were blown away by it. The mashed potatoes were prettty good- could have used some more of those. The dip was by far the BEST thing that we had that evening.

Overall, we can only really comment that the place serves up some lovely cocktails!

Dish on the Road: Seattle

Last week I was in Seattle for 6 days and ate my way across the state. Good thing I did a lot of walking, or my clothes might not fit upon arrival in Texas. The first night there, we decided to try some sushi. We ordered 3 different rolls, edamame, and dumplings. I actually didn't try and of the rolls, as I am not too adventurous when it comes to Sushi. However, the edamame and the dumplings ( as well as the Saki bomb) made for an enjoyable dinner.

The following evening we tried a seafood place out on the pier. The two entrees that we split came with delicious and creamy clam chowder as well as fresh sourdough bread. If we would have stopped there, we probably would have been better off. Both of our fish dishes were grilled and served up on rice pilaf and with grilled asparagus. Yummy and fresh. Paired with an ice cold beer , it was delish!

I had to try Dahlia while in Seattle. It was on Giada's Weekend Getaways for Seattle, and my mouth has been watering ever since. The restaurant is well known and owned by Tom Douglas who has several other restaurants in the area. Right next to the restaurant, is the bakery. That is where we headed, since I just wanted to try out the dipping donuts. I was not let down. They came out hot with a dusting of sugar and two dipping sauces- vanilla bean whipped cream and strawberry rhubarb. OMG- that was heaven!

A must see in Settle is Pike's Market. Here you can find any type of fresh produce, fish, meats, flowers, jams, lotions, etc. It is a wonderful place to take a stroll through! Inside the market you will find Lowell's. It is famous for fish and chips. So, of course that is what we ordered. The fish was so fresh and the breading was light and not too heavy. Served on a bed of fries and coleslaw, this dish was just what I wanted!

Across from Pike's Market is a cheese shop called Beecher's. It specializes in macaroni and cheese. You can either get spicy or regular and it comes in a small or large. Be prepared to spend $10.00 on the large, but it is well worth it!! They also have some sandwiches and soups available. The little store gives out cheese curd samples that are to die for! Sounds weird- but it is a must try!

If you have time to drive outside of Seattle, you should definitely head to Snoqualmie falls. It is a tiny Indian town that was built around these beautiful water falls and it is about 30 minutes outside of the city. At the top of the falls is a resort called The Salish Lodge. Inside is a four diamond restaurant that overlooks the falls. My suggestion is to go right at sunset. We started out with a crab fondue that was delicious and creamy! Then, we ordered the short ribs, butternut squash ravioli and the risotto. Everything was amazing. Hands down one of the best meals I have had EVER. This is a must do and see!

One last place- The Purple Cafe. We went to the one in Woodinville, but there is one located in the city as well. First we ordered cheese toast. It was soooo good. Basically it was little grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato dipping sauce. For the main dishes we ordered ricotta gnocchi and a flat bread pizza. The were both delicious. I wish there was one of these spots in Dallas!

Foundation Room at the House of Blues

Well...for some of the last days in my 20s, I have been enjoying some nights on the town. Last night was no exception and the BFF took me to The Foundation Room at the HOB. It was kind of a last minute dinner, and I have to be honest...I really didn't expect too much.

My socks were blown off.
This place was DELICIOUS!!
To start, it was half price bottle of wine night. Does it get any better than that? At this place it does. :) So we started out with a super nice beverage. Abs prefers white, so we did a Riesling. It was perfect.

They put a bread basket on the table and I'm a little ashamed of myself. :) It had several kinds of bread from jalapeno cheese to raisin nut. To compliment, they brought out the most precious butter dish that had three dividers: one for chive butter (which was out of this world), one for regular butter, and one for honey butter. Already we were off to a magnificent start.

Abs ordered the crab cake, which not only looked beautiful, but tasted fantastic. It was pan fried on top and bottom and the crab tasted deliciously fresh.

I had the Hearts of Romaine salad which was dressed with black truffle cheese and apple cider vinegar. Wow!! All the right blends of tart and mild. Amazing flavor!

For the main course, Abs had roasted scallops. Each scallop was placed on top of a generous dollop of mashed potatoes. The potatoes were some of the best I've had in Dallas...they might even trump Craft's mashed potatoes...which were holding the #1 spot to date.
(But I'm not sure on that, so I'm going to re-visit Craft soon).

I had the fillet Mignon and it came with adorable carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, and the most fantastic sauce. I am not quite sure what it was, but it was the perfect balance of salty and tangy. The fillet was delicious.

So we probably could have, and should have stopped there, but it's my b-day so we went ahead and ordered the chocolate covered Texas toast. OMG. It was served with a scoop of banana ice cream, fresh strawberries, and the most delicious cinnamon and sugar macadamia nuts.
I was in Heaven.

When I woke up this morning, I was still full.
And still pleasantly surprised.
Since Abs is a Foundation Room member, we walked right in and were seated immediately. The setting is beautiful, the music is, of course, great! Check this place out for sure!!

Compliments of the Chef. But really...thanks to you House of Blues!!
And thanks to you, Abs! What a night!

Dish on the Road: Ft Worth: Esperanza's Bakery & Cafe

So when I am in Ft. Worth around dinner time, I am always willing to visit Joe T.'s. It has the amazing patio, the amazing menu, the AMAZING margaritas...it is all good. This weekend I spent some Cow Town time with my Aunt and Uncle, and for breakfast this morning, Esperanza's Bakery and Cafe was offered as an option. Esperanza's is somehow in Joe T.'s Mexican food family chain, and it was...you guessed it...AMAZING!!!!

Chips and salsa were the first order of the day...heck of a way to start breakfast!
Now this place is fond of the pig, so chorizo was a part of just about every item on the breakfast item. This chorizo as perfectly cooked, just the right amount of crisp done-ness that makes chorizo my second favorite b-fast food (Bacon comes in at #1).


I ordered the chiliquiles. These fluffy scrambled eggs were tossed with crisp tortilla strips, and topped with chorizo and cheese. It was accompanied by breakfast potatoes and a side of refried beans. Could your day start any better? Oh, wait...yes...it can!! Add a homemade tortilla to the mix and you are truly in Heaven!!


In the middle of breakfast, a mini-mariachi session broke out. Two kids with guitars and one kid with an accordion (wow!!!) played for us while we ate. It was all so very authentico!

When it was all said and done, my Uncle picked up the tab (thanks!!!), and my Aunt and I checked out the bakery part of Esperanza's Bakery & Cafe. They had tons of baked goods that looked delicious, a praline that made my mouth water just looking at it, and then some meats that they sold on the side.




All in all, a very flavorful and relaxing breakfast, and a nice way to cap off my weekend.
Thanks, Esperanza's!!


(Cheers to you, piggies!!!)

Masaryk Modern Mexican

(a delicious drink with Midori, Chambord, and other magical elements)

There has been no shortage of press for Masaryk Modern Mexican. If you google the name, you will find a plethora (nod to Three Amigos) of write ups...none as good as this one, of course.

So, my BFF works for Post Properties and she put me on to this joint. She met me for dinner tonight at Masaryk and it was AMAZING!!!
I was early, so I kicked my evening off with a mojito. It was crisp, green and minty. With food, it took on a whole new dimension!!


Chips and warm salsa were put on the table while I was waiting. The staff here was incredibly friendly, and I was even greeted by the chef, Gabriel.


I ordered the Queso Fundido and was blown away! This dish is a must!! The chorizo was cooked to perfection. The Oaxaca cheese was incredible. The caramelized onions were just the right amount of sweet. The icing on the cake was the oregano finish. This appetizer was so good, I had a hard time sharing. They served it with corn tortillas, but I enjoyed it on tortilla chips.

Since my BFF had been here before, she recommended the Applewood smoked bacon & chipotle beef fajitas. Since bacon is one of my highly revered food groups, I immediately agreed. These were out of this world. Served with all of the normal accoutrements PLUS bacon, I can't imagine a better combo. The meat had a delicious smoky-pepper flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.



I am sure that I could write more about how amazed I was a this place, but i will just urge you to try it out for yourself. The menu has many other options to choose from, I am sure they are all fabulous, but I was so impressed with what we were served this evening.


(Cheers to you, Masaryk!!!)

Please, please, check out Gabe and his gang at Masaryk in Addison Circle!!!
Immediately!! This place is truly a gift to your palate!!