Medina

http://www.medinadallas.com/

Morgan and I decided to try Medina again last Friday night. We had both been before, but it had been a while and it seemed like a good time to revisit. As always, the atmosphere was really warm and cozy.

We started out with a bottle of the Red Canyon Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand). It was really light and crisp. Then we ordered the hummus with warm pita. This is actually the first hummus that Morgan has tasted and actually liked (the first time that we visited)! That’s a true testament coming from someone and tends to be picky! Needless to say, it is really good. We ordered the Med-Rim Salad next. It was basically a spinach salad served in honey lemon vinaigrette with figs, toasted almonds and cinnamon flavored oranges. Neither of us had ordered this one before, and we were both impressed. The figs were poached, and added a nice “fall” touch to the salad! Then, we ordered the rosemary chicken pizza. It came served with pesto, mozzarella, green olives, basil, and goat cheese (although we ordered it without the goat cheese). It was great as well! The crust is served fairly thin, and brushed with olive oil, so it isn’t too heavy!

At the end of the meal, Sam Benoikken (owner), came over to the table and chatted with us. He also brought two shots of house made vodka with him. Thank you, Sam!

He mentioned that he plans on opening a new location in West Village next to Fish.
I would definitely give this a try if you haven’t already.

Best of luck to this cozy joint!

Bailey's Prime Plus

Bailey's Prime Plus is a new spot that opened on Park Lane. The owner, Ed Bailey, is also a part of Patrizio's, but this location has it's own distinct personality.

When you walk into Bailey's, you are immediately drawn into the warm tones and the absolutely fantastic atmosphere. Bailey's has a bar that is pretty neat, but Katie and I were there for dinner. Through the center of the restaurant, there is a water feature that is complimented by the periodic placement of trees. It is unique and elegant all rolled into one!!


We were seated in a booth. The restaurant was empty when we got there at 5:45, but we did have a celeb spotting a little later on in the evening.

Our waiter was fantastic. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and provided outstanding service. He was definitely a stand-out point of the evening.

We started with the lobster stuffed avocado: two avocado halves, stuffed with cheese and lobster, then chicken fried and served with pico and a lime-cilantro cream sauce - this was to die for. It is very decadent and we were both full by the time the appetizer was done...but we didn't let that stop us.

Katie ordered The Slice, Bailey's version of the Wedge. An iceberg lettuce boat complete with bacon, blue cheese, and heirloom tomatoes, this dish had visual appeal. Katie only moderately liked the salad, but really...how do you follow a fried avocado?

The garlic-cheese biscuits were something we both couldn't stop eating. Served hot with just the right amount of herbs and cheese, these little gems are something you won't be able to stop eating!


I ordered the filet - pepper crusted. This filet was wonderful. It was very tender and just melted when you ate it. Crusted with peppercorns and drizzled with butter, the steak was also served with a Cabernet syrup. Presentation almost exceeded the steak!



We also split the lobster mac and cheese. Big elbow macaroni were combined with 4 different types of cheeses, then topped off with bread crumbs and Vermont white cheddar. The side was rich and had all of the right ingredients...but it was lacking a certain something that would have made it outstanding. Seasoning? Not sure.



The vanilla bean buttermilk panna cotta was our desert selection. The passion fruit gelee and the tropical fruit salsa really made this dessert light and a perfect finish for a steak dinner.

All in all, I think Katie and I loved the atmosphere more than the food. The steak and the avocados were really the big sellers.
I would give it a try if you like new spots!!

Fried Butter

For the record, I tried the fried butter at the fair this weekend. It tasted just like a buttery biscuit. I was definitely pleased with this new treat!

Howard Wang's China Grill

This post is short and sweet, but I thought that I would inform our readers on a delicious treat!
http://hwchinagrill.com/

We ventured out to Howard Wang’s China Grill last Thursday. The atmosphere is pretty authentic on the inside, and for a weeknight the crowd was decent as well. We started out with edamame and the crab wontons. The edamame was what you would expect, but the wontons were some of the better that I have ever tasted. The crab meat was really fresh and the cream cheese just sort of melted in your mouth. We both ordered salads after the appetizers. I went with the asian peanut chicken salad and it was a pretty good choice. It came with glazed chicken, candied walnuts, and crispy rice noodles all on top of mixed field greens. I had the peanut dressing on the side. All of the flavors together seemed to be a pretty good match. Morgan had the ginger sesame chicken salad. It came with glazed chicken, mixed vegetables and lettuce, wonton chips and a side of ginger-lime vinaigrette. For a shopping center chinese food restaurant, I would give this an A for sure.