Blunch at Tillman's - Woot!

48 Nights

Brad and I with Kent Rathbun

If you haven't been to 48 nights, I highly suggest that you go. I have been twice, and have been pleased both times. Summary of the concept from their website:

"The restaurant will be open for six months only, on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week and will be located in a small building on SYLVAN THIRTY. With seating for approximately 30 people, it is hoped that the prix-fixe menus will afford $1,000 per night for the cause.
There will be a weekly rotating schedule of featured area chefs - 24 in total - who would contribute their time to the effort. The team from SMOKE and SYLVAN THIRTY, in partnership with the Mass Care Task Force leadership, wants you to experience an intimate setting with these wonderfully renowned chefs while giving back to a purpose vitally important in these times."

Hors d’ouevres

(I don't have photos of these as they were passed around at the beginning reception)

Lobster Shooters- from his restaurant, Abacus

Seared Foie Gras, Red Onion-Port Marmalade

1st Course:“Bacon and Eggs”Niman Ranch Chipotle Bacon, Scrambled Duck Egg,Black Truffle

Chef Rathbun preparing the 1st course

View from our incredible table

Bacon and eggs

2nd Course:Pan Seared Diver Scallops Roasted Cauliflower-Spring Leek Risotto

3rd Course:Ginger Seared Duck Breast Coconut Sweet Potato Dumplings,Crisp Snow Pea Slaw

4th Course:Purple Haze Goat Cheese TartPort-Berry Soup

At the end of the night we were beyond full, but we had an amazing evening. The food was outstanding, our table was practically in the kitchen, we got to visit with one of the best chef's in the Dallas area, and helped out a great cause! Check out 48 nights for an experience that you will never forget!

Nicola's

Today we lunched at Nicola's, a new edition to the Preston/NW Hwy area. The inside definitely has grandeur down to an art. Elaborate fabrics, grandiose chandeliers, and marble are the order of the day in Nicola's decorating scheme. It made for a lovely combination.

We started with some of the house bread, complete with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The bread was fantastic and a great preview of what was to come.

We then moved on to the Caprese salad. While the tomatoes were a little anemic (I think they should be beefy red vs. pink when they're offered as a feature salad), the mozzarella and fresh basil helped make this dish a success. Three hefty slices of tomato and three hefty slices of mozzarella made this an ideal salad to split.

We finished with the Pizza Genova, a pizza made with mozzarella, basil pesto, super salty Kalamata olives, Italian sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes. Since neither of us love pizza sauce, this pizza was the perfect alternative. It was a delicious meal that we couldn't finish - to go boxes all around!

Very solid entrees, a great ambiance, and a delightful wait staff, we definitely recommend Nicola's.

(Side Dish: There is also a Nicola's in Plano located in The Shops at Legacy.)

Norma's Cafe

Morgan, Mallory and I ventured out to the O.C. ( Oak Cliff) to try some great southern cooking at Norma’s. This spot has been around for over 50 years, and has southern cuisine down to an art. We arrived at about 1:15 on Sunday afternoon to a packed house! You come in and seat yourself wherever you would like. Once a waitress gets a moment, she comes by to take your order. We were already starving prior to arrival, so we requested the bread basket and three diet cokes ASAP. We were immediately pleased. The basket comes with a mixture of 3 buttery dinner rolls and 3 savory cornbread muffins.

Morgan ordered the chicken club with french fries and a dinner salad. The sandwich portion was generous and served on Texas toast. The French fries were seasoned with a house blend that was perfectly scrumptious.
Mallory and I ordered the chicken fried steak and the chicken fried chicken. These entrees were under ten dollars and came with your choice of three sides. We both opted for the mashed potatoes and a side salad with ranch ( this counted as two sides). We were both pleased with the meat portion. I wanted cream gravy and Mallory went without. Either way- the breading was crisp and salty. We followed suit with the mashed potatoes. They were homemade and perfectly creamy. What a treat!
The only thing that we would all three pass on was the side salad. Then again, we likely weren’t in the mood for anything healthy on this particular day! If we would have saved room, we would have loved a piece of their homemade pie or cobbler - I guess that means we will have to make a return visit for sure.

This place does southern cuisine right!

Loft 610 and Tre Wilcox

Chef Tre Wilcox and The Girls!

What a great dinner! Last night we ventured way, WAY North to visit Chef Tre Wilcox at Loft 610. The ambiance is spot on. We had drinks at the bar, which was spacious and trendy. The bar tender even made a virgin mojito that was just perfect.

The waiter was knowledgeable, handed out some great suggestions, and was very patient with our questions and our group. We tried everything he recommended and we weren't disappointed.

The food was served at the perfect temperature and I don't think anyone was disappointed with portion size, taste, or price. I've included pictures of what everyone ordered - it was a great experience...and the best part was the Chef's great attitude when he came out for the photo op. He was personable and outgoing and, despite being busy, spent a few minutes with us!

Great night!!

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
What was left of the Calamari when I remembered to whip out the camera...

The Wedge

Field Greens


Bleu Cheese Crusted Prime Ribeye Steak

Smoked Bone-In Pork Chop with Parmesan Potato Gratin


Grilled Wild King Salmon with Jalapeno-Jack Cheese Grits

Hazlenut Chocolate Truffle Cake with Bacon Brittle

Trio of Cupcakes (Devil's Food, Lemon, and Red Velvet)

Paula Deen @ Legacy Books

Katie and I went to Paula Deen's book signing at Legacy Books on Friday. We got in line about 4:30 and the signing didn't even start until 6, but what a cool experience.

Captain Michael came around and met us before we caught up with Paula. He was so personable and friendly, and even took a picture with the "three" of us. Loved him!

When we stepped up to meet Paula, she was so super friendly, and small, and southern, that you couldn't help but be charmed by her.
She talked with us for a minute and signed our books, and then we were done.
Paula's new book is called Paula Deen's Savannah Style and it was written with the help of Brandon Branch, who seasonally staged each photo to create this fantastic coffee table book of photos. Brandon also signed our books. What a great time!!

Buli for Lunch

Buli is located on Cedar Springs and Oak Lawn. Open from 7am until midnight, their menu covers a span of items that you might find yourself wanting during those hours: breakfasts, fancy coffees, desserts, and sandwiches. They even offer wi-fi, which is what almost everyone in the joint was enjoying.

We dropped in for lunch after viewing the panini menu (oh my GOSH, these things looked good).
You can sit outside or inside. Outside was busy with Dallas police pulling over speeders, so we chose inside. The staff is uber friendly, and we enjoyed our experience a great deal.

The lunch box menu is around $9 and it includes a fresh apple, chips, and the sandwich of your choice - all served in a kitschy lunchbox. It also includes your beverage; I chose the flavored tea of the day and it was perfect for the 80 degree weather we've been experiencing.

The BULI-LT was up first. The huge pieces of Texas Toast held a ton of bacon, Muenster cheese, spinach, fresh lettuce, and tomatoes. The dill mayo definitely put a unique twist on this classic sandwich.


We also tried the Cream O Chicken Panini and it was out of this world. Grilled chicken was paired with slightly warmed cream cheese, bacon, basil, spinach, tomato, and apricot chutney - unique and fabulous.


The dessert case looked splendid, but we ran out of room after our apples, chips, and sandwiches. However, it boasted classics like red velvet and chocolate cake, all which looked Heavenly.

This spot is definitely worth a try. We give it two thumbs up!

The Bronx

Tuesday evening we decided to head over to The Bronx. Located on the corner of Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs, this place is prime for people watching. That said, Emily and decided to sit on the patio. This was a lovely choice on such a beautiful afternoon. I will say that the inside is very cozy as well. You are greeting with a wonderful aroma of food when you walk in and each individual table has a vase full of fresh flowers.

We both were starving by the time we arrived, so we immediately knew what we wanted. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with fries. The fries were dusted in parmesan and were served as thick potato wedges. I generally prefer thinner fries, but these were pretty darn good. The burger was topped with a generous slab of American cheese and three thick pieces of bacon. I wisely only ate half of the burger, but it was perfect.



Emily ordered the Reuben sandwich. The Bronx Reuben had all of the right elements in good proportions. The corned beef wasn't too thick or too thin. She didn't have to wrestle with each bite, which sometimes you do. The Swiss was the right consistency of melted cheese to hold everything together, and the sauerkraut was slightly warm. Lightly toasted and served on pumpernickel, this was delicious, if you care at all for the sandwich (and it was HUGE).


Even though we were pretty full, we decided to try the apricot pie. This did not disappoint. The pie came in layers with a generous dollop of whipped cream on the side. The first layer was a buttery pie crust, the second layer consisted of an apricot/citrus flavor custard with real pieces of fruit, and the top layer was a buttery brown sugar crumble.



This joint fit the bill for great Tuesday night meal!

Easter Brunch

We had a lovely little family get together on Sunday with our real family and our Easter surrogates. It was a pretty fun event, complete with a mobile bar station.

We love our apps, so I made sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits to kick us off.

Preheat to 325. Start out with a can of Grands biscuits - separate them into thirds and place them in your greased muffin tins.Fry up your sausage until brown and crumbly, add 2 eggs, and 2 cups of cheddar. Add a spoonful of this mix over your biscuit thirds, pop in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve with blackberry or strawberry jam - watch the praise roll in.




Brad made a stuffed artichoke. In my haste to eat it, I neglected to photograph it. It was delicious. Maybe someday he will share the preparation of that beast with us!

Clay manned the roving bar (which went from back porch to front porch depending on the level of "drizzle"). Everyone was drinking what looked like a delicious champagne cocktail with orange juice and maybe grape or cranberry juice. They seemed refreshed.

Then we moved on to the main affair: lunch.
Becky made vegetable risotto, which she served with turkey and ham in true Easter style. Mom made a corn casserole that was cheesy and delicious-y. We had garlic cheese biscuits, jalapeno cheese bread from Empire Bakery, cheese straws. We also had Jason's favorite - deviled eggs.




The piece de resistance, however, was Katie's cake. Angel food cake, iced with some kind of chocolate-whipped cream-espresso concoction, and then topped with crushed Heath bar...this was definitely my favorite part of lunch!

We swapped Easter baskets, we blew bubbles on the front porch, and we celebrated Jesus followed by basketball. Can't beat it!