Dough Pizzeria Napoletana

Dough, located at the Preston/Forest intersection, is new to town. They hail from San Antonio where they created quite a stir up with their unique method of pizza prep, and now they have found a home in Dallas. Closed on Sunday and Monday, Dough had a full crowd during Saturday lunch.

We had the choice of sitting at a table/booth, or sitting up where we could see the pizza prep at a kitchen bar area. We chose that spot because we had a great view of our pizza dough being rolled out, put into the oven, and then stacked with other fresh ingredients. The basil plants made for cute decor, but they were also used in the prep process - very neat to watch.

We started with the House Made Italian Soda. Raspberry cream was a delicious treat - very rich.

The non cream version!

The lunch selections were amazing and it was hard to reign in our appetites.
The Margherita STG arrived dotted with delicious Mozzarella di Bufala, Parmesan, fresh tomato sauce, and basil.



We also chose the arugula & prosciutto pizza. This guy had a very slight truffle oil tang, the cheese was the perfect amount of salty, and then piled on top of that was fresh arugula and prosciutto. It struck the right balance of flavors, was beautifully presented, and definitely made my taste buds happy.


There was no way we could bypass the Nutella panini for dessert. This is a must try. It was the equivalent of a sandwich and a half where marshmallows and Nutella came together to create something extraordinary (how could they not). Best of all, piled high in the middle of the plate was some fresh and homemade whipped cream drizzled with caramel.


Our experience at Dough was fresh and flavorful.
We will definitely be revisiting this spot for a unique pizza experience.

The Dish: The Nutella Panini is a must!

Olenjack's Grille

Olenjack's Grille is in Arlington - so it was a bit of a drive for a Thursday night. However, there wasn't any traffic and we found it relatively easy.
We had a reservation, but the restaurant wasn't full and we were quickly seated.

We started with a glass of white wine as we perused the menu. The menu is made up of small plates, soups and salads, entrees, from the grill entrees, and dessert. We carefully laid out our game plan and noted that they carried a $4 split plate fee.

For small plates, the Ancho Pulled Pork caught our attention. The shredded pork was layered on top of thick cut potato chips then sprinkled with tomatoes and green onions, and finished off with an avocodo mousse. It was a nice flavor combination.



For the soup course, we picked the jalapeno cream soup with fried tortilla strips. We expected fire, but the cream base helped to temper the hot. This soup was delicious, but the tortilla strips took it from a soup to a centerpiece.

Tilapia made up our main entree. The fish was topped with Tasso ham, crab, and a lemon butter sauce. It comes with fingerling potatoes, but the staff was nice enough to substitute mashed potatoes for fingerlings. While the entree was good, it was a little much and we weren't able to finish it. We did notice that there was an over done smoky flavor to the whole dish.


Creamed corn made up our side dish. It was the same consistency of the soup - something you should eat with a spoon. It was a solid dish.


We probably should have stopped there, but we powered through and ordered the blueberry pudding cake. It took awhile for it to arrive and when it did, the waiter realized it was the wrong dish. He was hesitant about taking it back and sending what we ordered. About twenty minutes later it arrived - and it was clear that it was fresh from the oven, but the service level totally fell apart after this incident. The wait for a our bill was crazy long, and we kind of lost patience with the whole thing at that point.


Since we had heard so much about Olenjack's, we had high expectations. Heck, we drove to Arlington. While we had a fine meal, we wouldn't repeat the experience.

The Dish: Jalapeno Cream Soup is a must order.

Jonathon's Oak Cliff

We walked into Jonathon's on Sunday morning around ten. Pink Floyd was playing overhead - at an appropriate level for my librarian ears. Of the roughly 13 tables, most were taken. Brunch starts at 8 and I have no doubt that people are there when the doors open. By the time we concluded our meal, there were people waiting in the wings - the tables were filled, as were the bar seats.

Always questing for a good breakfast spot and never finding exactly what I want, I didn't have high hopes. The reviews of Jonathon's that I've read say that the joint is still searching for it's footing. The experience we had couldn't have been better, or more different from what we've read. To start, they accommodated our request for a high chair lickety split. Though we had the only baby in the restaurant, the staff was very nice and helpful. No tarring and feathering.

I ordered up a blueberry raspberry muffin immediately for the baby. He didn't want any of it (luckily). It was tart and sweet with giant pieces of fruit. Definitely a good beginning.

From there we ordered the chicken and waffles and the dangerous dogs.
The chicken and waffle dish was a boneless fried chicken breast on top of a huge fluffy waffle. The fried chicken was amazing on it's own, but when you added Chef Jon's peppered gravy, it was the holy grail. I actually believe that a side of the gravy with a spoon may be appropriate. I love living in the south.


The dangerous dogs are a sausage wrapped in batter and then lightly fried. I felt like I had a state fair confection: four pancake wrapped sausages served along side spicy mustard. Hello, breakfast.


We noticed, too, that they had a Bloody Mary bar. They had a whole slew of fixings that looked like the cure to a rough Saturday night. They were also serving up mimosas and other kinds of goodness. We'll save that for a trip sans rugrat, but...it sure looked good.


This place is a must try. It's intimate. We heard Pink Floyd, ACDC, and Bonnie Tyler. Service was great. Food was delicious beyond what this mere blogger is capable of describing. Lunch and dinner menus are also offered, note that they are closed on Mondays. Enjoy!

The Dish: Chicken and Waffles with Chef Jon's Peppered Gravy.