Antonio's

Even though it was pouring rain on Tuesday, we didn't let that keep us from our dining quest: Antonio's Ristorante in Addison Circle.
Upon pulling up, the valet was shoddy. Given the weather, we tried not to mind that we weren't even offered an umbrella and that we had to take the keys to him. No one likes the rain, we get that.

We ran through the doors of Antonio's to get out of the cold rain and were immediately greeted with cigarette smoke. What?
We were quickly seated and as we walked further into the restaurant, the smell subsided, though didn't disappear. (Probably why we have a crush on Dallas, to be honest.)

When you go to Antonio's website, they have a toggle called Promotions. When we visited that little gem we found ourselves with a coupon to enjoy an order of focaccia. We presented that to our waitress and were amazed when they brought a HUGE basket of delicious and piping hot bread to our table. This was a nice way to kick off our meal, so we settled in.


The Insalata Di Arrugola was fresh and beautifully plated. Made up of arugula, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, then tossed in a light dressing, this was a nice dish.

The soup of the day was our next conquest: chicken and rice. Nice and thick pieces of fresh vegetables and clean white meat chicken, this dish was perfect for a rainy day. It felt like something your grandma might make - wholesome, not too salty, really vibrant flavors.


The Tortellini Alla Panna was our main dish. The tortellini was stuffed with ground veal and cheese and then served in a cream sauce. It was amazingly rich and oh, so good.


We wrapped up with the most amazing chocolate mousse ever, perched on top of homemade whipped cream. We ate this whole thing without shame and would order it again in a second. Perhaps as a starter.


We finished up, paid our tab, then made our way back to the valet. This time he did give us an umbrella, but he had us walk to the car instead of pulling it around and then complained about how much we tipped him. Sigh. We tried not to let that ruin our evening as we drove off in the rain. The heater toasted us right up, however, and left wafts of cigarette smoke coming off of our clothes. The food was really solid - a decent presentation, good flavor - but to be honest, smoke ruins things: clothes, hair...our lungs.
We liked it, but we won't be revisiting.

Mi Dia from Scratch

Chef Gabriel DeLeon has held a special place in our hearts since he opened Masaryk in Addison. That was one of our favorite spots with delicious drinks and unique dishes. But things didn't work out in Addison, and Chef Gabriel closed his doors. Sad.

We were excited to read, however, that he has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and opened a new spot, Mi Dia from Scratch, in Grapevine. The new location is gorgeous. Huge windows, comfortable seating that feels intimate, rich colors - we were immediately impressed with outward appearances.

The chips were warm. The salsas were a unique presentation of smoky and spicy served together. Doubly impressed.

Our waiter was nice, but slow. He went over the specials - all which sounded amazing. The Tequila Pesto Enchiladas and the Pollo Agave are on my radar for the next visit. I, however, had my heart set on one particular dish: the Applewood Smoked Bacon & Chipotle Chicken Fajitas. These are spicy, but so worth the heartburn aftermath.

Bacon, fajita chicken, and caramelized onions are smothered in cheese and Chipotle sauce , served with the freshest, burning hot flour tortillas, and the regular set up of rice, beans, guac, and sour cream. These fajitas put all others to shame, there is no doubt about it.

To finish up, we went with the Mexican S'mores. Though it says so plainly in the menu, I missed that this dish involved goat cheese. I'm sure that other people would dig it - the parts that weren't cheesed up were good. However, goat cheese is a forbidden food, so that blew up the s'mores for me. Since I was already unpleasantly full, I didn't let that bother me.

All in all, Mi Dia has some kinks, my IBC root beer was served warm and when I asked for a cold one, the waiter said they didn't have any. However, I would give them the benefit of the doubt. Make a reservation! This place is hopping.

Townhouse

The Galleria has a new watering hole: Townhouse.
Are you going to find something new and extraordinary here? Probably not. But you will find some solidly made dishes and some classic plates that won't disappoint.

We started with the sliders. The short rib sliders were what we ordered, but due to some switch up, the pork sliders landed on our table. You know what? Not a problem. The pork sliders were a very good presentation of flavors, complete with a pickle and onion strings.

pork sliders at Townhouse

When the very accommodating and kind manager brought us the short rib sliders later in the evening, we found that, despite the delicious horseradish sauce, we liked the pork sliders better.


We also taste tested the blue cheese potato chips. In my mind, I had Jasper's blue cheese potato chips all plated and served. These were as different as night and day, but equally as good. These homemade chips had more accoutrement, which changed up the flavors, but still impressed.


The salmon was solid - my husband's only complaint was that it was served with a lot more "stuff" than was mentioned in the menu. He expected something simple and grilled and was presented with this (please note, it did not deter him):


Our dining companions tried on the burger and fries - check plus on taste and delivery!!


...and the balsamic chicken with arugula (this guy needs some plating presentation work, but is large enough for three grown men...).


The macaroni and cheese was the dish I chose, but neglected to photograph. It's a shame, too, because it was decently pretty! Topped with bread crumbs, this toasty number had a good blend of cheeses and firm noodles - it just needed a little salt to help out in the taste department.

Overall, Townhouse got our vote for a comeback. They have some neat backlit menu's for beer and wine. The wait staff was super friendly and totally agreeable about our substitutions and questions. They have a good looking location - lots of dark woods and quiet lighting. It's not too busy yet, so give them a try.

Momo Italian Specialities

This week we decided to try a spot that has been in existence for quite a while- Momo Italian Specialities. On their website, they claim to only make authentic Italian cuisine and after dining there, we believe them. They also claim to be the best kept secret - well, we're letting the cat out of the bag on this one.

The restaurant is located off of Forrest Lane and Greenville avenue in an unassuming shopping center. It is neither fancy, nor crowded. Instead you will find a wood burning pizza oven and a roaring fire in the front room.

We were served warm foccacia bread with a pesto spread on the side. Then, we ordered the house salads to start. These were served as generous portions and topped with marinated tomatoes, fresh celery,walnuts and a balsamic vinaigrette. All around good flavor without being saturated.

For the entrees, we were in the mood for cheese. We ordered the quatro formaggi risotto and the quatro formaggi gnocchi. The risotto had a very home cooked flavor served with peas and carrots mixed in. At first glance, you may think that they used a short cut with frozen veggies; upon the first taste you realize that you were wrong. The vegetables were crisp and just the right texture to pair with the rich risotto.

The gnocchi were wonderful potato puffs served in a decadent sauce of Fontina, Gruyere, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan. The gnocchi weren't too dense and the sauce was one of those things I wish I could make at home, but then again, I'm glad I can't. Delicious. We traded dishes back and forth, and neither of us could predict a taste test winner. They were both wonderful and well prepared.

This spot is BYOB/W, so make sure you stop by the store on your way to dinner. Also - take a look at the dessert menu. We were too full to properly do it service, but several items were appealing.

Thanks Momo Italian Specialities, for a warm and cozy winter meal.

The Dish: If it has four cheeses, give it a go.

Texas Spice

Texas Spice is located in the Omni downtown and they have a lot going for them. The decor is worth seeing. Rustic, but charming, we loved the rough hewn look paired with a stunning view of the Dallas skyline. There were seats outside and a long fireplace, which made us long for those two days in April/October when you can both sit outside AND sit by a fire.

Texas Spice boasts locally grown ingredients - everything on your table pretty much comes from a specified radius in Texas. Most of the dishes are southern, so we found ourselves right at home.

The bread basket was a beautiful presentation and perfect to snack on while we looked over our options.


For starters, we enjoyed the Kuby's jalapeno sausage pizza. Fresh basil, sliced tomatoes, and mushrooms filled out the pizza toppers and we loved the flavor combinations. The brisket pizza paired with blue cheese appealed to us, too - but we left that one for next time. Everything on this pizza was done well - right down to the crust. Very solid beginning.


For our entree we enjoyed the chicken fried ribeye. As any good southern plate should, it was paired with potatoes. These smashed potatoes were amazingly like mom's - very dense and buttery, some still with their jackets on. Well done! The corn was straight from the cob and was the only thing that tasted a little off to us.


We put up a good fight, but still requested to go boxes by the end of the evening. Texas Spice was a real treat and we look forward to a return visit. With a private room and some extraordinary views, this is a spot you should make sure and see!