Urbano Cafe

Last week, I finally got to try out Urbano Café. If you are familiar with Jimmy’s, then you know right where it is located! If you aren’t really looking, you might miss the entire place (I am pretty sure that there aren’t even signs out front). Right when you walk in, you are met with a feeling of warmth. There are about 8-10 tables in the entire joint and the kitchen is completely open. The café is BYOB (in which case we came prepared). They have their specials listed on the chalk board, and you have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. That said, it was one of the better restaurants that I have been to in a while. Both of us were extremely impressed.
To start, we ordered the Prosciutto wrapped figs. They came on a piece of toasted bread and were drizzled with Texas honey comb. The prosciutto was the ideal thickness, the figs were perfectly poached, and the honey comb made all of the flavors come together beautifully. This was a perfectly balanced appetizer.

Next, we tried the crab cakes. They were two bite sized cakes that were lightly breaded and served on a bed of remoulade sauce accompanied by avocados and papaya sections. Topping off the crab cake was light red-pepper glaze. The crabmeat in the actual cakes was pretty generous, but we would probably skip ordering this next time because the flavors just weren’t there.


Then, we ordered the caprese s’ mores. These consisted of buffalo mozzarella and a fresh basil leaf served between two toasted crostini. They were glazed in a tomato and balsamic syrup. If you happen to go to Urbano, and do not order these you are definitely missing out. This was my absolute favorite thing that we tried.

I also ordered the smoked gouda polenta. I am a girl that LOVES my starches, but seemed a tad dried out. Flavorful, but not as fresh as I would have liked.

For the entrée, we ordered the stuffed chicken breast that was covered in thick prosciutto and stuffed with cheese and one basil leaf. This was served on a bed of Haricot vert and fingerling potatoes. This really was delicious. The chicken was tender and the basil leaf in the middle truly was mouth watering.

If you are looking for a cozy neighborhood joint that won’t break the bank, this is your spot!

Patti's Place Tea Room

We decided to try Patti’s Place on Saturday afternoon. It has been on our list for a while, but we just couldn't’t get together on a Saturday that worked for both of us. In the meantime, we have recommended it to several other people who have tried it and absolutely loved it. Since we have been going to tea rooms since we were about four, this was a must try.

The location is a bit outside of Dallas ( which is an abnormal venture for most of our restaurants), but worth the short drive. It is located in precious yellow historical house off of Coit Road in Plano. There are several benches on the front porch, and the overall theme of the house it Texas (with lace, of course).
You are seated at a table and given a number. You then go up to the counter in the country shop room and place your order. When it is ready, they will bring it to you. They have several choices for lunch- typical tea room fare- sandwiches, soups, and salads. They also have over two hundred different tea’s that you can choose from as well as tons of dessert options.

Emily ordered the cinnamon tea to start off with. Then, she ordered half an egg salad sandwich on homemade cheese bread with a cup of potato soup. I ordered the roasted turkey salad sandwich on cheese bread with a bowl of the soup. The sandwich was delicious- it had dried cranberries and pecans mixed in. It was a lot of food, so next time I think I would have to go with the half sandwich and cup of soup. Emily’s egg salad had bacon and celery, which she thought added a nice crunch. We both agreed that the soup was out of this world. Very creamy and all of the flavors seemed to work really well without overpowering each other.

For dessert, Emily ordered the coffee cake and I ordered the butterscotch pie. Wow. The coffee cake was served warm and was very moist. The pie had a homemade crust and was covered in whipped cream and butterscotch pieces. AMAZING!

Needless to say, we were both pleased with our tea room experience. We wish Patti the best!

P.S. They also offer High Tea, but you need a reservation if that is something that interests you!

Patti’s Place Tea Room & Bakery, 3921 Coit Road, Plano (972-612-4828 or pattisplacetearoom.com).

Tillman's Roadhouse - Ft. Worth

Tillman's Roadhouse in Oak Cliff is one of my all time favorite restaurants. From the truffle oil popcorn to their egg less Caesar salad to their chicken fried hangar steak, I love this place. I love their back room for private parties (so much personality), their decor, their mannerisms, even the little birds that sit on the table...love it.


So today I visited the Tillman's Roadhouse in Ft. Worth. It has more space, a bigger patio, and LARGER bathrooms (a big plus). The decor is similar. I like the intimate feel of the Dallas location, but this floor plan is definitely more maneuverable.


The delicious qualities of the cooking definitely transferred.
Instead of popcorn, they offered up potato chips that were light and salty as heck.


We ordered the trio of fries and couldn't even finish half of the appetizer. They serve the Sweet Potato, Parmesan, and Purple Peruvian fries with house made mayo and ketchup - out of this world!



I ordered the citrus lemonade which blended traditional lemonade with cranberries. The marvelous feature of this little beverage is that it wasn't too sweet, too watery, or too sour. It was just right...that is hard to master in a lemonade!


My dining companion ordered the soup and salad combo. It was a salmon chowder made with purple potatoes. She said it was all about the potatoes and that it was delicious. Her salad came with apple slices, blue cheese, and tiny grapefruit segments.



I ordered the Caesar salad that is now served on a corn zapata. A corn zapata is like a giant seasoned tortilla chip. The salad was well dressed and flavorful, as usual, and I loved the added zapata element!


For lunch, Tillman's also serves individual s'mores. If I had had any room left at all, I would have definitely tried one of these - you can't go to Tillman's without ordering the s'mores dessert. It is heavenly and all homemade.


Both locations have an outstanding staff that is knowledgeable, friendly, and genuine. Our service today was exceptional, and I feel that that is always the case when I visit this restaurant.

The Dallas location is still my favorite, but Ft. Worth runs a close second.

Wingfield's

Wingfield's is in a pretty scary part of the OC. I would definitely,as a girl, not venture into that side of town any time past 2pm. However, on this eve of Christmas eve, it was pretty smooth sailing.

After reading the plethora of reviews on this burger joint, we decided to call ahead to place our order. They serve burgers, cheese burgers, burgers or cheeseburgers with bacon, and a few sandwiches. They also serve fries, onion rings, and some other fried goodness. Their drinks come in one size - large.

There isn't anywhere to sit in this restaurant, so we got our bag of treats and ate in the car, watching the clientele come and go.


The burgers were giant, seasoned like crazy, and served with a huge slice of cheese. They came wrapped in paper, which was stuck to the greasy goodness of the burger. These things were incredible - definitely enough for sharing!


It tasted like they cooked their fries in some sort of seasoned grease because they had their own unique flavor that was fantastic. They are the crinkle cut fries, the kind you would find at Braum's. They, too, are served wrapped up in paper, secured with a toothpick and a side of Hunt's tomato ketchup.


You have to eat this stuff fast, though. The grease factor has the potential to turn everything to mush if you wait too long.
It was definitely worth the trip out there. Good thick burgers with a great flavor. Spectacular fries. You can't go wrong!

The Garden Cafe

The Garden Cafe is a spot that I probably never would have found on my own, despite having read about it several times.
Open for breakfast and lunch, you walk into this cafe, place your order at the counter, and then find a suitable seat amidst tables and booths and a crowd that clearly frequents the joint. Garden Cafe is situated on a plot of land that, as the name implies, house a garden. The items grown in the garden are used in the dishes they serve up in the kitchen, giving this little spot it's own charm.

Each day, the Cafe serves a special, and we happened to land on chicken and dumplings day. My usual complaint with c&d is that there is never enough dumpling to be found. Not the case here. The dumplings were small in size, but heavily dotted the gravy like soup and made this patron very happy. The platter was served with two vegetables, so we picked carrots and cheese grits. Both were good choices!


We also ordered sandwiches. The BLT had a million pieces of bacon, and very fresh lettuce and tomato, all served on wheat bread with a side of potato salad that was the perfect blend of mayonnaise and potato. The chicken salad was served on a delicious croissant.


For dessert, we split the coconut chess pie...it was to die for. It had a bit of whipped cream on top, but the real goodness came from the pie mixture itself, which was perfectly flavored.


The nice thing about this Cafe, too, is that it will appeal to both genders. It's not too girly, foodwise. I think there are enough substantial items on the list to please even the heartiest of eaters.
After posting on FB that we were going to The Garden Cafe, we learned that their buckwheat pancakes are also to die for. Looks like there will have to be a second trip.

Jasper's

Jasper's is an oldie, but goodie.
I've been there a gazillion times, but recently read Guidelive's re-visit, and decided to write up a revisit of my own. Jasper's is very elegant, with it's muted lighting and masculine appeal. It is always full of people, but never feels crowded or too loud. You can't go wrong with this venue.

We started this particular venture with the Thick Crust Tomato-Mozzarella Pizza.
It is a small pizza served with spicy Italian sausage, red onion, and pesto. It is topped with mixed greens, which gives it just the right amount of extra flare. It was a great start.


AE had the Pan Seared Sea Scallops and Gulf Shrimp. The scallops and shrimp are served on top of a bed of black rice with coconut curry sauce.
Though the quantity is small, the entree packs a punch.


I had the Hickory Grilled Black Angus Filet with the loaded baked Yukon gold potato. My steak was butterflied, but still managed to maintain the right amount of melt in your mouth goodness that is the trademark of a great steak.


You cannot go to Jasper's, of course, with out trying their magnificent sides. We tried the Aged Gouda-Ham Mac-and-Cheese and were not disappointed.


For dessert, which we barely had room for, we split the Rocky Road ice cream sandwich. It was a chocolate cookie sandwich with vanilla ice cream that had been rolled in crushed pecans and then covered in chocolate sauce. Magnificent - and we were both too full to finish it off!!


Yum!!

American Girl Bistro

I realize that the American Girl Bistro is going to have limited appeal, but I stumbled upon this spot while shopping with my friend's seven year old little girl. If you know a girl around this age, the American Girl store is, of course, heaven.

The Bistro is located upstairs from the store, which somewhat removes you from the madness of the crowd. Reservations are recommended.
Before you are seated you are either given a baby seat, just in case you brought your doll with you. If you forgot your doll or if you don't have a doll, the Bistro has a wide selection that you can choose from. Doll and seat are attached to the table, and everyone is given a menu - doll included.


I didn't have high expectations for the Bistro, but it definitely surprised me.
The menu is coursed - you pay $14.50 for dinner.


Everyone at the table chose a different starter, so we were served the very veggie platter that was complimented by both green goddess and ranch dressings, the fruit platter with yogurt dip and two strawberry muffins (the fruit was on skewers and cut into star shapes), and the warm tomato-and-mozzarella flatbread.




For dinner, I selected the salad with coconut crusted chicken. It was so yummy with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, tomatoes, nuts, goat cheese (which I, of course, had removed), and three big pieces of coconut crusted chicken breasts. It was tossed in a light vinaigrette. It was delicious.


My dining companion had the turkey sandwich, which was plated well and served with sweet potato chips that were so unique, she quickly found her plate empty.



My seven year old dining companion enjoyed the chicken tenders served with a side of mac and cheese.

We all enjoyed a cup of peppermint hot chocolate before heading back out into the cold weather. However, even the seven year old pointed out that there was no peppermint flavor to be found.



All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this delicate little restaurant that I would have never found on my own!