Kitchen at Preston Trail

 

Being suckers for tea room fare, Kitchen at Preston Trail sounded right up our alley. Unfortunately, it was right up our alley plus about fifteen miles (located off of Preston Rd and McCallum).  We drove up there for lunch, however, and weren't disappointed with the food. 

When you walk in, you place your order with the staff in a kind of cafeteria style set up. Then you take a seat. Decor is still in transition, but there are sturdy wooden tables set up and even a few outside seats. 

We each ordered the tortilla soup and split the  grilled chicken and chutney sandwich. 

The Kitchen didn't have high chairs, and our 2 year old is high octane, but a batch of still warm housemade potato chips kept him in his seat for awhile. 

The soup was served in a coffee mug and it was amazing. The broth itself was thicker than most tortilla soups - very hearty. The vegetables were steeped the perfect amount of time to be inundated with flavor but still crisp. The chicken was clean, all white meat. The tortilla strips were a nice crunchy addition. In the end, we were glad this soup was served in a cup so that we didn't have to embarrass ourselves overly much while getting to that last drop.

 

The sandwich was also solid. While we originally thought of this as tea room food, we think it would hold up to even a "manly" appetite, plus they also serve burgers and celebrate Taco Wednesdays. There was no skimping on these dishes!

 The grilled chicken and chutney sandwich was served on scallion bread that had been buttered with a decent amount of cream cheese, topped with grilled onions, lettuce, and sliced chicken breast. A tortellini salad and a sweet pickle slice were served along side to round out our tasty plate.

We finished up with a slice of vanilla cake with vanilla icing. There was a whole slew of dessert products that looked appetizing. The cake was a bit of a let down. Kept in the refrigerated case, it was a little dried out and the icing was hard in places. Nonetheless, it reminded us of wedding cake. 

Kitchen at Preston Trail has several things going on, including a catering business. They also have a certified nutritionist on board - which you can read about on their website. 

Open Monday-Friday from 11-3, we liked this lunch spot and only wish it were closer!

 

Manuel's Creative Cuisine

Next to the former Silver Fox and inside the space that was formerly Bengal Coast is a new little gem for Dallas' dining scene, Manuel's Creative Cuisine. From start to finish, every detail was well cared for.

They started by bringing us little towels that were as small as breath mints. They added warm water tableside, and the towels grew to life - perfect for refreshing our hands before getting started.

Towelettes for freshening up!

The bread basket!

First order of business: beverages. We tried the agave margarita and were impressed by the presentation. Look at this lime work! The margarita was strong - definitely a one per meal limit for us! It wasn't too sweet, but had a crisp and fresh taste.

How much work did it take to make this precious lime? We loved it!

The amuse bouche was up next. It blew us away. A tempura battered Mahi mahi on top of a bed of chopped fruit, served alongside an apple shooter soup - this was a fantastic way to start off our dining experience. We were already impressed.

Mahi Mahi and a soup shooter

For dinner we debated over the appetizer menu, as it has some great options. We knew we wanted dessert, so we skipped forward to the Caesar Salad and the Mushroom Cappuccino.

The Caesar was a beautiful presentation. Served inside a bowl made of Parmesan, the lettuce was fresh and accompanied by corn, tomato, avocado sprinkled with sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. This salad was so good, we squabbled over who would get the last bite. This is definitely something to try.

We loved this beautiful salad presentation. How vibrant!

The Mushroom Cappuccino was such an interesting concept, we had to try it. Served in a glass mug (like a cappuccino), there was rich mushroom broth on the bottom, a garlic foam on top, and it was served alongside a skewered and fried Portobello mushroom (for swirling). The presentation of this dish was so intriguing and the flavor combination was equally so. Points for creativity on this dish.

For dinner, we split the avocado risotto topped with shredded flank steak. The chef was kind enough to split the dish for us - and the portions were huge. Along with satisfying chunks of avocado, the risotto had spinach and an amazing punch of flavor. The flank steak was tender and seasoned with something akin to cinnamon, then gently topped with shredded cheese. Every single bite was sensational.

Blown away by this risotto!

We finished up with the beer battered brownie. At this point, we were ridiculously full. The brownie was warm and melty, the beer batter was flavorful without being too pungent...but the vanilla custard style ice cream definitely stole the show.

Beer battered brownies. Unlike anything you've had before.

Chef Manuel visited with our table, thanked us for coming, and was extremely gracious. We had such a pleasant dining experience that we are planning a revisit next week. The menu is seasonal, so it obviously changes; the menu posted on-line is from December, and the one in house on Tuesday was completely different. Whatever the menu, you won't be disappointed.

The Dish: Try everything on the menu. We can't pick one favorite thing.

Acme F and B

Friday night found us at Acme F and B on Monticello.  Usually, we like to give a new restaurant a solid month before we try it out so that they can work out all of their kinks.  With this one, we just couldn't wait - and we were so glad that we didn't.

The minute we pulled up to valet, we could smell the wonderful aroma of the kitchen.  The spot is located in the old Cretia's space and the layout is very similar.  The decor is updated and the restaurant floor is very open.  We made a reservation for 8:30 and we were happy that we did; every table was full and we had a prime seat in the center of the dining room.

We were greeted with two tall glasses of water, warm bread and butter and an explanation of how their menu worked.  We ordered two glasses of Cava and mulled over the appetizer choices.  This was hard.  We went with the braised beef topped potato wedges and were pleased.  The flavor was great and they didn't feel too heavy for a starter (even though they were topped with a decadent creme fraiche dollop).

Next, we ordered a bottle of Sancerre. The wine menu has great options for either by the glass or bottle with a good price range.

I ordered the chicken and dumplings which came recommended by the waiter.  This chicken was served bone in on top of gnocchi and rainbow chard. The chicken was juicy, well seasoned and had a fantastic home cooked flavor.  The dumplings ( gnocchi) were plated underneath the chicken and absorbed all of the flavorings of the chicken.  Together this made a near perfect plate.

We also went with the braised rabbit and risotto and were blown away. The meat was tender and very lean, yet it had a rich flavor.  The risotto was deliciously cheesy and creamy and was strong enough that it could even stand alone as an entree dish.

We couldn't stop there. We chose the blueberry and peach cobbler served with frozen custard for dessert.  This was served pipping hot and it took some self control to wait a few minutes while it cooled down.  The cobbler was a great ending to an awesome June dinner.

Acme F and B- Welcome to the neighborhood!

Bridge Bistro

We had family lunch at Bridge Bistro today and were pleasantly surprised with the location, the service, and the food. The location for Bridge Bistro is new - they were finalizing their picture hanging today while we lunched - but the owners and ideas have been through a few reiterations. Bridge Bistro is spot on. 

We started out with the deviled egg appetizer, six eggs to a plate, and were impressed. They were the right amount of creamy with a dash of paprika. While we did add more salt, we would order these again. The appetizer menu also boasted a cheese plate which looked equally good, and several other items. 
However, if you like eggs, this was a solid appetizer.

Deviled Egg App

Strawberry Mint Iced Tea

We tried the chicken salad sandwich with grapes and pecans and were equally impressed. The chicken salad was mayonnaise based, which we have no problem with, and it was thickly applied to the bun. It may have been a bit bread-y, but we really don't mind that either. You had the option to add soup or salad to your plate for a nominal fee, so we ordered up the cream based Poblano pepper soup, only to find it sold out. After discussing it with us, our waiter substituted the tomato-red pepper soup and it was also very fresh and vibrant. We enjoyed both items - but will definitely be back for the Poblano soup!

And though we can't speak to these dishes personally, here are a few photos of items that our table mates ordered. They all looked pretty tasty and amazingly fresh. We enjoyed Bridge Bistro a great deal, were pleasantly surprised by our dishes and the outstanding service, and look forward to dining here again soon!

Chicken Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (no bone)

Shrimp Etouffee- Spicy!!

Grilled chicken sandwich with a side of fresh fruit

Fish and Chips

Chicken Crepes with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese...served with fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes

The People's Last Stand

Wednesday evening we found ourselves at The People's Last Stand for happy hour.  This fairly new spot is located in Mockingbird Station - upstairs by Angelika. They have quite an extensive listing of cocktails and segment their drink menu into 5 categories: Alchemy, Sours &Flips, Classic, High Balls and Kon-Tiki/Aperitifs/Beer. We ordered a Great White Jail out of the High Ball section and a Boleyn from the Alchemy section.  The Great White Jail was made up of pear bourbon, bitters, ginger beer and lemon juice all served up in a copper cup.  The Boleyn had gin, pureed strawberries, rose water, yellow chartreuse and lemon juice served up in a champagne glass.  Both of the choices were refreshingly different. 

We ordered the cheese plate to accompany our cocktails and were very pleased.  All of the cheese choices are straight from one of our very favorite cheese shops in Dallas- Scardello.  You get your choice of  three cheeses from their chalkboard; we went with the cheddar, brie and gouda.  The cheese was served with toasted bread slices, almonds, raspberry chutney and a honeycomb.  No complaints here!

The Dish on Dallas recommends The People's Last Stand for a happy hour pre or post movie at Angelika!

The Landmark

On Monday night we headed over to the Warwick Melrose Hotel to enjoy their newly renovated restaurant, The Landmark. We went about two years ago before the renovation and were some of the only folks in the restaurant.  Needless to say, our experience was less than stellar.  This time, we'd hoped the outcome would be different.

The remodel has left the place looking great!

We arrived promptly at seven and there was one larger party in the wine room area and no one else in the restaurant.  In fact, there wasn't even a hostess at the stand.

After about 3 minutes, a waiter noticed us and then sent someone around to seat us.  We had the pick of any table in the place.  Red flag #1.

Our waitress was very nice (once she arrived) and told us about their course special.  We could basically have a 3 course meal picking anything off of hte menu for 35.00.  Reminder: "if it is too good to be true, then it probably is". 

We started with the lobster bisque and the crab cake for our appetizers.  About 20-30 minutes later, we were served the starters.  The bisque was watery and so bad, that we actually had to send it back (something that we have never done as Dishers).  Red Flag #2. The bisque was replaced by a charred tomato soup and cornbread.  This was actually pretty good- the flavors were really nice and the cornbread was buttery and crisp.  The crab cakes were served on a bed of greens accompanied by avocados and tomatoes. This was our favorite item.  They were light and generous on crab meat and not filler.

Crabcakes: the star of the show, hands down!

Lobster Bisque: Not up to par

Next, we both went with the tenderloin served over ravioli and topped with mushrooms. Fast forward 3 minutes later and we were served the entree.  The ravioli was filled with mushrooms and cheese and had a nice flavor.  The mushrooms on top of the steak were rubbery and I would have to say the same about the steak . It lacked taste and was not good. Red Flag #3.

The ravioli was tasty

Finally, on to dessert.  By this time we had been at our table for over 2 hours (and there were only two other parties in the restaurant). We actually considered leaving before dessert came.  The creme brulee was decent, but not great.  We also ordered the tuxedo cake- again decent, but not great.

Overall, we had a very dismal experience at The Landmark. Despite the 20% off coupon and nice waitress, we won't be returning.

Mason Bar

Thursday night we tried out Mason Bar located in the State Thomas neighborhood in Uptown.  They were hosting a charity benefit that night, so it was quite loud and very crowded. Since we were already planning to try this spot out, we decided to stick around.  We started with the mason fries as an appetizer.  These came complete with cheddar cheese, bacon, cilantro sour cream and shredded pork.  The waitress brought out a chipotle ranch dipping sauce and ketchup.  This was a good start, the pork was especially memorable, but we weren't blown away by the dish. 

We moved on to the side items.  It was such a loud atmosphere that a long drawn out dinner was not in the cards.  We ordered the mac and cheese and the Brussels sprouts. I would give both of these dishes  a B-.  The mac and cheese a little grainy and the Brussels sprouts lacked the full flavor that we'd prefer.

We wanted to end with something sweet.  Mason Bar offers bread pudding and a dessert of the day.  We ordered the dessert of the day which happened to be key lime pie.  This was the show stealer and possibly the only thing for which we would return.  The crust was buttery, the key lime filling was the perfect level of tart and the thick layer of whipped cream completed the delicious trifecta.

Overall, Mason Bar wasn't our favorite spot, despite having a cool vibe and a very nice staff.

The Dish: Dessert of the Day was an A+.