Review: Grain Restaurant Provides Local Farm-to-Table Menu

Originally featured on Dallas Food Nerd.

We were invited to attend a menu tasting at Grain Restaurant located in Hilton Dallas Park Cities Hotel.  Chef James Music and his team at Grain have developed a farm-to-table menu showcasing fresh produce & meats produced and provided by several local sources.

Their menu is updated seasonally to reflect what is currently available and fresh from the farm.  The next menu change is planned for mid-October to feature fall flavors and it’s bound to impress just as this menu did.

During our tasting, we were provided with a couple of dishes from each of the 3 courses of the dinner menu.   They also serve breakfast, lunch and brunch so you can stop by for something delicious at any mealtime.

BEGINNINGS

Texas Watermelon & Feta Cheese – Seedless Red & Yellow Melon, Feta, Aged Balsamic Glace, Mache

The colorful presentation definitely screams summer.  I enjoyed the bite-sized cubes and how the flavors & textures between the melon and cheese paired well together. The tang of the balsamic glace tickled the taste buds.

Heirloom Tomato Salad – Proximity Farms Organic Heirlooms, Dallas Mozzarella, Basil

I’ve never been a fan of tomatoes.  Until now.   I’m not sure if it was the thick tender slices of the plump produce, the local companion of melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella or the fresh basil.  But it all worked for me.

Buffalo Chili – Ground Buffalo, Caramelized Onions, Redneck Cheddar

A couple of tasters playfully shamed Chef Music for adding beans to the chili AND not mentioning the taboo ingredient in the description on the menu.  He just smiled while he continued to entertain and humor us with stories. 

Some of us know that most Texans don’t approve of beans in chili, let alone black beans.   It was spicy but tasty and the buffalo meat melted in my mouth.  I enjoyed it but I’m also not from around these parts.   I myself, add things to my chili that most likely wouldn’t be approved by others such as cocoa powder.  I say just go with whatever works for you.

MIDDLES

Crab Cakes  - Texas Blue Crab, Red Pepper Jam

These were the most crab-filled cakes I’ve ever had.  And that’s a good thing!  The red pepper jam didn’t stand out to me as much as I wanted but I enjoyed the crab cakes nonetheless.  Some chefs tend to add too much breading and/or seasoning that it overshadows the already little amount of crab it contains.  These tasty cakes were seasoned just right in my opinion and I believe I showed my love for them by eating several more when no one was looking.

Bacon BBQ Shrimp – ‘Po Boys’ Gulf Shrimp, House Made BBQ Sauce

The BBQ sauce had a nice bite to it and the shrimp were huge.  Other than that, this dish wasn’t anything special to me.  I’ve never thought to pair shrimp and BBQ sauce.  I joked that this could be called “Redneck Shrimp”. 

Being from a huge family of Oklahoma rednecks, I’m allowed to joke about it.  They love to put barbeque sauce on pretty much anything.  I’ll have to call mom and suggest she try it but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already been there, done that.

Tenderloin Tips – Ft. worth Light, Asadero Polenta, Tobacco Fried 1015s, House Made BBQ Sauce

Ok ya’ll.  Seriously. This is comfort food at its finest.  A couple of us enjoyed more than enough bites of this dish.   The tender beef tips and creamy polenta are a dream team for your mouth.  Asadero is a rich Mexican-style melting cheese and added a great flavor and creaminess to the polenta.  The crispy 1015s (aka onions) on the top were a tasty treat.  Now I know why Chef Music mentioned it was one of the house specialties.  I get it.

MAINS

Born & Braised Short Ribs – Tobacco Fried 1015 Hash, Farm to Table Vegetables

Another comfort food dish done right.   The thin, crispy hash on the bottom totally gives this a sinful dimension of flavor.    Who doesn’t love a 13-hour braised meat!  And the delicious sidekick of Texas shitake mushrooms were grown on logs in Denison, Texas.  That’s ruggedly local cool in my book!

‘Line Caught’ Gulf Red Fish – Creamed Corn, Lime Butter

The fish dish didn’t disappoint.  The thick slices were delectable and served over a sweet thyme cream corn and topped with lime butter.    The sneaky addition of the thyme in the corn enhanced the dish. I don’t normally order fish at a restaurant but I would definitely order this again and enjoy every last bite.

Restaurant Review: Urban Rio

Originally featured on Dallas Food Nerd. 

Mexican restaurant, Urban Rio, located in Historic Downtown Plano featured a Margarita Dinner on August 19^th.  We were invited to attend and enjoy five refreshing margaritas paired with five drool worthy courses.

As we sat down, we immediately received salsa, black bean dip and chips.  After one bite of the black bean dip on a tortilla chip, I had a feeling everything else would be just as amazing or better.  There was a spice I couldn’t identify but made me want to keep eating more and after each bite my mind was filled with possible spices.  Coriander?  Turmeric?  It was familiar and delicious but what the heck was it? 

When our cheerful, attentive and informative waiter, Cody, stopped by to check on us, I finally gave in and asked him what that mystery spice was in the bean dip.  I give props and have a higher respect to waiters who know how dishes are prepared at the restaurants they work in.  He smiled and happily claimed it’s not a surprise as that is the popular question from diners since day one of opening. It’s known as canela in Mexico, or “true” cinnamon as a Google result stated. It’s milder than our American cinnamon and tastes more of vanilla and floral flavor with just a hint of heat.  I’m not surprised I was drawn to love it, as cinnamon is one of my favorite spices to use, especially in savory dishes.

Our first course was a light and refreshing Pear Salad.  A blend of mixed greens, thin cucumber and pear slices tossed in house-made pear vinaigrette.   This was a perfect dish for a hot summer day.  It was paired with a delicious FlowerRita made with Lanique Rose Petal Liqueur, pear nectar and edible flower garnish.  The margarita was light like the dish and had hints of floral and fruit flavors.

The second course was one of my top favorites of the night with the Mango Beef Skewers and Chipotle-Mango Margarita.  The skewers were made with tender strips of chipotle beef skewers grilled and served with a simple chunky mango salsa.  The margarita was made with a puree of chipotle-mango with a chipotle salt rim.  I loved the sweetness of the mango and the spicy kick from the chipotle in your throat after each sip.  I could totally eat a lot of the beef (and drink a couple more ritas).  The strips of grilled beef would be great on top of mixed greens and served as a salad.

Another favorite of mine was the third course, which was the Agave Salmon.  The salmon was marinated with agave and mint, sautéed and topped with mint and cherry remoulade and a roasted medley of brussel sprouts, corn and red bell pepper.  The added crunch of the roasted veggies paired well with each bite of the tender salmon.  I loved all the textures and flavors of this dish.   It was paired with a summery MojitaRita which is a Mojito made with tequila, agave nectar and mint.

The fourth course was the Jalapeno Chicken and CJ Rita.  The succulent chicken breast was marinated in onion, jalapenos and herbs and served with cucumber salad and apricot relish.  The CJ Rita was made with fresh cucumber and jalapeno-lime juice.  This was another favorite margarita of mine.  (I must like a spicy kick in my drinks.) It was more mellow than the chipotle—mango  margarita but still delicious all the same.  The cucumber and lime made a refreshing flavor combo. This drink, in a pitcher, poolside equals summer fun in Texas.

The fifth and final course of the evening was the Raspberry Ancho Lava Cake.  An airy lava cake infused with ancho chili, drizzled with raspberry fudge sauce with a side of Grand Marnier spiked frozen raspberries and whipped cream.  The perfect accompaniment of the Lemon-Berry Smash made with raspberry liqueur, limoncello, mixed-berry puree served with a frozen berry garnish ended the dinner on a high note.  The drink reminded me of a delicious fruit smoothie and I had to remind myself it contained alcohol so I wouldn’t slurp it down so quickly.  Plus, icy head rushes are no fun.

We had the privilege of meeting the executive chef, Fernando Torres.  At the end of the night, when he stopped by again, we were basking in the afterglow of dessert so I was extra giddy and expressed my delighted surprise of how the lava cake melted in my mouth.  He mentioned it contained less flour than most cakes so it makes it much lighter.  I let him know it was ‘heavenly’.  Chef Torres even said he’d be happy to provide the recipe. (I need to follow up on that stat!)

I noticed they have a brunch menu as well so I guess that means I have to go back and taste test soon.  

(Disclaimer: The meal and drinks were complimentary but the reviews and thoughts are my own.)

Sublime Chocolate in Allen

I hosted my friend's Bachelorette Bash last weekend.   The fabulous weekend consisted of shopping, chick flicks, delicious drinks, disco dancing and much needed girl time!  Best of all, we stopped in at Sublime Chocolate in Allen, TX.  So I wanted to share our wonderful and memorable experience. 

We were shopping in the area and decided to enjoy a few treats and take a break in between stores.  I had recently read a great article on a foodie blog and knew it would be a great treat for the ladies.  I also noticed they were voted Best Chocolate in Dallas by the D Magazine!  It's a cozy chocolate shop in the Watters Creek shopping center off Bethany & 75. 

We were warmly greeted and welcomed with smiles from the 2 ladies behind the counter.  They offered us samples of the sipping chocolate in milk, white and dark flavors.  I had the pleasure of tasting the white chocolate which was perfectly creamy and very rich!  So good!

I purchased a sampler box so we could each pick a piece and share.  A small sampler includes 6 pieces of your choice.   It comes in a beautiful box with 2 layers of 3 openings for the delicate bites.  They told me if I bring my box back when I visit again, I receive a free piece of chocolate with a purchase of another sampler. Yay!!

We also decided that drinks were necessary to go with our treat so we tried everything from the Chai Tea, Frozen Hot Chocolate to Frozen Mocha.   All flavors were phenomenal!  If you haven't tried this place, it is a MUST!

We tried the following chocolates and passed them around to take bites of each.  The Soyokaze and Chile & Lime were definitely up there as far as favorites for most of us.  Although it was hard to decide because they were all delectable.   I'm pulling these descriptions from my memory so this is as close to the details as I could remember.

• Milk Chocolate Truffle -  Milk chocolate shell filled with milk chocolate ganache
• Caramel with Sea Salt - Creamy caramel covered in milk chocolate sprinkled with sea salt crystals
• Golden Curry and Coconut - Milk chocolate shell filled with a chocolate curry ganache and flakes of coconut
• The Caliente - Dark chocolate heart filled with a dark chocolate ganache infused with chile powder, cayenne pepper and cinnamon
• Soyokaze - Mango, coconut filling in a dark chocolate shell
• Chile and Lime - Dark chocolate infused with fresh lime and dried habanero chile

Tasty Saturday

Happy weekend!  Today, my sneaky husband wanted to surprise me for lunch and drove us to a place nearby we've been wanting to try out for a while.   We've both read and heard great reviews and wanted to see if it lived up to the hype.   Let me tell you that this place is a MUST if you're in the Plano, TX area.  I wanted to provide our feedback and photos.  Don't judge by the amount of food we consumed.  It was for you my friends.  All for you!  

Their method of cooking is low and slow and they use fresh ingredients which you can definitely taste.   Daily specials offer items not featured on the everyday menu along with a fresh new pie flavor everyday.  Since it was a beautiful day, we sat on the comfortable patio which they refer to as "the porch".  Very fitting.   The only hindrance on the perfection of the patio was the busy tollway about 50 yards or so away. 

Everyone, this is Whiskey Cake.   Whiskey Cake, meet everyone!  I'm sure you both will get along just great. 

Beverages and Beginnings. . .
For our drink of choice, I had the tasty whiskey sour and Chris had the mint julep.   Both were very refreshing and gave just the right amount of kick.  For an appetizer, we ordered the fried green tomatoes with a flavorful but light remoulade dipping sauce.   The tomatoes were so fresh and perfect!  They had the right amount of tanginess.

Whiskey Sour

Fried Green Tomatoes w/Remoulade Dipping Sauce

Munching and Lunching. . .
It was a tough decision to make for me.  Not that there were too many choices but everything sounded so good.  I wanted to order one of each item on the menu.  Thanks to the daily specials I was able to make up my mind on a brunch item.  (Note to self:  Must schedule brunch here with girlfriends ASAP.)   I chose the Pulled Pork Benedict.  This dish is layered with tender pulled pork, perfectly poached egg, fresh micro greens drizzled with a light green chili hollandaise sauce all over a freshly homemade biscuit split in half.   I took my time with this and savored each bite.  I absolutely loved it!  I see a re-creation of this dish at home in my near future. 

Chris has been on a Bahn Mi kick lately.  He's on a mission to discover a perfect version of this Asian sandwich in our area. As soon as he saw the BBQ Bahn Mi on the menu, he zoned in and made his mind up quickly.  He said the bread was perfect. It looked amazing!  They served this on craft paper with a couple of thickly sliced homemade pickles.  The pickles were crunchy and had a hint of spice but so delicious.

Pulled Pork Benedict

BBQ Bahn Mi

Happy Endings. . .
Now we're down to the dessert and happy ending to our amazing meal.  I didn't want this experience to end.  The dessert options were minimal which is good.  I don't like having too many to choose from.  We were torn between the infamous whiskey cake or the pie of the day.  When the waitress mentioned that the coconut cream pie was made this morning, I was in.  Chris isn't a fan of coconut so he said he may have a bite or two.   Puh-lease!  He took one bite and didn't stop there.  That says a lot!  The custard didn't have that artificial flavor you taste in most.   They drizzled honey or amaretto over the top that added a nice sweet touch.  (That is still out for debate. We were too busy stuffing our faces to ask the waitress to confirm and settle the argument.)  Needless to say, we didn't have a problem devouring this gem of a dessert.   Hungry?   You're welcome.

Coconut Cream Pie