Category Archives: American

Second Bar and Kitchen, Austin

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DSC01636Good afternoon, everyone! It’s Friday! Cheers to that.

What: Second Bar & Kitchen

Where: Austin, Texas

A few days after Christmas, we set out for a fun dining experience with great food. Second Bar & Kitchen was our destination. Nestled in the hip 2nd Street area, Second boasts an open, fun and cozy atmosphere perfect for groups or even dates too. They have an outside deck as well as an upstairs deck. Plenty of cool spaces to dine!

DSC01633We started out with drinks. They have a list of very eclectic cocktails, but we stuck with the basics. Glass of Malbec for me, Jameson Special Reserve for the twin brother.

DSC01635My fiance and I both ordered what happened to be their vegan dish at the moment. Their soba noodles and sprouts with roasted mushroom, sesame, avocado, almond and orange bits. I was worried the dish would be too citrusy and not savory enough, but with the warm soba noodles and the almonds, this dish was savory, fresh and light. It filled me up in the best way possible. I highly recommend this dish even if you’re not vegetarian or vegan.

DSC01634This is their pizza bianco. It comes with ricotta, goat cheese, wild arugula and grana padano. My twin brother gave it very high marks.

DSC01628On the side we had the black truffle pomme frites with truffle aioli on the side. Can’t go wrong with these! These fries are the perfect texture and thickness, and if you’re anything like me, you drool at the mere scent of truffle.

DSC01637After we were all full, we realized we had completely neglected this awesome side dish. Their brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, mint and feta. Cooked to perfection, warm, comforting goodness. Even if you hate brussels sprouts, you’ll love this dish.

I’ve never stayed for dessert, but here are a few I would love to try: pumpkin cheesecake in a jar, sweet potato fried pie, chocolate pudding pot….I could keep going, but I’ll spare you all.

Bottom line is, when you’re in Austin, or if you live in Austin and haven’t gone, go. Second always does an awesome job with high quality food, innovative dishes and they always use produce that is in season.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Mason Bar Dallas: more than drinks

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Mason Bar

What: American, bar

Where: Uptown Dallas

Although this place may look like just a little bar from the outside, they also have a full menu with food you wouldn’t normally find at a bar. Pictured above is their lemon thyme chicken with mushroom risotto. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the entire dish took me right back to my favorite dish at Extra Virgin in NYC. Delicious.

Something green at a bar? Yep, you heard it. I was starting to lose faith in the ability for a restaurant in uptown Dallas to actually serve healthy AND good options. This salad hit the spot in the 100+ weather. Mixed greens, strawberries, candied pecans, goat cheese, balsamic and “pickled fruit”. The pickled fruit were thinly sliced apples.

As far as drinks go, I had their hurricane: rum, orange, lime & passion fruit juice, simple syrup, grenadine & cherry. It was super sweet, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Ryan had their dark and stormy (dark rum + ginger beer).

The vibe of this place was Depression era bar. It felt so classic with a candle at each table, this charming little bar tucked in the State Thomas neighborhood is a good spot for not only an old school drink, but a delicious meal as well.

Bon Appetit,

That Foodie Girl

Whole Foods Bee Cave and life changes

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HI. Ok, I know I begin almost every post these days with “wow, life has been a whirlwind.”But. It. Has. This is a photo I just snapped with my phone. Moving out of my college apartment (and using eco friendly boxes–thanks for the idea, Emily @ Daily Garnish) and storing for a week, then moving to Uptown Dallas!

I also got a new car. Meet Mrs. Ford Edge Eco Boost. She’s currently in the shop getting a brand new computer for the “sync” entertainment and nav system…a day after I bought it. Grrrreat!

Other than the nav system going haywire, this thing drives like a dream. I LOVE it.

And one last thing. My new favorite hangout in Austin: Whole Foods Bee Caves.

I love that each Whole Foods has a unique aspect to it.

This one has a bar complete with WINE on tap.

Oh and their awesome hot bar.

But the best part:

A fire pit in the front! This will probably only be good between November and March, but that’s ok. I’ll be back.

Less random posts coming your way very soon. Just have to get my life on a normal schedule. That will probably happen when I move into my new apartment on June 9th.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Roly Poly breakfast wraps

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Roly Poly

What: “rolled” sandwiches (wraps)

Where: Dallas, near SMU

It’s too bad I’m just finding out that Roly Poly has a delicious breakfast option, right after I graduated from SMU. Good thing I’ll be sticking around! Meet the breakfast wrap. More commonly accepted as the breakfast taco (if you’re from Texas) or breakfast burrito (if you’re from anywhere else), Roly Poly has a wide range of breakfast options even for vegetarians too.

I got a half of their veggie scramble wrap. Inside the wrap is scrambled eggs, tomato, spinach, a bit of Jack cheese, bell pepper and onion. It was so tasty and the wrap was a little toasted from the grill.

If you’re around SMU or just in Dallas, hurry on over to Roly Poly for a healthy and filling breakfast.

What do you call it? Breakfast taco? Breakfast burrito?

Prime Bar Dallas: snooze.

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Prime Bar

What: bar, american

Where: uptown Dallas

Someone hand me a pillow. It’s just your average uptown Dallas restaurant.

Where do I even begin with my thoughts on this self-proclaimed “modern day ale house”? First off, the description of this restaurant is a bit presumptuous. It’s just a restaurant with a nice bar and a patio. The inside of the establishment is pretty, but we sat outside and encountered a different kind of decor. Just think of an uptown club and then put it outside on a patio during daylight for dinnertime.

The menu was enticing and had some options you don’t normally find on every other uptown restaurant and bar. I ordered the vegetarian hummus wrap. Roasted red pepper hummus, avocado, spinach, onion, carrot, zucchini, goat cheese, balsamic glaze and lavosh, or so says the menu. If you look at the photo above, it was a whole lot of hummus with a tiny bit of the other ingredients, but I don’t recall any zucchini. The dish was fresh and colorful, I’ll give them that. Otherwise, it was a mouthful of hummus (which some people may enjoy), and it was heavy on the balsamic. I could only take a few bites as the acidity was too much to handle. The fries were good.

This was the best part of the meal. Their spinach and pepper jack queso with tortilla chips. It was a lot lighter than most quesos and spinach dips, and the flavor was spot on. It was a bit soupy for dipping, but we managed.

How beautiful is that? Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. This is their seared tuna tacos with wasabi cream and citrus cabbage slaw with a side of rice, beans and mango salsa. Pretty presentation, but I couldn’t tell you about the taste since I didn’t actually try them.

We ordered a side of their stir fry veggies, which come out a bit spicy with a Kung Pao-like sauce. They were cooked nicely and served as a great complement to all the chips I ate instead of my hummus wrap meal.

The service was unprofessional but wasn’t too unbearably slow.  Save your palate for the plethora of great restaurants right around the corner. There’s nothing that special about this place as far as I can tell.The menu boasts a wide variety of options, but if I do go back, I’ll be back for a cocktail and an appetizer.

Bon Appetit,

That Foodie Girl

Del Frisco’s Grille brunch

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Let’s rewind back to last Saturday. I got the pleasure of attending a Dallas Blogger Brunch at Del Frisco’s Grille. Everything was paid for, just to preface this blog post.

I had been to DFG for brunch before and loved it. This time was no different. When we first arrived we were greeted with jugs of mimosas, two types of sangria and bloody mary’s with all the toppings. To start munching right away, we started with their breakfast pizza.

I’m a huge fan of eggs and pizza, and the combo with added bites of prosciuttos was like heaven after a Friday night. I actually loved this “starter” so much, I know I’ll be back to order just that.

Along with the pizza we enjoyed their red velvet waffles and grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Drinks were refilled after every sip, and “Brunch Punch” was served as well. This little guy was packed with all sorts of tropical flavors, it was like sipping on a vacation. Dangerous but delicious.

As if we were still hungry, we dug into the desserts. Our favorite was the coconut cream pie. The creamy filling was just the right amount of sweet and the crust just crumbles and melts in your mouth. It was the best I had ever tasted and the presentation was right on. Feast your eyes:

If you haven’t tried Del Frisco’s Grille for brunch, do so. Just come really hungry.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Another Broken Egg Cafe: not eggsactly what I was eggspecting

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I love eggs. Eggs aren’t that easy to screw up, but not for this place.

Another Broken Egg Cafe

Where: Greenville Ave

What: brunch, eggs

First off, I need to give credit to my Dad for coming up with the title of this blog post and his abilities to play with words. No, but really, the title sums up my feelings.

I went in on a Saturday morning, never having been in before but having heard about it. I figured that since it was a chain and because it was incredibly bustling on a Saturday morning, it had to be at least alright.

Can I get some eggs with that hollandaise sauce? I hate to be harsh here, but I actually gag thinking about this dish (veggie benedict). My eggs were drowning and the eggs themselves were extremely runny, they could hardly be considered poached. Underneath the caloric cream sauce was spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and missing broccoli. I never got my broccoli. The potatoes were ok. 

After my horrible breakfast that upset me for the rest of the day (because I am a food diva), the waiter took about 20 minutes to grab our credit card from us, then another 15-20 to bring it back. Oh, and he brought us someone else’s credit card. It was a mess.

Needless to say, I won’t waste my Saturday brunch here ever again. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Tate’s: mouth watering cocktails and good apps

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Tate’s 

What: cocktails, full bar, appetizers

Where: Uptown Dallas

This crappy iPhone photo doesn’t do the BlackBird Julep justice. Loaded with berries and (yes there’s some alcohol in there) Chambord, Smirnoff citrus, lemon, simple syrup, this cocktail is one of my favorite fruity drinks in Dallas (#1 goes to Bubbles & Berries at Ocean Prime). It’s one of those drinks that tastes so good you don’t even realize you’re drinking alcohol…which can quickly become a problem. Coming in at $10, it’s sort of small for the price, but a decent price for such a pretty drink–a strong one at that.

Tate’s is fairly new to McKinney Avenue, but fits right in with its open air patio in the front. Although it’s kind of loud due to the trolleys and traffic, it’s got a good city vibe to it and the cocktails will make you forget the noise.

I was really impressed with this “bar food”. They included lots of Dallas area appetizer favorites–hummus and bruschetta being the ones we ordered. The original hummus on the right was the best. The one on the left was kind of watery. We stuck to the original. The pita bread was good, and it was nice to get some vegetables in…at a bar!

Next up we had their tomato bruschetta. Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary here, but the simplicity worked in Tate’s favor.

If you haven’t made it over to Tate’s yet, I’d say give it a try. Go with a cocktail. It’s what they do best.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Austin, Texas: Abel’s by the Lake, waffle shots, Maudie’s and Rudy’s BBQ

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Sunday evenings. One of my favorite times of the week. A time to relax, be productive, eat good food, catch up on tv shows and be with your loved ones.

Tonight I’m blogging from my house in Austin, where I’ve spent the weekend eating lots of great food, being with friends, hanging by the pool, bar hopping on 6th street, snuggling with my pups and getting in some quality time with my parents. I feel lucky to get to come home here to Lake Austin and luckier I’m only a 200 mile drive away!

After hitting some of the fun Austin places I knew would be popular amongst the friends from SMU who had never been to Austin before, I realized I’ve never blogged about these places! I eat at the same places in Austin, but have never thought to blog about them since it’s nothing new for me. THAT is something I am going to work on in both Austin and Dallas to bring you more reviews here at That Foodie Girl.

First stop was Rudy’s BBQ.

Let me just say I ate/drank many things I have not consumed in months…time for detox week before Las Vegas this weekend! I had a brisket sandwich.

Morning after 6th street activities was brunch at Abel’s on the Lake.

I had only been for lunch, so the mimosas and egg dishes were a treat to someone who lives for brunch (you’re looking at this girl right here). It was a beautiful morning on the lake, sun was shining and there’s no better spot to brunch than on Lake Austin. I had their veggie frittata:

It came with a bit too much parmesan and was a bit bland for my taste, but it was pretty much the healthiest item on their menu. Speaking of healthy, Ryan had their special for the day, their chicken fried steak (I think so?). Health aside, it was necessary due to the activities that were indulged in the previous evening.

And finally, a super special brunch item that was really pushed by the waitress. Their “waffle shot” that supposedly tastes just like waffles.

That’s a shot of Jameson, chased by a gulp of OJ, then a bite of bacon. In that order only. The verdict? He said it tastes like whiskey paired with OJ and bacon. No waffles involved.

And finally, my family’s favorite, Maudie’s Tex Mex.

I had their chicken fajitas and a skinny margarita. And too many chips and queso. But hey, you only live once right? That’s what I was telling myself this weekend. It’s ok to cheat every now and then.

We rounded the night out with a trip to the movie theater to see Project X. It was horrible. Don’t waste your money. I felt sick afterwards due to the handheld camera work and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol (that was occurring in the movie obviously, haha).

Enjoy the last moments of your weekend!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Del Frisco’s Grille: red velvet waffles.

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Drooling yet? Well, it’s as deliciously lavish as it looks.

Del Frisco’s Grille

What: trendy upscale American

Where: Uptown Dallas

As soon as I heard “red velvet waffles”, I came running. Or…crutching rather. Del Frisco’s Grille, the trendier, more casual version of the famous Del Frisco’s steakhouse, was bustling at their “Sunday fun day” brunch. The waffles were drizzled in a vanilla glaze and the plate was sprinkled with cocoa, so it didn’t need much syrup. It was pretty much like eating a cupcake for breakfast, therefore ruining “regular” waffles for me, but in the best way possible. They were super sweet and rich and the bacon made for a nice offset, perfectly crisped and hardly any fat. This dish was so good, but you won’t see me ordering that dessert for breakfast every Sunday.

I came in with my boyfriend and my mom and we were immediately seated at a table right by their open kitchen. The traffic between the waiters and chefs was a bit much, as was the noise from the kitchen, so next time I think we’ll ask for a booth.

The service was excellent and the waitstaff couldn’t have been friendlier. Our waiter had a smile on his face the whole morning and it was obvious he loved his job. My mom is a vegan, so he tried to help her out with some of her choices as well.

She had the black eyed pea hummus with pickled veggies and flatbread crisp. She loved their homemade hummus and also had a side of their sweet potato fries. Yum.

Finally, my boyfriend ordered the classic comfort dish: grilled cheese and roasted tomato bisque. He seemed to love this dish on that particularly windy and chilly Dallas morning.

Apologies for some of the blurry photos. I promise I’ll start using my nice new DSLR once I can walk (10 more days!!)

Have a lovely Tuesday! Oh, and, today is my last “back to school” day! Graduation in just 4 months. And as always, please follow me on Twitter @thatfoodiegrl to keep up with the conversation and fan That Foodie Girl on Facebook!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl