Category Archives: Full Review

Boulevardier: a Bishop Arts District French eatery

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What: French

Where: Bishop Arts District, Dallas

Look at me back on the blogging wagon!

Last night I had a fun dinner date with my friend Nina in the Bishop Arts District. We decided on Boulevardier—a place I had heard good things about, and knowing it was owned by the same people as Veritas, I knew it had to be trustworthy.

blvd cheeseWe sat outside since the inside was packed and we’d have to wait several hours (tip: make a reservation). It happened to be a nice night out, so it was fine. We started with their special appetizer–their cheese plate. My favorite was the goat cheese on the upper left hand side. Sandwiched on top of their toasty bread, a slice of apple and a drizzle of the honey…it was love. I’m a big fan of Veritas’s cheese and fruit boards, and this one was no different…except for the price point. This little sucker was $16, but it was justified by the utter quality of ingredients.

beignetWe then moved on to their crawfish beignets with smoked pimenton aioli and pickled sweet peppers. This was my favorite. I have to say crawfish doesn’t usually do it for me, but the combination of flavors and the crunch of the fried dough were satisfying.

grilled oystersFinally, our last app was the wood grilled gulf oysters. Nina initially wanted oysters on the half shell, but to appease my mind, we shared the grilled oysters. And I still can’t get over the consistency. It’s one of those foods I really want to like, but I just can’t. Maybe one day, oysters.

Even though I am a food blogger, there are foods that scare me. Foods that put me out of my comfort zone, and oysters, octopus, escargot and bone marrow are all on that list…and on the Boulevardier menu. But that’s what life is about! Trying new things and exploring.

Are there any foods that freak you out?

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Baboush: Mediterranean-Lebanese food in Dallas

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Baboush Market & Bar

What: Mediterranean/ Lebanese fusion

Where: West Village, Uptown Dallas

How did I not know about this place? It was a nice surprise as Ryan and I were walking to get a pizza from Grimaldi’s and I’m so glad we decided to give Baboush a shot. We sat outside, and despite it being really hot outside, we loved being able to dine al fresco.

I decided to cool off by ordering one of their “sexy drinks”– the Lebanese Night. Vodka, guava nectar, fresh strawberries and lime juice. Really delicious if you like something fruity.

Ryan went with an exotic Lebanese beer.

At first glance at the menu, we were impressed by the decently priced menu items…especially for an uptown venue. When we actually received the dishes, we understood it was more of a tapas-style place. Smaller portions. But that’s ok.

We started off with their hummus. It was creamy and smooth, and the pita bread was warm and fluffy. And we got another basket full of the pita bread.

I was excited for my falafel to arrive, but was a bit disappointed. They were over-fried. They were extremely tough and hard to get my fork through. On the side is a lemon tahini sauce. I’m willing to give it another go just because I haven’t found a whole lot of falafel spots in Dallas.

On the side I had their saffron couscous with chickpeas, raisins and white onions. It wasn’t all that flavorful, but there’s something about couscous. I just love the texture. It went well with the hummus too.

Ryan enjoyed the grilled chicken kebabs with a tabbouleh-like salad underneath.

All in all, I think Dallas needs more Mediterranean spots like this. I truly hope the falafel will be cooked to perfection next time I stop by. Otherwise, the hummus and pita and cocktails were enough to get me back there. Also, if you’re into hookah, they have that too.

Bonus: Scout Mob just posted they have a 50% off deal right now. Just download Scout Mob on your smart phone, show the deal to your server, and voila! You’re welcome!

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

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

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

V Spot: a vegan spot (get your mind out of the gutter)

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V Spot Cafe

Happy Meatless Monday everyone!

This weekend I got the chance to try V Spot Cafe for lunch.

V Spot Cafe

What: vegan upscale

Where: Knox/Henderson

You walk into V Spot and you’re greeted by a juice and smoothie bar. Walk further in and you find a cozy 8-10 table nook where vegans and non-vegans come to treat their bodies right.

We were seated immediately and were handed waters right then. After that, my famished stomach had to wait about 20 minutes until the waitress came back to take our order.

We started off with the portabella mushroom fries (after we waited a good 20+ minutes more). Our stomachs took over and we continued to wolf down the little battered and fried pieces of portabella mushrooms and dunked them in their delicious sauces: jalapeño ketchup & spicy cajun aioli. They were so good, they actually made up for the really long wait. Oh, and I didn’t get time to snap a photo because I was that hungry.

I had the wild mushroom risotto with roasted butternut squash and white truffle oil and thyme. I found the risotto to be quite bland, so I asked for more of the spicy cajun aioli to mix in which proved to be a great concept. It was a hearty lunch, but it was missing that creamy element which is definitely hard to achieve in a vegan setting.

My mom was really bold and ordered their raw coconut kale enchiladas. These were the real winners of the entire meal. Marinated kale wrapped in coconut tortillas (who knew!?) with “nacho cheese”, “sour cream”and pico de gallo. The cheese was some sort of cashew sauce I’m guessing, and the sour cream was just a non-dairy substitute. These enchiladas were mouth watering good, the guacamole fresh and the sauces on top would be worthy of their own dish.

This meal kept us satisfied for 7 hours+. We found ourselves not even hungry for dinner, it was that satisfying.

Whether you’re a vegan on the search for more restaurants or you just like good food (and you enjoy treating your body well), I’d stop by V Spot on Henderson if I were you.
Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

A little Akumal, Mexico eatery called Gynn’Ak

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Hi, I’m back!

I went from Las Vegas, Nevada (stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel)

and then to Akumal, Mexico

It was my last spring break ever, so I figured I’d get two great spots in.

I apologize for my absence, but once I get the time back, I’ll be devoting much more time to TFG. I missed you all!

Some things I came back with from SB 2012:

  • a nice sunburn patch on my shin
  • a beautiful seashell Ryan found on the beach for me
  • some sand in my suitcase
  • relaxed muscles due to a beachside massage (thanks Laura!)
  • and finally a more functional left foot. (hallelujah)

I’ve got so many exciting posts for you all, so first we have:

Gynn’AK (pronunced [jean-awk]) <— ha don’t laught at my phonetics

Where: Akumal, Mexico

What: Thai/Mexican cuisine

A quaint little 5ish table restaurant in the heart of Akumal, Mexico rests Gynn’AK, the culinary product of Gynna Sainz. Cousin of Ryan Wolfe (my boyfriend), Gynna has been cooking for a long time and was formally trained at culinary school as well. She started out as a caterer and private chef, but she’s now open for business and is also rated #1 on Trip Adivsor.

She cooks the food, she seats you and her doggies and kitties will happily join you at your feet. It’s a warm place (quite literally) for an ice cold ginger lemonade and her house special: the lion fish. I started off with the hibiscus tea, better known as “Agua de Jamaica” if you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about.

Lion fish have said to have been released from an aquarium somewhere, and they now take over the seas in places like Akumal. Because their spines are poisonous, they dominate most sea life. Gynna and her family took it upon themselves to hunt each and every lion fish down, and she even serves it up at her restaurant.

I was all fished-out, so I went with her coconut curry chicken tacos with a side of the (amazing) Thai slaw. The slaw was the best part–slightly tangy with a crunch.

If you’re lucky, she will serve you the food herself. If you’re luckier, she’ll take a break from her lunch rush to sit and eat a bite herself:

Be sure to stop by if you’re near the Riviera Maya.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

 

Brunch at Cane Rosso: bigger than Texas

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Cane Rosso [pronounced kahn-A row-so]

What: Pizza & brunch on Saturdays

Where: Deep Ellum

After hearing so much about this hyped up little Deep Ellum Neapolitan pizzeria and especially after seeing it on the D Magazine’s recent list of best egg-tastic brunches in Dallas, I wanted to see if it lived up to its name. (p.s. Malai as one of the best brunches? Hmm…we’ll have to see about that)

We parked in the lot across the street where several cars including BMW’s were booted on multiple wheels (why?) and I fed the parking meter and hoped my car would be there when I got back.

I walked in to meet some friends who were seated towards the very back and a dimly lit section of the restaurant.

The dimness was sort of off-putting for a normally bright and cheery time of the weekend: brunch on a Saturday. The lighting was especially horrendous for a food blogger needing to photograph her food (oh well).

I ordered their breakfast panini stuffed with eggs, prosciutto, fontina, tomatoes, arugula, chili aioli all on wood-fired bread with a side of crispy pancetta and breakfast potatoes.

This “sandwich” was bigger than my face. I don’t know if you can tell from this photo, but it was HUGE. I could only finish half of one of those pieces and I was really hungry. Besides the size, it was an awesome sandwich. The bread was crispy on the outside and nice and dough on the inside which really paired well with the egg texture combined with the flavoring of the prosciutto on the inside. The breakfast potatoes were boring and bland. Kind of soggy too.

Speaking of large and in charge, take a gander at my friend Lisa’s “starter salad”:

Their very basic starter Mista salad with mixed greens, balsamic, tomatoes & parmesan, this family sized salad came in at $8, so I guess I shouldn’t be complaining about the large sizes of these plates. But there’s something offensive about getting a massive joke of a plate set in front of you when you only wanted a side/starter salad or just a breakfast panini. You almost feel like the joke is on you and the waitress could have at least warned you. But, again, at least everyone got a bite, right? Anyone else feel this way?

My friend Katie ordered their Regina Margherita with tomatoes, bufala mozzarella and basil. I had a bite and it was wonderful. I loved the texture of the pizza and the almost slight doughiness of the end of the piece and the crispness towards the crust. Simple and good.

And finally, another brunch item Jeff ordered. The biscuits and gravy with ricotta biscuits with spicy sausage gravy and oven roasted potatoes. He said it was good but this photo doesn’t really do a great job of conveying it.

All in all, it was good food but not great atmosphere back where we were sitting. The portions were way too big and the service was alright. One thing I loved was this table up at the front of the restaurant:

My suggestion? Share a plate with someone. Oh, and I can’t wait to try their ricotta pancakes with nutella marscapone & fresh berries with a side of pancetta.

Thanks for dealing with me photographing all the food (and for taking photos). The girls at brunch: (me, Katie, Lisa)

The boys: (Jeff, Andrew)

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

The Grove, Austin and life

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Good morning everyone. Please excuse my horribly spaced blog posts. As you know, I was very excited to go home to Austin to see my doctor and start walking. Unexpectedly, I learned I had to “wean” myself off my crutches and gradually start walking throughout the week. This led to a lot of frustration as I have been counting down for almost 7 weeks. BUT, I am now down to 1 crutch, so things are looking up.

While I was in Austin, I managed to have lunch at one of my favorite places: The Grove a wine bar and kitchen. I went with my little sister and because it was a particularly warm winter day, we got to sit out on their sunny patio. I ordered my favorite salad, Beth’s Berry Salad. It’s a spinach salad with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, goat cheese, walnuts and red onions with a lemon-honey vinaigrette. Yummy perfection…until I dropped my phone in my salad while I was attempting to capture that bite in a photo. #foodiefail.

We also shared their bruschetta. I love that you can mix and match with any of their 10 or so choices. Always a hard choice, but we went with their pesto, ricotta & grape tomatoes; one with figs, brie & apples; and sausage, roasted peppers & goat cheese. My favorite was the pesto. MMMM.

The Grove is always a great spot for lunch or dinner–make sure you stop by when you’re in Austin.

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