Pinkies Up!: Tea Time at the Arboretum

Sunday was perfection.  What a day for an outing!

The sun was shining - sparkling even - and a cool breeze had blown all the heat and humidity to Houston (I think).  My sweet Momcat had arranged for tea at the Dallas Arboretum in honor of our friend B.J.'s birthday, and the three of us headed over to those gorgeous gardens on the shores of White Rock lake around noontime with visions of marigolds and ivy and tiny crustless sandwiches dancing in our heads.

After taking a leisurely hour to wander through the Arboretum under the cloudless sky, we made our way to the DeGolyer Garden Café for afternoon tea.  With sunshine streaming through picture windows and the soft sounds of a piano player in the distance, we then nibbled traditional tea-time treats while sipping from delicate china cups and catching up on all the gossip.  How civilized!

We began with the café’s Signature Zucchini Dill Soup.  Light and fragrant and ever-so-slightly creamy, it tasted just like spring.

Next we enjoyed a tiered tower of tiny sandwiches, including turkey with herb butter on rosemary bread, chicken salad on wee little croissants and creamed cucumber wedges, which were the hit of the afternoon.  I’d never tasted a cucumber sandwich before – had only heard of them on those PBS specials with folks who wear ascots – but I was surprised by their delicate and refreshing flavor.  They were an ideal match for warm sips of Apricot Orange, Strawberry Vanilla and Peach Ginger tea.

Finally, another picture-perfect tray appeared bearing mini-cheesecakes, amaretto brownies, chocolate-covered strawberries and light, buttery scones.  Slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream, those warm scones were just the right touch at the end of such a delightful meal. (See that hand lurking in the background?  Even prim and proper ladies get impatient while waiting for fussy bloggers to figure out their cameras...)

While we did spot a few gentlemen enjoying tea in the dining room, I’d say this is a treat best enjoyed with your girlfriends – and enjoy it you will.  We left relaxed and chit-chatty, and took a spin through the gift shop before heading back home.  To top off the perfect day, Momcat and the birthday girl (see below) both found adorable souvenirs, and I bought myself the worlds’ greatest hat (think Hunter S. Thompson meets Tommy Bahama).  

To arrange an Afternoon Tea with your ladies-who-lunch 

visit www.dallasarboretum.org.

You'll Love 'Em, Pho Sho': Vietnamese Faves

FoodiePrincess and I share an all-consuming love of Vietnamese food.* Especially now, as the temperature begins to climb to its August apex, we long for the fresh, vibrant flavors of our favorite Southeast Asian cuisine. But let's face it - it's not really the kind of food you want to make at home. Ever tried to wrap your own rice-paper spring rolls? 'Nuff said. This stuff is better left to the experts. Good thing we've been scouting out awesome Dallas-area Vietnamese restaurants for, oh, about fifteen years or so... 

Below you'll find a few of our pho-tastic faves - and we're always on the lookout for more. Have we missed one of your favorites? Must we rush right out to crunch and slurp at a new spot? Please do share! In the meantime, get ready to program your GPS:

DallasEats' Vietnamese Favorites

Mai's

4812 Bryan St # 100
Dallas, TX 75204

FP and her adorable hub love this little East Dallas spot. She's partial to the Pho Tai (as she is pretty much everywhere), and the Spicy Chicken Soup is also to-die-for good. P.S. - don't miss the crispy spring rolls. Yum.

Pho 95

9780 Walnut St #120

Dallas, TX 75243

Both FP and I have been hitting Pho 95 since high school. A fancy chef I interviewed recently proclaimed a love for this hole in the wall, too. But don't expect white tablecloths and fawning servers - it's strictly "slurp 'em if you got 'em". We haven't tried anything we haven't liked, and the prices are such that you'll have plenty of pocket money left for a shopping spree at Hong Kong Marketplace after lunch (Pocky for dessert!).

Pho Bac
153 N Plano Rd
Richardson, TX 75081

Pho Bac is similar to Pho 95 in its aesthetic (or lack thereof), but also similar in that the food is just delicious. Excellent Pho, vermicelli dishes and crispy little Vietnamese Eggrolls.

Vietnam

4302 Bryan St

Dallas, TX 75204

This recently-discovered favorite offers a full menu of delicious dishes in addition to a pretty darn good lunchtime buffet. Judging by the crowds, we weren't the first on the scene with this one, but that hasn't stopped us from spreading the word. Pho, Banh Mi and spring rolls are all great at Vietnam, and the aforementioned buffet made my Dad very happy on our last visit - and he knows his stuff!

Green Papaya

3211 Oak Lawn Ave

Dallas, TX 75219

What can we say about Green Papaya that we haven't said before? Well, plenty actually - in recent months, we've discovered the #24 and the #35 (we think), a cool bowl of chicken and vermicelli with all the good stuff (much like pho without the broth) and a wicked delicious shrimp coconut curry that might leave you licking your plate. Both pair well with a tall, cool glass of Sauvignon Blanc on a warm spring evening. They might even tempt FP away from the Canh Chu next time around...

Happy slurping! Enjoy!

* It's just one of the things we have in common with the incomparable Anthony Bourdain. But we're not telling what the other ones are. Yet.

Restaurant Bargains from Texas Monthly

I love getting something for (almost) nothing...  Don't you?  

The cover of April’s Texas Monthly magazine promises “Free Food! (Almost.)” and Patricia Sharpe’s feature, “How to Eat Well in Hard Times” definitely delivers. Her selection of exceptional, economical restaurant meals from across the state includes four picks from right here in Big D: 

1.  Grilled Pork Over Vermicelli with Green Papaya from Bistro B

2.  The Fried Chicken Dinner from Bubba’s

3.  The Beef-and-Cheese Cachapa from Zaguán Latin Café and Bakery

4.  Chicken Potpie from Cowboy Chow

My mouth is already watering.  Has anyone tried any of these dishes?  If so, how do they rate on *your* cheapskate gourmet scale?  Some of her picks from other cities also looked tempting - I'll definitely reference this article on my next trip to Austin or Houston or even Fort Worth (but I'll let you pick up your own copy for those).

Click here for a extra-bonus slide show, narrated by Ms. Sharpe.

NBC DFW's Around Town

Did you know there's a new source for dining news you can use here in Dallas/Fort Worth? 

Check out NBC DFW's Around Town site for info on openings, closings, special events and more.  Recent features include a face-off between two North Texas barbeque favorites, a tip on where to find top-notch Tex-Mex treats and a budget-friendly cooking lesson from a pair of local chefs.  Yum.  

New articles and videos are posted every day, and Around Town can also be seen throughout the week on the NBC 5 news (Hi, Annie!) - so be sure and set the TiVo.  What a delicious addition to the Dallas dining scene!

C&S

Ladies Who Lunch: An Afternoon at Stephan Pyles

My tongue still tingles when I think back to my lunch at Stephan Pyles, a singular pleasure heightened by the truant thrill of indulging mid-day, lunching long and leisurely, rather than post-poning the pleasures of the table until after eight hours of work. 

 It was Mom's birthday, a reasonable (even virtuous) excuse to put away pens, to "shut down" instead of "restart", and silence all cell phones on a Friday afternoon.  We arrived at Stephan Pyles a primped and perfumed trio, Mom and I and a dear friend, and were seated in full view of the bustling open kitchen.  My companions remarked on the fluid ballet of efficiency on display behind the glass: "It's so busy in there, but so quiet!"  "They all move so fast, and don't spill a drop!"  Indeed, it was a sight to see, but not so intense as to distract from the bright, well-appointed dining room (full of good-looking groups) or the delicious decor of the table itself.

We started, as my research recommended, with ceviche.  To please all palates, we opted for the Sea Bass with Avocado and Tomatillo, and were delighted with the creamy twang of this Latin seafood salad.  As a respected reviewer recently commented, it did register as a close cousin of guacamole, but this is not to say it didn't dazzle.  Upon my return, I will most certainly try the versions featuring Sea Scallops or Bronzini, or perhaps the trio featuring three selections from the extensive ceviche menu.

The salad course is always a favorite of mine, and I award a special place in my hungry heart for restaurants that give leaves their props.  I ordered the Garden Greens with Really Good Olive Oil and - what do you know? - it was exactly so.  Fresh mixed greens arrived unadorned and were dressed a la minute at tableside by our server.  I was charmed by the tiny ampules he bore, and as he emptied each onto my salad, he announced its name. "Here is your Balsamic Vinegar Reduction," he intoned with a squeeze.  "And here, Miss, is the Really Good Olive Oil."  Amply annointed, I then salted my salad from the colorful selection in the center of the table.  I opted for clouded white Sea Salt, but could not resist flicking a few grains of Smoked Salt on my tongue as well, and was rewarded when the ebony crystals slowly melted into wisps of campfire and summer cookouts.

At entree time, the birthday girl was presented with a crisp flatbread pizza.  Its slightly-charred crust and scattering of smoked tomato, goat cheese and shrimp pleased her to no end; it was her perfect pie.  Our companion also enthused over her entree, the Kabocha Squash Gnocci, and I helped myself to a spoonful to see what the fuss was about.  Those precious pillows in silken sauce proved a comforting counterpart to the raciness of my Goat Cheese-Beet Tortellini.  The pasta packets' magenta filling was my first clue this dish would put a smile on my lips.  What a color!  It was the shade of Barbie's favorite shoes, of a surfer's trunks - of graffiti, not gastronomy.  I was tickled, and the flavors of earthy beets and goat cheese, ricotta salata and roasted red peppers evolved with each forkful, keeping me intrigued.

And, finally, what is a birthday meal without a celebratory dessert?  "Coffee and Donuts", Pyles-style, is a tower of freshly fried, powdered sugar-dusted donuts atop a dark and rich dip, surrounded by a pool of coffee creme brulee.  The donuts are classic, chewy to the tooth and melting on the tongue, and the mellow dip serves to heighten their delicate sweetness.  The brulee featured a perfect toffee-like burnt sugar crust, revealing a silken coffee custard beneath.  At the first spoonful I swooned; two bites and my eyelashes fluttered.  Mom called from across the table, "Honey?  Are you all right over there?"  I recovered, and I've been gushing over this deceptively simple dessert at happy hour and dinners, to my mailman and my bank teller, ever since.

So there you have it.  An indulgent mid-day meal (not to mention impeccable service and a choice table) shared with two of my favorite dining companions at one of Dallas' most revered restaurants.  While I doubt we'll be joining the likes of the Ladies Who Lunch anytime soon, it was a pleasure to play at their game for an afternoon at Stephan Pyles. 

A few things I'm in love with this week...

Here are a few things that have captivated me, food-and-beverage-wise, in the last week or so. Below you'll find an offbeat recipe, a new grocery item and a must-visit winery right here in Dallas (it's classy and sassy, just like you-know-who). I'm sure that one or more of them will be up your alley, too.

Ingrid Hoffman's Mini Cuban Burgers (Fritas)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_66374,00.html

I love Ingrid Hoffman and her Latin-influenced cusine. What a welcome change of pace from the endless parade of Italian iterations that seems to be taking over my favorite cooking shows! These sliders are exceptional: sweet, tangy and a little bit like a meatloaf sandwich with a kick. Be advised that the recipe made 24 generous mini-burgers for me (the link above will tell you 12, but I believe it's a misprint). I was pleasantly surprised by the surplus - a little time in the kitchen gave me dinner plus a freezer full of burger-liciousness for cravings to come.

Orowheat Double Fiber Bread

http://www.oroweat.com/

Finally, a great tasting whole wheat bread that doesn't suck all the moisture from your cheeks in the time it takes to eat your sandwich. It's so good, in fact, that I'd choose this bread over just about any other sandwich loaf, even if it wasn't so nutritous and packed with fiber. You know, when you're a semi-pro eater like me, you've got to give yourself good stuff whenever you can. That way you can justify the ginger creme brulee you might happen to sneak in after lunch once in a while (totally hypothetically speaking).

Times Ten Cellars
http://www.timestencellars.com/

This Lakewood gem is a must-visit for anyone who loves wine. The space is eclectic and warm, and the wines are earning praise left and right. Slip into the tasting room on a Saturday afternoon for a sip of something cool, or head over after work for a light dinner of pate and artisinal cheese. Gaze at the crystal chandeliers twinkling over oak in the barrel room, then head out on the patio for a little people-watching. Don't forget to take home a bottle or two of the award-winning rose or whichever winds up being your new fave from the Times Ten line-up.

Enlighten Us!

DallasEats Wants to Know:

What's your favorite find?

We had so much fun with our Neighborhood Finds and Top Crave-able Dishes (see Aug-Oct of last year), that we're ready to find more. In fact, now we want to know yours!

Yes, that's right - DallasEats is admitting that there just may be a little hole-in-the-wall place we've never heard of ...or perhaps a menu item at a local restaurant that isn't getting the attention it deserves. What is your favorite local find? What's the very best dish of it's kind that might become a recurring necessity in our lives?

Leave a comment below and we'll run right out and take you up on your recommendation. Anywhere in Dallas is fair game. We'll even consider nearby suburbs (just don't expect us to haul up to Sherman). A future post will contain FoodiePrincess and Classy&Sassy's thoughts on what we're sure will be a slew of new favorites, and maybe a few controversial contenders.

We can't wait to try your finds!

Even Grandma Will Admit this Fried Chicken Is Better than Hers

Sunday afternoon, right around 12:30. For those in the know, that’s prime fried chicken eatin’ time. Here in the Metroplex, we’re lucky to be surrounded by options to help us scratch the chicken itch, both down-home good and corporate-laboratory-tested. On one recent Sunday, DallasEats tried them all (well, as close to all as we could get in one day) and crowned a champion. Bless us arteries, for we have sinned.

We gathered two additional (and very willing) participants around the dining table to join us on our deep-fried vision quest. First, we chose the contenders. We couldn’t taste-test every chicken joint in Dallas, so we settled on six, ranging from a shack in East Dallas to the world’s most famous purveyor of fried chicken (think white beard and glasses). The final six contenders were: Williams Chicken (for the record, this should be possessive, but it’s not a part of their official name. This omission is slowly killing FP inside), Pope’s, Church’s, Brother’s, Popeye’s, and KFC.

After deciding upon the entrants, the particulars of the taste-off were debated and refined, ensuring as pure a result as possible. A great deal of discussion took place ahead of time about the basics of this competition. The question was asked—what makes for a great piece of fried chicken? The way we see it, the answer is two-fold: crust and chicken. Within these two components, however, are myriad subtleties. We narrowed these factors to the following manageable and quantifiable list:

· Crust texture
· Crust flavor
· Chicken texture
· Chicken flavor
· Crust to chicken ratio

Categories were ranked on a scale of one to five, giving each type of chicken a possible 25 points per judge, 100 points overall. Check out the rankings, from last place to first:

6. Church’s Chicken (59)

With a final score of 59 points, Church’s received the dubious distinction of last place in our competition. Its downfall was the crust, which was judged tasteless and thin. Adding insult to injury, the crust-to-chicken ratio was skewed by giant, meaty parts, which didn’t appeal to anyone. On the upside, it packed a good crunch, and a generous squirt from one of those trademark jalapeños could give it a much-needed kick.

5. Popeye’s (61)

Keeping Church’s company in the dregs of our rankings was Popeye’s, with a total score of 61. The batch we sampled seemed to vary from piece to piece, ranging from good to just plain gross. In fact, the meat on one drumstick was so gray and unappealing that it was downright inedible. That said, Popeye’s crispy, spicy crust distinguished it from Church’s and kept it out of the bottom of the barrel.

4. KFC (62.5)

The big surprise of the day was KFC - the artist formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken - which racked up 62.5 points (one guess as to which over-analytical - but loveable - blogger resorted to using half points). We decided to give them a chance by ordering the “Extra Tasty Crispy” variety, which proved to be just that. One taster called it “surprisingly good”, and that summed up the group consensus. The only dissenter was FP, who could still taste the 11 herbs and spices—and not in a good way.

3. Pope’s (75)

The top three chicken joints stood head and shoulders over the rest, to nobody’s surprise. Pope’s Fried Chicken in East Dallas, a small, rundown shop at the intersection of Carroll and I30 (yikes), rang in at 75 points. Although the pieces were on the smallish side, they were crisp, with juicy, flavorful meat. The only complaint was that the crust lacked the flavor punch that distinguished the top two. Even so, it was delicious and its score reflected its quality.


2. Brother’s Fried Chicken (77.5)

With 77.5 total points, this East Dallas institution near Baylor hospital ended up in second place on our list. For the record, not everyone loved Brother’s spicy crust. C&S was a little off-put by the presence of what she believed to be Lowry’s Seasoned Salt. However, everyone agreed that the crust texture and ratio were just about perfect. One reviewer summed it up perfectly, “Mmmmm. Brother’s.” The good news for those of you north of 635 is that another outpost of this fried chicken goodness is now open in Richardson.

1. Williams Fried Chicken (79.5)

Wow. Two of our reviewers had never tasted the magical goodness of Williams prior to the competition, and their minds were effectively blown. With a total score of 79.5 points, this chicken was declared almost perfect by the judges. Crisp and moist, with a crust to chicken ratio favoring the crust, it’s no wonder FP had to spend 20-minutes in line to get it. This chicken is worth waiting for, and it has now been crowned DallasEats’ Best Fried Chicken in Dallas.