VeVe 180

After a visit to VeVe last night, the difficult decision was made to amend our previous post.

Contrary to glowing reports of amazing food, sexy lighting and live music at this Lakewood spot, the food and atmosphere on our visit were just "okay" (no need to be persnickety and particular in this instance - we'll just leave it at that), and a visit from the chef confirmed our assumption that someone else must now be doing the cooking back in the kitchen.  It was not the chef that my friend had met when he fell in love with VeVe some weeks ago, the chef that had dazzled him with delicious, masterfully prepared Latin dishes.  This was a different fellow, one who fed us adequately but failed to impress.

This change in kitchen talent, combined with several other minor but cumulatively significant glitches in our experience last night, were enough to warrant this post today. 

Sigh.  In the immortal words of Bad Santa, "They can't all be winners, kid."

C&S

Save this Restaurant!

While I don't normally post on things of this nature, I felt I'd make a special exception today...

I met up with a friend last night, and he was overflowing with wonderful things to say about VeVe on Live Oak in the Lakewood area - the food, he gushed, was beyond wonderful (some of the best Mexican he'd ever had), and the service was impeccable.  This small family-owned restaurant, according to my friend, is one of the best food-finds in recent memory.  And this fellow, a restaurant-insider, should know!

A look at the website revealed charming decor and menu items that left my mouth watering even more than it did last night when he described a silky mole sauce that he "wanted to eat like soup with a spoon".

Unfortunately, my friend also mentioned that his new neighborhood fave might be struggling since it opened a few months ago, perhaps due to summer vacations, and a lack of advertising budget (so common when it comes to a business of the heart, opened on a shoestring).  He urged me to go, and to spread the word about VeVe, not wanting to see another great restaurant go by the wayside.

So, there you go, blog fans - I'll be visiting VeVe soon, and maybe you can too.  I'll post my thoughts here on DallasEats...

For more info:  www.veverestaurant.com

FoodiePrincess' Top Five Crave-able Dallas Dishes

I am the first one to admit that although I pride myself as a foodie, I am also a creature of habit. I am all about trying new places and dishes, but when I find something I really love, I have a tendency to never order anything else. These are the dishes that compel me to drive across town, listed in no particular order.

After you check mine out, tell us--what are your most crave-worthy Dallas dishes? We want to know!

1. Canh Chu (Vietnamese Hot and Sour Soup)
Green Papaya
3211 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219

If I'm not feeling well, if it's cold and rainy, or if I'm in the mood for something light but full of flavor, there's nothing better than this soup. The perfect combination of sweet and spicy, this chicken-broth based soup is loaded with fresh tomatoes, pineapple, and your choice of shrimp or chicken. It is literally not possible for me to eat at Green Papaya and not order it. A little tip—the shrimp comes with the tails still on, so it's kind of a beating to eat in the soup. Go with chicken.

2. Chicken Salad
Café Max
1600 Alma Rd., Richardson, TX 75081

Mayonnaise is my kryptonite. You can make the best hamburger in the world, but if you put mayonnaise on it, I'm out. Because of this, chicken salad is usually a no-go for me. The chicken salad at Café Max on the other hand, is a mix of roast chicken, pears, apples, walnuts and green and red bell pepper. I've never been able to put my finger on exactly what's in the sauce, but I think it's a mixture of cider vinegar, cilantro and apple juice. Whatever it is, it's delicious, and—at least I like to think—a little more virtuous than your run-of-the-mill chicken salad.

3. Cheese Enchiladas
Mattito's
3011 Routh Street, Dallas, TX 75201
6332 La Vista Drive, Dallas, TX 75214

Most decent cheese enchiladas are fairly crave-able, but these are irresistible. The combination of chile con carne, onion, cheese and tortillas is a classic, but these are at the top of the genre. Yum.

4. Baby Spinach Salad with Steak
State and Allen Lounge
2400 Allen St., Dallas, TX 75204

In general, I'm not much of a salad person, but I order this one almost every time we eat at State and Allen Lounge, which is fairly often. The fresh spinach, raspberry, red onion and oranges are topped with blue cheese crumbles and dressed with warm vinaigrette. Because I'm a total carnivore, I usually get the steak on top, which goes great with the other flavors in the salad. It's crunchy, sweet, tangy, and meaty. What more could you ask for in a salad? Or any meal, for that matter?

5. Crawfish Enchiladas
Alligator Café
4416 Live Oak, Dallas, TX 75204

Yes, I'm raving about Alligator Café—again. I just can't stress the greatness of this place enough. The Crawfish Enchiladas are almost always what I order. Normally cheese and seafood don't mix, but this is the exception. It's also served with dirty rice and red beans, both of which are crave-able in their own right.

Sweet and Spicy Black Beans

These black beans are the perfect side for BBQs, and they make for great burritos as well...

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 dash chili powder
1 dash cumin
1 dash ground cinnamon
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook about 2 minutes; then stir in garlic, and cook until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in tomatoes and brown sugar. Season with cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, and ground cinnamon. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in black beans, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 hour or longer. Before serving, stir in cilantro. Breathe in the spicy, cilantro-y aroma. Eat.