Texas Restaurants~Fearing's

Back in 2009, I was at the Research Chefs Association's annual conference in Dallas and helped to plate some of Dean Fearing's food. We got to meet the chef and got to eat some of the food that he had prepared for one of the events.  At that time, I didn't realize that he was one a famous and popular chef in Dallas. I thought that the food was underwhelming, but not my cup of tea.  I decided to give Dean Fearing's food another shot, so last week  I went to a girl's night out at Fearing's, which is known for upscale southwestern food.  

 

 

Corn Muffin

Dean's Tortilla Soup with South of the Border Flavorings

Mesquite Grilled Wild Salmon Glazed with Apricot Barbecue Sauce,

Black-Eyed Peas and Living Watercress Salad (I ordered the salmon)

Chili Braised Short Ribs with Queso Fresco Corn Whipped Potatoes and Crispy Tobacco Onions

Watermelon/Jalapeno Glazed Berkshire Pork Tenderloin

on Sweet Corn Pan Stuffing with Gunbarrel City Greens and Fried Okra

Duo of Dessert

Caramel Brownie Sundae and Texas Peach Parfait

A lot of people that I talk to really enjoy this restaurant, after all it is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Dallas, TX.  But I left the restaurant feeling the same way I did after eating Fearing's food back at the RCA conference.  The food was "okay" nothing spectacular or any dishes worth recommending.  Maybe the food was just "okay" because we ordered off the Restaurant Week menu.  Maybe the regular menu has better food options.  Maybe the atmosphere is more upscale and elegant in other parts of the restaurant (it seemed like all the Restaurant Week patrons were seated in a separate room from the main dining area).  Maybe my palate just doesn't like upscale southwestern food.  Maybe there was just too much hype around Fearing's being a great restaurant.  My conclusion is that there were too many "maybes" about the restaurant that I told Mike that it would not be worth his time and money to try Fearing's out.  
If I had left Mike home when I went to Lonesome Dove, there would be no question in my mind that I would say, "Mike, you have to try out Lonesome Dove, I'm sure you'd really enjoy it." But nope, I have the complete opposite opinion of Fearing's. 


Fearing's
at the Ritz Carlton 
2121 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75201 
(214)922-4848

Texas Restaurants~Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

Last Saturday Mike, a friend, and I made the trip to Fort Worth Texas to Tim Love's Lonesome Dove Restaurant.Tim Love's Restaurant Week menu was one of the more limited menus, nevertheless the food was superb!

Again, the dish I chose is in a pink font, and Mike's choice is in blue. 
Salad Course - Choice of:

Butter Lettuce, Bacon Lardoons, Chili Pepitas, Red Chili Buttermilk

Mike and I ended up switching appetizers because I enjoyed the soup more and he enjoyed the salad more. 

Roasted Summer Squash Soup, Shaved Gruyere, Creme Fraiche

We also ordered a couple of dishes that were not part of the Restaurant Week menu.

 Elk sausage sliders, seared foie gras, blueberry jam ($14). 

Mike and Sean really enjoyed these burgers.  They were debating whether they would rather eat 4 sliders plus the dessert we had or the beef tenderloin  Mike and Sean both would choose the burger and the dessert. 

White Truffled Mac and Cheese ($12).

This dish was really rich and creamy and had a nice subtle truffle flavor.  It was topped with 

Main Course - Choice of:

 Roasted Garlic Stuffed Beef Tenderloin, Western Plaid Hash, Syrah Demi Glace (this dish is normally $35)

The meat was awesome! Yes mom, I ordered a whole hunk of meat and really enjoyed it.   If you all know me, I'm not a big meat eater, but this steak was so tender and well-flavored, it was perfect.  I think this might have been one of the best steaks I've eaten in my life. 

Pork Chop, Three Bean Ragout, Crispy Parsnip(we didn't order this)
Flounder en Papillote, Shallot, Summer Vegetables, Spanish Olive Oil (we didn't order this. i was debating whether I wanted to eat fish or meat, and Mike rationalized with me and convinced me that steak is usually the best choice at at steakhouse)

Dessert Course

Caramel Budino (Butterscotch Pudding with Salted Caramel and Fresh Cream).  I don't even like butterscotch or caramel, but this was simple and delicious.  I liked how the salt slightly muted the sweetness of the caramel.  

Lonesome Dove has definitely made it to my list of "Favorite Restaurants in Texas."  Even thought it's all the way in Fort Worth, TX (about a one-hour drive from where we live), we'll have to go back when people come and visit us.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
2406 N. Main Street,
Fort Worth, TX 76164.

Texas Restaurants~Loft 610

About two years when I was interviewing in Texas,  I went to Loft 610 for dinner.  I previously posted about this restaurant and was not thrilled about the food.
Flash-forward to 2010 and after a couple of recommendations and the fact that Tre Wilcox from Bravo's Top Chef is the Executive Chef, Mike and I decided to check out the restaurant with a couple of friends. 

The menu was posted online and I was not quite sure what I wanted to order.  Here's the complete $35 Restaurant Week menu with pictures of the items we ordered.  My choice is in the pink font, Mike's is in the blue font.  All the dishes in the black font are items that we did not order. Would you believe me if I told you that I pre-posted Mike's picks prior to dinner?  Based on his food preferences, I took a stab at what he would order. 

1st Course

Seared Shrimp and Diver Sea Scallop, Watermelon, Cilantro, Olive Oil

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Citrus Champagne Sauce

Crispy Pork Spring Rolls, Red Chili Dipping Sauce
Baby Iceberg “Wedge” Oven Roasted Tomato, Bacon, Chives
Caesar Salad, Grilled Sourdough Croutons, Shaved Parmesan
Lobster Bisque, Grilled Vegetables

2nd Course

 Red Wine Braised Chicken, Polenta Croutons, Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Wild King Salmon, Black Truffle Risotto, English Peas, Citrus Brown Butter

Roast Beef Tenderloin, Chipotle Jack Cheese Grits, Ancho Shiner Bock Sauce

 Pan Roasted Mahi Mahi, Shrimp Fried Rice, Carrot Ginger Butter (The actual menu had a sea bass with a mango sauce). 

Wood Roasted Bone In Pork Chop, Three Cheese Potato Gratin, French Beans

The highlight of my night was definitely the sea bass. It was perfectly cooked and so light, yet moist. I wasn't a fan of the fried rice because the texture of the rice was a bit like risotto.  Actually our friend Chris thought that it was risotto. 

Dessert

 Chocolate Seduction Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream and Raspberry Sauce

White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Rum Toffee Sauce

Texas Peach and Blueberry Crisp with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I ordered the chocolate cake, but ended up finishing up Mike's peach and blueberry crisp.

We enjoyed the company and will definitely be trying out more restaurants! I love it when you go out with friends who also enjoy good food and who like to sample each others dishes!

If you were like me and wrote Loft 610 off your list of dining establishments, I would recommend that you go back to the restaurant and try it again. 

Loft 610
Granite Park 5760 State Hwy 121 Suite 175
Plano, TX 75024
972.377.2500

Restaurant Week...dun dun dun

Wow, I am just starting to realize just how frequently Mike and I eat out here. It's so difficult to keep up with the blog posts of all the restaurants that we visit. Personally, I enjoy eating at home more than eating out, and in a given week, we eat out about once a week or less. I think we end up eating out often because of group gatherings (which are usually fun even without the food).

But, in the month of August, Mike and I will be stepping up our game and checking out some high-end restaurants during "KRLD Restaurant Week" in Dallas.  Restaurant Week is a week (or more) when participating restaurants serve 3-course meals for $35.  The purpose of Restaurant Week is to support the North Texas Food Bank.  There is still time to make reservations at some of the participating restaurants. I found this link to be the most useful in planning our schedule and selecting which restaurants we wanted to attend.
 You may have to make a reservation later in the evening or settle for one in the middle of the week.  Also when calling for reservations, some restaurants request that you mention that you are making reservation for restaurant week. 

So which restaurants will Mike and I be visiting?  Stephen Pyles, Loft 610 (Tre Wilcox from Top Chef is the executive chef ), Nobu, Tim Love's Lonesome Dove, and Fearings.

Yes, we'll be eating a lot during the month of August.  Hopefully the 8-10 miles I run/walk and the two spin classes I take each week will minimize the poundage I may gain. 

Taj Mahal Imports~ Indian Chaat

Taj Mahal Imports is one of my favorite  places in Texas! After all of Mike's stories, it probably doesn't surprise you that Taj Mahal Imports just so happens to be a grocery store with a chaat (Indian Street Food) stand inside. The chaat is composed of multiple flavors and textures that is exciting to the taste buds.  If you are not a fan of spices, mint, cilantro, or tamarind; chaat might not be for you. 
A few weeks after Mike and I moved to Texas, there was a "Ethnic Market Tour" put on by some of my co-workers.  Taj Mahal Imports was on that list; and from that day on, I was hooked on Indian chaat. So hooked that Mike and I would drive to Richardson, TX (~30 minute drive from our house) once every two weeks. 

Bel Puri-The best way to describe bel puri is that it's a mixture of puffed rice, garbanzo beans, deep-fried noodles, cilantro, chopped onions, mixed with a sweet and spicy tamarind sauce.  I'm not doing this dish justice with my description, those are just the ingredients and flavors that I recognized.  I think the chaat stand changes up the recipe because sometimes there are pomegranate seeds or diced tomatoes in this dish. 

Dahi Puri-fried puffed puri (deep-fried flour-based puff) shells filled with a gravy and diced potatoes.  It is topped with a warm garbanzo bean gravy, yogurt, sev, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, onions, a tamarind sauce, and a mint chutney. 

Aloo Tikki-A fried potato patty covered with a warm garbanzo bean filled gravy, and topped with a tamarind sauce, mint chutney, yogurt, and sev (deep-fried noodle pieces).  This is Mike's and my favorite chaat.  It's warm and hits the spot almost like a hearty soup or stew. 

My initial plan was try all the items on the chaat menu, but every time Mike and I went back, we kept ordering the same items.  At $3.50 a plate, this is a great bargain for a quick snack or lunch.  Just do not forget to bring/buy water or a mango lassi (mango yogurt drink) to calm the heat from all the spices. 
A couple of months ago, a smoothie and ice cream shop opened up in Taj Mahal Imports right next to the chaat stand.  We only tried the falooda (an interesting concoction of ice cream, jello, chopped nuts, fruit, vermicelli, and cream), but all those smoothies and snacks look scrumptious. 

Taj Mahal Imports
26 Richardson Heights Ctr Ste C
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 644-1329

Texas Restaurants~Ra Sushi

Ra Sushi is one of my sister's favorite restaurants for cheap meals in Las Vegas.  Mike and I realized that there was a Ra Sushi just a few minutes away from my work place, so we decided to check it out.  We went there for Ra's Happy Hour, which includes half-off appetizers and sushi rolls. There are also pretty good drink specials here too. 

Look at that huge scoop of wasabi!

This was my favorite appetizer. The calamari tempura (7.25--> $3.63). The squid is really soft, and only the body portion of the squid is served. I'm not a fan of squid legs. 

Grilled Shortribs ($7-->$3.50). Mike enjoyed these.

Viva Las Vegas Roll ($12.25-->$6.13). It's a crab and cream cheese roll, topped with spicy tuna, crab, and a fried lotus root.  This is my sister's favorite roll that she suggested Mike and I order. 

Crispy Spicy Tuna ($9.50--> $4.75). Mmm...deep fried rice balls topped with spicy tuna, a little piece of jalapeno pepper, and a spicy sauce.  I thought this was delicious, but I really like crunchy rice and spicy tuna, so I'd probably like any crunchy rice dish. 

Kaisen Ceviche ($9-->$4.50)-I'd skip this dish.  It was a little mushy and I think the seafood was cooked using heat, rather than with acid (lime juice), so it was not a traditional ceviche. 

Pork Gyoza ($6--> $3)

We would definitely eat at Ra Sushi again, and have gone back since the time I took these pictures. 
Ra Sushi
The "Happy Hour" is from 3-7pm Monday-Saturday.
7501 Lone Star Drive
Plano, TX 75024
(469) 467-7400