Our Best Bites at Iron Fork

Iron Fork Dallas is one of our favorite foodie events each year, with samples of food from various restaurants around the metroplex. This year, the venue changed to the Dallas Contemporary located in the Design District. Although the premise was the same, featuring local beer, wine, and food, we were not fans of the location change. The first thing we noticed this year was how hot and humid the venue was. Not really the ideal atmosphere for standing and trying samples from 20+ restaurants. However, we made the most of it and tried as many places as we could before we could no longer tolerate the heat. Here is a recap of some of our favorite bites.

#1: The jerk chicken from The Island Spot in Carrollton. See our previous post for an in-depth review of this hidden gem. This chicken is quite possibly one of our favorites in the metroplex. It is spicy, moist, and just lick-your-fingers good. Go to Carrollton now and try it out. They have a live reggae band on Fridays and the owner is friendly as can be.

#2: The cheese from Scardello. I don't know much about cheese, but I know what I like. All of the Scardello bites were delicious. I think I tasted some goat cheese and a white cheddar? Either way, everything I have had from this local cheese shop is scrumptious.

(Ate too quickly for photo-op!)

#3: The Kuby's sausage plate from Kuby's sausage. I'm German. There was sauerkraut and a curry bratwurst. THE END.

#4: The guava and cream cheese pastry from International Bakery-Cuban Dulceria in Carrollton. Another previous adventure of ours, see prior blog post, and another hometown favorite. The ladies here seem to make their pastries and sandwiches with love, and we thank them for it.

#5: The nachos from Torchy's Tacos, yet another prior blog post. Where do we begin, Torchy's never disappoints and we still think they should start a food truck.

#6: Nothing Bundt Cakes in every flavor. Moist, creamy, rich, and gives Sprinkles a run for their money.

Overall, we enjoyed Iron Fork as usual, but we demand a return to the prior location or an AC check up before having 300 people in a tiny warehouse. The food was delicious, but let's work on the atmosphere for next year. 

Photastic Pho in Richardson: Pho Pasteur

As a huge pho lover, I couldn’t wait to introduce Sara to the hot, steamy goodness. I have never met a bowl of pho that I didn’t like, but I have heard several great things about Pho Pasteur (located in Richardson and Carrollton). We decided on the original Pho Pasteur location in Richardson, which was in a part of town I did not even know existed. Tucked away on Beltline in Richardson, Pho Pasteur is hidden in a small strip mall. I knew this meant it would probably be legit, but it made Sara even more skeptical.

We sat down for lunch and I immediately noticed how spacious and clean this spot was. Sara opted for the Pho Ga (white meat chicken) and I ordered the Pho Tai Nam (eye round steak and flank steak). I usually am a chicken pho gal, but I decided a change would be nice. The bowls came out quickly, along with the usual accompaniments. 

The pho here is very good, probably one of the better bowls that I have had in the metroplex, and I’ve had my fair share, i.e. Pho is for Lovers, Pho Colonial, Pho Bac, Pho Que Huong, Pho Bistro. The broth at Pho Pasteur is what makes these bowls of noodles special. The broth is very flavorful, and the sodium is not overdone. I really enjoyed both steak options, and Sara was impressed by her first go at pho.

Overall, Pho Pasteur gets the Taste Buds stamp of approval.  If you are out in the North Dallas area, whether Richardson or Carrollton, then check out either location. The pho is authentic, and you can easily (and affordably) enjoy a hot bowl of deliciousness.