Keep on Food Truckin': Gandolfo's New York Deli

Sara told me about a food truck that we needed to check out called Gandolfo's New York Deli, which serves deli sandwiches in different locations in Dallas. We both decided to "like" them on Facebook so we could see where they were each day. Looking at their posts, it seems as though they spend most of their time in the Arts District and Downtown areas of Dallas.Much to my surprise and excitement, one day I logged on and saw that they were coming to Lewisville for lunch (where I work). I recruited my co worker Jeff, a self-proclaimed Reuben connoisseurof sorts, and we headed out to get some food on wheels.

We got to the food truck location at a business parking lot off Corporate and I-35 and waited in a short line for our sandwiches. They had a lot of options including Hot and Cold choices depending on your taste. They also had options for half size sandwiches that are smaller (and cheaper) than the full size. We quickly browsed the menu and decided on what to order. It took only a few minutes and our sandwiches were handed to us through the mobile kitchen's window.

I ordered the half size of the "New Yorker" that came on a hoagie with roast beef, banana peppers, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese and oil and vinegar. It comes with mayo as well, but I am not a fan so opted out. The sandwich was absolutely delicious. Even though we had a picnic in the car because it was over 100 out, I still ate every bite of the hot sandwich. The hoagie roll wasn't too tough, the roast beef was tender and the combination of the banana peppers with the feta cheese really made the sandwich unique and interesting. When I go back, it will be hard for me to make a choice to try something else.



Jeff had the full size of the Reuben Sandwich and got it with the classic "Russian dressing" instead of spicy mustard. Having eaten some pretty good Reubens in his day, at first he was skeptical of how the sandwich from a truck would hold up. He ate the whole sandwich and praised how much meat they put on their Reuben. His only complaint was that there wasn't as much sauerkraut as he would have cared for in the sandwich. Overall, he said it was a really good sandwich and would be glad to go back with me when they come back to Lewisville. Sara actually went to the food truck the next day in Downtown Dallas and had half a Reuben as well and gave me great feedback, especially how full she was!

I am so excited that we are seeing more and more food trucks in Dallas and I can't wait to find new ones as well as go back to Gandolfo's! Follow them on Facebook to see when they will be by you, and go grab yourself a sandwich. I honestly believe food just tastes better from a truck!

FOLLOW GANDOLFO'S ON FACEBOOK!



So much more than pizza...

I was first made aware of Il Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum at the 1^st Annual Iron Fork Competition. There was something like 100 Dallas restaurants that set up stations and were handing out tastings of a representative dish from their menu. Diana (frequent guest star) and I were wandering around gathering samples and drinking wine when toward the end of the event, I stumbled upon Cane Rosso’s station and decided to try their caprese skewer. It was a cherry tomato, a large basil leaf a chunk of freshly handmade mozzarella and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. I swear to you, out of all the 20 or so restaurant tastings we tried, this was my absolute favorite! I had 4 skewers. The most impressive part was the mozzarella. I’ve had freshly made mozzarella before that was bland (blasphemy!). This was the most flavorful mozzarella I have ever encountered. I asked if I could just buy some cheese from the restaurant and the guy gave me a weird look…he said maybe.

Anyway, cut to a few months later, Haley, a new guest star cleverly nicknamed “The Bonz” and I decided to trek out to Deep Ellum and enjoy a delightful lunch. I forcefully required that everyone share the caprese salad with me to start and then we decided on 2 delicious sounding pizzas. Before I forget, I should note that this restaurant is devoted to creating authentic Neapolitan pizza made according to the strict guidelines of the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana and actually began as a food truck (hooray!!). The salad was delightful and the mozz was just as good as I remembered. 

Our pizzas were excellent too! We ordered the Delia: fresh mozzarella, roasted grape tomatoes, spicy bacon marmalade and arugula and the seasonal pizza: goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, pesto and sun dried tomatoes. My favorite was the seasonal, but I think the others preferred the Delia due to the spicy bacon marmalade (I thought it was a tad sweet). One thing we all agreed on? That pizza crust was quite literally the best crust ever! They make their dough in-house from imported, all natural “Double Zero” Italian flour. I thought I knew all there was to know about pizza, but suddenly I was both surprised and educated. This is what pizza crust is supposed to taste like. I get it now. Consider it my pizza a-ha moment. 

In addition to the delectable caprese salad and pizzas, I also brought dessert back to my office. I asked my co-worker what I should get and she requested the Zeppole: fried dough, powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. I admit, I was skeptical due to past experiences with Italian places trying to take on the beignet, but I decided to just roll with it. Boy was I surprised! The fried dough balls were nothing like beignets, nor did they try to be. They were soft, moist, doughy and slightly cakey with a crispy crust, and the chocolate sauce was like a cross between chocolate mousse, chocolate pudding and chocolate sauce. I never thought I'd be so obsessed with fried dough dipped in chocolate....oh well, could be worse!

Moral of the story, Il Cane Rosso is now my favorite Dallas pizza destination. What’s yours? We’re dying to know!

http://www.ilcanerosso.com/

What does Dallas taste like? Deliciousness.

The Taste Buds decided to get a whirlwind foodie experience this past weekend when we set out for Taste of Dallas. The festival featured over 60 local restaurants and a lot of interesting vendors from across the state. All tastings were much like "samples" of the restaurant's cuisine and ranged from $1-3. We arrived hungry and truly ready to find out what Dallas tastes like.

The first tent we stopped by was Farmers Branch's "Nuevo Leon." The samplings offered both brisket tacos and tamales. We had one of each and dug in. The brisket taco was extremely juicy and we added pico, onions and salsa to really give it that extra kick. The tamale was tender inside and absolutely one of the best tamales I have ever tasted. We definitely noted that this is a restaurant we want to go to for a full feature. Let us know if you have been here, and what we must try!

Next we headed inside a very much needed air conditioned pavillion where there were loads of local vendors selling everything from olive oil, hot sauce, jams, soups, nuts and alcohol. We were drawn to the Texas Toffee tent where we were given a free sample of chocolate pecan toffee. Sara's favorite type of candy actually is toffee. We tried the tiny sample and were immediately in heaven. This was love at first taste for Sara. She even kept sending our other friends over to the tent to steal their free samples. The owner told us that he works out of Plano and has a website and will ship anywhere.

The pavillion also had a stand that featured a local version of "skinny margaritas." Instead of being a mix including the alcohol, this mix does not have alcohol in it. It only has 5 calories per serving, making it a 100 calorie drink when you mix in whatever tequila you choose. We each tried a marg and thought it was pretty good. I personally prefer the original version by Bethenny, but Sara stated that she enjoyed this one more and that it was sweeter. It is nice that you can use the mix how you see fit, making it stronger or weaker accordingly.

Both of us have heard nothing short of how amazing the BBQ is at Lockhart's Smokehouse, so we were ecstatic to see they had a tent at the festival. We tried one order of brisket and sausage and split. Both meats had an extremely smoky flavor that was mouthwatering. I preferred the sausage, while Sara preferred the brisket. Both tastings were small, leaving us interested in checking out the restaurant for a full meal.

Lastly, we tried the Woodfire by Kirby tent, featuring beef tenderloin with loaded mashed potatoes. The dish was served on flatbread and the beef tenderloin was well seasoned and flavorful. However, the real star of this dish were the loaded mashed potatoes. I would go visit this restaurant located on Lower Greenville just so I could eat those bad boys.

Overall, the experience at Taste of Dallas was great. We tasted food from several different restaurants that we will take a trip to check out. Also, I now know where I will be ordering Sara's next gift from. Have you eaten at any of these places? Let us know what we need to try!

Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks in Texas? Yes, please.

I have never been to Philadelphia, so I would definitely caution that I am no cheesesteak connoisseur.  However, in college sometimes nothing sounded better after a rowdy night than a big, cheesy, greasy cheesesteak from Texadelphia. Sara is also a huge fan of Texadelphia and typically chooses to go there when she is in the mood for a cheesesteak. Now, Texadelphia is always pretty good, but I know it is a far cry from a real “authentic” cheesesteak. 

My dad is one of my favorite foodie leads, since he is always traveling around the metroplex for work and trying whatever random place he can find. He told me about a place called Fred’s Downtown Philly Cheesesteaks in Carrollton near my parent’s house. I put it on our foodie list, but it was not until I saw the original location in Plano spotlighted on “Foodies DFW” that I thought we should really check it out.  The feature mentioned that Fred is originally from Philadelphia and is really true to the authenticity of his steaks. It also mentioned that he even gets the bread sent down from Philadelphia.

We went to the Fred’s in Carrollton on a quest to see how the sandwiches held up. Fred’s is small, the air conditioner was hardly operating and Sara looked around thinking “where the heck did you bring me?” However, we continued forward with our adventure. I ordered the Mushroom Cheesesteak with steak, mushrooms, onions and cheese. Sara ordered the Broadstreet Cheesesteak with steak, jalapenos, onions, peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Both of our sandwiches were around $5.  There are regular and large size options, depending on how hungry you are. I also noted some authentic “Utz” chips from Philly, which are crab flavored. Say what? Something in me wanted to try them, but I did not.  If you have tried these bad boys out, please leave a comment as I am highly intrigued.

Sara and I sat down and waited for our cheesy goodness to be prepared. Sara was a little put off on the “shady” aspect of the location and the fact that you could see into the kitchen from our seats. However, shortly after, both sandwiches came out hot, fresh and looked delicious. The sandwiches were just as they looked, incredibly tasty. The amount of food was perfect; we were extremely satisfied but not overly full. I could tell that these were much more like the authentic style of cheesesteaks than I had been accustomed to, yet I was not let down. The steak was well seasoned, thin and juicy while the cheese was gooey and not overpowering.  I also really liked the bread that they used and it did not get soggy.

Fred’s is the perfect place to grab a quick bite for lunch or a fast dinner. It is quick and cheap and there are several locations in the metroplex. I am excited to go back and try another sandwich or even check out the chicken cheesesteak. Maybe this time I will be in a more adventurous mood and even order some crab chips!

Fred's Website

The Search for the Best Fried Chicken Continues

Most people that know me know that I do not really “accept” my Southern roots and believe I am destined to live somewhere far from home. However, there is something Southern about me that I cannot deny: my taste buds. My grandparents were from Mississippi, meaning no family get together was short of fried chicken, fried okra, cornbread, turnip greens, sweet potato casserole and peanut brittle. If my grandma was still alive, I would actually just stop blogging about restaurants altogether and focus on all of her masterpieces.  Thus, fried chicken and I go together like two peas in a pod. My college roommate actually used to say, “If you are what you eat, then Haley is fried chicken.”

When I saw the Food Network Special “Best Thing I Ever Ate: Fried Chicken”, I plopped down on my couch and thoroughly enjoyed the mouth watering 30 minutes of TV (judge me if you want). There were several restaurants featured, however the one that caught my eye was Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Mason, TN. Claire Robinson went on and on that this was hands down the best fried chicken she had ever had. She was adamant to try the original in Mason instead of the better known franchise in Memphis. Having planned a road trip to Bonnaroo this summer, I mapped out the location and saw that it was only about 20 miles out of the way and decided I had to take the plunge. After eating Willie Mae’s “best fried chicken in the nation” voted by the Travel Channel and Food Network (see earlier post), I had to see if it could measure up.

Mason, TN is the quintessential small town, if you can even call it that. There are about three sketchy looking gas stations, a car wash and a court room. Yes, a court room, as there is no need for a whole house.  We arrived to Gus’s a bit early, it opens at 11am. We met another gentleman waiting outside for it to open as well. He stated that he was from Nashville and was in town on business. He said that he always stops by Gus’s when he can as it is “legit.” The storefront even claims, “If you haven’t eaten at Gus’s, you haven’t eaten fried chicken.”

We went into the small, old house of Gus’s. This is truly a family run business and the white board even paid homage to the original founder by saying “R.I.P Gus.” You could tell that this fried chicken was made from love.  There are newspaper articles and pictures from magazines like “GQ” featuring this chicken. We each ordered a plate of three pieces of chicken that came with baked beans, white bread and coleslaw. I had a side of potato salad and Jarred tried the fried rice. The chicken at Gus’s is “spicy fried chicken” and considering my need of a spicy chicken biscuit intervention, I was excited to see what it was all about.

The chicken came out hot and fresh and rather quickly. We all started digging in. The chicken is good, really good. There is the right amount of spice in this chicken and the skin is golden and crunchy. The chicken itself is also very juicy. But I kept waiting for that life changing moment I had when I ate at Willie Mae’s. Unfortunately, it never happened. The sides were really delicious, the baked beans were my favorite and Jarred enjoyed the coleslaw. Jonathan and Jarred cleaned their plates, but I was stuffed after my 2 pieces.  Jonathan stated that it was the best chicken he had ever had, and Jarred was still up in the air about how he felt. He found that the three pieces of chicken were all seasoned differently.

I would definitely recommend checking out Gus’s if you are ever in Tennessee. However, I think next time we will forego the detour and go to the one in Memphis. The one in Memphis has a greater amount of sides and it would be interesting to see how it compares to the original. Willie Mae’s Scotch House in New Orleans may still have my heart, but I may cheat on her from time to time with Gus’s spicy chicken whenever I’m in Tennessee.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate/the-best-thing-i-ever-atefried-chicken/index.html

http://www.gussofms.com/

Cosmic Café: A Karmic Experience

The Taste Buds embarked on another foodie adventure, this time with a twist: no meat. No bacon? GASP! As a devout meat lover, I started my research online and found a lot of positive reviews about Cosmic Café and saw that it was voted several times as the best vegetarian cuisine in Dallas. The website and menu piqued our interest and we decided that we should make the trip.

Tucked away neatly on Oak Lawn, arriving at Cosmic Café takes you to a place that feels very far away from Dallas. The restaurant is setup in a colored and charismatic house, with trees and bright colors everywhere. When you walk up the steps you almost feel as if you are walking through a place in Alice’s Wonderland.  There is a large patio outside that would be great to dine on, and had it not been 97 outside we probably would have chosen to sit there.

Just as decorative inside as it is outside; we sat at a cozy table in the air conditioning.  Prices are moderate, around $8-10 for an entrée. We started out with some passion fruit hibiscus iced herbal tea (they have different types daily), and some hummus served with naan. The tea was particularly delicious and everyone helped themselves to several glasses throughout the meal. The hummus had a great amount of spice. We also really liked the naan that it was served with, making an interesting twist on the typical accompaniment of pita bread.

Sara had the “Cosmic Stir”, which was a stir fry of many types of vegetables in a ginger yogurt sauce. The portion was very large, and we all took turns grabbing a few bites of the plate. Sara enjoyed it as well, and all the vegetables were very tasty. I ordered the “I Hate Eggplant” dish, which was playfully named since it was actually full of eggplant. The dish of spicy eggplant and a combination of other vegetables came served with cheese in naan folded to look much like a quesadilla. I enjoyed my dish and the subtle spice of the eggplant that ended up sneaking up on me towards the end of the meal. By the way, if you hate eggplant I strongly advise against ordering this one.

Both Sara’s boyfriend Ben and my friend Stephanie (also another food lover), enjoyed the “No Bull Burger.” The all black bean patty came with a choice of cheese and the regular burger fixins’ including some portabella mushrooms. Ben and Stephanie both raved about the burger, so Sara and I knew we had to snag a bite. This veggie burger was delicious. The use of the black beans really didn’t make you miss meat (at least for this meal), and the bun was also really delectable. Sara even stated that it was the one of her favorite burgers she has ever tasted! Much to our amazement, we felt like this burger really satisfied the craving for meat.

I had read reviews about the yummy vegan cakes, so we thought to ourselves why not? We ordered a coconut and carrot cake to try. Both cakes were really, really good. They were moist, rich and most importantly, delicious. The vote on which one was better was split down the middle and we were all glad we had given in to our indulgences.

Cosmic Café is a really unique, special place to eat. Even if you are not a vegetarian you can really enjoy both the atmosphere and the food. We even noticed a meditation room upstairs and weekly yoga classes that are held. This is definitely a place that I will look forward to trying again many times in the future. I highly recommend checking it out, and let us know what your favorites are!

http://www.cosmiccafedallas.com/

Keep on Truckin'

The other day, when I was stopping by my local Walgreens to pick up a Red Box flick, I saw something so distractingly glorious that I nearly took out a pedestrian (Hey – don’t drop your groceries in the entranceway!). A food truck…in Addison. It was a Twilight Zone moment. We’ve all had our food truck adventures in say Austin, or Fort Worth, or Denton, or even just south of 635, but now it seems the food truck revolution has expanded into less obvious (but equally as deserving) neighborhoods.

I immediately parked my car and walked over toward the truck in an alien tractor beam type state. It was a Korean taco truck called SsahmBBQ. I honestly wouldn’t have cared what they were peddling (as I am of the school that if it comes out of a truck it must taste better). I needed to try it! I ordered 3 tacos – 1 beef, 1 pork and 1 chicken (don’t worry, I shared). The tacos came with sesame soy vinaigrette salad, caramelized kimchee, cilantro, onion and 2 corn tortillas. The tacos were a great mix of cultures and flavors, without any one component being overpowered. My pick was the chicken, Ben’s was the pork – although all were good (the beef is actually short rib, yumm).

While SsahmBBQ was very tasty and I do recommend it, I want to focus more on the momentum of the food truck revolution in Dallas. I am sure by now we have all heard of the trailer park that is in the works, which is cool and all, but I long for the day when we can roll out of a bar at any time or just run outside from work during lunch and pick up any variety of tasty cuisine from local entrepreneurs. If you own a food truck, we want to see more of you! If you have a favorite truck, give them ideas on great locations. Let’s band together and keep on truckin’, Dallas!

SashmBBQ

Dallas Trailer Park