Two Years as Taste Buds: The Grape

There seems to be a laundry list of Dallas restaurants we cannot wait to try, so when discussing where to go for our two year blog-iversary the choice was difficult to say the least. We finally came to a decision to go to The Grape, one that has been thrown out a number of times, but we had yet to make the trip. Of course when going to The Grape, it must be planned around their infamous “Best in Texas” burger as ranked by Texas Monthly, which is only offered on Sundays and Mondays.

We arrived at The Grape on a Sunday at 11, after wisely making reservations. We witnessed the party before us being turned away because they had failed to do so. We were seated right away and decided on what cocktail we should enjoy. We noticed the normal mimosa and bloody mary offerings, but then saw “wounded yellow bird.” When Sara asked the waiter how he “felt” about the drink, he said, “I feel pretty good.” We were sold. The drinks were light and refreshing, if you are like us and like grapefruit juice.

I HAD to order the burger; even though my eyeballs kept leading me back to the chicken fried biscuit. Sara ordered the steak frites after debating between that and the ox tail and banana pepper hash. Honestly, at first glance the menu looks creative and appetizing the whole way through. I would be interested in returning to try out several of the other dishes.

 Our food came out fast, and we eagerly dug in. The burger comes with the usual accompaniments, and is topped with bacon and white cheddar cheese on a “pain au lait” bun. The burger was juicy and the fries were exactly how I like them. The bun could arguably be what makes this burger special. The white cheddar also added something different than your usual cheddar or American cheese. However, while eating, I kept thinking “but is this the BEST burger I have ever had?” For me, that is difficult to answer.

 Sara had the steak frites, while she seemed to enjoy her meal, after sneaking a few bites of my meal, the center of conversation still hovered around the question to whether this was the best burger we have ever had. This burger is delicious, and I couldn’t think of a necessarily “better” burger I have had, but I am still hesitant to put the word “best” in front of something that a number of other places make the same seemingly elusive proclamation. So, with that said the jury is still out. I would gladly go back to The Grape for the burger. Overall, our brunch was quick, enjoyable, and effortless. The ambiance at The Grape is quaint but still unique. We are definitely new fans.

Thanks for the 2 years fellow Taste Buds!!! 

Metropolitan Cafe: A Hidden Gem

Finding a hidden treasure close enough for Sara to meet me on her lunch break led us to Metropolitan Café. Nestled quietly on the edge of Main Street downtown, this local café has great character that seems to attract a very steady lunch crowd.

We headed to lunch early, around 11:45, to try to beat the crowd. I made sure we were going on a Wednesday, when their seemingly infamous crab cakes are the special of the day. The place was already crowded, as it is a small café, with only a few workers who seemed stressed and ready to battle the expected lunch crowd.

The café offers a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads, as well as the daily special. On Wednesdays, that special is crab cakes. I ordered the crab cakes with black-eyed peas and coleslaw. Sara ordered the greek salad with grilled chicken. Both of us eyeballed the fresh pies and cakes looming in the glass window, and decided to exert some level of self-control.

Our food came out quickly, and we were lucky to snag a table. As we were seated, we noticed how busy the place had become. We were glad we decided to make it an early lunch. My crab cakes were awesome. They were puffy, light, and filled with an abundance of fresh tasting crab. I could tell why the rush hit on Wednesdays. The cole slaw was very good as well, I liked that it didn't taste too mayonnaise-y. The black-eyed peas were what I expected, but were enjoyable. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal and cannot think of a better crab cake I have had.

Sara’s greek salad was large, fresh, and light. She seemed to enjoy the salad, although she did not rave that it was something that stood out in a crowd of other solid greek salads. However, we both agreed that going back for some pie should be a part of our future plans. The place is quick, cheap, easy (if you beat the crowd), and satisfying. So, if you work downtown or can’t find a place next time you’re there, we would suggest checking out Metropolitan Café and ordering one of the tasty sandwich options we did not get to try out. Or, if it is a Wednesday, get the crab cakes. 

MAP

Mr. Mesero - McKinney Ave Hot Spot

As soon as we heard that the new restaurant to hit McKinney Ave, Mr. Mesero, was a Mi Cocina spin-off (of sorts), we were intrigued. We already love Mi Cocina, Taco Diner, Manny’s and Mia’s and couldn’t wait to see what Mr. Mesero had to offer.

We decided to check it out on a Thursday evening and the restaurant was basically full by 7 PM. We could tell it had become a McKinney Ave. favorite. We got a table on the covered, heated patio and ordered some drinks. My first sip of the Micorita made me literally giggle. It reminded me so much of college spring break. It was exactly what I would have made for myself when I had not a care in the world and just wanted to party on the beach. Needless to say there was no shortage of tequila!

The presentation of the chips and salsa was a huge departure from what you would see in a typical Tex-Mex restaurant. There was a neat little row of chips with a cup of salsa on the end. The salsa was similar to the Mi Cocina salsa, but I felt like it was more tomato-y. We also ordered the Queso Mesero after hearing how good it is from friends. It has spinach, artichokes and roasted poblano in it, but doesn’t taste so much like spinach/artichoke that you lose the chips and queso feel. It had a great balance of flavors, but unfortunately it came out less than warm. That was disappointing, but not enough to keep us from shoveling it into our mouths.

For entrees, I ordered the “Quatro” which comes with a tomatillo chicken enchilada, a brisket taco and green rice. I was really surprised at how different the meal was from the M Crowd restaurants’ dishes. I was expecting it to just be a twist from the norm, but it was really different. The enchilada had some interesting flavors in the chicken – something like allspice. The brisket taco had a really earthy, interesting sauce on it and the green rice was amazing!

Haley ordered the Carnitas Tacos with roasted pork, chile sauce, slaw and red rice. The carnitas tacos were super good and the pork had amazing flavor. The red rice was exactly the same as Mi Cocina’s rice so of course that was good. Haley was really pleased with her tacos.

Overall, we had great service and yummy food. It’s good to see that there is something different out there in the way of Dallas Mexican Restaurants. We will definitely be back and of course recommend it to everyone that has a special place in their hearts for anything remotely related to Mico!

http://www.mrmesero.com/

Bowery: Kale Chip Dreamin'

During one of our recent foodie outings, we were fortunate to strike up conversation with the table next to us. These foodies were adamant about us trying Bowery in Uptown. We had heard good things about the new gourmet hot dog joint, and were more than ready to check it out.  Luckily, we headed there after a concert so we had a number of critics to weigh in (ahem, steal their food).

We arrived on a Thursday Evening, and were pleased to see the place was steady, but not overly crowded. We were excited to find out that it was “half-price champagne cocktails” night, so we indulged. Among our choices were the “Hummingbird” with prosecco and St. Germaine, the “Jalisco Flower” with agave tequila, the “Champagne Sangria”, and the “Belgium fizz” with peach. The “Jalisco Flower” was terrible. I thought tequila and champagne sounded fun and exciting, however, it was disgusting. The other cocktails were tasty and everyone enjoyed sipping on them.

The dogs on the menu are much different than your standard ballpark dog. However, there are a few classic options for those less adventurous. The dogs that we ordered ranged from the bratwurst accompanied with sauerkraut, the croque madame (with beschamel, ham and a fried egg), and a banh-mi dog with pork sausage. We also settled on side choices of gouda waffle fries, sweet potato tots, and kale chips.

The sides came out first, and in retrospect, I think we would have been just fine if they stopped there. The gouda waffle fries were tasty and different, the sweet potato tots were lackluster, but the kale chips were a different story. I had a bite and was immediately hooked. The hints of lemon and garlic made this one crispy and delicious veggie to keep eating. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the kale chips (nearly) as much as I did. A few days later, I even had a dream about the kale chips. Seriously, these bad boys are that life changing.

The dogs arrived shortly thereafter, but the peak had already been reached. The buns are big and soft, and the dogs were a good size. My brat was tasty. I really enjoyed the crispiness of the sauerkraut. Sara enjoyed her banh mi with the pork sausage, but expressed that she wished it were made with a regular hot dog link instead. Our guest star had the Croque Madame, made no complaints, and said that he enjoyed the decadent dog.

Overall, Bowery is a breath of fresh air in a trendy-burger joint dominated Dallas. The dogs are interesting, and quite unique. If you are craving something easy, different, and decadent, then we suggest the journey. We both agreed that the kale chips and champagne cocktails would justify another trip to the joint. Until then, I will see you delicious morsels in my dreams…

Bowery Dallas

Sunday Funday at Sundown at the Granada

Sundown at the Granada had been on our Foodie Adventure list for a while and when a concert yielded a great opportunity to check it out, we couldn't resist! We got a cool table in a dark part of the restaurant and were greeted by a really friendly waitress. We were ready for Sunday Funday to begin! Upon perusing the drink menu, we were very excited to see that Sundown has Ginger Beer. Moscow Mules all around! 

After ordering our drinks, we started with the Stuffed Avocados because we had all heard how great they are. It comes with 3 stuffed avocado halves - an Italian one with sun-dried tomatoes, toasted almonds, basil, and shaved Parmesan; a Southwestern one with tomato, feta, black bean, sweet corn, hemp-seed, and agave; and a Waldorf one with grilled chicken, candied pecans, and blueberries. It also comes with little baby endive leaves so you can make tiny lettuce wraps with the different avocado stuffings. It's really fun and different - not to mention delicious! We all agreed that the Italian one was our favorite, but they were all good.

For our meals, our waitress recommended the flatbreads and a few other things, so we decided to take her up on her recommendations. Haley went with the The Hammered Goat flatbread. It came with drunken mushrooms, chevre, local honey, and white truffle oil. It was awesome...and huge! These flatbreads are enormous. You could definitely use these as an appetizer for a small group. 

I went with the Hail Caesar flatbread which came with sun-dried tomatoes, kale, shaved Parmesan  and lemon zest. I also added grilled chicken and got it on a gluten free crust. It was really interesting. I loved the kale and sun-dried tomatoes. The Caesar dressing was really overpowering, though. It was one of the few times I could actually taste the anchovy in the dressing which made it kind of fishy tasting. The GF crust was ok - not one of the best I've had but it's great that they have so many options for dietary restrictions.

Haley's boyfriend ordered the Surf and Turf which came with 10 oz. grass-fed sirloin, gulf shrimp, kale, and  sweet potato fries. The steak was super tender and flavorful and the shrimp were pretty good. Michael also really enjoyed the kale. But the most important thing...the sweet potato fries were awesome! Some of the best sweet potato fries we've had. Definitely order these!

We had a great time at Sundown and can't wait to go back for the newly formed brunch menu! It's not just a great place for a pre-show bite, it's really a great Dallas foodie destination. Be sure and check it out and let us know what you think!

http://sundownatgranada.com/

Ketchup Burger Bar: A Mediocre Attempt at a Stellar Burger

One of the latest foodie trends of the past year has been trendy burger joints. We can’t complain, it makes us feel a little better about craving a burger and fries, and where can you really go wrong? We bought a groupon for Ketchup Burger Bar in the Uptown area, and were excited to give it a try. We were looking forward to the outing since Ketchup uses fresh, organic ingredients, and the vast amount of ketchups seemed exciting.

We arrived on a nice day for lunch, and opted to sit on the patio. It wasn’t crowded during the mid-day work lunch hour, which was nice. Our waiter explained to us the concept of the restaurant after we told him we were newbies, and he went over all the different types of ketchups and the most popular burgers on the menu.  There are four different types of ketchup at “Ketchup” including the house, green tomato, chipotle, spiced, and if you feel so inclined your standard Heinz.  There are a lot of burger options and fries as well.

We started with a fry trio, of buffalo fries, sweet potato fries, and white truffle parmesan fries. Sara ordered the Blue burger, with gorgonzola, grilled red onion, arugula, tomatoes and mission fig spread. I opted for the Roadhouse, with bacon, mozzarella, onion, garlic mayo, and tomato. Both of the burgers came on brioche buns.

We started out munching on the fries. All three types we ordered were really tasty. The buffalo fries were super thin and crunchy, which were nice. The sweet potato fries were pretty standard, but enjoyable as well. The white truffle parmesan were pretty delicious as well. We were excited to try our burgers after enjoying all the fries.

Sadly, when eating our burgers we were quite disappointed. The brioche buns were soggy, and did not compliment the meat and toppings at all. The meat was just “okay”, and we both agreed we had enjoyed much better burgers elsewhere. Sara was taken aback about how strong the fig spread was on her burger, even over powering the gorgonzola. Overall, using a groupon and getting a good deal it was worth the trip. The fries were enjoyable, but we both agreed that with all of the new and exciting burger places around, we will not be returning.