Author: Sandi

Artisanal cheese board-4.5

Chef selection of 5 cheeses. This was excellent. We loved all of the cheeses and it was a perfect blend. We couldn’t decide which we liked best! The only reason this wasn’t a 5 was that while there was plenty of cheese for 2 people, we ran out of bread quickly. The picture doesn’t really reflect the ratio well. This is not an inexpensive appetizer and so it was a bit frustrating to have to ask for extra bread, but it is definitely worth ordering and I would happily get it again.

Flourless chocolate- 4

Served with passionfruit cream and coconut sorbet. I have ordered this before and given it a 5. Now that was several months ago and someone came up with the crazy idea to add passionfruit creme on top. I know I am in the minority on this but I don’t care. In my humble opinion…Chocolate and fruit should rarely mix especially when the chocolate itself is divine as it is in this dessert. Although I’m sure most will disagree with me and love this dessert as is. It’s ok though, I will inevitably order this again and I will just ask for it without the criminal fruit topping. The coconut sorbet, however is Awesome.

Texas evening- 3.5

Pecan sponge, milk chocolate mouse and moka creme. This was delicious and it’s chocolate on chocolate so how could you go wrong? I wasn’t crazy about the texture but somehow it mysteriously disappeared from the plate anyway. 🙂

All of the above was enjoyed in their bar area. The Mansion is exactly as it’s name would suggest. Elegant and expensive. But I’ve been several times now and always enjoy myself. A little self-pampering is good for the soul and ya know, YOLO. 🙂

The service is excellent and this time we were taken care of by Megan who was lovely. I usually go for desserts and drinks but have a plan to try their vegetarian menu soon!

Bacon and Egg Sandwich (minus the bacon obvs)- 4

Scrambled eggs, arugula, tomato, fontina, aioli served with roast Calabrian potatoes. This is a super yummy sandwich. Trust me, you do not need the bacon for this to be packed full of flavor. The bread is awesome and I LOVE that they chose fontina for the cheese. Although the real star of the breakfast is these potatoes. They are crispy, greasy goodness that I will want after every hangover. Should that ever happen. 😉

Frose-5

I mean, come on. It’s $2 frozen alcohol. Even if it wasn’t good I’d probably order it again. Fortunately it’s super tasty and you will want more than one. Order this.

Glazed cinnamon rolls- 3.5

They were very tasty, warm, housemade sugary goodness. But these have become more and more popular on brunch menus and I’ve had better. But that said, when someone orders them at the table in the future, which is inevitable, I will most certainly steal a bite.

Overall this place is awesome. I’ve been several times now and it’s a go-to place for many of my friends. It’s always good, reliable, and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun.

Pro-tip: Make a reservation. You wouldn’t think you’d need one with a pizza joint but you’ll want one.

Say CHEESE sandwich-4

5 different cheeses, spinach, tomato, pesto on ciabatta. This was better than I expected! Although how bad can anything be with pesto am I right? But the ciabatta was a really nice touch. You have your choices of soup du jour, side salad or bag of chips. I went with the chips which was a good plan to enjoy later with the second (and third) pitcher of beer. 🙂 I would definitely order this again!

Premiere nachos- 3

I mean, they’re good with beer. But that’s all one can really say. They can come with meat of course, but the veggie option is spinach and mushrooms. And who wants that on nachos?? No one. Now if the veggie option was peppers and onions, or maybe black beans, that would be awesome. That said, it’s still tortilla chips covered in melty cheese. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Overall, we LOVE this place. It’s our third time here and the shows, the food, the cold pitchers of beer and the great service make for an excellent time. This time our server’s name was Kayla and she is a delight! If you haven’t made it here, it’s a Dallas must do. 🙂

Side of Fries- 4.5

Just like you want them. Fresh cut. Crispy but not greasy. Salted and peppered perfection.  Not gonna lie. The family size poutine that was the special of the day looked damn good, but alas the gravy is not veggie friendly. Get em anyway and dip em in your favorite condiment or eat plain. You won’t be disappointed.

Chicken and feta wrap (minus the chicken)- 3.5

I couldn’t decide between the greek salad or this wrap which is essentially the greek salad inside of the pita bread. I think next time I would just do the salad. The flavor of the greek vinaigrette is awesome and it is packed full of veggies. Just difficult to eat and I didn’t feel like I needed that much bread. Still very tasty and I managed to finish it . 🙂

Mozzarella sticks- 4

These are housemade and breaded and they are awesome. The mozzarella stretches on for miles once you bite into one. Ok, maybe not miles, but longer than the length of my arm! They’re not the best mozzarella sticks I’ve ever had but they are Very good. What was missing was a better dipping sauce. The prominent flavor was salt and I would’ve liked more tomato, basil, garlic, parm, you get the picture.

Overall, this place was a find! We happened to go on Canada Day and it was packed! Despite being super busy, the service was great and so was the food and the beer was ice cold. My family liked it so much they went back for brunch 3 days later! And I’ll definitely be back again myself. 🙂

Khao Pad (Fried Rice) – 4

This is so good. It’s different from your typical fried rice. The flavor is sweeter and the majority of the vegetables are bell peppers and onions. I ate most of it at dinner but still had enough for a side dish the next day. The only thing I didn’t love was the texture of the tofu. I’m just not a fan of soft tofu. I really prefer firm or even extra firm. But that’s probably not a deal breaker for most. I would definitely order it again, but I’d ask for extra veggies instead of the tofu next time.

Chiang Mai Curry Fries- 3

I was super excited about these mostly for their name. I’ve actually been to Chiang Mai! Yes I’m very worldly. 😉 Anyway, I thought I knew what I’d be getting but again, very different from your typical curry fries. Important to know that these were pretty spicy. And they didn’t have that little friendly red asterix that warns those of us with more sensitive spice palettes like they do on other items of the menu.  And I really would have liked some kind of dipping sauce. Not only is dipping a good time, but these just needed something extra for flavor purposes and to dial down the heat. Our server actually tried to steer us in a different direction when we asked about them saying there were better things on the appetizer menu. Now, these weren’t bad at all, but next time I’ll take his advice and try one of the other delicious sounding choices. Hmmm maybe the spring rolls… I’m hungry already! 🙂

Crispy Zucchini-4

These were not at all what you would expect. They were more like think thin apple slices and very little breading. But it worked! The entire table loved them!

Wood Fired Cauliflower- 2.5

I’m not really sure what’s happening here. It’s basically cauliflower with some seasoning on top. Once you cut into it, it’s just plain cauliflower. Very confusing.  Not bad, just odd.

Burrata (not pictured)- 2.5

I love Burrata. And have had some fantastic burrata. But this was not it. I didn’t care for this texture and although the tomatoes were good, it was overall disappointing.

Squash Blossom Pizza- 3.5

What this had going for it more than anything was the crust. If this was ordered at the table again I would have a slice for sure. But with all the choices on the menu I probably wouldn’t choose this one for myself.

White Pizza with Asparagus- 4.5

This was Excellent. Sadly it was the special for the night and so I’m not sure how often they will offer this. But it was SO good. It comes with pancetta or prosciutto, I can’t recall, but obvs you just ask for it without it and they were happy to do so. The white sauce was super tasty and paired perfectly with the asparagus. But again, the winner of this pie is the crust. It’s what will bring me back here again!

Overall, very lovely atmosphere inside the Crescent Hotel in uptown. We had a large party and somehow the acoustics were good enough that we could actually all hear each other in a very busy restaurant. Our waiter was pleasant but seemed way too busy to really be paying any of his tables the attention needed. Our drinks and food came out quickly for a Saturday night but they definitely need more support in the front of the house.

Falafel Platter- 4

First thing you need to know? This is the SMALL size. I was so full by the time we left and I had enough for leftovers! Second thing you need to know is that this is way better than you would expect from fast food! You walk in and choose from either a sandwich or platter. Then you choose your protein. They then add the rice, lettuce, tomato, pita and finally you choose between the white or red hot sauce. Unless there’s a line, which there usually is between 12-1, you are in and out in just a couple minutes. There are about a dozen tables as well if you want to stay. The falafel is very flavorful and gratefully not dry as is this case in most places, and all the toppings are fresh and tasty! yum!

Burrata Caprese- 4

This was delicious! Everything about it is so tasty. The burrata was perfectly creamy, the arugula salad was fresh and the crostini with balsamic reduction was both sweet and savory. So why wasn’t this a 5? You can’t tell by the pic but the portion size was way off! They only give you 2 slices of crostini. Two!! Who gets cheap on bread?! You want 4 slices for sure. AND there was virtually no pesto. There was maybe half a teaspoon. What is anyone going to do with that? If they quit pinching pennies on portions this would be a must-have every time.

Margaritas & Margheritas- 3

So this is actually what brought us in. On Wednesdays for happy hour, they have a buy one get one free special. Buy a margarita cocktail and get a free margherita pizza. Heck of a deal right? And it is! But honestly, they were both only ok. The crust is bland and was burnt in a lot of spots and they went really light on the sauce. Pinching pennies again? IDK. That said the cheese was great and again, it was free. So can’t complain that much!

Overall, it’s a clean, casual brick-oven pizza joint in West Village that is still going through the growing pains of a new restaurant. Our server Taylor was great, but we waited awhile for the food and even longer for the drinks and there were only a few tables there at that time. And even though there was a promotion online AND the chalkboard at the entrance said Buy a Margarita get a Margarita pizza FREE, the manager initially told our server it was only half off. So while it was not at all an unpleasant experience and the burrata really was very good, they will need to prioritize winning over customers instead of cutting corners on cost.

Queso enchiladas- 4.5

Are you in the mood for cheese? Of course you are don’t be silly.  Who isn’t?! These cheese and onion enchiladas come in 4 different vegetarian friendly sauces. Our server recommended the queso sauce and the man was not wrong. If you’re wondering if cheese enchiladas covered in a cheese sauce is too much, you’re wrong. It’s AWESOME. I chose the grilled vegetables as my side and they were cooked perfectly.

Sopapillas- 4

I have just been recently introduced to these fluffy cinnamon treats! I know, I know, but I wasn’t born in Texas, I just got here as fast as I could. 😉 Well in all fairness these are only the second ones I’ve ever tried, but I thought they were delicious and our table finished the bowl of them in moments so they must’ve been good!

Overall this place is great. You wouldn’t expect much from the interior but it’s my second time here and I am already planning my third visit when I have out of town visitors. Both times at the Greenville location. Service is attentive and there is plenty of easy parking. Careful with the margaritas… I had one and had to turn over my keys! I’m not saying that’s a bad thing lol, just come prepared with a DD or Lyft app ready! 🙂

Quinoa falafel sandwich- 4.5

This was not at all what I expected from the description but it was delicious! It’s basically one large quinoa falafel patty topped with cucumbers, tomatoes and an herb salad that’s funky in a ‘am I eating grass?’ kind of way but I’m not mad at it. I ended up taking off some of the dressing but other than that it was awesome. And what I love about it is that not only is it super tasty but the vegetarian sandwich option was something other than the typical lame portobello sandwich that you sadly see everywhere.

Fries- 5

Yeah these are fantastic. Don’t skip them. Most fries are good. These are addictive.

Overall the environment is casual but chic. Fits in well in the developing Design District. You could dress up or dress down and still fit in. It seems to be a big date night spot and I’d definitely go back. Not only was the food great, but so was the service with our server George, and parking is easy. Win. Win. Win.