UP ON KNOX

 

Chocolate Croissant- 3

Made fresh daily. This was flaky, buttery goodness. But I would have liked a lot more chocolate! You can’t skimp on the chocolate in a chocolate croissant! Am I right?! Oh and also they serve it room temp and told me afterwards when I mentioned I would have preferred to have it served warm that they told me I could’ve requested that. So there’s that. 😐

Knox Egg Biscuits- 4

Two house made biscuits filled with scrambled eggs, gruyere and bacon with mixed lettuce salad. Obvs requested no bacon which was no problem. These were super yummy! And seems to be one of the more popular items on the menu since I saw several tables ordering them. And the best part about the biscuit breakfast sandwich? There’s two of them!

Gruyere omelette- 3.5 (Not pictured)

Very satisfying and the gruyere made it nice and creamy. This dish is served with a choice of salad or fries. Get the fries. Definitely get the fries. They are sweet and savory and very addictive.

Overall, this place is such a find! It’s super cute inside and the service is excellent. You could certainly go casual but most people were in their Sunday best out for brunch.

Pro-tip : They do accept reservations and you may need one!

 

BLIST’R

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Spicy Vindaloo Char-grilled Paneer- 3.5

Fresh Indian paneer basted with spicy vindaloo sauce with tomatillo kachumber, dressed chilled lettuce mix and basmati rice. Ok so I wanted to Love this. It looks amazing right?? I love paneer and I could eat basmati rice every day. All the ingredients were super fresh and they prepare it right in front of you. But it was just WAY too spicy. Now I realize “Spicy” is in the title. I get it. But honestly you lost the flavor of everything in the Naan wrap because the heat was overpowering. Keep it spicy but dial it down just a couple notches please!

Crispy Fried Potato Wedges- 4

Dusted in chaat masala served with curry aioli. These were very good and they give you a generous portion that came out piping hot. Thick and flavorful. But sadly the spice in the wrap made it even hard to taste all the flavor of the potatoes.

So this was my first time to Legacy Hall! And like a responsible food blogger I checked out all the menus of the vendors in advance. It’s a large 3 story food hall and Blist’r can be found on the first floor. I’m looking forward to going back!

Pro-tip : Get your drinks first. We waited longer for our beers than we did for food!

 

BLUE SUSHI SAKE GRILL

 

Crispy brussels sprouts- 4.5

These deliciously addictive sprouts are tossed in a creamy lemon miso sauce and yummy toasted cashews. I order these every time I go and they are SO yummy! And what’s even better is that they’re on the happy hour menu!

House salad- 4.5

Mixed greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and crispy wonton strips. This may be one of the highest rated salads I’ve had. The ingredients are so simple and such a perfect combination but it’s the dressing that steals the show. It’s so good it’s drinkable. I ate every last bite!

Eden roll- 2.5

Sweet potato vegan tempura, grilled asparagus, edamame hummus, sun dried tomato, brown rice, soy paper, olive oil.  It’s the hummus that didn’t work for me. It was pasty and overpowering. It wasn’t terrible, I still ate several pieces, but the wine made me do it.

Thai Hippie- 3

Tofu vegan tempura, avocado, carrot topped with Thai peanut sauce, cashew with Thai basil, cilantro, mint and red onion salad. This was decent but I really prefer my veggie rolls to be simpler. This was trying too hard.

Overall, Blue Sushi Grill is a fun place with lots of veggie options. And the house wines are surprisingly good! All of the above items are on the happy hour but there are plenty of vegetarian dishes on the dinner menu as well. Next time I’d order the Brussels and salad, skip the rolls and go right to trying dessert.

 

NODDING DONKEY

 

Donkey Balls-3

Fried Oaxaca white cheddar with a hint of jalapeño. They serve it with ranch and marinara. So my first issue with this was that they came to the table luke warm. I considered sending them back but then decided fried cheese doesn’t warrant that level of high maintenance. That said, the flavor was tasty and who doesn’t love dipping in different sauces? But I prefer a good traditional mozzarella stick.

Loaded cheese fries- 4.5

SO GOOD. It comes with bacon but obvs you can ask for them without. What makes these special more than other cheese fries? It’s cheddar AND queso! Um heck yeah! I’d like to give a shout out to the genius behind that idea!

Overall, this is not the most veggie friendly place lol. In fact these were really the only items other than salads. But if what you want is cold beer and some fried apps in a casual sports bar atmposphere? This will work!

FUZZY’S TACO SHOP

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Chips and guac- 3

You can find chips and guac on hundreds of restaurant menus in Dallas. And some are amazing. Some are just ok. These are just ok. I don’t love the seasoning on the chips and yet somehow I manage to eat several anyway lol. The guac is fresh and I like the flavor but I like a chunkier guac.

Cheese quesadillas- 4.5

Sometimes you just want a simple classic. These were AWESOME. Cooked perfectly with just the right amount of cheese. I have never had them before, I always get the veggie tacos. But these will likely be my go to going forward!

Veggie tacos- 4

These are super tasty. Black beans and veggies, with strangely enough, feta cheese. I know! But it works! And I love the garlic sauce! Pro-tip: It comes with a soft shell tortilla but ask for crunchy!

Overall, Fuzzy’s is reliable tasty and fast and easy. And as I type this I am putting myself in the mood for more right now 🙂

REPUBLIC

 

Dip Trio- 4.5

Guacamole, Kuby’s Pimento Cheese, Pico and Tortilla Chips. The guacamole is creamy and fresh. The pimento cheese is just awesome and even non pimento cheese lovers will probably like it. The pico has some heat so you’ve been warned! All together delicious diverse tastiness and we managed to eat every bite of this trio. You will certainly enjoy it!

Pepper Jack Tots- 5

This is your MUST GET! I have ordered this every time and have never been disappointed. Even thinking of them right now makes me crave them! Giant potato cheesy goodness served with charred onion sour cream. Yes, yes, YES!

Five Cheese Mac N Cheese- 4

Yum, yum, yum! The orchette pasta is cooked perfectly and the house blend of cheeses is creamy cheesy decadent goodness, and comfort food at it’s best. While they say it’s for sharing…I’m not so sure about that because I easily finished it on my own 😉

Chocolate Chip Cookies -4.5 (Not pictured)

So we started with one order. Then ordered another. And then yes….another! They’re just SO good! Giant chunks of chocolate chips and they are exactly what you want. Crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle. Oh, and they serve it with an ice cold glass of milk.

Overall, Republic is awesome. The atmosphere is fun and casual with attentive and professional service and incredible food. We’ve been here several times and each time is a great experience. I can’t wait until the weather is a bit cooler and we can sit out on their patio. Until then I’ll enjoy the Texas Tavern interior and indulge in more of those tots 🙂

CRU FOOD & WINE BAR

 

Goat Cheese Beignets- 5

Hands down one of my favorite appetizers in Dallas! Insanely delicious fried goat cheese served with honey and cracked pepper. They’re simply incredible. Go get them tonight!

Bruschetta- 4

The flavor of this dish is fantastic. It’s fresh and it’s the perfect ratio of ingredients on toasted crostini. My only objection was to the size of the tomatoes. I wish they had been cut in half or even in quarters versus these large chunks that were hard to bite into and kept falling off.

Overall, Cru is one of my fave restaurants and usually one of my top 3 locations for celebrations. This is however not just because of their food but primarily because of their Bubbles flight! That’s right, it’s a prosecco and champagne flight! So delicious and all excellent choices you will find it hard to decide which one you like best! The location in west village is fun and easy to get to. And in nicer weather you’ll love  sitting on the patio. I’ll definitely keep going back!

TRULUCK’S

 

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes- 5

OMG. We were fighting over this at the table and licking the bowl. These are the best restaurant mashed potatoes ever. GO get ’em! And don’t be silly like us and attempt to share them.

Kung Pao Cauliflower- 4.5

These were SO good!! Crispy, tangy with just a hint of heat. Every crumb on the dish was eaten. I would absolutely get these again. Although I’d choose it as an appetizer versus a side dish.

Asparagus-2.5

These were just ok. We didn’t finish them and we finished everything else including the bread basket! It’s served with a béarnaise sauce which is really why we decided on these over the Brussels or the Spinach. And the sauce did take them up a notch. But they were undercooked and actually a bit tough.

Baked Alaska- 5

Not sure how this happened, but no one at the table had ever had Baked Alaska before! Does it always taste like this? Are we now ruined for all Baked Alaska in the future? Because this was AMAZING. I would eat it again right now. And probably again tomorrow.

Chocolate Bag- 4.5

The presentation of this is just incredible. It’s eye catching. We saw it from across the room and were mesmerized. And the best part? it’s not just pretty! Once it’s cut open, there is pound cake, and chocolate chips and berries (which you can guess correctly I pick around) and overall deliciousness! If you have someone who’s passionate about chocolate in your life, this is where you bring them for a special occasion. And this is what you order.

Chocolate Malt Cake- 3

So this is the dessert I was most excited about. But it was really just an average chocolate cake. And on it’s own I’m sure I’d say I really enjoyed it. But it just paled in comparison to the other options.

Creme Brule 2.5

I really enjoy creme brûlée but this was just okay. The flavor of the custard was good, but I wasn’t crazy about the texture and they over burned the caramelized sugar.

Carrot Cake- 4

This is Excellent carrot cake! The cake and cream filing are superb! Super moist, sweet but not sugary sweet. And with candied pecans on top! Carrot cake lovers need to come here ASAP because they will probably name this a 5. 🙂

Overall, this place appears to deserve the reputation it has developed. It’s elegant while still comfortable. The live music was lovely and the service was excellent. Our server Rachel shared with us that she was still relatively new, but she was delightful and made sure we had an excellent time. I will definitely be back to try her recommendation of the Miso-Glazed Tofu!

CREMONA BISTRO

 

Mama’s Homemade Bread- 4

I took a sneak peak at the menu before we went to dinner. As I often do…:) And I already knew I would order this. I’m such a sucker for menu items named “mama’s” lol. Well this time that silly rule served me very well! This was basically garlic bread with diced tomatoes, fresh basil and lots of mozzarella. But there was nothing basic about it. Super tasty.

Mozzarella Carozza- 3

Can you ever go wrong with mozzarella sticks? Probably not. And these were good. But the star of this appetizer was the marinara. We asked for several extra bowls to dip our bread in!

Caprese Salad- 3 (not pictured)

The most impressive thing about this dish is that we watched an employee go outside and pick the basil from a basil plant! So it certainly tasted very fresh. That said, a little too much vinegar and too little pesto. But I would still likely order it again.

Gnocchi Vodka Sauce- 3.5

This was recommended by our server. The gnocchi is handmade and cooked perfectly. I liked the vodka sauce but I didn’t love it. I think most people would, especially since it’s so hard to find in Dallas! But I’m a bit spoiled by sensational vodka sauce since it’s on EVERY Italian menu in Jersey. And even the pizza joints up north usually have a decent version of it. So while this was good, I’m still looking…;)

Overall, this place was such a find! It’s warm and romantic but still casual. There was even a piano player with an amazing voice belting out Sinatra and Dean Martin. Our waiter Ricardo was basically a ninja. Fastest service I’ve ever had in any Italian restaurant. Not a great wine list but the food is solid comfort food and I will definitely be back.

GLORIA’S LATIN CUISINE- Greenville

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Pupusas- 4

Thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese…Um, heck yeah! I’ve never had these before! Where have they been?! Very satisfying and tasty. I will say that they were probably only a 3 on their own (still very good!) but I bumped them up to a 4 after adding some of my black beans from my soup, salsa and guac to them!

Black Bean Soup- 4

I love black beans. Love them. And this did not disappoint. It was flavorful yet simple. This is the perfect side dish.

Overall, Gloria’s is always a lot of fun. The food is tasty, the margaritas are dangerous and the service is friendly. On this occasion our server Maria was very attentive and helpful. One word of advice my friends- the black bean dip (not to be confused with the soup) is NOT vegetarian. Devastating. I know. 😦