Steak & Fries

I went to Company Cafe last night for dinner to knock two items off The List--sweet potato fries and chicken-fried steak.  If you plan on going there for dinner on a weeknight, go around 7pm.  We went on a Wednesday and there was barely anyone there.  It started getting packed once we were leaving, proving that it is a young crowd favorite.

The other great thing about early timing is the speed of the kitchen.  We had just received our drinks by the time our appetizer arrived.  #46 on The List is the loaded sweet potato fries.  Warning: the orders of this dish are HUGE.  We got a half order to split between two people and still barely finished half of it.  I guess they need a quarter option as well :).  I am extremely picky when it comes to my sweet potato fries.  I want a little bit of soft on the inside with a good crunch and not too much seasoning.  These were perfect.  Whatever salt they put on them is GREAT!  Even the pieces of straight fry were awesome.  The loaded fries come with cheese, bacon, green onion and jalapeno with a side each of ranch and ketchup.  The cheese was perfectly melted with a good mix of bacon, onion and jalapeno.  Also, the jalapenos were big enough that if you wanted to eat around them it wasn’t any trouble.  I only ate a few with jalapenos because they left all of the seeds, and to quote my dinner partner, “I want to be able to taste my main course”.

After almost filling up on fries, we ordered our main courses.  List #31 is the chicken-fried steak and luckily I brought someone willing to order it because I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it off.  Unfortunately, I was rather unimpressed with it.  The chicken fried steak tasted no different than a steak finger you could get at Dairy Queen.  And while I do love DQ they at least have better gravy.  Company Cafe’s gravy was billed as honey-jalapeno, but unfortunately I couldn’t find the kick.  There was a bit of honey taste, but it seemed not to add anything other than wetness to the fried steak.  The mashed sweet potatoes also had an odd texture.  They reminded me of the half-whipped version put into my grandmother’s sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving but without the brown sugar and pecans.  After the masterpiece of the sweet potato fries I was expecting much from the second sweet potato option.

My main course was phenomenal!  I went with the seared scallops and they were delicious.  Each scallop had perfect buttery goodness with a tenderness that barely left me needing a knife before they melted in my mouth.  The roasted brussel sprouts and diced vegetables had a great vinegary compliment, almost like a good collard green.  The broccolini florets were roasted well so that they cut cleanly but were not overly crunchy to chew on.

Overall, I would definitely come back for the fries and a beer but would stick with the lighter main courses for a meal.  B+

the Burger Journey

As much as work requires me to be a planner, sometimes the best thing on a random night is a spontaneous adventure.  After a long week a friend and I decided that it had been way too long since we had crossed something off The List.  We weren’t willing to get dressed up to go out so we decided to try the to-go places.  After a little Google mapping we headed out for our Burger Adventure (insert dramatic music).  Before you go thinking I ate four burgers in one sitting, you should know we ordered one of each item, split what we could and tossed the rest in order to get through it all.  While some places had us wishing we could eat multiples, we knew this was a marathon and we had to plan accordingly.

The first stop of the night was number #54 on The List, the good old-fashioned cheeseburger at Dairyette.  We ordered ours plain and dry with cheese and were not disappointed.  The place itself is an old-school grease joint, filled with regulars and everything you would think of when coming to an old time drive-in diner.  Reminiscent of an older generation, there were no TVs on the walls, no fancy décor and only 10 booths where families sat and enjoyed spending time chatting together.  Dairyette’s focal point was a large cask filled with their homemade root beer.  Most reviews mentioned how yummy their floats are, so I will be heading back again for another nostalgic treat.  Unfortunately, this was one of five -- we were on a mission and could not be distracted from our quest.  While patrons could tell we were newbies, the cashier was obviously accustomed to people showing up to try them out.  They didn’t bat an eye when we asked to split one burger and went above and beyond as they cut and separately wrapped our two halves of burger.  The cheese was perfectly melted, the bun was buttery and warm without begin distractingly thick and the meat held that homemade fresh grilled taste.  Stop one was certainly setting high expectations for the night. A

Stop two was the second drive-in of the night at Keller’s Burgers.  If you have ever watched Happy Days or Friday Night Lights the movie, this is that drive-in, figuratively speaking.  Filled with cars three-deep by 6:30pm, this is the place to be for the locals.  The old timers had their lawn chairs and koozies out, taking it in as the local high school girls hung out of their boyfriends’ trucks to flirt.  I felt like I had stepped back in time watching small town nostalgia at its finest -- smack dab in the middle of Big D.  We again ordered our burger plain and dry, but we just couldn’t pass up the great tater tots, at least according to the 80-year-old man with the eye patch.  He and the sweet man in the throwback Rangers cap complimented my convertible and asked if I was a newbie.  Not that they really needed to ask as I knew I stuck out like a sore thumb.  But the welcoming attitude was appreciated and I must agree with Mr. Eye Patch that the tater tots were worth the added fullness.  While I appreciate Keller’s atmosphere, the best thing I can say about the burger is that I need a do-over.  We should have gotten a double patty, but the poppyseed bun was perfectly toasted, the cheese was great and while the meat had a great seasoning I needed more of it to counter the toastiness of the bun.  But the atmosphere more than made up for it when the gin & cigs-voiced waitress called me “hon” and helped me back out of my spot to head to my next destination.  A-

If Keller’s defined nostalgia, then Village Burger Bar defines West Village.  The popular burger joint in the heart of West Village is the place to see and be seen.  With a patio that wraps the full corner and a crowded bar, this is no place for a low-key night.  Luckily, we had already placed our order to go, so were good with our laid-back attire.  This #93 cheeseburger was a little fancier with bacon, lettuce, tomato and a spicy aioli.  An order of fries was also included as my partner in taste buds raved about them.  I’m glad I trusted him.  The fries were thin, curly and had a nice crunch.  They did cool quickly due to the styrofoam and moisture (another post on the terrible idea to store fries in styrofoam later).  The burger was good but not my favorite.  I may need to go back and get something fancier when my stomach isn’t so overwhelmed. B+

Our final stop for the night was a shift from the burger to the dog.  The Stand is touted as a perfect late night location, and with the fun trailer-like decor and ideal location on the corner of Allen & McKinney, I can understand why.  The woman taking our order looked pretty shocked to have someone come in around 7:30pm.  We ordered one #96 Mac Daddy Dog and headed to my friend’s house to consume our final meal.  This dog was.... interesting.  With chili, mac & cheese and liquid cheese on top of a rather thick piece of meat, it was a bit overwhelming.  I liked it more than I thought I would, but am not sure I would order it twice.  I will however try mixing some chili into a thicker mac & cheese because that part was an unexpected surprise.  This feast of a hot dog would be a great outside dish or fun tailgate appetizer.  Maybe it would adapt well into hili/mac & cheese baked cups? B-

If you are looking for a fun night on the town, I would highly recommend a comparative test of your favorites.  It was great Dallas perspective and a fun drive in the new ride!

Tex-Mex and Tequila

A new restaurant opened last week in Preston Center that may become one of my regulars.  Labeled as “Tex-Mex with a Santa Fe flair,” Ocho has a great bar, creative food, and a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere that makes you want to come back again and again.

A foodie friend of mine mentioned that something had finally taken the place of the dark, dreary steakhouse next to California Pizza Kitchen in Preston Center. She also mentioned tequila so I knew I had to try it out.  Heading south on Preston off Northwest Hwy, I easily slipped into the valet line and was quickly greeted with a smile and welcome.  Even the hosts were overfriendly, asking if I would like to eat in the family friendly downstairs or if I wanted to head up to 8bar.  My fellow diner had already positioned herself at the bar so I headed upstairs.  The giant Warhol-esque portrait of one of the owner’s dogs let me know that this place doesn’t take itself too seriously.

After passing the snakeskin couches and open seating I sidled up to the bar and ordered something tequila-based but not sweet.  The Hatch Chile Smoke did not disappoint.  With green chile powder, lemon and El Jimador Reposado Tequila, I knew I could drink these all night and be a happy camper.  The bartenders were low-key and extremely helpful in telling us all about the restaurant. Being in a town full of snooty mixologists, it is nice to have an easygoing barman who is willing to turn on the baseball game.  We also tried the Tijuana Mule, nice but not a ton of flavor, and the Berry Woodie Smash, which was good if you like bourbon or a sweet drink.  As someone still paying off my credit card debt due to Restaurant Week, having the drink menu organized by cost made things easy on my wallet.  Combined with the late hours — per the website the bar is open “3:00pm to late” — Ocho will certainly attract a younger crowd.

John, our bartender, talked us into the BBQ Duck Quesadillas and the Nachos “Totopos”.  The nachos are made in a cleaned-out coffee can that is quickly removed to create a “stacked” nacho.  It sounded like a great idea, but by the time the bowl arrived at the table everything had collapsed making it look like a normal plate of nachos.  Well, normal if you are used to gourmet nachos.  These are not your normal bar food.  The nachos include spicy braised pork, serranos, whiskey cheddar and a smooth avocado salsa.  The chips are round and sturdy enough to handle the braised pork without having an overbearing corn taste.  The pork, black beans and cheese were evenly mixed and could have been eaten with a fork they were so flavorful.

Even better than the nachos, the BBQ duck quesadillas stole the show.  Thin, naan-like tortillas were stuffed with jack cheese, poblano chiles and plenty of juicy duck.  They were lightly drizzled with crema & lime greens and were so brightly flavored I didn’t even touch the side of pico de gallo.  One of the biggest issues I have with restaurant quesadillas is the amount of grease used during the grilling process.  The last thing I want is an orange line of grease running down my arms while I try to eat.  The quesadillas were lightly toasted with no sign of greasy overcooking in sight.

I will warn you that the portions here are large.  We ordered two appetizers with the plan to try multiple courses and were so full we didn’t get to a main course.  Luckily, no one was quick to rush us out and we finished watching the Rangers game and sipping on our tequila.  While I won’t choose Ocho as my new sports bar, it is great for a mixed group wanting to eat good food, have great conversation and still know what’s going on in Dallas sports.  I can’t wait to go back and see how they fare the next few weeks. That area can be hard on restaurants due to the plethora of options and the high rent, but for everyone’s sake I want Ocho to stick around.  A