Melissa O.'s Profile
DateDallas, TX 75248
(972) 267-8979
Rockfish Seafood Grill
Category:
Seafood
Neighborhood: North Dallas
Dallas, TX 75240
(972) 960-1313
Thai Tanee Cafe
Category:
Thai
Neighborhood: North Dallas
Either way, I did something today I have only done once before in my life - I abandoned the food after two bites, paid (they only charged us 50% for the food since it was uneaten) and left to find sustenance elsewhere.
We ordered the crispy catfish with ginger sauce and the spicy basil stir fry with chicken. What we got was two plates with the same cornstarch-laden, brown, bland sauce (the one served with the fish tasted like powdered ginger was added to it), decorated with exactly the same vegetables consisting of bagged snow peas, precut carrot slices, canned bamboo shoots and undercooked bell peppers.
The spicy basil stir fry had ONE basil leaf in it. ONE. AND WHERE WAS THE FISH SAUCE?? Black soy sauce? Golden Mountain seasoning? Thai basil? Bird's eye chiles? There were no signs of this being Thai food. None. At its best, and I'm being generous, this was two plates of mediocre Chinese-American food.
To add multiple insults to multiple injuries, service was slow in every way, even though we were the only customers in the restaurant AND it was freezing cold inside.
I will never return.
1 Previous Review:
-
12/18/2010
I've been here twice while in town, as it is the closest Thai spot to my mom's house. We enjoyed both our visits - the portions are large for a great price, the service is prompt and friendly and the atmosphere is all wood and brown and lovely. All fine supporting elements.
The Panang curry with beef was delicious and is easily the most memorable thing I've had. The beef was seared pieces, which I prefer to the pot roast style, so I was happy about that. The curry itself is rich and addictive. I would probably come again just for this.
Other stuff didn't quite live up, but was okay. The tom kha kai could have used more sour and spice. Egg rolls are, as one reviewer said, very typical of other types of Asian restaurants, but I enjoyed the crunchy bits. Pad kee mao is average. I found it oily and the noodles were pretty clumped.
Everything I asked for "very spicy" was moderate, but I kind of expected that. Perhaps if you become a regular here, they start to believe you when you tell them how you want it. As it is with many Thai places, you know?
Not so great, though... the Sundance sauce. Kind of gross, like a cheap spicy nacho sauce out of a funnel. Not sure why they include this as a part of anything on their menu, since it strikes such a contrast with the rest of their very fresh and hearty flavors. I actually scraped mine off my enchilada. Good news is you can always ask to sub chile sauce or leave off sauce entirely. They're accommodating, if nothing else.
And as our regular waiter Adam said to me, "you can't like EVERYTHING on our menu." True, Adam, but... almost. Almost!
2 Previous Reviews:
-
1/26/2012
BRISKET TACOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!11!!!1
Ahem.
The brisket tacos are the best I have ever had. I literally drank some of the au jus from the little cup they served on the plate. Stunningly good. Ultra savory, complex, hint of sweet. I'm going to struggle trying to choose between these and the fajitas from now on. -
1/14/2012
The food runs between a 4 and a 5, but combined with ultra fast and friendly service - I mean, seriously good service, regardless of how slammed busy they are - great portion sizes and upbeat ambiance, there really is no way can I give this restaurant less than 5 stars.
A rundown on what we've had:
Cowboy Ribeye - GET. THIS. STEAK. Even if it's just once, shell out the $30 and DO IT. Perfectly cooked every time and delicious beyond compare, my husband and I are both madly in love with this melt-in-your-mouth cut of beef and the ancho chile butter that comes on top of it. Really. There are not enough words. The rest of the plate shines as well: rice and beans are spectacular and not at all an afterthought. In addition, you get a cheese enchilada with some of the best from scratch red sauce I've ever had.
Chips and salsa - La Hacienda Ranch makes the best salsa EVER. I want to replicate it at home so I can have it forever and ever. Smoky, tangy, medium spicy perfection. Chips are warm and fresh and promptly and continually refilled. We have to force ourselves to refuse round 2, though, so we still have room for dinner.
Steak Fajitas - I would kill to know what they marinate this beef in; the flavor is seriously, blissfully intense and, like the ribeye, is melt-in-your-mouth tender. The onions and peppers are awesome, too - like the rice and beans, they are not treated as an afterthought; rather, they are cooked along with the meat over mesquite and pecan wood logs that you can *gasp* actually taste. Condiments and sides are all fresh, including the tasty house made corn tortillas (though these could be a little thicker to be a more sturdy foundation for the meats).
Chicken Fajitas - Same smoked goodness as the steak, but with less of a flavor punch. The marinade isn't the same and of course it's done with that ubiquitous of American restaurant meats, the (yawn) chicken breast. Hate that. But pretty flavorful and tender considering.
Hacienda Ranch Chicken - Good but not great. Same chicken as the fajitas, but in one piece, so it's about what I would expect from a dish made with a thick slab of chicken breast. Still, the sour cream sauce, cheese, mushrooms and onions keep things interesting. Even better, the grilled vegetables on the plate are outstanding. Go figure, once again, LHR doesn't screw around with what is normally a throwaway part of the plate.
Pecan Pie - I did not like this at all. The sweet whiskey butter sauce was a pool of separated sugar and butter fat on the bottom of the hot plate, so every time I tried to get a bite of the (soggy all over) pie, I had to drag it through sweet clarified butter. It was like having pecan pie mush coated in oil. Wrongness. I can overlook this only because I don't factor dessert too heavily in my restaurant ratings. It just doesn't matter to me all that much. I simply won't order it again (or the apple pie, since apparently it comes on the same type of hot plate with a very similar butter sauce).
Prices are moderate, about $15 per person and that's without drinks - and if you don't order one of the steaks. You're not going to get a cheap Tex Mex meal here, but that's fine by me. You get what you pay for - food made with quality ingredients, everything from scratch, with a lot of attention to detail that isn't found elsewhere. I love coming here and plan on being a regular for a long time to come.
2 Previous Reviews:
-
12/9/2011
Chicken fried steak special on Tuesdays on Thursdays. Mmmmmm.
That is all. -
10/16/2011
Really dig this place so far. It's the epitome of what a mom and pop barbecue place should be. When you walk up and smell that smoky aroma, you just know you're in the right place.
The food runs in the good to great range. While the ribs, ham steak and sausage are deeply seasoned and totally stellar, the pulled pork and brisket are slightly dry and have less of a flavor punch.
Sides also run the gamut - green beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits are awesome (oh how I missed you, southern-style green beans), but the dirty rice is bland and the fries soggy.
Sauces are very sweet, so if that's your thing, you will love these. I prefer mine a little more savory. Also, the difference between the mild and spicy isn't much.
The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, prices are fair and the environment feels warm and inviting. This will definitely be one of my go to spots on those rare nights I don't want to cook.
Good food:
Lemon rice soup - MAKE SURE YOU GET SOME. Stupid good soup. If I could go back and do it over, I would get a lunch of just this, a salad, and some pita.
Tzatziki - perfect.
Pita - perfect and constantly refilled in warm baskets. Nice.
Dolmas - excellent, tangy, my favorite part of the entree plate.
Green beans with tomato and garlic (the "vegetable" that the menu indicates comes with all the entrees) - what a unique side vegetable, and totally delicious
Okay or less food:
Babganoush - slightly heavy and bitter
Hummus - texture was right, but the taste was forgettable. It needed more lemon and salt.
Spanakopita - loved the amount of spinach and feta, did not love the amount of herbs (too much). The dough was also overbaked a bit.
Falafel - bland and dry. I've never had falafel before, but I know there has to be more to it than this, the way I've heard people talk about it. Perhaps I'll try making my own...
Service was outstanding. We were greeted promptly, brought drinks immediately, and were checked on numerous times throughout the meal, even with a nearly 100% full house. Kudos to the waitstaff.
Prices are great, especially considering the massive amount of food you get. It was $44 for appetizer plate of hummus, two entrees, one iced tea + tax and tip.
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 470-0722
Sushi-Sake Japanese Restaurant
Categories:
Japanese,
Sushi Bars
As for the food... I really cannot emphasize enough how fantastic everything is here. As I said in my previous review, I could go on and on about the buttery texture and delicious flavor of every little thing, but I will just keep it concise by reiterating how flawless this places seems to be. The fish, the vegetables, the rice, all perfect through and through.
I really don't spring for sushi out very often any more, but for those occasions I am really glad there is a place here in Dallas I know I can count on.
1 Previous Review:
-
8/9/2010
One of the best meals of my life.
I took my mom here for her birthday. There is no describing how awesome the food here was, so I won't ramble on about all the individual fish we ordered. Suffice it to say we had nearly every cut available (salmon, yellowtail, halibut, amberjack, snapper, eel, scallop, shrimp, toro, on and on...) and every single piece was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Like, beyond. I've been eating sushi in southern California for almost 5 years now and never have I found anything as astonishingly delicious as the sushi at this place.
Environment: beautiful. Service: measured and attentive but never intrusive. Sushi chefs: remarkably friendly.
$120 for two and it was worth every cent.
My favorite part of the whole process, though, was the contract/credit/insurance gal. Unfortunately, I cannot remember her name, but she was lightning fast, which I LOVE. I love when people assume you can keep up with them and are just boom boom boom done. I would guess she's kinda of like this normally, but was even quicker when we explained what a rush we were in to get everything done and signed. She also explained all the extra insurance options simply but thoroughly and worked with us (that's an understatement, really) to get us all the coverage we wanted for the monthly price we were willing to pay. Great experience in the credit department. Big thumbs up.
I haven't used the service department yet, but will be swinging by regarding a couple of things this week. I have high hopes.
Dallas, TX 75334
(972) 934-8500
Fadi's Grill
Categories:
Greek,
Mediterranean
Neighborhood: North Dallas
As for the warm plates, though, it's not necessarily worth the extra charge. The meats are fine but nothing more - though I did appreciate that the snapper I had on one visit was not only a nice, thick slab, but also perfectly cooked. The warm vegetables are a total disappointment compared to the cold salads - the spinach and feta was terribly bland and the eggplant, while tasty, is so oily as to be offputting.
Just stick with the salad bar and you'll get an incredibly satisfying meal for a great price.
On one end of the spectrum, they provided me with one of the best spinach pizzas I've ever had. It boasted loads of spinach where most places are really chintzy, a generous hand with the garlic, yesssss, a tangy sauce and a good thin crisp crust. Just typing all that makes me want to shout out their praises to the world because if you are as picky as I am about pizza, this is a very, very big deal.
On the other end of the spectrum, though, was a terrible, forgettable lasagna. Small, bland, no character, no herby or cheesy punch. Just a doughy square blanketed with too much sauce and stringy mozzarella. And as generous as they were with the spinach on my pizza, they were as stingy with the meat in the layered pasta.
So. Yeah. Right in the middle.
Service was sweet and not particularly slow, though I was there on a dead Tuesday evening, so it probably wasn't much of a stretch. Prices are spot on. I wouldn't recommend anyone stay away, but I won't make the effort to come back, either.
The owner and entire staff are so warm and welcoming, as is the whole shop environment. I am blessed to live so close.
1 Previous Review:
-
10/18/2011
I love how Roland L. said this is like Kean Coffee in Tustin, California. I just moved from Tustin back to the DFW area. I was a big Kean fan while I lived there and when I walked into Buon Giorno, I immediately felt like I did there. At home. Such a warm and lovely place, with absolutely delightful staff., plenty of room to sit and chat or bury yourself in your laptop. Free WiFi, of course.
As for the drinks...
Lattes are fine, but not much more. Vanilla latte had too little flavor and tasted like simple warm milk. Mocha was a bit better.
What I like the most here are the good old house coffees. The bold Venezie is great, the Panama punchy yet smooth... but I am absolutely mad about the Ethiopian Sidamo. Now that I finally got a good coffeemaker at home, I will have to buy the blend for my own use. Seriously delicious. Don't pass it up if you see it on the daily menu.
I hope to live this close to BG for a while. I'd like a chance to try most of their single origin coffees while I can just swing by and pick them up. I'll report back if another one really blows me away.
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1098 Useful, 885 Funny, and 869 Cool
Grapevine, TX
Yelping SinceMay 2007
Things I Lovesolitude, my husband, my family, my girls, COOKING, animals, nature
Find Me Inmy kitchen
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm cooking
Why You Should Read My ReviewsBecause I'm a good writer. Yep.
The Last Great Book I ReadA Prayer for Owen Meany
My Favorite MovieLOTR, Star Wars, Matrix, Fantasia 2000, Batman, Spider-man, Training Day
My Last Meal On EarthThai stir fries, sushi, thin crust pizza, medium rare cheeseburger
The food:
Ahi nachos - highlight of the meal and a refreshing surprise. Tasty tuna, crisp cucumber, two sauces and a mound of slaw with peanut sauce. Delicious.
Blackened mahi mahi plate - the blackening seasoning was definitely too salty. With my taste buds, that's saying a lot, but yeah, they need to scale back. Fish itself was exceptionally moist, though, so kudos on that one, Rockfish. Lemon butter was a great dipper for the bites of fish and the sides. Sauteed spinach and mixed vegetables (broccoli, squash, carrots and bell pepper) were both wonderful. So good I demolished them almost instantaneously. Rice was funky. It had this perfumy flavor I couldn't put my finger on. Not my kind of pilaf.
I also tasted the sweet potatoes and asparagus sides and a hush puppy. Sides were fine, nothing more; hush puppy was killer. Crispy and spicy. Yum.
The service:
Shoddy. Not good. The waitress was kind of slow and uninformed. She took far too long to come get our orders and when she did, she never asked what kind of sauces my mom and I wanted for our fish plates, she stumbled when asked about a standard sauce, she didn't tell us about any specials, and she forgot to mention the peanuts. Hm. The food service itself was also much too slow - i.e., 30 minutes from ordering to entrees appearing on the table.
The atmosphere:
Family, sports bar, casual, chain. Meh. And the booth seats were HARD.
Prices:
Fantastic for a seafood spot in general and very fair considering the quality and quantity.