NYC 2 BIG D: Neighborhood Services Bar and Grill

Neighborhood Services Bar and Grill
http://neighborhoodservicesdallas.com/

Rating: B

Location: 10720 Preston Rd, Dallas, TX

Category: New American

Pricing: $$$

Pros: Outdoor Seating, Wine List, Brussels Sprouts

Cons: No good waiting area

Comments:

If you are in the mood for some decent comfort food that your mom or grandmother used to make, well Neighborhood Services is your place, but don’t assume that this will be an inexpensive meal. Make sure to bring your wallet and a fat one at that or expect to be washing dishes for them for a week.

First, if you decide to eat here on a weekend then definitely call far in advance to get on the waiting list (such as 11 am the day of) or you will be waiting in a crowded bar area always bumping into the waiters for quite some time. Also, you will probably go broke before you even get to the food because their drinks are pricey. I was astonished to find that their Pop’s Martini Salad is $12! The rest of their signature cocktails weren’t much less, but I ordered the Martini, especially because of the blue cheese stuffed olive that was described on the menu. I was hoping for a damn good and giant martini, but received a small and mediocre one. They do give you a little jar full of pickled veggies, which was nice, and one small blue cheese olive…..so disappointing, but the bar was full leaving no place to rest my drink and jar, so I had double fist it for a while, which is not easy while trying to dodge the waiters. I did enjoy looking at all of the pictures and patriotic décor around the restaurant while waiting, but thank goodness we didn’t have to wait too long because I was about to spill my martini on some dining patrons. They did make it up to us by placing us in a very large booth….finally some room.

Pop's Martini Salad

Deviled Eggs Seattle Style

The wine list is quite good, and we found another one of our favorite Australian wines, Boarding Pass Shiraz, to enjoy during our meal. While reviewing the menu I was immediately drawn to the Deviled Eggs Seattle Style with cherry smoked salmon, cucumber, and dressed chicory. Who doesn’t love a good deviled egg? I was giddy, but sadly dissatisfied when we tried them. They were just ok with no real sense of creativity or seasoning for that matter. I could make better deviled eggs! For our entrée, we opted for the Pot Roast Short Ribs (I love some good short ribs) accompanied with Sweet Potatoes and then a side of brussels sprouts with pancetta and maple syrup…mmm…my favorite vegetable. The short ribs looked delicious and smelled fantastic when our waitress placed them in front of us, but the taste wasn’t quite there. The meat was perfectly cooked with no need to use a knife to cut into it, but the gravy just wasn’t up to par. Once again, I could make this dish better at home. It had a lack of seasoning and was a little too congealed for my taste. I just am not a fan of jiggly, wobbly, savory foods. It reminds me of aspic, which is a food that has always boggled my mind about the appeal of it. That’s something I’ll ask Julia Child when I get to heaven. As I digress. The cubes of sweet potatoes that were placed underneath the short ribs were quite tasty, and were made with the all of the herbs that remind me of Thanksgiving. Now, on to the Brussels Sprouts, which were my favorite dish of the evening. Perfectly cooked with a wonderful balance of salt and sweet from the pancetta and maple syrup….an amazing combination! We didn’t choose to have dessert, mostly due to our fear of the damage we did to our wallet….and we were right. They do give you a nice treat with your bill though…maybe to lessen the blow….two little boxes of Junior Mints. Overall, the ambience is very patriotic and cozy, the food was respectable, but the price was a little crushing.