Nick and Sam's Grill - Revisit for Brunch

Cyberspace: www.nick-samsgrill.com

Where to Find It?: 2816 Fairmount St, Dallas, TX

The Grade: C

Food Group: American Fad-Casual

How Much to Fork Over: $$ (entrees range from $9-$22)

The Faves: Carafe’s of Mimosas, Outdoor Patio

The Peeves: Extremely Loud and Noisy, Long Wait, Crowded Bar

The Jibba Jab:

I’ve been to Nick and Sam’s Grill several times and I usually leave the place with a happy buzz yearning to come back for their great patio dining and, of course, their Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but the brunch scene is unpleasantly poles apart from the dinner crowd.  Granted, about 7 or 8 years ago, being new to Dallas, single and in my twenties, I would be writing in a completely different tone, but now in my thirties, married and tired of the butt to nut club scene, I can’t say this was my cup of tea. 

Before arriving, I was lucky enough to have a good friend get there before our large group arrived and put our name on the list.  When we finally made it, I couldn’t help, but be extremely annoyed by the a) Blaring music inside  b) Long line just to get a drink while passing the time and c)No shaded area to wait outside (in the Texas heat, you need shade in order to not pass out before your meal)…..at least we didn’t have to wait too long.  Then we were unlucky enough to be sat at a table right next to the crowded bar, inside with the ear-splitting music roaring while you are yelling at the rest of the table in order to keep the conversation flowing…..I’m glad I was able to drink.  We ordered the Guacamole and Hummus to start and then I created my own omelet as my meal.  The food was good, but, honestly, I couldn’t get past having to eat in the Boom Boom Room….Never again for my Thirty Something self.  During a Sunday brunch this place is definitely for the young.  For the rest of us, dinner here is a more enjoyable atmosphere.

Guacamole

Hummus

Omelet with Potatoes

Omelet

Scardello - A Revisit for Lunch

Cyberspace: scardellocheese.com
Grade: A++
Where to Find It: 3511 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
Food Group: Cheese!!
How Much to Fork Over: $$
Faves: Fantastic selection of handmade cheeses and wine, Sandwiches, great service

Peeves: Not close enough to my house

The Jibba Jab:

Still pure cheese ecstasy!  Since my husband was out of town when I went to Scardello’s cheese class a few weeks ago, I just had to take him there to experience the greatness of the place.  Also, we needed a great lunch spot before we headed off to the Margarita Meltdown, so one of my best friend’s tagged along.  Not only does this place have a great cheese selection, but they have some really great wines as well, such as Pinot Noir’s from my favorite areas in the US, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Willamette Valley.  We ended up choosing of bottle of the Bench Pinot Noir from Sonoma County, California (currently at the top of my list of best places to go in America!).  For lunch, my husband ordered the Sweet Italian sandwich, which has
sliced prosciutto, Burrata, and fig confit on a fresh baked baguette.  It looked incredible and had the perfect balance of that salty sweet combination that I kill for.  My friend and I decided to fulfill our cheese quota for the day and split a cheese plate, and we let the lady serving us choose our cheeses.  I can’t exactly remember the names of all four cheeses that she gave us, but I do know that we started with a chevre, then an incredibly nutty and creamy gruyere, then a not too salty pecorino, and finally a cow and goats milk blue cheese.  All of them were amazing, but the blue was the much loved cheese for me.  I’m always a sucker for the blue!  I am still every bit as infatuated with this place as I was after my first cheese class here.

2nd Annual Margarita Meltdown - Bishop Arts District

What better way to spend your Memorial Day weekend than tasting and voting for your favorite Dallas Margarita at the Margarita Meltdown Festival in Bishop Arts!  My husband and I and a group of friends did just that on Sunday and we couldn't have had a better time. We tasted every kind of margarita from the fruity ones: Pineapple, Watermelon (Four Lounge's was made with dry ice), Mango or Passion Fruit to the spicy ones: Jalapeno, Habanero or Chili to smoky ones to the very unconventional: A Margarita Popsicle from Whiskey Cake, or the Peanut Butter Tres Leches (not sure this one was really considered a margarita, but it was damn delicious) from Veracruz Cafe.  Our ultimate favorite was Sfuzzi's margarita!  It had just the right amount of tart, sweet and spice, which hit the back of your throat right after swallowing, but then it immediately disappeared from coolness of the margarita, and ultimately left you wanting more.  It was fantastic and after our cards were all punched and many of the vendors had packed up and left because they ran out of booze, Sfuzzi was where we spent the rest of our time tasting and re-tasting just to make sure we still thought their margarita was our favorite.  Overall, when we first arrived and had tried 6 margaritas in literally 15 minutes (they only give you a shot of them) we were a little skeptical  of getting our money's worth ($25), but with 27 different vendors and most of which who were willing to let us try more than our fair share, we came out singing and dancing to New Edition and Keith Sweat (we are an older crowd), therefore, having the time of our lives!

A Sunday Funday of Patio Hopping in Dallas

Brunch at Smoke

Cyberspace: smokerestaurant.com
Grade: A-
Where to Find It: 901 Fort Worth Ave, Dallas, TX 75208
Food Group: BBQ, Brunch
How Much to Fork Over: $$
Faves: The smell of smoky goodness that permeates the air throughout the restaurant, Bottomless Mimosas, Bloodymary, brisket

Peeves: Long wait

The Jibba Jab:

Our patio bar hopping day had to start at a fantastic brunch spot, so I had to try Smoke and see what all of the fuss was about.  

It’s hard to miss the immediate waft of smoky bbq when you walk through the doors, but once you stop drooling, you notice the décor.  It makes you chuckle, but feel right at home because they literally have family photos on the walls.  Hilarious, but so welcoming.  I get it! Definitely order the bottomless mimosas if you are truly looking for a Sunday Funday or get the Bloodymary.  Beware it’s rich, but delicious.  All of the brunch items on the menu are great, but I would seriously just steer yourself toward the brisket.  It’s amazing!

Bloodymary

Mimosa

Family Photos!

The Omelet with Salad & The Things Inside

Smoked Brisket Cornbread Hash

Pulled Whole Hog BBQ Eggs Benedict

The Foundry 

Cyberspace: http://cs-tf.com/

Grade: A

Where to Find It: 9303 Pittman St, Dallas, TX 75208

How Much to Fork Over: $$

Faves: Atmosphere

Peeves: Couches smell

The Jibba Jab:

Country Coolness in Dallas.  I loved that the entrance is adorned as a giant chicken coop; they use old train cars as seating areas, and a ton of old wooden pallets as a giant stage.  Then the cactus garden is the icing on the cake.  This place is all recycled, which is great, but the old couches need to be cleaned big time.  Just hang out in the middle at the picnic tables under the string of lights.  This is a great hangout for a big group! I also really want to try Chicken Scratch, which is the restaurant connected to this bar.

Rattlesnake Bar at the Ritz Carlton

Cyberspace: fearingsrestaurant.com

Grade: B+

Where to Find It: 2121 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75201

How Much to Fork Over: $$$

Faves: Outdoor patio

Peeves: Pricey

The Jibba Jab:

A place to go when you want to feel really Dall-ass! 

The Common Table

Cyberspace: thecommontable.com

Grade: A

Where to Find It: 2917 Fairmount St, Dallas, TX 75201

Food Group: Gastropub, American

How Much to Fork Over: $$

Faves: Outdoor patio, Skittles Sangria, Dog Friendly

Peeves: We didn’t have a dog with us

The Jibba Jab:

Definitely a great outdoor patio, but the real kicker is the Skittles Sangria.  It’s childhood nostalgia with an adult spin.  FYI though, order the white sangria because you can see the skittle colors run down and get psychedelic inside the pitcher!  The red sangria just covers it up.  We also grabbed a few apps to soak up some of the alcohol we had been drinking. 

Red Skittles Sangria

White Skittles Sangria

Cool Huh?

Uptown Devils

Buffalo Meatballs

Pulled Pork Spring Rolls

Primebar

Cyberspace: primebardallas.com

Grade: B-

Where to Find It: 2520 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas, TX 75201

Food Group: Gastropub, Pizza

How Much to Fork Over: $$

Faves: Outdoor patio

Peeves:  Didn’t care for the wine

Union Bear

Cyberspace: unionbear.com

Grade: A

Where to Find It: 3699 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75201

How Much to Fork Over: $$

Faves: Outdoor patio, Beers on Tap, Pizza

Peeves:  Out of a few beer and food items

The Jibba Jab:

We learned that a beer expert is called a Cicerone here, which definitely means these guys know their stuff about beer.  Although, I’m much more of a wine drinker, so the beer talk doesn’t really appeal to me, but definitely drink a few brews here if you love the stuff.  It’s interesting.  On the other hand, all of the food they serve is here Farm to Table and that definitely appeals to me.  The Honey Pig pizza (Salami, Mozzarella, Thyme Oil, Texas Honey) and Habanero Asian Pear Salad (Seasonal Greens, Manchego, Tomatoes, Champagne-Mint Vinaigrette) were fantastic!  

Sorry, my food photos turned out horrible, so I'm not posting them.  Not enough light.