Fireside Pies - Plano Revisit

Cyberspace: http://www.firesidepies.com/
Grade: A+
Where to Find It: 5717 Legacy Dr, Plano, Tx 75024
Food Group: Pizza
How Much to Fork Over: $$
Faves: Burrata Mozzarella Pie, Outdoor seating
Peeves: Long Wait on a busy night

The Jibba Jab:
Still Pizza Ambrosia….no matter the location.  Upon this visit, my husband and I noticed a couple of new additions to the wine list and menu, so instead of going with our repeat favorites like the Fireside Cheese salad and the Balsamic Roasted Chicken Pizza, we opted for something new.  Our first pick to get our palates functioning ,the Harvest salad, consisting of Red Oak and Endive lettuces, Bosc Pears, Gala Apples, dried cranberries, blue cheese, almonds tossed with a Pancetta-Champagne Vinaigrette.  This salad is the perfect picking for a hot patio day in Dallas because it’s so light, refreshing and crisp, but my I’m still a Fireside Cheese girl. And the pizza of choice was the Burrata Mozzarella Pie with oven-dried tomatoes and basil pesto, plus our own add-on of roasted criminis.  Ever since eating the Burrata Broccoli at Savory in Malibu, I’ve been on a quest for a Burrata dish that is equally as good as that, and this pizza certainly did not disappoint me.  It was insanely delicious and our well-thought idea to put those criminis on the pizza was a fantastic one.  They added a wonderful nutty earthiness that beautifully complimented the creamy Burrata, the sweet and tangy oven-dried tomatoes, and the freshness of the pesto.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Burrata, it’s a cheese that is made with an outer shell of fresh mozzarella and the inside is made of cream and mozzarella.  If you haven’t had it, then go out and taste some soon!  I know that Scardello carries it and now you know Fireside puts it on one of their pizzas, which is now one of my favorites….not that Fireside ever makes a bad pizza.  

Nosh Euro Bistro - Plano

Nosh Euro Bistro - Plano

Cyberspace: nosheurobistro.com

Grade: A

Where to Find It: 4701 W. Park Blvd, Suite 101, Plano, TX 75093

Food Group: European, American

How Much to Fork Over: $$$

Faves: Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Braised Lamb Shank, Truffle Mac N Cheese

The Jibba Jab:

Transparent and Tasty.  Nosh is a place that lets nothing go unnoticed…literally, you can see everything that the kitchen is doing from it’s open and exposed layout to the dining room to a flat screen tv near the restrooms that displays the intense actions of the chefs.  Flames flying high, stacks of plates dwindling down, orders being shouted, and the rest of the clinking and clanking of a well managed kitchen.  It is quite a sight to see and hear. 

The front of the house is just as well maintained as the back of the house because our service was impeccable.  The owner or manager (not sure which) immediately greeted us after we sat down at our table, explaining the menu and that he would be happy to accommodate us with anything we needed…..extremely welcoming!  We were brought new flatware and plates for each course, and our water and wine glasses were always full….that is until we drank all of the wine, which was the Franciscan Cabernet. 

Now on to the food!  After we were brought bread and butter on the house, we chose one of the specials, the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, as our starter.  It was incredibly delicious and had a velvety richness that was perfectly complimented by a hint of sweetness.  Next, we were recommended to try the Roasted Red and Yellow Beet Salad and I’m definitely glad we did.  The creamy peppercorn goat cheese sung in precise harmony with the earthy accents of the beets and was a great way to prepare our palates for the following round.  The Braised Lamb Shank was succulent, falling off the bone, and perfectly seasoned….I had absolutely no complaints.  Our side of Garlic Roasted Broccolini had a punch full of flavor, but the Big Kid Truffled Mac was something that I’ll never forget.  I’ve been to many restaurants that have this dish on their menu and I’ve always been disappointed with the outcome, but I’ve finally found the Mac and Cheese that is worth talking about.  It actually smelled and tasted like truffles, the bread crumb topping was in fact “tortilla chip” crispy, which is a must for contrasting texture to the extreme creaminess of the combination of cheeses, and most of all, NO glooping (not really a word, but you know what I mean) of grease or that grittiness you get from the cheese separating….ekkk… such a pet peeve.  This Mac and Cheese, and the rest of the experience deserves a trophy for all of the above!!

Hudson Valley Foie Gras

Roasted Red and Yellow Beet Salad

Braised Lamb Shank

Garlic Roasted Broccolini

Big Kid Truffle Mac

Seasons 52 - Revisit

Cyberspace: http://www.seasons52.com/

The Grade: A

Where to Find It: 7300 Lone Star Drive, Plano, TX 75024

Food Group: Modern American (Lite)

How Much to Fork Over: $$$

Faves: Outdoor Seating, Bar, Scallops, Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

Peeves:  Have to make a reservation very early in the week to get a  decent dinner time on the weekend



The Jibba Jab:

Sprightly Aged. A distinguished, traditional atmosphere with a progressively fresh and hip vibe or maybe a better illustration would be like witnessing your Grandparents sipping on Cosmos and dancing the night away at the trendiest club in town. The same goes for the cuisine, which would basically be like watching Classic American food be a contestant on The Biggest Loser and win. Do you get it now?

My Aunt and Uncle came up from Houston for a visit this past Friday, mostly to purchase a car in Forth Worth, but then decided to stay with us for the rest of the weekend. They were going to meet up with us Friday night after they bought the car, so I needed a great restaurant that was between them and us in McKinney. Now, partly because I really wanted a revisit, and partly because we hadn’t taken them there yet, Seasons 52 was the choice, and this time we were sitting outside on that great patio of theirs; Tis the Season and the pun is intended!



Secret Bat Cave Bar


Upon arrival, we were greeted and then directed to the bar because we were a little early, and I was amazed at the buzz and vibrancy inside. We were lucky enough to grab two seats at the bar and then immediately ordered our drinks, in perfect timing with the pianist coming back from her break, although, we didn’t get too comfortable because our buzzer went of not 2 minutes later. The hostess directed us to the patio and on our way outside we passed by a “secret bat cave” bar that wasn’t nearly as crowded. Next time we will just direct ourselves there for a Pre-Dinner Drink. We were sat at a perfect corner table that was in view of some great people watching, and quickly ordered a bottle of Trobreck Shiraz, the Spring Thyme & Parmesan Cheese Crispbread and Edamame to start. Then to my dismay, our favorite Arugula Salad with Truffle Dressing and Portobello Mushrooms was not on the menu. Ugghhh! I should have seen this coming because I knew that their menu changes each season, hence the name Seasons 52, and it was now on Spring. No truffle anything in the spring! Oh well, so we went straight for the entrees instead because we were all secretly saving room for dessert. I really wanted to sample the dish that was photographed in D Magazine, so MT and I shared the Grilled Caramelized Sea Scallops with roasted asparagus and tomato-mushroom pearl pasta. What a dish! The scallops were so velvety and grilled to perfection. The creamy silky texture of the pearl pasta was a perfect accompaniment to the scallops along with the vibrantly fresh asparagus for some crisp texture. We ate everything and then licked the plate! Now for the dessert presentation! My Aunt and Uncle were astonished that the customer is able to pick up the dessert shot that they want and immediately eat it, as were we on our prior visit. I chose the Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse, MT had to have the Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse again, and my Uncle opted for the Key Lime Pie. After gorging and scraping each shot glass clean, my Uncle ended up ordering another shot…..the Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road this time. At the end, we were all pleasantly plump with a slight sugar high. My tight skirt was definitely busting at the seams and it was a great way to end the evening!

Cheers!



Spring Thyme and Parmesan Crispbread






Edamame




Caramelized Sea Scallops





All 9 Dessert Shots



Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse









Whiskey Cake - Big D's Poll Winner!

Cyberspace: http://www.whiskey-cake.com/
Where to Find It?: 3601 Dallas Pkwy, Plano, TX
The Grade: A+
Food Group: American/Fad-Casual
How Much to Fork Over: $$ (entrees range from $10-$22)
Faves: OMG Burger, BBQ Banh Mi, Whiskey Cake, Service, Outdoor Patio
Peeves: Noise

The Jibba Jab:
"Sexy Country". A term, which I borrowed from a friend, that if illustrated in the Fashion section of D Magazine, you would find an outfit that sported a fitted long sleeve plaid button down shirt paired with jean shorts and nude patent leather platform pumps. In the Dining Section, you would find Whiskey Cake. (I know Whiskey Cake has already been reviewed in D Magazine. This scenario exists solely in my head.) From the décor, which could be described as a mesh of Cracker Barrel and Crate and Barrel (CB²), to the wait staff’s apparel, white t-shirts and jeans plus dish cloth aprons for the gals and green suspenders for the guys, and finally to the food, which is all plucked from farms in our own great state of Texas (they even grow their own herbs in plain view), will you then understand the meaning of "Sexy Country".



Herb Garden



It was love at first sight for me because I am a patio enthusiast. This is something that Whiskey Cake does not disappoint on, so I was really eager to get a seat outside, but my high hopes were crushed. The patio was full. Now, if I had anything to complain about during our dining experience here it would be the place where we were sat. It was in an area with horrible acoustics, making it quite loud, and underneath a powerful AC vent, which provided a fairly chilly and uncomfortable dining experience. Other than that, our time there was fun and delicious. Happy Hour was just ending when our waitress came to take our drink order, so we were able to squeeze in one round of drinks at discount. I’m not a big whiskey fan, which would be the preferred choice of drink at this establishment, so I opted for their Secretariat Margarita, made with pineapple juice, and the guys ordered beers. One bizarre, but interesting garnish to this Margarita was a piece of their homemade beef jerky, which you can actually buy to snack on for $6. It startled me when I saw it sticking out of the glass, but being a beef jerky aficionado, I had to try it, and it was good! Smokey with a slight tang, which paired well with the sweet margarita. Just a little side note for all of you whiskey drinkers out there, this place doesn’t mess around. Instead of keeping the drink chilled with ice, they use an Ice Ball, so your whiskey doesn’t get diluted.

Secretariat Margarita - See the Jerky?

Next, as far as our apps, we chose to start with the Deviled Eggs and Hummus. The Deviled eggs were some of the best we have had in Dallas with the yolk mixture being much more yolkey and less creamy than the others we’ve had, then topped off with cured salmon and a surprising crunch of briney fried capers. Who would have thought? I absolutely loved that little addition. The hummus topped with roasted tomatoes was not quite of the same caliber, but still nicely executed. For our entrees, MT and I chose to share a farm salad (if someone else in your group orders the same salad, the kitchen combines it into one bowl for the table, making it another step closer to that farm appeal they are shooting for), and the BBQ Banh Mi Sandwich and a side of Sweet Potato Hash. The other couple decided on the OMG, which stands for Onion Ring, Mushroom, and Goodness, Burger. We were foaming at the mouth by the end of our ordering process. Our food came in record time and we leaped to the challenge of tackling these huge portions, even when split. Our sandwich was outstanding and definitely made with TLC! I adored the pleasant tang of their homemade BBQ sauce, which was slathered over the pulled pork, and then topped with some arugula, red onion, carrots and a generous share of citrusy cilantro (if you aren’t a cilantro lover like MT then just toss it to the side), which gave it that fresh kick, probably to portray their herb growing abilities, all on a thick and crispy baguette. The Sweet Potato Hash was also a hit harmonizing well with those Thanksgiving herbs and a bit of sweetness. Now, when I saw the OMG Burger being placed in front of the other patrons at our table, I felt a slight pang of Food Envy because it looked incredible. That Burger is definitely a Show Off item for this place, basically stating “Look what I can do with America’s most loved food….Make it Better!” I was able to steal a little nibble of it after they couldn’t take another bite and, probably needless to say, it will have you repeating the burger’s title or latest fad acronym “OMG”. I am ordering that next time.

Deviled Eggs

Hummus

Farm Salad

BBQ Banh Mi

Sweet Potato Hash

OMG Burger

Surprisingly, we saved room for dessert because how can you go to a place named Whiskey Cake and not order the Whiskey Cake, and you will be so happy that you did. The other guy at the table is a big Crème Brulee fan, so we had to order that too, which was another plus for the presentation alone……it comes with Fire! We love fire! The waiter pours some Bourbon on top and lights it up right in front of you. I love the WOW Factor. Bring it anytime! As for the Whiskey Cake, that’s a, as Charlie Sheen would say, “Winner” on it’s own with no added fluff, although, they do bring a little side dish of freshly whipped cream on the side, so I guess there is a little added fluff. The cake was incredibly moist, with a sweetness that wasn’t going to send you into a sugar coma, and my favorite part was the drizzle of Bookers Anglaise and Crunchy Pecans, for extra texture…..the perfect compliment to the cake. What a knockout! I am so delighted this is a restaurant that produces a fantastic creation of what the name represents and, then some. Going back there can’t come soon enough!

Butterscotch Bourbon Creme Brulee

Whiskey Cake

Holy Grail Pub

Holy Grail Pub
http://www.holygrailpub.com/

Location: 8240 Preston Rd, Plano, TX

Rating: C

Category: Pub Food

Pricing: $$

Pros: Beer, Ambience, Service, Price

Cons: Food

Beer, Atmosphere and Service are the top contenders at Holy Grail Pub, not the food. I was dying for this place to be a One Stop Shop for a phenomenal beer selection and delicious food to pair with it, but it just wasn’t. The ratings and reviews for Holy Grail are some of the best I’ve seen, so I was really excited to visit, but nothing that we tried came even remotely close to good food.

On the other hand, the service was impeccable. Immediately after sitting down outside our waitress, Jenny, greeted us, took our drinks orders and had them on the table in less than five minutes, and our appetizer, the Hummus Plate, came lightning fast soon after. Their wine menu is selective, but impressively decent, and the beer, well if I knew much more about beer then I could babble about it, but I don’t. Let’s just say their collection is extensive and almost tear worthy for all of you beer snobs, although, MT wasn’t feeling too adventurous and just ordered a Stella. I need to take my beer snob friend, David, here. Back to the food. The Hummus plate included Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Hummus, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives, and Pita bread. I didn’t taste any Roasted Garlic, but it was the favorite hummus over the Red Pepper, which wasn’t saying much. The Red Pepper hummus had this horrible after taste that I couldn’t quite put place in my taste bud vocabulary. I didn’t try that one again…..maybe we should have ordered the cheese plate.

Seasons 52

Seasons 52

http://www.seasons52.com/

Rating: A
Location: 7300 Lone Star Drive, Plano, TX 75024

Price: $$$

Category: Modern American (Healthy)

Favorites: Ambiance, Wine List, Flatbreads, Arugula Salad, Dessert

Comments:

My first reaction to the currently highly esteemed Seasons 52 was almost pure disdain because it’s owned by Darden Restaurants, who also carries the brand names of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, which are never on my list of restaurants that I would choose to dine at….ever! After much hesitation, but intrigued by all of the hype from D Magazine and Urbanspoon, I was willing to give this place a try….and I’m so glad that I did.

I tried making reservations at this place several times on the day of, but they usually only had a "Senior Citizen" time or "In Your Early Twenties and Single" slot available, so I had to make the reservations on a Monday for a Friday night to get a decent dinner time. That is always a good sign. As usual, I brought along my trustworthy taste bud companion, my husband….and it was also our date night.

Grapefruit Martini

Walking up to the entrance is an “Ahhh” moment experience in itself because your first sight is the roaring Fire Pit outside on their gorgeous patio. I was entranced and wishing it was a warmer day so we could enjoy their outdoor ambiance, but then I became sidetracked when we walked in the door. The hostess, or rather hostesses, greeted us immediately, but we were early for our reservation, so we were directed to the bar area….very nice….another place that I want to dine at…..if we have a next visit. The bar was crowded, but we were able to steal two seats, which were rightly placed behind the piano in the middle of the bar, and perfect timing because the pianist/singer just got back from her break and ready to entertain. I ordered the Grapefruit Martini, which was a little pricey, but delicious and well worth the money, especially because they give you the excess drink in a shaker….so that equals two drinks to me. The husband ordered his favorite cocktail…the Cape Cod (cranberry juice and vodka).

Almost immediately after receiving our drinks our buzzer went off to be seated in the dining area, which is a cozy and inviting area with dim lighting, the right noise level of clinks, clatter and conversation, a good number of booths, and finally, my favorite, a nice view of the kitchen staff orchestrating it’s symphony. The hostess, who lead us to our table, handed us menus, offered two black napkins in place of the white on the table, which is a wonderful gesture for those who are wearing anything below the waist that’s a dark color and don’t want white lent on their apparel, and then she did something else that I’ve never seen before. She carried a piece of paper with her that looked like a receipt, but clearly had our names on it because she handed it to the waiter, who greeted us by name….Wow!....I love that they are trying to make it more personal. He then walked us through the “Winter” menu because they change by seasons, and talked about how every dish is under 475 calories, and then the Chef Specials. I also noticed that everything on their menu is very affordable, especially for such a top quality restaurant. Next, we dove into the Wine List on the back, which was very impressive for a few reasons….they have selections that aren’t of the norm and 100 of them at that, and also they have quite a few choices by glass. We looked it over and were shocked that they had Torbreck Shiraz, which was a small vineyard we visited during our trip to Australia last year, so we undoubtedly ordered that bottle. What a treat!

Ripe Plum Tomato Flatbread

Then, we opted to start of our meal with the Ripe Plum Tomato Flatbread with fresh basil, roasted garlic and melted Parmesan cheese, one of five choices of flatbread. If you don’t know by know, I love pizza or anything that comes close to it, and I especially love a pizza with super thin crust. Seasons 52 did not disappoint. Cracker thin crust + fresh ingredients = a damn good pizza….I mean flatbread! I also loved that it was in a long rectangular shape cut into triangles, therefore, everyone gets a slice of the crust (look at my photo). We boxed up a few pieces to save room for the rest of our meal.

Subsequently, because, as you may know, I love anything truffle, we ordered the Earthbound Farm’s Organic Arugula Salad with truffle dressing, Portobello mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Now, DON’T SKIP THE SALAD, and I have a darn good reason for it because this was something extraordinary. I have only a select few restaurants in the DFW metroplex in which I never skip the salad, and now I’ve added another one to the top. The bitter arugula was an ideal pick of green to counterbalance the pungent flavor and creaminess of the truffle dressing, along with the Umami of the Portobello mushroom and parmesan cheese shavings. I could not think of a better salad and I know that it will haunt me for the rest of time in my dreams. I have to come back for another tasting!

For our entrée, we chose one of the Fish Selections on Special, the Grilled Swordfish with Shrimp Risotto and Roasted Vegetables. This is the one area that I wasn’t overly excited about during our meal. The fish was fresh and nicely grilled, but way under seasoned along with the roasted vegetables. I had to reach for the salt and pepper….and I hate that. The shrimp risotto was alright. It was cooked properly, but had a really grainy texture and the shrimp was not the freshest. I wasn’t disappointed by the dish, but wasn’t impressed either.

Earthbound Farm’s Organic Arugula Salad

Finally, the big finale, which was dessert, and what an experience! I am not usually one to order dessert because I like things simple when it comes to sweets, which could be a chocolate chip cookie or a bar of dark chocolate, but SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! Our waiter, who insisted we have dessert and by now we’ve had multiple friendly conversations with and are on a first name basis, brought out a show stopping presentation of shot glasses filled with 9 different “Mini Indulgences” as they call it. He explained all of them and we pointed out the two that we wanted, which are only $2.50 each by the way, the Mocha Macchiato (my choice) and the Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse (the husband’s choice). We thought our waiter was going to take the presentation away and bring us our individual dessert filled shot glasses in a few minutes, but he told us to take the one’s that we wanted…..Wait….What? They were presented so beautifully and perfect that both of us thought they were fake. Nope…how wrong we were. We felt like kids in a candy store, excited and giddy at the thought that we could have our pick of dessert right in front of us and eat it immediately. Who would have thought that something so simple could make you so happy! We ate happily tasting each other’s choice of indulgence and were so elated at the end of our meal that we were trying to plan a date to come back.

Grilled Swordfish

By the way, our waiter’s name was Alberto, he’s there everyday except Sunday and Monday nights. He was wonderful!

Mini Indulgences