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.

Rick's Chophouse

Cyberspace: rickschophouse.com
Grade: B
Where to Find It: 107 North Kentucky, McKinney, Texas 75069
Food Group: Steakhouse
How Much to Fork Over: $$$
Faves: dessert, Grand Bar, Pressed Tin Ceiling, Rick’s attendance
Peeves: High price for mediocre fare, lack of communication

Jibba Jab: 

I’ve been going to Rick’s Chophouse ever since it opened a few years ago.  I remember the first time we went quite well.  It rained so hard that night we practically swam across the parking lot to Rick’s.  It was during the week and well the weather obviously wasn’t customer friendly, so the place was fairly empty, but we were treated with care and it was the first time we met Rick, the owner, and I have to say that the greatest most astonishing detail is that he has been there to greet us, and every other guest, each and every time we’ve been there….including in the area.  He is an owner that knows hospitality is of extreme importance, especially in our small, but ever growing City of McKinney. Another occurrence during our first visit to Rick’s was the “Crab Cakes” incident. My husband is a lover of them, which we spotted on the menu, but the waiter only brought out one crab cake….we were a table of 3, mind you, so we asked where the other “crab cakes” were, since that is what was stated on the menu.  The waiter explained that we only get one, and then we clarified that they needed to change the type-o on the menu because I guarantee that other hungry customers won’t be so forgiving.  I think that the waiter could have handled the situation a little differently (or Rick) by a giving us our extra crab cake to make it plural, but at least the next time we went back “Crab Cake” was on the menu. 

Rick’s Chophouse does make you feel as if you’ve gone back in time when you step in the dining room from the white stone walls, oversized leather booths, and iron chandeliers, but most of food is par.  They used to have this appetizer called Black Bean Tornado on the menu, which was essentially a black bean patty in the shape of a cone.  The actual taste of the dish was good, but I, and probably most everyone else who dined there, thought it looked like a miniature replica of a cow turd….to be kind.  I believe that is why it no longer exists.  The other starters I’ve tried such as the Blackened Ahi Tuna, which is in my opinion their best, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Calamari, and Beef Tenderloin have all been consistently decent.  The salads are also pleasing, and they bring you a nice basket of warm and delicious bread before the meal. 

The wine selection is decent, as long as they have the wine you pick.  In our most recent visit on New Years Eve, the first bottle we ordered, the waiter came back and told us they were out, so they brought out the Sommelier to guide us in the right direction.   We ordered a different bottle, BV Reserve Tapestry 2007, but the waiter brought out the wrong bottle, so we ended up waiting over half an hour for our correct bottle of wine.  Our salads came out long before we received our wine.  Also, all while waiting for our wine, the waiter described the specials, one of them being Surf ‘n Turf, a filet and lobster tail with Potato Gratin and broccoli, and since it was New Years Eve, we ordered it.  I’ve never been so disappointed…..the lobster was extremely over cooked and tough, and the steak was unremarkable.  On the other hand, I absolutely loved the Potato Gratin.  Its creamy layers of thin slices of potato and cheese slightly made up for the rest of the entrée.  Finally, dessert, which was by far the show stopper of the evening, and I can say that anytime I get it at Rick’s it is always phenomenal.  The last time we had one of their sweet concoctions, which are all made in house, I was in a complete ecstasy.  I noticed that it wasn’t on the menu this past visit, but we had their Chocolate Cake in the bar/lounge area after dining at another restaurant.  The perfect end to an evening in my favorite bar in McKinney….more on that later.  This time my husband just had to have the Texas Pecan Pie with Whiskey Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream.  It was also pure delight, so the lesson is Don’t Skip Dessert!

Rick’s may not be the best place to go for a steak, but it’s certainly has the best bar in the area.  There is an enigmatic sexiness to it with no direct entrance or exit because it’s located in between the Grand Hotel and Rick’s Main Dining Room.  Also, the exposed brick walls, plush leather sofas and oversized chairs give it a traditional comfy feel, although what makes it the grandest bar in McKinney is the embossed tin ceiling, which also continues in the Main Dining Room, but is painted white.  Also, a luxurious wooden bar serves up delicious cocktails to sip on while listening to some cool live music.  It is my favorite spot to hang out, drink, and get cozy with my hubby.  

Florida Day 2 - Casablanca Cafe, Rocco's Tacos, Macabi's Cigar Bar - Ft. Lauderdale

Casablanca Cafe

Cyberspace: www.casablancacafeonline.com

Where to Find It: 3049 Alhambra St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Food Group: Mediterranean

How Much to Fork Over: $$$

The Grade: A

Faves: Outdoor Seating, Across the Street from the beach, Wine, Truffled Burrata Salad

Peeves: The name makes you think it’s a Moroccan restaurant

The Jibba Jab:

After meeting up with another of my Aunt’s friends, who I will call Hooty because she is a hoot to be around, we made our way over to Casablanca Café for some pre-dinner drinks and an appetizer.  Supposedly, this is a place that my Aunt and Hooty used to frequent back in the day, so I was excited to encounter their old stomping grounds.  I loved the place before even walking in because it was across from the beach, had a great patio that was packed with people and it just seemed to be calling my name; inviting me in to have some fun.  Of course, we couldn’t get a seat on the patio, so we sauntered over to the bar and luckily found 3 seats.  We took a peak at the menu, ordered a bottle of wine, and no hummus this time around, we chose to share the Truffled Burrata Salad (you know me and truffles).  Tip:  We turned it into an appetizer by asking for some pita bread, so we could use the burrata as a spread.  I could smell the truffles immediately after the server placed the dish in front of us.  It was a big ball of fresh burrata, which is basically an outer shell of fresh mozzarella stuffed with a mixture of cream and mozzarella, but with an addition of black truffles.  Outstanding!  It was so creamy, silky with a hint of the earthy pungent taste of truffles.  I wanted more, but decided to save room for our next food venture…..Rocco’s Tacos.

Truffled Burrata Salad

Truffled Burrata Salad - Inside

Rocco’s Tacos

Cyberspace: www.roccostacos.com

Where to Find It: 1313 East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Food Group: Mexican

How Much to Fork Over: $$

The Grade: B

Faves: Tableside Guacamole, Pulled Pork Taco Special

Peeves: Very Loud

The Jibba Jab:

We met a close friend of mine here, who just moved from Houston to Miami a few months ago, so I’ll call her H&M, for some Mexican grub.  Hooty recommended the place because she thought it would be a great place to write about on my blog.  The place was very vibrant and mobbed with people.  Loud music was bumpin’ in the background making it a little difficult to catch up with H&M even while sitting right next to her.  After desperately trying to here our server describe the specials, we were able to make out Pulled Pork Tacos, so we started with that, an order of tableside guacamole, and of course, margaritas.  Now, the tacos came out before the guacamole, and when the guacamole came out, it was already made.  Where’s the tableside?  We were quite upset!  Also, we noticed the table next to use first, get the tableside guacamole experience, and they got salsa on top of that.  Where is our salsa?  Apparently, you have to order it.  What?  A Mexican restaurant that won’t give you complimentary chips and salsa?  Toto, I guess we are not in Texas anymore!  What kind of state is this?  Well, I got over it after having some guacamole and then one of those Pulled Pork Tacos….Man, those were good!  We finished up our food and ritas, and headed to our next destination, Macabi’s Cigar Bar.

Margaritas

Pulled Pork Tacos

Non-Tableside Guacamole

Ummm....Not sure what my Aunt is doing
to that Indian

Macabi’s Cigar Bar

Cyberspace: http://cigarbarfortlauderdale.com/las-olas/

Where to Find It: 1221 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Food Group: Bar (no food)

How Much to Fork Over: $$

The Grade: B

Faves: Cigars, Wine

Peeves:  The owners are a bit odd

The Jibba Jab:

This is one of Hooty’s favorite spots, but she thinks that the wife’s owner is far from nice.  I have to say they both were a little off their rocker.  First, the place is very small and narrow, and the bathroom is at the very back, so you can see who goes in and out of it.  The owners got a little freaked out about a woman who was supposedly in the bathroom too long.  They thought she was doing drugs back there, but it was quite obvious that they were far too paranoid because the woman seemed fine and she hadn’t been in the bathroom that long.  Next, they seemed to rush us out the door shortly after arriving.  They clearly wanted to go home and didn’t really care about their customers.  Oh well, I really didn’t notice all too much because I was in awe of the 2 Naval Officers in their whites sitting at the other end of the bar.  This is purely a fascination of Top Gun and nothing else because I am very happily married to a wonderful and dashingly handsome man.  I was quite obsessed with Top Gun when I was younger and even wanted to be a pilot because of it, so seeing these guys in their uniform made me a little giddy.  I had already had a few drinks, so it made it that much easier for me to go talk to them, and I am so glad that I did.  I told them my love of the movie and how thankful I am that they are fighting for our country.  They were extremely nice in return, and even ended up showing me pictures of their families.  Also, I found out that they are going to be in NYC at the same time I will be there for NY Fleet Week.  I was amazed, and they invited me to go see them fly.  I am so there!  They just made my day, and then some!

Hooty and H&M had to check out early because they had to get up for work the next morning, but my Aunt and I decided to keep hitting up the town.  We wanted to find a few other bars further down the street, so we tried to hail a cab, but found a woman riding a pedicab instead.  She was an interesting character, but very nice, and she took us to a spot where a few swanky bars/clubs were located.  We tipped her quite well.  Having no idea what bar to go into, we just picked the one that looked less bumpin', if that's possible.  Well, we didn't stay around there very long because the place was filled with "douche bag dumdums".  Now, we thought it was a good idea to head downtown......and we ended up dancing with Haitians at a Reggae bar.  Yep, that's the truth.  What a crazy night in Fort Liquordale!!

Myself with the 2 Naval Officers