Fireside Pies (Grapevine)

Cyberspace: http://www.firesidepies.com/


The Grade: A+

Where to Find It: 1285 S Main St, Grapevine, TX 76051

Food Group: Pizza

How Much to Fork Over: $$

Faves: Fireside Cheese Salad, Balsamic Roasted Chicken Pizza, and Outdoor seating

Peeves: No reservations, Long Wait on a busy night



The Jibba Jab:

Pizza Ambrosia. This is not the type of pizza that would be comparable to New York or Chicago style pizza. It’s just Gourmet, and I believe it’s the Nectar of the Gods. I have visited all of their locations, except the one in Fort Worth, and they all produce the same caliber pizza as the original location in Dallas on Henderson, which I’ve been a huge fan of since they opened their doors. I have to admit that this place has a soft spot in my heart.

The Grapevine location is just down the street from their Historic Downtown, which is where a few great wineries are located; therefore, it’s a place that I have frequented quite a bit in the past several years, including this past weekend when we attended the New Vintage Wine Trail and Gallery. After a bit too much wine to drink, we needed a place to soak up all of the booze, and Fireside was in thinking distance.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to this location without having to wait a least an hour, but they have a great bar and plenty of room to sit outside with a drink in your hand. We opted to sit at the bar and order the Cured Meat Sampler while waiting because it was going to be a while before we were getting a table and we were hungry. It’s definitely a great appetizer to tie you over until you get something substantial in your belly, with a variety of salty cured meat slices and condiments to accompany them. When we were finally seated, as usual, we ordered the Fireside Cheese salad, and then tried the Seasonal salad, both of which were outstanding. For pizza, I just had to have the Balsamic Roasted Chicken, being superb every time, and then we threw in another first timer, the Molten Meatballs, which had such colossal meatballs that I thought they were going to roll right off the pizza. This was definitely another repeat pizza. We left satisfied and I was feeling a bit more coherent than 2 hours before. I definitely slept well that night!

Cantina Laredo (Frisco)

Cyberspace: www.cantinalaredo.com

The Grade: A-

Where to Find It? 1125 Legacy Dr, Frisco, TX 75034

Food Group: Mexican, Sexy-Mex

How Much to Fork Over? $$ (entrees range from $9-$27)

Faves: Outdoor Seating, Casa Rita, Chips and Salsa, Top Shelf Guacamole, Enchiladas de Mole

Peeves: Tortilla Soup

The Jibba Jab:

Seductively Spicy. It’s always summertime and living is easy at Cantina Laredo, especially when you dine outside on their amazing patio sipping on a Casa Rita and nibbling on Chips and Salsa, which are one of the staples that I rate Mexican restaurants on, and this place does not disappoint. They give you two different salsas, one that’s roasted and served temperature hot, and the other is fresh and served chilled. Both are delicious and perfect with the super thin and crisp chips that accompany them. I also recommend ordering the Top Shelf Guacamole, which is made tableside to make a wonderful presentation and you know it's super fresh.  The avocados were so creamy and flavorful that we devoured the bowl in no time and almost ordered another, but our entrees were not far behind. MT and I shared the Enchiladas de Mole. Mole sauce is so intriguing to me firstly because of the dark chocolate color that will make any dish distinguished and also because of the taste, which is so rich and complex. Mole is definitely not a sauce for the weak and Cantina Laredo has a great one! The other two patrons at the table ordered Cheese Enchiladas, which were the best they had ever tasted, and Tortilla Soup, which was a letdown because the broth was way too thick and their just wasn't much flavor to it. Overall though, it was a great stop for a quick lunch before we headed to the 19th Annual New Vintage Wine Trail and Gallery in Grapevine!

Casa Rita

Chips and the Two Salsas

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Top Shelf Guacamole made Tableside

Top Shelf Guacamole

Enchiladas de Mole

Cheese Enchiladas

Tortilla Soup

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









SALUD!

Cyberspace: http://www.saludrestaurant.net/

Where to Find It? 142 Beekman Street New York, New York

The Grade: C+

Food Group: Spanish Tapas

How Much to Fork Over: $$$ (entrees $20 - $30; tapas $8 - $15)

Faves: The decor, Free bean dip with plantain chips, La Faldita without the yuca fries

Peeves: The wine list and most tapas

The Jibba Jab: Was in the neighborhood of downtown's South Seaport with my husband searching for a decent place to eat on a Sunday and came upon Salud!, a Spanish tapas establishment. From observing the menu, this Miami-like restaurant sounded like a great place to try. As we were sat at our table, we waited awhile for someone to take our drink order. The cocktails, including the mojitos, all looked refreshing, but, for a restaurant trying to mimic Spanish cuisine, the wine list was not impressive. We were first served the free bean dip with plantain chips, which was about the best thing of this place. The next item we received was the La Faldita (grilled mini skirt steak with yuca fries). Who would have known that you could make yuca fries so dry and tasteless? I was also disappointed to order ceviche and get diced shrimp in picante sauce. Other upsets were the overly sweetened piononos (plantains stuffed with beef and cheese) that tasted like cinnamon rolls and less than satisfactory cubanito (Cuban sandwich). Hopefully, the next tapas restaurant won't disappoint me so much!

MARCO and PEPE

Cyberspace: http://www.marcoandpepe.com/
 
The Grade: B+
 
Where to Find It? 289 Grove St. Jersey City, NJ

Food Group: American

How Much to Fork Over: $$$ (entrees $11-$29)

Faves: Artisan salad; sweet potato fries; grilled corn

Peeves: Crowded; No place to stand around and get a drink at the bar

The Jibba Jab: For those of you who live in Jersey City, Grove Street's Marco and Pepe is the place to be. This lantern lit-up restaurant, reminded me of cute little NYC West and East Village eateries. It's menu ranged from buttery grilled Mexican corn to lobster and corn risotto and an amazing melt-in-your-mouth artisan salad with truffle vinaigrette dressing. They also serve homemade creamy butter with, what I believe from the display in the window, freshly baked bread from NYC's Balthazar. Although I didn't get a chance to try the macaroni and cheese, I've heard that it's the best ever from Yelp and Urbanspoon reviews! It took my husband and me almost a year to dine at this place because of the crowdedness, but don't let that scare you away, our wait was only 25 minutes. If you feel the need to get a drink while waiting, there isn't much room at their bar, but there are plenty other bars nearby and, even better, the restaurant alerts you when your table is ready by calling your cell phone.

The food was delicious and the waitstaff was friendly and informative. On our next visit to here, I will definitely have to try out their wonderful brunch and Gruyere, goat, and mascarpone macaroni and cheese.

Artisan Salad

 

The Pub

Cyberspace: www.thepubmckinney.com Where to Find It?: 204 W. Virginia Pkwy, McKinney, TX
The Grade: C
Food Group: Pub Food
How Much to Fork Over: $½ (entrees range from $7-$12)
The Faves: Beer and Wine, Ambience, Plentiful Seating for Thirsty Groups
The Peeves: The Food



The Jibba Jab:
Pseudo-Polished Brawny. If a Lumberjack were to go to Finishing School, but didn’t quite graduate then The Pub would be its equivalent as an establishment. This place has been our Happy Hour Headquarters ever since it opened just over a year ago and for good reason. It has a great selection of beers on tap and by bottle, decent wine, which hasn’t had me sending the glass back because it has turned to vinegar ….good sign, a full bar that provides sufficient cocktails, and tolerable appetizers to tie you off until dinner time. Also, and of great importance, a large clean and comfortable seating area to fit a crowd of over-worked and always under paid white collar workers. Don’t come to The Pub for anything else. Unless you are so ravenous that your co-drinker is starting to look like a pork chop or if walking the 3 steps to Square Burger seems like running a marathon, then I suppose its fine to eat here because at that point anything will taste good. Otherwise, walk a short distance and go to one of the other restaurants on The Square for some good food because you aren’t going to find it here. I’ll never make the mistake to have a meal here again. Just stick to the booze and you’ll be a happy patron!

Baked Brie - About the only thing I would eat
here again

THE MEATBALL SHOP - NYC POLL WINNER!

Cyberspace: http://www.themeatballshop.com/

Where to Find it? 84 Stanton Street New York, New York

The Grade: A+

Food Group: Meatballs

How Much to Fork Over: $ (entrees range from $7-$10); Wine as low as $6; Beer as low as $3

Faves: Mashed potatoes topped with Spicy Pork Naked Balls and Mushroom Gravy, Classic Beef Smash with Tomato Sauce, Simple Salad

Peeves: Very small and crowded; long wait

The Jibba Jab: Meat grinder wall decorations to chalkboard daily specials, this meatballs galore restaurant has a simple approach for choosing your meal...choose from 5 different meatballs with 5 different sauces, either on a bun or "Naked" from a do-it-yourself check off menu. Of the items ordered, I couldn't get enough of the spicy pork meatballs with mushroom gravy and buttery mashed potatoes! Everything was affordable and incredibly tasty and delicious. Can't wait until the other bigger West Village and Brooklyn locations open!

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