Salivating over Valentino Designs

While salivating over the odors coming from the Nammi food truck at Flora and Pearl today, i decided to post pictures of the Valentino purses and shoes I was salivating over in  Neman Marcus earlir today. I'm not one of those girls who typically goes gaga over purses. parda purses bore me to tears. I find Chanel purses repulsive. Quilts belong on beds, not purses. Valentino purses however are gorgeous. Artisitically and beauty wise they beat out any designers I can think of by far. I love the curves, the folds, and the way they involve floral designs. Just like I salivate over a well presented dessert or meal, I salivate over these.

My cell phone doesn't alway take the best pictures..

Yum

The reflections make it hard to see but this is a
black leather purse with roses.

Nice soft leather

This is blurry but.. I crave that black one.

Clutches

These pictures were taken at the Neiman Macrus downtown on Main Street.

Velvet Taco on Knox-Henderson

Velvet Taco - 3 *s


After meeting a date at The Pearl Cup, we happened to be strolling down Henderson when my bright eye noticed the  Velvet Taco I had read so much about. The reviewers seem to be in a tizzy about this place. There was even a review about how many reviewers are writing about it. They're not quite reviews, just buildup and excitement about the coming of this place to Dallas. Velvet Taco only opened last Thursday, according to the Manager we spoke with, so it's been open a little over a week.

Perhaps all the excitement is due to the  name. Maybe Texans just can't contain themselves when they hear there's a fusion taco place coming their way. Then again, it's more likely that the buildup has something to do with the co-owners of the joint.

Mark Brezinski, one of the co-owners, also founded Tin Star, Pei Wei, and Bengal Coast. He was also involved with Genghis Grill, a place I was always quite fond of. Marks' partner is a group called Front Burner Restaurants. They own Twin Peaks, Whiskey Cake, Red Dog Right, and The Ranch. John Franke, the man responsible for the recipes at Velvet Taco, is the corporate chef of Front Burner Restaurants.¹

I'm not a huge taco fan, so I'm not going to be one going for the traditional al pastor pork tacos. Not that I'm sure their pulled pork tacos are prepared in the al pastor style. Yes, somehow I even end up reading too much about the styles of food I'm not a fan of.. maybe I still hold out hope for tacos. I do like quesadillas. Anyways, the non-traditional aspect of this place is part of what appealed to me.

Keeping on par with that line of thought, I ordered the Ahi Poke (Raw) with ginger-soy vinaigrette, avocado, watermelon radish, picked Fresno peppers, sesame seeds, and pea tendrils, all inside a lettuce shell. When I ordered it, I didn't realize the taco would come in a lettuce shell, but I thought that was awesome. I'm a big fan of things that make my meals healthier and don't decrease the deliciousness factor. In fact, I actually prefer the taste of a lettuce shell to every taco I've ever had. Then again, maybe that's just me. I'm also a fan of raw tuna (or salmon, and so on..) so I quite enjoyed my taco. I was worried about it being a bit spicy, so I asked. The woman at the cash register said it wouldn't be, and that was the case. My taco didn't have an especially amazing preparation of raw tuna, but it was enjoyable.

Mine on the left, his on the right

My date got the Grilled Adobe Shrimp taco with applewood bacon, roasted corn & avocado pico de gallo, epazote (a Mexican herb), and sriracha aioli. This taco came in a homemade corn tortilla. The sriracha aioli would make me hesitant (whereas my brother drenches all his food with it), but I had a bite and it actually wasn't all that spicy. The corn tortilla was pretty good, and homemade is certainly an improvement over any place that buys them pre-made. The taco overall was pretty good. Edible and whatnot. However, it wasn't anything that really blew me away.

For my concluding remarks on the tacos, the main event, I enjoyed my tuna taco, but honestly, it doesn't seem like one that would be difficult to make at home. I give them credit for serving some more interesting versions. I'd come back for a taco. I certainly wouldn't waste my time ordering the shrimp taco. The reviews I've read seem to rant and rave about the Cornmeal Fried Oysters  taco. I have a feeling it would be standard, but you could try it if you're in the area.

Dee Lincoln's Tasting Room & Bubble Bar, by the Crescent Hotel

Dee Lincoln's Tasting Room - 3.5 *s

Dee Lincoln was a co-founder of Del Frisco's Steakhouse and left to establish this place. Her first place was at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. We came to the Rosewood location for our first Restaurant Week dinner. I loved the glittery, silver style of this venue. There were dancing images of bubbles on the wall projected by some kind of light. Shiny glitter and silver was the theme of the place. I loved the silver pillows and the paintings of women drinking wine.

The emphasis here seems to be more on hosting events, parties, and perhaps people at the bars. They have wines on display with their prices for 2 ounce glasses, 4 ounce glasses, and 6 ounce glasses. We saw people coming up to these machines, inserting cards, and somehow receiving wine in glasses. According to the website, these are special machines shipped from Italy that deliver customers wine at the perfect temperature. I do think having a small taste of wine sounds great. Dee Lincoln's is one of those places that has that Sex in the City girl talk vibe. Most of the patrons were groups of women tasting wine. There may have been 2 male patrons, other than us, who looked like they were on a date. It would be a great place to host an event or go out for a Girls' Night Out.

However, we did not try any wine, and I am here to review the food. It did have quite an extensive food menu for a bar and would be a great place to go if you're looking for a bar/lounge with good food. They do have a Cigar list on the wine menu. I'm not sure I would pay $20 for a cigar, but that did make me grin. Apparently the owner is a smoker.

Dee Lincoln mentions her cajun background in the website for the restaurant. That may be why the New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp was the star of our dining experience. It may also be why, with a quasi-Northeastern background, our party was so disappointed in the cheesecake.

The sauce on the shrimp was delicious. I was getting some more bread to dip in it (to feed my addiction), but the waitress had taken away the plate by that time. The shrimp had smokey, salty, awesome flavor and a nice blackening from the grill. Considering that I've never been a huge fan, I'm impressed with any rendition of shrimp that leaves me wanting more. I think the real lesson here was that if you eat here, the Cajun items are the way to go. This item came from the regular menu, not the Restaurant Week menu. I admit, though, I'd be tempted to try the Swedish Meatballs next time. A Sushi Pizza also intrigued me.

Yum-tastic..

For my first course I chose the Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho. I'm pretty much addicted to gazpacho. It's one of those weird things where I hate tomatoes, but can't say no any tomato-based product. I was a little wary of the pimento-stuffed shishito pepper since I am deathly allergic to spicy food.The waitress, however, said the gazpacho itself wasnt spicy and that the pepper was served on the side. So it wasn't exactly on the side. More like in the gazpacho. Originally I picked the pepper out, but I later had a bite and it wasn't spicy at all. In fact, nothing seemed overly spicy here at Dee's tasting room, which suit me just fine. The gazpacho itself was very good. It had burrata, which is a soft cheese, some interesting herbs, and that delicious tomato flavor I'm addicted to. It was unusually well presented, had a nice thin texture, and is among the best gazpachos I've tasted.

Gazpacho!

My father ordered the Salumi plate since he was eager to try  the "raisins on the vine." The raisins just kind of tasted like fancy raisins. They were raisined (dried out) still on the vine of the grape. They looked like grapes that had been left in the refrigerator for a long time.  I came up with a name I liked better: withered grapes on the branch. The plate of salami was a-ok. Pretty standard. I had a favorite salami and a least favorite, but I forget the names.

Salumi. Or perhaps Salami?

A closeup of the wizened grapes.

The Ricotta Nudies were the free Fourth Course we got with our coupon from Central Market. Everyone at the table quite liked them. They did have good flavors and reminded me of a Pasta Carbonara (a dish with eggs, parmesan, bacon, and black pepper). I liked the mushroom, bits of Parmesan, and the taste of oil and bacon. My dad aliked the herbal flavor the dried sage leaves imparted, as well as the texture they added. The bacon itself was very good, and the little japanese mushrooms were delicious. However, the nudies had the texture of mashed potatoes which left me personally in a state of ennui.

Ricotta Nudies. Just how I like them. Nude?

The Braised Short Ribs with peach and kimshi emulsion was my favorite entree. Its a good thing I ordered it. Then again, with the huge size of entrees Americans seem so fond of (by the way, I am American), I still didnt quite finish my plate. Plus, this was a 4 course meal. It's a cooked thing my plate -lapping father was there. I thought it was well-cooked, salty, smokey, beefy, fatty deliciousness. Not super-fatty, but enough fat to keep it interesting. I love it when the shortribs fall in tasty shreds off the bone. The kimshi (aka the spicy korean vegetation known as kimchee) emulsion was, of course, a bit spicy for my blood. I still liked the flavoring on the rice around the beef. It was nice and savory.

The Braised Short Ribs. I'm not sure how well this picture
translated. The sauce on the rice was another addictive sauce.

More food on the next page...

Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen - Mobile NY Deli [FOOD TRUCKS!!] Side Dish Food Truck Schedule Added

Gandolfo's NY Deli - 4.5 *s

I read about Gandolfo's, along with several other food trucks in Dallas, last night as I was binge reading to catch up on restaurant reviews. I've actually been meaning to go to the Nammi Vietnamese food truck in Dallas for a month or so. There is something deliciously intriguing about food trucks. Greenwich Village used to have a Dessert food truck I visited every time I was in New York. It was delicious... bread puddings, ganaches, and so on. I think they eventually moved to one of those silly brick and mortar locations.

There was chatter around the truck about other food trucks. The consensus seemed to be that the Nammi food truck was good, but Jack's Chowhound, a truck with comfort food like sandwiches and burgers, not so good. I will pass my own judgment later.

When I read there was a New York deli good truck, I knew it was right up my alley. I've spent a good amount of time in New York, my parent are from Long Island, and like any good Jew I love my Deli meats and lox. In fact, the reception at my parents' wedding consisted of a bagel spread.

 The pastrami in our sandwiches was amazing, deliciously salty, and fresh. Next time I would get a sandwich without the cheese or mayo, so that I could focus on the best part - the meat. Randy Wolken, the regional franchisee and one of the 2 men who prepared our sandwiches, told me that they get their meats cured in Utah and shipped here.

He told us that he isn't from New York (I could already tell from his voice). He grew up in Texas, but was a stockbroker in New York for a while. This truck is his retirement.

My sandwich and pastrami, mmm.

This is my sandwich again! The Knuckle Sandwich. It came with a
very sour pickle. Not bad. Just more sour than I'm used to.

My companion's Gandy's Coney Island Dog: 1/4 lb. all-beef
(it makes a difference!) Nathan's hot dog with sauerkraut, onion,
and spicy mustard. Again, the bread, or the hero, didn't impress.

He has an appetite. He also got the King of Queens: Pastrami,
no Swiss, tomato, cole slaw he had many kind words about,
and Russian dressing. Nuked.

Beer-battered Cod with Tartar Sauce... I give it an A.

Since posting my cooking attempts is a lot less work, that's what I shall do. I made these in concert with hamburgers for a barbecue type of Sunday (today). There was also corn and coleslaw. It seems natural to stick to the part I actually made. Since I've always been a bit bored, by cooked fish, I've tried to amass a collection of recipes that add to the flavor. Beer, of course, makes everything taste better. Try boiling hot dogs in beer - it's delicious! Of course, cheap beers work just as well for that. I used Samuel Smith's pale ale. There was plenty left over to drink with our meal. I was supposed to use 3 inches of oil (I tend to always use olive oil, it is healthier), but I had nowhere near that much. I used enough to almost cover the pieces of fish, and it was more than fine. Everyone at our meal liked my fish, and especially liked the tartar sauce. I think the beer added a sweetness to the fried fish I don't usually get. I made home-made mayonnaise for the tartar sauce. It makes a huge difference and is actually relatively easy. The mayonnaise was from a recipe on a health website I get emails from, but it's really easy and really doesn't require a recipe. I have edited the recipes below to reflect the way I made everything. To sum up, this was a delicious fishy meal and I highly recommend it for a hot Sunday!

Henry's Homemade Ice Cream in Plano, TX

Henry's Homemade Ice Cream - 4 *s

I know it's been a long time since I've kept up with this blog. I had tests to study for, food to eat, food to make, cats to cuddle with, and so on.. So I've decided to start posting backwards: most recent till least recent. And there have been a LOT of outings meant to go in my blog, as well as a few cookings. I haven't done as well at taking pictures of my ventures in the kitchen.

As it says, on their website, Henry's Ice Cream is served in over 400 establishments. I've had his ice cream in various flavors served along with pie, of course (or the like) in several restaurants. Henry says they don't do chains: TGIF's, Chili's, etc. (Of course, neither do I - if I can help it.) He also encourages you to demand that all your favorite restaurants start carrying his ice cream. I certainly wouldn't argue. His ice cream has always been delicious. I'm also in love with their slogan: "Ice Cream Makes You Pretty!"

I signed up for an email list with Henry's a while ago. They emailed me about their 17th Annual Pajama Party on June 18th (today). Along with being pajama-clad, we each got a free pint of ice cream. We arrived promptly at 7 pm (the time the event was supposed to start) and there was still a bit of a line. They probably opened up the line to forgers half an hours early. Cancer survivors were scooping the ice cream and a lovely young lady sent around a tip bucket (tips were donated to the American Cancer Society).

Our pajamas proved quite popular. We got our pictures taken twice: once by The Plano Courier, and once by the people at Henry's Ice Cream. Henry himself even told us we had a shot at winning the prize for the "Best Family PJ's" contest. Henry was dressed in a cow-spotted robe and had a cow hat with horns. I know I've spent a lot of time discussing the non-food aspects of my experience. However, the atmosphere was probably my favorite part. Everyone was friendly and a lot of them seemed to know each other, as well as who Henry was. They all seemed quite fond of Henry. It sort of had a homey Texas town vibe. I flipped through some books children had written thanking Henry for his ice cream.

I thought the Superman family was adorable.

Me, my father, and our super-cool pajamas.
He had a double scoop with Citrus ice cream and Hazelnut ice cream.
I had Mango Pecan ice cream in a cup (I'm not a coner).

Our free quart of rum raisin.

I chose Cinnamon.

Grimaldi's - The Best Pizza in Dallas!

Grimaldi's - 5 *s!


There are a few locations in Dallas, as well as the famous location under the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The location in Brooklyn has long lines at all hours. Thankfully, that's a non-issue at the locations in Dallas and Plano. The pizza is delicious. The sauce has an excellent flavor, and there's not too much cheese. I always appreciate pizza with basil. The regular pizza automatically comes with basil on it. One of the last times I was there, a friend asked for ranch dressing, and the waiter said they don't carry ranch dressing. As I said, you only need ranch on bad pizza. I used to have a thing for getting Papa John's and dipping it in ranch dressing. With this pizza, however, there is definitely no need for ranch. They use charcoal ovens at Grimaldi's so it's a different type of pizza than the conventional New York-style pizza. On this particular occasion, we came for my father's birthday in January. They send him a coupon for a free pizza or free cheesecake every year. Make sure to sign up! I'm always pleased by the flavor of the sauce and am not hesitant to say this is the best pizza I've ever had in Texas. As for the cheesecake, I also think it's delicious. The cheesecake was creamy and had a nice, firm texture. As far as cheesecake in Dallas goes, it's definitely among the best. The cheesecake at Macaroni Grill may be better. They all make me happy. Cheesecake Factory fails on all counts.

Mushroom Onion Pizza

Cheese Pizza

New York style Cheesecake