DFWTexEx

This may belong on the "unpopular opinions" thread but pizza to me is local. I won't drive around town for pizza. I did that once for Cane Rosso. It was damn good pizza, but not so incrementally better than what I can get within a mile from my house to make it worth it. The other exception is a destination. We will get pizza at Olivella's in Victory when we are going to a game and it's also damn good. So, for me, it's Cibo Divo (real Italian guy making it, brick oven, perfect crust, simple, fresh ingredients, nice patio bar, other food is great too, especially the 44 Farms steaks that are cut to order and Daniele's pastas), Nova (walking distance, perfect neighborhood bar, excellent pizzas, especially the Jimmy's three meat pie, but the simple tomato pie with the balsamic drizzle is a favorite) and Enos (different because the crust is cracker thin, but the toppings are fresh and remarkably good...because the crust is so thin, I can eat more!)

I went to Marfa and the area back at the end of '15. There was a similar thread on the old board with many of the same recommendations. All of this is very helpful. The most helpful tip, though, was to always have drinks and snacks in your car and at your place. The restaurants out there seem to think their business hours are only suggestions and many are closed for random reasons. We bought some cheese and crackers and other snacks at the grocery store when we got there. Despite trying to eat well (we did get to Cochineal, Jett's, M Burrito, etc.) we ended up having to eat the Dairy Queen (only think in town that was open in the middle of the afternoon when we got back from Dom Rock) and also had a fun meal with friends at our VRBO after we got back from the observatory (nothing else was open) of Cheetos, canned mushroom soup that was left in the house, cheese, crackers and the kick ass wine that we had brought with us! That was a memorable meal. Also, Food Shark is way overrated.

We were staying at the Grand Bretagne and had dinner at the rooftop restaurant. For a nice and expensive meal, it was quite disappointing. But, as Hundystick said, for drinks or a fancy breakfast, it was spectacular.

Haven't done Secrets on that side of Mexico, but the Secrets in Cabo has been great. NO KIDS. Fairly high end booze. Good enough food and nice, high-end resort feel (dress codes in restaurants...the women dress up). Did I say that there are no kids? I know there are super luxury places to stay, but the no kids thing on this sort of vacation is important. Not a usual fan of AI, but I have enjoyed Secrets. Despite the name and the weird marketing campaign, it's not swingers spot. There are normal couples, groups and a fair number of singles of all ages. The main pool can be a good party scene, but the rest of the place is pretty elegant. I am sure the formula for the Cancun area locations is the same. The Marona Beach location has been recommended to me.

For me, it's Wingfield's when I want an old fashioned burger and Boulevardiere when I want a new fangled restaurant burger. I haven't found better in Dallas.

I dream of living in small town in Mexico, maybe by or near a beach. But, I could never do it in Texas and probably not in the US. I'd want a village like experience, not a place where the Dairy Queen is the center of social activity , however much I may like my Blizzards.

The strange and equally annoying thing is that as they have dumbed down the product, they spend so much more time on it. It used to be that unless a major weather event was happening, the weather segment was 3-4 minutes or so around 15 minutes past 6 or 10, followed by sports. Not, there is weather segment in the lead of the newscast and constant references to it. At some point, Delkus launches into a lecture about some weather term..."hail is formed when water dropplets are caught in updrafts and this or that...look at these cool graphics". That goes on for a few minutes and then he goes into to the actual weather. Pretty sure half the newscast is now weather.

I am the opposite. I rarely saw Hill Street Blues, but loved and definitely tuned in for LA Law. Arnie Becker for the win! Wasn't NYPD Blue the first to show naked butts on network TV in the context of actual sex?

Yes, I did.

There is probably lots more to this story. He was also kicked out of and sued by M group, which he also founded. Talented guy, but lots of demons in that one. https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2009/september/the-rise-and-fall-of-dallas-restaurateur-mico-rodriguez/

We ended up doing a big lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central and then went to Glass House for just drinks and a cheese plate before the show. Great find. Awesome service, good selection of everything. We ended up going back after the show for a bottle of wine and more food. It was odd that all the cheesy, touristy places were packed, but Glass House had tables both times. Good call.

(i) Not set on eating in Theater District. Don't mind a good walk or a reasonable cab / Uber ride so long as we get to theater by 7:30 to meet friends. (ii) It will be a travel day, so we do need eat something before the show. (iii) We are open to anything, but are thinking about small plates, tapas, etc. Pretty adventurous eaters. No real budget; happy to pay for something good and interesting. Thanks.

We'd like to avoid those boring prix fixe generic meals. Any thoughts for something interesting? Staying at 52nd & Madison.

I agree with much that has been said on here, but the video of the Ritz bar on NOLA is closest to what I do. I wouldn't muddle an orange slice or anything like that, even a cherry, but I do had a sliver of orange peel in the cocktail. The tiniest hint of orange makes the drink for me. And I use bourbon.

As if we never said goodbye.

Bentley Milo

I'agree with the sub-boards. Until then, here is my impression of Bouillon. It’s hard to review this place. The food was wonderful, especially the two entrees (grouper and duck). Both were as good as I would expect at a Michelin star restaurant, perfectly cooked with sophisticated, understated sauces. The salmon rillettes were good, but I prefer the version at Bolsa. The wine, all French, was very nice. The room is beautiful. It’s intimate, very stylish and old school –calling out to a yacht or cruise ship dining room. The patrons fit the room. The men were boring in their suits and blazers, but the fashion show of the women as they walked in, blowing kissing and waving to friends, was something else. It’s quite the scene, even on a random Wednesday night. Our server was perfect. Graceful, quiet and efficient. I wish she would be my server every time I go out to eat. On the other hand, the server for the nearby tables, was loud and obnoxious in detailing every element of every dish, without being asked. It was amusing, however, hearing him describe the classic items on the classic French menu to a table of native French speakers, presumably from France. “Duck confit is……” I gotta say it was odd seeing the servers in jeans, simple white shirts and goofy bow ties. The leather aprons were nice, but the overall look didn’t fit the special vibe of the room. Maybe that’s peculiar to me because, at the prices, Bouillon will be a special occasion place for us. On the upside, the servers were all clean cut, nicely groomed, with all hair away from the face – a wonderful change of pace from the Oak Cliff server aesthetic that I see at even nice restaurants (other than Hattie’s and Lucia) that is more along the lines of: “I haven’t bathed in a few days, but my grungy look is cool and doesn’t affect the cleanliness of the food. Trust me.” Overall, I’d go back for a dressy night out with friends. It is definitely one of the special spots in Dallas.