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DFWTexEx

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Posts posted by DFWTexEx

  1. Sadly, I knew this was coming after the Theodore fiasco and the problems at the Statler, but it's still sad.

    Bolsa Closed

    This restaurant did change the Dallas dining scene, but more personally, it was really a great, local place for us.  We could pop in and eat at the bar and have Lucky Eddie or, later, Kyle, create some crazy cocktail for us.  Those guys were as instrumental in creating the cocktail scene in Dallas as Graham Dodds was in bringing farm to market dining in a consumable, high end way to Dallas.  It all worked.  We trekked there for booze filled snow day lunches, had neighborhood happy hours there, celebrated and went just because.  It has been killing it lately, including the best steak tartare I have ever had.   It didn't die because of a lack of quality or business.  Financial stress from all the other failed ventures killed the ownership group.

  2. 15 hours ago, Ignatius said:

    I’m at the Terminal B Sky Club right now; place is more crowded than 606 was for 10 cent drink night back in the day....

    Try the DFW Terminal D Centurion in the morning.  As they bring food out, it's like the student section trying to get into the stadium for an LSU game.  As nice as that club is, I have left to go to Admiral's for some avocado toast in a quiet and soothing environment, compared to the chaos at Centuron.

    But the desk staff at Admiral's club has saved my ass after delayed or canceled flights many times.  Well worth it to me via my Citi Exec Card that also gets me 10K EQMs per year.

  3. Finally had it. It was a beating to get to (drove past one Popeye's that had a line to park, plus the line for the drive through..got to the second one and had a long wait), but it was worth it.  Very, very good sandwich even if my roll was not warm.  The crunchy chicken, pickles and spicy mayo were spot on.   I have never been a fan of the soggy, bland Chick Fil A chicken, so it's not even a comparison for me.

  4. Al Biernet's would be the best upscale experience.  I also like Oceannaire in that area, but it's not very Dallas and it's in a hotel.

    Think about Mesero (north Dallas) or Gloria's at Beltline and the Tollway for Mexican, fun and casual.

    Houston's on Beltline is also reliably good,

  5. 2 hours ago, Rougarou said:

    I mean, Lockhart Smokehouse is better than current day Pecan Lodge. I used to go when it was at Farmer's Market as well and think Lockhart is consistently better than Pecan when it was there and first getting tons of acclaim and awards, both Bishop Arts and DT Plano. Sorry.

    Also Hutchins is fantastic. Do they still do all you can eat in Frisco?

    Had Cattleack for the first time about two months ago and it was good, but really greasy (even more so than Lockhart which is the greasiest of all) and the lines and parking make it not worth it compared to the above.

    Lastly, to the article posted above. I've been to the Sugarfire in STL downtown a few times and this is not a win for BBQ in DFW to get one. It's basically a StL-flavored Dickie's BBQ with more interesting flair and dining build outs.

    I so agree with all of this.  PL has always been overseasoned to me.  Cattleack was so greasy and rich that I had to take a break from BBQ. No doubt both those places have some very skilled guys at the pits and I can see why they are popular and get so much recognition.  Lockhart's brisket has always been spot on for me, so that's my preference.  I have not been to Hutchins.

    • Like 1
  6. And Stephen Pyles is done.   There was a real struggling happening at Flora Street / Fauna.  I guess he couldn't figure out how to fix it.

    Flora Street Closes

    He says that he is getting out of the business to and focus on consulting and culinary travel.  And this...

    Quote

    "This will also give me the time, finally, to document my experiences in serving the city’s famous and infamous, as well as cooking for the likes of Mick Jagger, Queen Elizabeth ll and six American Presidents and First Ladies," he says. "I will also be able to share special stories of my mentors and protégés. My memoirs will also allow me to evaluate dozens of food critics I have encountered over the last four decades."

    This is a loss for Dallas.  As I said, I have been a fan of his and his restaurants for a very long time.   

  7. 6 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

    One Mile at a Time has a shockingly bad review of AA's First Class Flagship product DFW-HKG.

    On the one hand, I can't say I'm surprised.  The domestic business class product is just fine, especially compared to intra-European F flights (which are just economy seats with the middle seat blocked off).  But I honestly can't see American flight attendants pulling off the level of service that one expects in international F.

    At the same time, you're a real fucking airline.  How hard can it possibly be to train up a group of FA's to give the level of service that one expects on such a flight.  Especially when you're touting it as your "Flagship" service on your flagship route.

    I have flown first class DFW-HKG.  This review is pretty spot on.  The seat is actually terrific  I enjoyed how it swiveled into a desk facing the window.  The mattress pad and blankets were nice. I slept well. 

    But the flight attendants had no idea this was a premium cabin.  It’s true that they barely spoke to you and when they did it it was just a few words at a time.  Their duties were executed but there was absolutely no sense of hospitality or charm.  

  8. So, we hit up the French Room for my birthday over the weekend.  There is an asterisk (see below) but overall, the experience was really good and this place should be on your list for big nights out in Dallas.   We started at the French Room bar for a cocktail and it was just right.  Atmosphere was very adult and nice.  It was like the Mansion bar in the old days or Rattlesnake, but less rowdy.   We then moved on to the beautiful room.   We asked about the signature tasting menu and found out that they no longer offer a tasting menu; everything is a la carte.  This was a bit disappointing because the new chef Diego Fernandez had time at Alinea and we had his very creative tasting menu at Fauna during the short time he was there.  We wanted to see what he was up to.   But, really the disappointment didn't last long.

    We picked out a few appetizers that all worked well and were beautiful, but the highlight for sure was a chicken en croûte.  Wow!  This dish is why we will go back to the French Room.   You need to go get this.  It's a dish for 2 or maybe even 3.  The really nice chicken is roasted en croute and then carved tableside with a reduction made by the neck and feet poured over like a gravy.  With some perfect pomme puree  and mushrooms on the side,  you are done.  Really good.  Wine service and service overall was graceful and nice.  Chef Diego came out at the end to greet us since we had mentioned that we followed him over from Fauna.  Overall, a really nice dress up night out.  Great for a celebration.

    That all being said, there is a problem here, similar to what we saw at Flora Street.  The server, the captain and Chef Diego all referred to the restaurant being "in transition" as they figure out how to balance high end, creative cooking and presentation with a reluctance by Dallas diners to choose what they perceive to be overly fussy, non-standard food in a fancy room.   The servers, like at Flora Street, were casually dressed with simple cotton aprons.  This was in contrast to the patrons who were all suited up, with women in sparkly dresses.  These guys all talked about bringing in color, more casual chairs, more casual service and the death of the tasting menu in favor of a la carte dining.  I don't know how to call this.  Bullion seems to have figured it out, but maybe casual dining with high end food (see Homewood) is where we are headed.  Too bad.  I like options.

  9. On 9/12/2019 at 7:24 PM, Landomatic said:

    Dude that’s awesome.  I think she’s been getting lots of love for a while now.  Forget what else she recently just won, but I get the feeling her place is pretty highly regarded.  So the real question is...when are we goin?

    When is this Surly dinner at Petra happening?  😀

  10. Not sure where to post, so I will throw this out here.  It was my turn to host out of town company execs and board members this week.   I decided to just go to my favorite places.  Board members were at the new Hall Arts Hotel.  We had cocktails there and it was cool, already buzzing even though it just opened.  Execs stayed in cool AirBnBs in my neighborhood in North Oak Cliff.

    Sunday night casual dinner (no board members):  great weather...walked to Nova.  So awesome.  Greeted with hugs as always.  The most welcoming place in town.  We had a blast and they loved the food.  The fried green tomatoes with crawfish and shrimp mornay,  smoked salmon potato skins, mussels with tasso and the hummus were all as good as always.  Several guys got the epic chicken fried pork loin.  Man, that dish should make a list of the iconic dishes in Dallas.   BIG Food.  Whiskeys afterwards at Cannon's.  A very good night.

    Monday night board dinner at Flora Street.  What a mess.  I am big fan of Stephen Pyles.  I have talked up Flora Street on several threads on here.  The first fancy dinner I ever paid for was at Baby Routh.  I was a regular at Star Canyon and even loved AquaKnox.  Spent birthdays at Stephen Pyles and was at Flora Street and Fauna as they opened.   He's got a problem here now.  On a cold, windy December night, servers were in sloppy, ill-fitting Hawaiian shirts.  It sounds like a small thing, but it so indicated where this once Michelin level restaurant is now.  Our guy actually did the "My name is Timothy and I will be taking care of you tonight thing, followed by an endless speech about the menu".  I expected him to offer bloomin' onions at a swirl margatini at the end of it.  Service was awkward at best, with endless waits as some people got coktails and wine and others did not.  The first three bottles we selected from the list were not available.  Sommelier was lost.  They could only offer 2 beers because "we can't get permission to transition", whatever that means.   They stuck is in the Fauna room, Siberia.  No music or atmosphere.    The food ended being ok, clearly upscale and presented nicely, but it was not interesting or good enough.  I had a branzino that was charred to death.  I had the same fish at Marea in NYC not long ago and this was not in the same league.  I don't know when or if I will go back.   I retract all my recommendations of Flora Street.  So sad.

    Tuesday night dinner with clients at Boulevardier.   Restaurant was packed. Only 2 servers.  No manager.  Bad table again.  Pretty much ignored for the first hour.  Really bad start.  It was only ok because it gave us a chance to talk work without the interruptions of a server trying to serve us!   But, once it got going and she caught up, it was terrific as always.  The oysters are the best in town.  We had escargot, which I had never had there and now will recommend.  We got the meat and cheese board too and a round of bone marrow, with the luge shots after.  Really fun, especially for the client guys from the Northern suburbs.  I got my burger (the best restaurant burger in town).  Most everyone else got steak or lamb (1/2 price on Tuesdays, as a note).   Fun, satisfying meal with great food....after the terrible service at the start.  it must be hard to properly execute workforce management at a restaurant this time of year.  A couple more servers really should have been there.  Still, this is a great place and I will go back soon.

    Overall, the guys left with a good impression of food in Dallas.  And I will be eating salads for a few days.

  11. I'll throw out Barbara's in Oak Cliff.  One of the couple of actual bars in Oak Cliff (not a restaurant).  It's an old school gay bar, but on most nights, the straight folks are the majority. It's as divey as it gets.  Love seeing my neighbors drunk off their asses doing karaoke.  And I like a place where I just order a bourbon and water, well drink, no fuss, no monkeys.

  12. 21 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

    Someone please explain why Group 2 on American has about 30 people boarding on any given flight. Only Exec platinum and business class are for that group and there is no way a lot of those folks are Exec plat.

    Depends on the route.  On most flights, Group 2 has a couple of people and they go straight to 3.  On some routes (looking at you DFW:SMF on a Monday or Friday), it is loaded with EPs and they take up all the overhead space in the front half of the plan.

  13. 10 hours ago, Js1 said:

     

    I didn’t get Atma Ram but cannot stress enough how great this recommendation was.
    Mr. Bunty was incredibly professional, easy to contact, handled everything and I had a very nice, professional, friendly driver. Having them arrange the hotels, guides, etc was so helpful. As was relaxing car rides between cities - no planes, no trains. 

    not to mention my guide made sure I got to go off the beaten path to some local spots/sights. 

    Great to hear.  I'd like to know more about your itinerary.  I only did Agra on my last trip and would like to do more next time.

  14. Quote

    Man this was a hell of a lot bigger than I thought last night

    The devastation is way worse than most people thought when we went to bed last night.  That Northhaven picture, the Home Depot on Forrest at 75, Royal Preston shopping center area....wow...and none of those places are that close to each other.   We were at the Cowboys game.  It was more than a bit unsettling to know that it was happening but now sure where and not being able to access good internet.

  15. 47 minutes ago, DFWTexEx said:

    My report (no pics) of new places I tried on this trip:

    Marea:  classic, Central Park South, 2 Michelin star, everything fantastic from start to finish, extraordinary service.  We had never been, but we will go back.  Italian seafood.   The fuselli with octopus and a bone marrow red sauce is  on one list of the "iconic" dishes of NYC.  We ordered one for the table.  It lived up to the reputation.  I shared a whole, salt roasted branzino with one other person.  It was perfect, as were the  the roasted mushrooms and brocollini on the side.

    Hutong:  NYC outpost of a Hong Kong restaurant.  In the old Le Cirque space on Lex.   Totally fabulous room, perfect service, and really good upscale Northern Chinese food.   We had the special dim sum box, soup dumplings, and 1/2 Peking duck (carved tableside by an older Chinese guy who has done this about 10,000 times and served in two stages).  The only things less than memorable were the sides of fried rice and Chinese broccoli.   Big city night out.

    Boqueria / 40th street.  Really fun tapas place.  Sat at chef's counter overlooking the kitchen and within clear earshot of the guys yelling at each other in Spanish.   Good show!  Perfect for a light pre-theater meal (and way better than those prix fixe menus).   We shared a very nice platter of Spanish meats and cheeses and a tortilla.  I know this is something of a NYC chain, but happy to see something like this in the Theater District.

     

     

     

    Oh, go see To Kill a Mockingbird.  It's extraordinary, a whole new take on a book I knew well.

    And Bar Centrale is legit.   

  16. My report (no pics) of new places I tried on this trip:

    Marea:  classic, Central Park South, 2 Michelin star, everything fantastic from start to finish, extraordinary service.  We had never been, but we will go back.  Italian seafood.   The fuselli with octopus and a bone marrow red sauce is  on one list of the "iconic" dishes of NYC.  We ordered one for the table.  It lived up to the reputation.  I shared a whole, salt roasted branzino with one other person.  It was perfect, as were the  the roasted mushrooms and brocollini on the side.

    Hutong:  NYC outpost of a Hong Kong restaurant.  In the old Le Cirque space on Lex.   Totally fabulous room, perfect service, and really good upscale Northern Chinese food.   We had the special dim sum box, soup dumplings, and 1/2 Peking duck (carved tableside by an older Chinese guy who has done this about 10,000 times and served in two stages).  The only things less than memorable were the sides of fried rice and Chinese broccoli.   Big city night out.

    Boqueria / 40th street.  Really fun tapas place.  Sat at chef's counter overlooking the kitchen and within clear earshot of the guys yelling at each other in Spanish.   Good show!  Perfect for a light pre-theater meal (and way better than those prix fixe menus).   We shared a very nice platter of Spanish meats and cheeses and a tortilla.  I know this is something of a NYC chain, but happy to see something like this in the Theater District.

     

     

     

    • Like 1
  17. I should point out that there are separate licenses for official tour guides, to get into places like the Taj or Red Fort.  Your driver should be great, but he can't go in with you or be your guide.  For not much money, they (either Mr. Bunty or the driver) will arrange for a tour guide.  I usually loathe tour guides, but my driver to Agra talked me into it and I don't regret it.  Touring the Taj and the Red Fort with someone who can really speak to it was very helpful and he is your private guide, so you control the speed and detail.  It was well worth it.  I did the Taj in the afternoon with the guide and then went back the next morning at sunrise and just hung by myself and took pictures.

    • Like 1
  18. On 10/4/2019 at 9:03 AM, Zombie said:
    On 10/3/2019 at 3:17 PM, Js1 said:
    Thanks. I would like to know what service you used for the driver. 

    Me too.

     

    On 10/3/2019 at 3:17 PM, Js1 said:

    Thanks. I would like to know what service you used for the driver. 

    This is who I used:  India Private Driver

     

    Mr. Bunty will take care of you.  Ask for a driver named Atma Ram.

    • Like 2
  19. It might be on the pricier side, by I highly recommend the JW Marriot Aerocity.  It's by the airport and is a much welcome relief after a long flight (or if you are leaving early in the morning).  It's in a quiet business park and near shopping.  They treat you really well.  The shower is among the best I have ever had (so important) and there is a sports bar / lounge that serves global/Western food.  It is not really centrally located, but I am not sure there is any location in Delhi that makes seeing the sights easy.  Just get a driver and let him do the work.  If you need a recommendation for a good, affordable service let me know.  The company I used was terrific and reliable, but not luxurious.

    And if you are going to the Taj, don't do a day trip.  Get the driver to take you and spend the night in Agra.  If you can swing it at all, stay at the Oberoi.   It is definitely pricey for India, but it is a once in a lifetime experience that is worth it.  Your room will have a terrace overlooking the Taj and they will golf cart you over there at sunrise.  And it may have the best hotel pool I have ever experienced.

    • Like 1
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