#76 - Kirby's Steakhouse, Southlake, TX

I've gone through lots of phases of New Year's Eve in my life.  As a young kid, my parents' best friends had NYE parties, and it was the one night of the year we were allowed to stay up that late.  Prince's "1999" was released when we were in 7th grade, and we all said how we would dance all night to the song when we got to 1999.  In my late 20's we went to these big parties at a hotel in downtown DC that cost about $100 and included unlimited food & drinks.  It was an excuse to get dressed up and dance the night away.  We were at one of those parties in 1999, and when the clock struck midnight the music stopped and we all waited for the computers to fail and the lights to all go out, as so many "experts" had predicted.  None of that happened, so about 30 seconds later the music started, and we went back to dancing.  Oh and they only played "1999" once that night.  In my early 30's it was all I could do to stay awake long enough to rock in the new year with Dick Clark, and I was asleep by 12:15.  Since I've lived in Oklahoma we've been on the bowl trip over NYE so we went out.  Last year in Dallas our official party bar had a NYE party with a free champagne toast, and we ended up dancing till about 3am.  That was fun until my alarm went off at 7am for the game.

Joni and I were trying to find something fun to do for NYE again this year.  This year the team hotel was about 10 minutes from Joni's house, but 30 from last year's bar so that was out.  Everything we looked into was wicked expensive, too far away, or both.  Eventually we decided on dinner at Kirby's Steakhouse in Southlake.  Our reservation options were 5:30 or 9:00, so the late reservation it was. 

Kirby's is a great place, with 2 other locations in San Antonio and The Woodlands (just north of Houston).  It reminds me of a Ruth's Chris steakhouse.  As you walk in on the left is the "entertainment room", a den-like area that's down a couple of steps with a grand piano, several tables with comfy chairs and a large fireplace.  Just beyond that is a bar with a couple of bar-height tables.  The main dining room is to the right as you enter the restaurant, and there's a large private dining area that is separated from the main dining room by a large wall of wine.  I had never seen a high-end restaurant that brings in live music, but it works.  They only do it Friday and Saturday nights, and this was a really good cover band.  Kirby's also offers a free shuttle to the surrounding hotels, which I think is a great amenity.  It was absolutely jam packed when we arrived at about 8:30, so we just maneuvered our way to a position at the bar for a drink while we waited for our table.

It was about 9:15 before we were finally seated.  Because of the crowds the entire private dining area was set up for regular dining.  We were disappointed because it took a while for our server to arrive, and then throughout the meal he was missing more than he was there.  I know it was packed and NYE, but that still isn't an acceptable excuse for a high-end, fine dining restaurant.  

There was a prix fixe NYE menu.  We each got one of the appetizers so we could all taste and share.

Oven roasted grape tomatoes

with baby mozzarella, basil balsamic vinaigrette in a parmesan tuile

I didn't try the tomatoes because it was a very small serving, but Joni said they were really good.

Lobster bisque

The lobster bisque wasn't hot but I don't think bisque is normally served scorching hot.  No matter, it was velvety creamy and had a wonderful flavor.  There were huge pieces of lobster in there, and the lobster was cooked perfectly.

House made gnocchi

with garlic sautéed wild mushrooms and sauce carbonara

I was a little disappointed because the gnocchi wasn't crispy as advertised, but that's probably because it had been sitting for a little while before it got to our table.  But the flavor was delicious.  I had always been afraid of gnocchi because one time I had it at another restaurant and it wasn't good at all.  But this one made me a believer.  

Of course I had the ribeye as my main course.  It is by far my favorite cut of meat. 

Wow, that was a lot of steak!  But it was phenomenal, even though it was cooked a little more medium well and I had asked for medium.   I'm not even sure if sides were available on this special menu.  But honestly, we didn't need any.

We were so full, so we decided to just share one dessert, the Belgian dark chocolate vortex

with white chocolate marquis, Godiva pot de crème, and champagne soaked strawberries

This dessert was awesome!  I'm glad we split it because I never would have been able to finish the whole thing myself.  The white chocolate was cold and had a similar texture to cheesecake, which was a great contrast from the chocolate cake.   

By the time we were done with dinner it was about 11:30, so we decided to go have a drink in the bar area and wait for midnight.  To our pleasant surprise they were doing a free champagne toast, so we filled up our glasses and put on our party hats.

We made it until about 12:30 and then it was time for bed.

Will I go back?  I would like to try it again on a slower night because I truly believe it would be a better experience.  The food was already really good, so it was just the service that was lacking. High-end restaurants won't stay that way without going above and beyond with their service. And there was some really good people watching going on.  We had fun overall experience, but unfortunately the service wasn't up to par of that caliber of restaurant.   

#75 - Corner Bakery Cafe, Dallas TX

When we got to Dallas for the bowl trip, my first stop was North Park Mall and the Origins store.  I had a coupon that was expiring that day, and for some reason it's only valid in their retail store.  Which used to be okay, until they closed all the retail stores in Oklahoma.  I like North Park Mall, but not on NYE when it's absolutely jam packed and I've just driven 4 hours, the last 30 minutes in horrendous Dallas traffic.  And then the parking lot was absolutely ridiculous and it took us another 20 minutes to find a parking spot.

You have to be focused when you go to North Park.  It's a massive mall, and very easy to get distracted.  But that will never happen to me on the high-end side, considering I can't afford anything in those stores.  It always cracks me up because there's hundreds of people walking through the high-end side, but I hardly ever see anyone in the stores.  But it is Dallas, so I'm sure there are a lot of people who can and do shop there all the time.  When I was done in the store we were starving and it was time for some lunch. I had wanted to try this brand new restaurant in the mall, but my mom wasn't real fired up about the menu when she looked at it.  We had seen a Corner Bakery Cafe when we first walked in, and she voted we eat there. 

They have about 10 tables inside, and then a very good-sized patio that wraps around 2 sides of the café.  They've also got some seating along the window inside.  I love that they also have the Coke machine where you can mix & match all the different flavors.  I wanted ginger ale, but it was Seagram's and not Canada Dry.  I decided to try it anyway...one sip and I tossed it out and got Diet Dr. Pepper.  It has a funky aftertaste.  Like Panera, they have a "pick 2" menu--they call it Corner Combos--where you can get half sizes of soups, salads, and sandwiches.  I knew I would be eating a big meal later that night so I wanted to keep my lunch on the light side. 

I got the uptown turkey sandwich on harvest toast and mixed greens salad.  All the combos come with a couple choices of sides, and I picked a bag of chips and a pickle.

Smoked turkey breast, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato & mayo

My mom and I both had the salad, and she had asked for her dressing on the side.  I didn't, and they got our orders backwards.  In hindsight we should have asked for them the same way.  But you know, they really didn't go overboard with the dressing the way some places do.  I asked my mom if she wanted to switch, but she said no, it was fine. Which definitely means it wasn't too much.  I'm so happy it was a mixed greens salad, instead of your normal boring iceberg lettuce.  And the dressing was light and very tasty.  The sandwich was pretty good, your basic turkey sandwich.  The chips were very good.  My mom isn't a huge fan of chips and so tasted one of mine before she opened her bag... and promptly gave me hers.  I actually got 2 pickles, and they were delicious and crunchy.  After lunch my mom went back in to get cookies. Originally I thought about the whoopie pie, but every other word of the description was "rich".... not really what I was looking for. So I went with the chocolate chip. The only negative was that it was crunchy, not soft.  But that's just my personal preference, and it was still very delicious.

The inside was packed, so we sat out on the patio.  It was great people watching out there, so I'm glad we did it.

Will I go back?  Most definitely! But, no surprise, there's no locations at all in Oklahoma.  How disappointing.  But next time I'm in Dallas, I'll have to go back.  I saw someone with a salad and it was huge and looked really good.

UPDATE:  There is now a location in Oklahoma City!!  So happy about that.  Must have to go and do a Repeats post

My Chef's Hat - Kale & Quinoa Patties

When I worked at Maryland I had a colleague named Danita.  She worked in the athletic department, and then ran the alumni association, and now does the same at the University of Florida.  I can't tell you how many times I had alums who were in school with Danita mistake me for her, and asked if I worked at Bentley's back in '82.  Pretty sure that wouldn't have worked out very well, considering I was in 7th grade! I would post a picture of us together, but I honestly don't think I have one.  I guess this means I need to make a road trip to Gainesville for a game weekend to rectify that.

Why am I telling this story?  Well, she's the inspiration for me making the recipe for Kale and Quinoa Patties.  I saw her post the link a couple weeks ago and it looked so good I knew I had to try it out.  Besides, I love both kale and quinoa, and am always looking for new ways to make both.  So what better way than a recipe that combines them? 

Here's the official recipe picture

And here's my version

Oh my gosh this is fantastic. Both the kale and quinoa are cooked prior to frying, so all it's really doing is binding together and getting that beautiful crispy exterior. I always toast my quinoa prior to adding the liquid, to bring out the nutty flavor. The very first time I made quinoa I cooked it in water, and it tasted like sandpaper. Ever since then, I always cook it in broth. Just that one change makes a huge difference.

Even though I sautee the kale with fresh chopped onion and minced garlic, I also add some garlic powder and onion powder to the mixture before putting them in the oil. It just adds more flavor. A commenter said they used roasted garlic. That would be phenomenal in these. I used to always use the canned parmesan, and then one day a couple years ago I bought a block of the real stuff...and have never looked back. Yes, the can says "real", but who the heck knows for sure when it was actually grated. Besides, the hard block just tastes so much better and has that bite. The recipe calls for bread crumbs, but if you don't have those, corn flake crumbs or even panko bread crumbs will do the same trick. It's just the binder, so whatever you have on hand will work fine. The recipe calls for olive oil when cooking the kale, but I used Pam instead, as I always do when I'm sauteeing veggies.

The only down side is the pan frying. But I used as little oil as I could, and let it get very hot, so they didn't have to cook very long.  In the blog comments she says you can bake them instead, but to me you lose the crunch and the golden deliciousness when you do that. 

I used 1/4 cup quinoa and about 1 cup of kale, and was amazed at how filling these were. The first time I made it I did it as a side with tilapia. Of course I've made it more than once since then, and now do it as a hearty, yet healthy, lunch. 


Recipe found on Everyday Dishes & DIY

Shared On

Welcome Home Wednesdays
Showcase Your Talent Thursday

Repeats with a Twist - Brooklyn's, Stillwater, OK

Brooklyn's Restaurant opened a couple years ago in downtown Stillwater in a prime corner location.  We were all so happy to have a new and unique restaurant to frequent in town, and the fact that it's owned by OSU grads is just a plus. 

There's a covered outdoor patio that wraps around 2 sides of the building.  The bar upstairs only seats about 15 people around the bar, and there's really no other socializing room.  So it's a great thing they have a basement that they transformed into the "wine cellar".  It's an awesome happy hour spot, with another bar area, as well as a combination of lounge-type couch seating, and tables.  They occasionally have live music featuring local bands and singers.  I've only been there once for that, and I would say the only down side is that it was super loud.  Its not a huge space, so to me it doesn't need to be that way.  But who am I.  I really like that you can order off the regular menu downstairs.  So if the upstairs is packed and you don't want to wait, you can enjoy your entire meal down there.  I probably wouldn't choose to do that because the tables are pretty low, but in a pinch its great.

I found out that they also have a couple of private rooms, when we went to a post-game dinner with one of our suiteholders.  There's 2 separate rooms and the one we were in was honestly kind of boring.  The main restaurant and wine cellar are warm and inviting, but in this room all I noticed was tables, chairs, a big-screen TV, and a few paintings on the wall.  I think they only recently made the private rooms available, so I'm hoping they take advantage of the huge potential and make these rooms an extension of the restaurant, not what comes across as an after-thought.  I will say though, that it was a very spacious room that easily sat our group of about 20, and could have comfortably sat about 10 more. 

As you can tell, I've been to Brooklyn's on a number of occasions, and just realized that I've never blogged about it.  I've been for everything:  lunch, dinner, happy hour, and a bachelorette party.  The only area where I haven't sat is the patio.  I need to make a point of doing that next time the weather is good.  They started offering Sunday brunch right before the 2012 season and I went with Joni, Tony and Bob the day after the spring game last year.  I don't do bloody marys, but they do have a make-your-own bar that Bob tried and said was really good.  Especially because they have a wide variety of stuff to add to them.  The food is always consistently good, and the prices are very reasonable. 

The Thursday night before Bedlam the snow was coming down and the roads weren't the greatest, but another friend Tony and I decided we needed a break from game prep for a beverage and some dinner.  We had planned to just go to Zannotti's Wine Bar since he had never been, but they were closing early due to the weather.  So Brooklyn's it was.  A lot of other people obviously had the same idea, because it was packed and we sat at the bar.  The bartender made me an Italian margarita.  Not sure what's in it to make it Italian rather than Mexican, but it is fabulous. 

I figured I should try to eat healthy, so I went with the blackened pineapple salsa tilapia

Blackened tilapia served with a pineapple salsa served
with cilantro rice and sautéed spinach and garlic confit

The tilapia was amazing!  It had a definite kick from the blackening, but the salsa certainly helped tone it down.  The pineapple tasted fresh, not canned, and the mixture with the red onions and red peppers was delicious.  The rice was very good, but was room temperature and that was disappointing.  Actually the rice was the first thing I tasted, and was afraid the whole dish would be like that.  I'm guessing they made the rice earlier, but thankfully the fish and spinach were cooked to order.  The spinach was really good, but...

Yep, ALL that garlic was for my one dish!  And I think I had even eaten a piece or two before I stopped.  It's a good thing I wasn't kissing anyone that day--or week.  I feel like they should warn you before they put so much garlic into a dish!  If you're on a date and order this, you better make sure your date eats some too.

Brooklyn's is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in town.  So much so that as I'm typing this I realized the weekend I got this dish, I ate there that night, the night of the game in the private room, and the day after when my friend Joe came to town.