#138 - Mellow Mushroom, Flower Mound, TX

Friday evening I wanted to watch some basketball, especially since OU was the lone Big 12 team still in the tournament.  I know most of my OSU friends wouldn't be caught dead cheering for OU in anything, but I just don't have that same level of hate.  Our go-to sports bar, BFD, closed about a year ago.  So we had to come up with another place to go.  And there's limited options of places that are open late in Flower Mound, even on a Friday night.  We agreed on one place, but as we drove Joni wanted to check out Mellow Mushroom. 

I really liked this place from the moment we walked in.  They have several very distinct seating areas.  There's a couple of small tables outside the front of the restaurant, but nobody was sitting out there, because it was a little chilly, and really dark; no lighting except for candles on the tables.  Inside there's a very large bar area immediately to the right.  We sat there so we could watch TV.  Really there's TV's all throughout the restaurant, but this was a good location for us.  Just beyond the bar is an enclosed patio.  It's part of the building, but what is really cool is they have several large windows that have a heavyweight plastic over them.  The plastic can be removed when the weather is good.  There's a fireplace in the middle of the patio, with a small couch and a couple other chairs.  There's also large garage-type see-through doors that separate the bar from the patio; so in the winter they can completely close off the patio and keep the cold out.  The main dining room is on the other side of the restaurant, and what immediately caught my eye is the box car that has a couple of tables inside

I also love the "chandelier" above the bar

It's hard to tell, but that is a tree, upside down, covered with lights.  Never seen anything like it.

The menu is large, and has a ton of variety.  Pizza is their main thing, but they also do calzones, hoagies and salads.  And you can build your own pizzas and salads.  And they have a lot of vegetarian items on the menu.  Joni and I were joking about the fact that they offer vegan cheese as well as tofu sandwiches.  And they also have tempeh sandwiches.  We asked the server what tempeh was, and she said "if you like the spongy texture of tofu, you'll like it".  Not what I would call a glowing recommendation, but we had a good laugh.  We looked it up... doesn't look pretty or appetizing.  But honestly, I really like that they cater to diverse dietary needs.  More restaurants need to do that.  I've never seen vegan cheese or tempeh on a menu. 

We weren't super hungry, so just got a couple of appetizers.  We started with the wings.  They offer 1/2 portions, but since we were sharing we got a full.  Joni got hot, and I got sweet Thai chili. 

I like that they separated the wings by flavor.  Smart move.  The wings were awesome.  And very large and meaty, which was a very pleasant surprise.  I think the sauce was just the Thai chili sauce you can buy at the store, but it was still really good.  The funny thing is Joni nixed going to Buffalo Wild Wings, saying that it's "gross".  And we ended up with wings anyway.  I like BWW, but we've got that in Stillwater.   

I then decided to try the stuffed Portobello mushroom.  I've never eaten one before, but I buy baby Bella's all the time.  And I like all of the ingredients in the dish.  So I decided to be adventurous and healthy

Portobello mushroom cap stuffed with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, 

spinach and mozzarella. Baked and drizzled with a balsamic glaze.

Served on a bed of spring mix tossed with an herb vinaigrette dressing.

This was excellent.  Such a wonderful mix of flavors and textures.  The mushroom is so hearty, I can see what people mean when they say it can replace meat.  Don't get me wrong though... I'm not going to be replacing meat with anything any time soon.  Or ever.  The only down side is they went a little overboard on the dressing on the spring mix.  It didn't need much, since there's balsamic on the mushroom.  Really they could probably just do a little more balsamic and nix the herb vinaigrette altogether.  But I still devoured all of it.

I definitely want to go back.  The pizzas looked and smelled so delicious.  I didn't realize that there are so many locations around the country, but big surprise, not a single one in Oklahoma.  They need to change that.  A place like this would kill in Stillwater.  Or OKC or Edmond.  But I'm being selfish, and want one in Stillwater first.

Repeats with a Twist - Farina's Winery & Cafe, Grapevine, TX

I was pleasantly surprised when I was on restaurant.com a couple weeks ago and saw that they offer certificates for Farina's Winery & Café.  I had been there once with Joni last summer, and it's one of her favorite places.  They only offer $25 or $50 certificates, but we were pretty confident we wouldn't have trouble reaching the minimum.

Farina's is in downtown Grapevine, on Main street.  I really like Grapevine.  It's a great old town, and the downtown has lots of shops and restaurants.  You could easily spend a whole afternoon here, just browsing.  It was such a gorgeous day we went straight to the patio to find a seat.  You can get to the patio from the back of the restaurant if you park back there; or, like us, walk through part of the antique shop next door and through the kitchen and out to the patio.  The patio is really pretty awesome, because they have a full bar back there, as well as both covered and open seating.  Of course all the tables in the sunlight were full, but after about 5 minutes a 2-top opened, and we sat down.

We were in absolutely no rush, and had to spend at least $50 to use the certificate.  They serve Sawbuck malbec, one of my favorites.  So I was very happy.  Joni went with a sparkling white, and it comes in the little bottle.  I love those little bottles.  Joni has this weird habit of putting ice into her wine to keep it cold.  She started out using ice from her water, then asked our server for a cup of ice.  I guess she didn't have a cup big enough, because here was her solution

Not pretty, but very resourceful.  And it did the job. 

We decided to start with spinach & artichoke dip 

This was really good, with lots of spinach.  A lot more than you get at other places.  The pita chips were delicious as well.  After a while I stopped eating the dip, and just ate the chips.  Eventually I really just wanted the entire plate to go away so I would stop the mindless eating. 

I have no idea how long we relaxed and chatted, but finally we decided to order some food.  Joni raved about the pizza, so I decided to join her and get one.  I briefly considered the spaghetti pizza, but then just decided to go regular.  They charge you by the number of toppings.  Since cost wasn't really a factor, I loaded up

Basil pesto, bell peppers, pepperoni, grilled onions, spinach

Wow, this was excellent.  I'm becoming more a fan of thin crust pizza, which this is.  The basil pesto adds such a wonderful flavor to the pizza.  I'm definitely doing this next time I make it at home.  The pepperoni is so much better than anything you can buy at the regular grocery store.  I need to start buying better pepperoni too.  I already had a bunch of spinach with the dip, but I love spinach on pizza.  And this pizza is a meal for one, or appetizer for 2.  I of course had mine as a meal for one.

The only down side is that they screwed up Joni's pizza, and the young lady who brought the pizza out kind of argued with Joni that it was what she had ordered.  Our server came out, took one look at the pizza, and realized they had made it wrong.  And they quickly made a new one.

She took the pizza off of our bill, but we really needed it on there to meet our minimum for the certificate.  But she went ahead and credited the certificate anyway, without charging us for the pizza.  That's great service.

I'm quite certain that Farina's will be a must-do every time I'm in Flower Mound.  And I have to make sure to check restaurant.com early in the month, because these certificates sell out fast. And I'm not at all surprised.

#137 - The Classic Cafe at Roanoke, Roanoke, TX

If there's one thing that Joni and I do well, it's eat.  And drink wine.  We discussed options of places to eat dinner, and I looked at restaurant.com, but nothing jumped out at us.  Joni suggested The Classic Café.  She said they usually go there as a special-occasion dinner, but since we hadn't seen each other in 5 months it was kind of a special occasion.  Plus she had a $25 coupon. 

It's located in Roanoke, TX.  A very cute little place.  It kind of looks like a house from the outside.  We went in, and Curtis, one of the owners, was behind the bar.  Our reservation wasn't for another 20 minutes or so, and we decided to have a glass of wine before dinner. We ended up with a bottle of Les Lavieres, Savigny les Beaune.  Curtis said it was an excellent pinot noir, and a first press, which is the best press to get.  It was excellent and smooth.  It had better be, for the price. 

Curtis and his brother own the restaurant.  I didn't get to met the brother, but Curtis is awesome.  He is so warm and friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about food and wine.  The restaurant wasn't super busy, but I feel like even if it was he would have been just as attentive to us.  I also met Francis, the GM, and he's great too.  I learned that the bar area used to be a garage, the main dining room used to be army barracks for guys training in Abilene, and the kitchen used to be a creamery.  Really cool history.  They also have artwork on the walls that you can buy.  Everything was way out of my price range, but it would all look awesome in my house.  They also have a garden, and grow a lot of their own vegetables.  Right now there's not much growing of course, but I'm sure in the summer and fall there's tons of fresh veggies on the menu.  He said they get tons of okra, and he was amused by my refusing to eat okra story.  He said that one of their most popular appetizers in summer/fall is their shrimp & okra fritters made with both puréed and whole cornmeal.  I can imagine that for sure.  Our reservation was in the main dining room, but we decided to sit in the bar area so we could listen to the guy playing guitar. 

As we looked at the menu, our server brought out curried chick peas

Wow, these had a lot of curry.  It was very strong. But it was also very good.  I really like the presentation.  There was a little bottle of seasoned olive oil on the table and I poured a little into my spoon.  It added great flavor to the chick peas.

We skipped appetizers and went straight to the entrées.  Actually, I do that most of the time.  I got the ribeye.  In hindsight, I don't know what I was thinking since I just had ribeye on Tuesday.  But clearly I wasn't thinking.  I decided to add the bleu cheese breadcrumb crust. It also comes with braised red cabbage and a polenta cake. I thought about swapping out the cabbage for pork belly mac & cheese, but that would have just been gluttonous and unnecessary. 

I don't know what I was expecting with the crust, but I was completely taken aback.  But one bite, and I was sold.  The steak was cooked perfect medium.  Even though there was a significant amount of crust, it wasn't heavy.  Or too much bleu cheese.  It was perfect. The port shallot Demi-glace was excellent as well.  Rich, but not overpowering.  The braised cabbage was really good and light.  A perfect accompaniment.  I never order polenta at restaurants, and I've never tried to make it either, and I'm really not sure why because it's really good.

After we finished our meal, we sat back up at the bar for an after-dinner drink.  He made us chocolate martinis

So yummy.  The shaved chocolate on top added just enough additional chocolate, and was a great contrast in texture for the drink.  We both really liked it. 

Will I go back?  Most definitely.  But most likely for lunch, in the summer or fall to enjoy the vegetables fresh from the garden.

#136 - Tacon Madre, Dallas,TX

I've made it my new mission to get out of Stillwater more often.  I like living here, and have made tons of great friends, but there's only so much to do.  This town really caters more towards families and college kids.  And besides, OKC is really growing.  Spending more time there the last couple months I have seen a lot of it, and it looks like fun.  So from now on, outside of football season, I've got to get out of here and explore and do more. 

This weekend I'm in Dallas.  I hadn't seen Joni & Tony since the end of October...5 months.  We never go that long without seeing each other, but they didn't come up for the Texas game, and then none of us went to the bowl.  And I rarely get out of Stillwater in January & February.  So it was high time for a trip down south. 

I left Stillwater mid-morning, so by the time I got to Dallas I was really hungry.  I had originally thought of just grabbing a quick fast food lunch on the way, but since I was stopping at Sam Moon to do a little shopping before getting to the house, I decided to find someplace good to eat with my restaurant.com certificates. And came across Tacon Madre.  It got good reviews, and was inexpensive so I was sold.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't go there at night. It just doesn't look like it would be that safe, especially for me by myself.  And that was confirmed when I saw that that restaurant windows have bars all the way around.  But since it was the middle of the day, I saw no reason not to try it out.   

It's a small place, with seating for maybe 25.  There are 3 flat screen TV's on the walls, and I'm sure when soccer is on, they are all tuned in.  It looks like they do a good happy hour business, because they have a lot of specials during that time.  I saw a few people coming in to pick up carry-out orders, but there were also a few other tables occupied while I was there. 

Chips and salsa come out first. The chips were warm, and I'm happy to say that they don't bring you a ton, and they also don't come around and refill.  Because it's so easy to just mindlessly eat them. 

The salsa was served warm, which I love.  But what she didn't do was warn me that it's full of peppers.  It doesn't hit you immediately, but about 30 seconds later your mouth is on fire.  But it was really delicious.

I decided to get some guacamole to help tone down the bite of the salsa

I've never seen guac with that many tomatoes before.  It was almost half the dish.  But it was still really good.  And homemade.  And I scooped up every bite.

For my lunch I had a hard time deciding, even though the menu isn't very big.  I do like that you can choose from several different types of meat for tacos, burritos, etc.  And the price is the same.  I thought about the burrito, but my server said it's really big so I went with the taco platter.  And even went with corn tortillas instead of flour. Unfortunately they didn't have borracho beans, so I went with refried. 

This was delicious.  I really like that they put cheese (I'm guessing cojito) on the beans.  Added a very subtle creamy flavor.  The rice had peas, carrots and corn in it.  Never had rice like that in a Mexican restaurant, but it was really good.  I like that they put the onions & cilantro on the side, rather than on the tacos, because you can get more that way.  I also added guac and salsa on the tacos.  The tacos were excellent.  I got them with fajita meat, and they were so delicious and very flavorful.  I'm slowly becoming a fan of corn tortillas.

Will I go back?  Yes.  The food was really good, the service was efficient, and the staff was very friendly.  And I can't pass it up when they have Mexican coke on the menu!

Repeats with a Twist - Cafe 501, OKC

On Monday I had a lunch appointment with a couple who has club seats. They recommended Cafe 501. I had been there once before, and had an average experience. But I wanted to give it another chance, so I agreed. Originally we were scheduled for 12:30, but since I didn't have an appointment right before lunch, we did 11:30.  There's 2 locations, and we went to the one in Classen Curve.  This location is open 7 days a week, including Sunday brunch and dinner.  The Edmond location isn't open on Sundays, but both offer a Saturday breakfast menu.

As I walked in I noticed that there was a stanchion set up, one side leading to ordering at the counter and the other side to sit down. And then I noticed that it said "reservations only" for full service.  I hadn't made a reservation, and found out that Steve and Beverly hadn't either.  Luckily they were able to squeeze us in; the couple behind me wasn't that lucky, and ended up eating at the bar.  I have to admit I was very confused as to why everything there was reserved at lunch.  I have never seen anything like that.  I heard the manager telling the couple behind me that 95% of their business is "fast", therefore ordering at the counter and eating there.  But it's still a strange concept to me.  When I first arrived there were maybe 10 other people in the whole restaurant, but people started steadily streaming in about 15 minutes later, most of them ordering at the counter. 

I decided that I needed to eat at least remotely healthy, if for no other reason that I'll weigh 500lbs if I keep eating junk when I go out.  That and there's lots of healthy options in restaurants.  I need to just stop skipping over them.

One thing I find odd about the lunch menu is that they don't list any sides with the sandwiches, and don't list them anywhere on the menu at all.  That was one of my complaints last time, because when I asked what the side was my server told me, but also didn't give me any other options.  And a few minutes later I heard her telling another guest near me all the choices.

I finally decided on the grilled veggie sandwich.  It comes with chips, but I swapped out for the chopped salad instead

SANDWICH - Sautéed Zucchini & Yellow Squash, Red Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Red Onions, Olive Medley, Fresh Spinach, Swiss Cheese, Basil-Mayo, Focaccia

CHOPPED SALAD - Mixed Greens, Bacon, Hearts of Palm, Cucumbers, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Tomatoes, Croutons, Blue Cheese Dressing

I'm glad I gave this place a second chance, because I left much happier.  And the food really is good.  I still think its weird about them not listing sides on the lunch men (they're listed on the dinner menu) and that you have to reserved a table at lunch, but I can get over that.  And, I learned that they are part of a restaurant group that also owns Boulevard Steakhouse, Martini Lounge, Ice House, and Park House.  All places that will need to be added to the food blog list.  And yes, I will definitely go back to Café 501, maybe for brunch.The sandwich was delicious.  I love all the fresh veggies in there, and the basil-mayo added a nice flavor without being heavy.  I'm not a fan of olives so I asked for it on the side.  I got brave and tried a bite, and was very pleasantly surprised.  I think it's black olives that I don't like, because I really enjoyed this medley and there were very few black olives in there.  So I went ahead and put it on my sandwich.  The salad was delicious, lightly dressed, and all the flavors worked really well together.  Hearts of palm really don't have much flavor on their own, but they added a great crunch and texture to the salad. 

#135 - McGill's, Tulsa OK

This week I had appointments scheduled in OKC on Monday, and Tulsa on Wednesday.  But when I found out my friend Dave was going to be in Tulsa on Tuesday, well that added to my plans.  Dave lives in Manhattan, and I haven't seen him in at least 10 years.  So I couldn't NOT go and see him.  Dave is one of my favorite people.  He played football at Nebraska, and then in the NFL for years, and I met him through Boomer Esiason.  We've had lots of very fun times together over the years while I worked at Maryland.

Dave was in town for a conference, so we decided to meet for dinner.  I wish I had known it was a Disney Institute conference, because I definitely would have attended.  Disney is well known for having some of the best customer service and leadership there is.  And their institute does a great job of teaching those skills.  

I knew I wouldn't be able to truly "wow" Dave with anything in Tulsa.  Yes, they've got some great restaurants.  But he lives in Manhattan and travels the world.  But I still wanted to impress, so I asked my friend Vance, and he recommended McGill's.  They've got 3 locations, including one inside the Hard Rock Casino.  But the one on 61st was closest to where they were staying. 

I made a reservation since we had a group of 7.  I arrived about 15 minutes early and our table was already ready, but I decided to just wait in the bar area for everyone else.  It's on the corner of a strip shopping center.  They've got a nice outdoor patio, which would be great for happy hour or dinner in the late spring or fall.  I do like that its enclosed, because in the summer it would probably be brutal.  The inside is very dark décor, like you would expect in a steakhouse.  They've got inside seating for about 100.  There's a bar area to the right, with seating at the bar and several tables and booths for more casual dining.  I would say the one down side is they don't have a waiting area.  So if you're early like I was, your only option is standing outside or sitting at the bar.  I do like that they offer 1/2 priced appetizers from 4-6pm in the bar area.  Great deal.  They're open for lunch and dinner Monday - Friday, and dinner only on the weekends.  I would think they get a pretty strong lunch crowd, considering they are near to lots of businesses, including a few medical centers.

One of the guys who joined us is the head coach at Broken Arrow HS, and he played with Dave in the NFL.  I also learned that he was born in Maryland.  Small world.  Once Dave and his colleagues arrived, we sat down.  We started with wine, and had Mark West pinot noir.  I'd never had it before, and heard it was good so I was excited to try it.  It was excellent.  Very smooth.

Michelle had looked at the menu online (girl after my own heart!) and saw that they offer baked brie. So of course we had to try that.  We also ordered calamari and spinach dip, and Dave ordered shrimp cocktail for himself. 

Baked Brie - wrapped in a puff pastry and served with fresh fruit

Calamari - Hand breaded, served with roasted red pepper aioli

Spinach & Artichoke dip - McGill’ s style served with picante, sour cream and fresh tortilla strips

I didn't get to try the shrimp, but they looked really good.  And they were huge.  The spinach & artichoke dip was outstanding, super hot and lots of cheese.  I could have probably eaten it all by myself.  The calamari was a very good and cooked perfectly, but not as hot as I would have liked.  The brie was delicious as well.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much fruit there was on the plate.  I forgot to take a picture of the bread, but it was really good as well, Warm crusty, and the butter just melted into it.  I was good and only had one small piece.

Next came the entrées.  It's a steakhouse, so I really didn't even consider seafood.  I started with the Caesar salad

I was very surprised at how big the salad was.  It had way too much dressing, but that's the only negative.  Hopefully someone just got too heavy handed on this batch.  The salad was fresh and very crisp, even with the dressing.  The croutons were excellent and pretty sure they are made fresh.  I ate about 1/2 the salad before I gave up so I could eat my meal.

For the entrée Dave and I both got the ribeye.  I got garlic mashed potatoes with mine

The steak was wonderful.  Cooked perfect medium, lots of marbling, very flavorful.  I'm not sure if they used some kind of rub, but I really liked the flavor. The potatoes were very creamy and delicious.  And a ton of them on the plate.  In hindsight the baked potato would have been better because it was quite a bit smaller.

Our server brought out dessert menus.  I looked, but knew I couldn't even begin to eat a whole one.  If someone else had wanted to share, I would have considered it. But nobody did.  I did, however, get coffee since I had a 90-minute drive ahead of me.  Dave got a cappuccino

Its hard to tell from the picture, but the cup was huge.  Dave kept calling it a "boat".  And it really did kind of earn that title.

I had such a great evening with Dave and his friends.  We talked, laughed, Dave and his old teammate told tons of war stories, and we pretty much closed the entire restaurant down.  But that's the way it's supposed to be.

Will I go back?  Definitely.  The service was excellent--except at one point when the server accidentally spilled wine on my phone. But I have the Galaxy S5, which supposedly can handle being submerged in up to 3' of water.  But other than that it was great.  The food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was really great.

My Chef's Hat - Asian Quinoa Meatballs

I've done a horrible job of eating quinoa lately.  And I really don't know why.  I like it, and it's really good for you.  But I have this bad habit that once I stop eating healthy stuff, even if just for a little bit, I fall completely apart with it.  I need to do a better job of not doing that. 

I had actually come across the recipe for Asian Quinoa Meatballs a couple of months ago, and have been meaning to make them forever, but kept putting it off.  On Sunday I was home, with no plans to leave the house, and had run 8 miles that morning.  So I figured this was a perfect chance to make a healthy meal.  I also thawed out some of the homemade pasta I had made a couple weeks ago to cook with them.  The same day I made the pasta I made my own veggie broth.  So much better for you than the boxed/canned stuff.  And the color is very rich and deep. I use the homemade stuff all the time now, including to make the quinoa. 

The process for this dish is a little time consuming, because you have to make the quinoa, make the meatballs, and then bake them.  I know some people make quinoa by the gallon so they can skip that step... but I'm not one of those people.  So this would not be a quick weekday lunch, unless you made the meatballs the night before.  Which I would never do. Because I would either decide I want something different, or completely forget I even made them. 

Here is the recipe version 

And here is my version

Just out of the oven

These were so delicious!  The recipe calls for ground turkey, which I used, but you could easily substitute beef.  The meatballs felt super moist and sticky, so I mixed in some Panko bread crumbs.  I've always seen on the cooking shows that they add some kind of breading when making meatballs.  So I added just enough to add another layer of texture and flavor.  The quinoa adds a nice texture, and takes the place of some of the meat.  And it's more than filling enough that you really don't notice that it's not all meat.  I made 1/4 of the recipe, and still got 7 substantially sized meatballs.  According to the recipe if you make the whole thing you get 18-20 meatballs.  I guess it's all in how big or small you make them.

Finished product, including sauce, over homemade pasta

The sauce was REALLY sweet.  I'm not sure if that was operator error or what.  But I'm glad I had the pasta to eat it with.  I'm honestly not sure if I could have eaten it on its own.  So next time I'll need to figure out what to cut back.  But really, you could use teriyaki sauce or another bottled sauce.  I'll probably play with a few different ones to see what I like best.

Overall, I really enjoyed the dish.  And I will definitely make it again. 

Recipe found on Damn Delicious

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#134 - Fizz Burgers & Bottles, Wichita, KS

I drove back from the Big 12 tournament on Saturday.  The drive home always seems to take a million times longer than the drive there, no matter where you're coming from.  I always get really tired--and hungry--right about in Wichita, so it's the perfect place to stop for a little pick-me-up. For some reason the Wi-fi in my hotel room wasn't working Sunday morning on my Surface, so I couldn't find the restaurant.com deal I had found the day before.  So I had to find someplace else to eat.  I hadn't eaten much healthy all weekend, and I was determined to get back to eating much better as soon as I got back.  But this was on the way home, so I was going to make this meal count.  And I came across Fizz Burgers & Bottles, rated #4 in Wichita by TripAdvisor.  Sold.

The restaurant is about a 10 minute drive off the highway, but I've learned in Wichita pretty much anything good and not fast-food is.  And I really wasn't in a huge rush to get back, as I had left kind of early to fit in this stop.  It's on the corner of a strip mall.  From the outside, it has this look like it's a chain burger place.  But it's not; this is the only location.  And  you realize that as soon as you walk inside.  It's not very large, seating maybe 50 inside.  It does have a pretty big outdoor patio, but it was too windy for me out there.  When I arrived there were only 3 tables available inside.  I kind of wanted a 4-top table, but the waitress steered me to a 2-top...that or the bar.  At first I wasn't a fan, but as I watched I realized why.  There was a steady stream of customers coming in the entire time.  And most of them were families or groups.  Duh.

They've got a whole menu of bottled drinks, so of course I had to try one. They had tons of flavors, and I eventually settled on a black cherry soda.

It was really good.  Deep, but not overpowering, black cherry flavor.  The only negative was that it wasn't ice cold.  I thought about asking for a cup of ice, but didn't worry about it.  I know the sodas are bottled, but it would be cool if they offered tastes of different sodas.  Maybe a soda flight, like you can do a beer or wine flight at some bars.

The next thing that caught my eye was the pickles.  At first I was going to pass when I saw they charge for them, but then I realized that they make their own.  Dill or sweet. I couldn't decide which kind to get, and my server said she would bring me some of both.

These were so good!  I was a little worried the dill pickles would be super tart but they really weren't bad.  Just a little tang.  Thick cut and very fresh.  They should offer larger sizes of these to go, because I would have gotten them.  I actually only ate a few so I could eat my meal.  And I took the rest home with me.  They didn't even make it to the end of the night.

They've got an assortment of sandwiches, a soup of the day, and also several salads.  But when I saw that they grind their own burger meat in-house, I knew I had to have a burger.  They have 7 standard burgers, or you can make your own.  The blue burger sounded really good, so I went with that and I subbed grilled onions instead of regular.  They offer both a 1/4lb and 1/2lb burger.  I had no need or desire to be gluttonous, so I went with the 1/4lb. 

I really like that they offer different sizes of fries.  Everything from individual to family sized.  Again, trying to be somewhat good, I got the individual.  They've got several different dipping sauces, and I went with the garlic aioli.

Blue Cheese, Roasted Garlic Sauce, Red Onion, Lettuce, Tomato

The burger was outstanding.  The beef was literally falling apart, but that's okay.  Grilled onions add such awesome flavor that you can never get from raw.  The roasted garlic sauce was really good as well.  A nice, deep background flavor.  The avocado was an up-charge, but well worth it, considering you get 1/2 an avocado.  Most places you get only a few slices.  I ended up eating it separate.  The fries were thick cut, not my favorite cut.  However, they were perfectly cooked (crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside) and super hot.  So I was very happy.  And you get a lot in the individual portion.  The garlic aioli was fantastic.  Stronger than the roasted garlic sauce on the burger, but still not overpowering.  I really didn't even need the ketchup.

The group behind me got a family portion of fries.  I thought it was a little creepy to ask them to take a picture, so I found this one online.

I've never seen that many fries on a platter before.  It was crazy.  And you get all 7 of the dipping sauces to try.

I fully understand why this place is so highly rated.  The food was excellent, the service was friendly and efficient, and it's a very cool atmosphere.  I will definitely go back.

#133 - Coopers Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Kansas City, MO

I've been really lucky that I've been to so many conference basketball tournaments. I started way back just a few years out of undergrad. They are always super fun, regardless of how either the Terps or the Cowboys are doing. Riding in the RV down to Greensboro, a weekend in Atlanta, seeing the Terps win the tourney.  The list goes on and on with lots of fantastic memories. As a matter of fact, my first week of week on the job at OSU 8 years ago was the week of the Big 12 tourney. And I got to witness my very first Bedlam, a huge overtime win by the Cowboys.

With Becky & Erin... first game as a Cowboy, first Bedlam win!

This year's Big 12 tourney is in Kansas City. A lot of Big 12 fans don't like that it's here, since Missouri left the conference and there's now no state-represented team. But honestly, I would be shocked if it moved from here. KC has spent so much money on the Sprint Center and the Power & Light district, they're going to do everything they can to keep it here. Besides, its the most central location. Dallas is fun, but there's really nothing near to the American Airlines Center. OKC is okay, but then it's not really a trip for me... and besides, neither of those cities have anything even remotely close to this

Power & Light District, across from the Sprint Center

I usually stay at or close to the team hotel. Last year I was about 1/2 mile away. But I failed on getting my hotel room in time, and ended up at Country Club Plaza. Its about 4 miles away. Since I was using points it was okay, because cabs each way was still about 1/4 the price of a hotel night closer. The Plaza is a high end area, with lots of shopping and dining. I went running thru past 2 days and discovered some beautiful homes and a lot of hills. My calves are not very happy with me.

Since the Cowboys lost Thursday night, I had the whole day to do a whole bunch of nothing. And I did it quite well. Once I got hungry I looked for a restaurant.com place, but there was nothing in walking distance and I didn't want to drive anywhere. I had seen Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant when I did a little research on the area, and its a block from my hotel. So that's where I headed. 

You walk up a flight of stairs to enter, and the first thing you see is bottles and bottles of wine. They've got a tasting station and little shop. I loved this place instantly. There's a bar area behind the shop, but I wanted to sit upstairs in the restaurant to get the full experience. There's lots of windows letting in tons of natural light  There's seating for I would guess about 150, separated into different dining areas. I got a table near the window. There's not much of a view except a parking garage, but I still enjoyed it.

I learned that they make over 50 wines, so of course I had to try some. I couldn't decide between red or white, and my server told me they offer free tasting, so he brought me a sauvignon blanc and a malbec. I love that the tasting are free. That way if you don't like it, you're not stuck. More restaurants should do that.

Both wines were really delicious. The sauv was a little sweeter than I like, so I went with the malbec.  It was very smooth, and not as tart as you sometimes get with a malbec. The server offered pretzel bread. Of course I cant turn that down

Oh my... the salt was baked into the bread. And I might be crazy, but I feel like the salt almost deepens the flavor of the bread. The bread was served warm, which was perfect for the softened butter. I forced myself to only eat 1/4 of it, but I really wanted to devour the whole thing.

I really like that they don't just have a regular menu. They also offer lunch-sized entrées and "Life Balance" choices, items under 600 calories. Just like the free tasting, more restaurants need to do this.

I decided to start with the Life Balance roasted beets with whipped goat cheese

Arugula, candied walnuts, balsamic glaze, extra virgin olive oil

Whipped goat cheese is outstanding.  It absolutely melted in my mouth, and I really wish there was a lot more of it on the plate.  My mom made beets when I was as kid, but I honestly can't remember the last time I had them.  These beets were delicious, and made me want to start eating them again.  Even though they were roasted, in this dish they were served cold.  I'm not a fan of walnuts, but these were candied.  Makes a big difference.  I scooped up every piece.  My server said that they just added this dish to the menu, and I told him it definitely needs to stay.

For the entrée, I decided on the spaghetti & meatballs.  I know that sounds kind of weird, to get something so boring in a restaurant with such a great variety.  But my server said he really liked it, and the meatballs were homemade.  Sold.

This was excellent.  And a really good-sized portion, even though it was the lunch size.  The sauce was excellent and tasted homemade.  It was rich and very well seasoned.  The meatballs were a touch overcooked--or maybe a little overmixed--but still delicious and lots of flavor.  And the whole dish was super hot.  I about scorched my tongue with the first bite.  But it was worth it.  Oh, and the whipped ricotta.  Man, it was so creamy and good.  I tasted a bite of cheese by itself, and the rest I mixed into the sauce.  It made the sauce just that much richer.  I would say the only way they could improve this dish would be to make their own pasta.

As I was finishing my meal my server brought 2 more wine tastes that he wanted me to try.  One was a rhubarb wine, and the other was a port wine.  I've never tasted rhubarb in anything.  But I really like it in wine.  It's a little sweet, but very light and refreshing.  The port wine was way too sweet.  I couldn't even finish it. 

I thought about getting a chocolate covered strawberry for dessert.  But then thought better of it because I was full.  On my way out I stopped and browsed the shop, and saw a dessert case.  And saw a dark chocolate cheesecake lollipop.  And couldn't resist.

It didn't survive intact in the bag on the walk back to the hotel, but that's okay.  It was excellent.  The cheesecake was very light.  Almost like it was whipped.  That seems to be a theme here, and it works.  And just one lollipop was a perfect amount of dessert. 

They've got quite a few locations, but none really near to where I ever go.  I'm kind of surprised there's not one in Dallas or Houston, because it would do really well in either location.  But I did see that they're opening one in Ashburn, VA.  So that might have to be a road trip next time I'm home.  Because I have to go back here.  No question. 

#132 - Kevin Durant's Southern Cuisine, Oklahoma City, OK

I went to OKC to donate platelets and meet with a donor on Monday, and was leaving for Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday. So my only plan for Tuesday night was to pack and get to sleep early. That plan got completely thrown away when my friend Paul texted me to say he was in town for the evening. I hadn't seen Paul since December, so of course I wanted to hang out. We met at the Red Piano Bar at the Skirvin hotel for a drink first, and to pick a place to eat. Supposedly the hotel is haunted. I've never stayed there, so I have no clue if it really is. And I'm not sure that I want to stay there to see if it is. But the bar is a very cool place with great atmosphere. The Clippers were staying there (as do most NBA teams), since they played the Thunder on Wednesday. My plan was to subtly trip Blake Griffin if I saw him, but he was hiding well and I never saw him at all. We did see Sam Cassel (Clippers assistant coach), and I remember him playing at Florida State. Once again, showing my age.

We discussed a few dining options, and eventually decided on Kevin Durant's Southern Cuisine.  I ate there once before back in December, but I couldn't even begin to tell you what I had, so that's why this is a new post instead of a repeat. Its located in Bricktown, behind the movie theater and Sonic headquarters. I made about 3 wrong turns trying to find the restaurant parking lot, because I swear its hidden. But we finally got there.

One thing I really like about KD's is that it's not a gaudy museum. Of course there's memorabilia on the walls, but its tasteful and just the right amount. It focuses on being a restaurant.  The colors are very much Thunder. The bar area is sort of like a sports bar with lots of TVs and a large bar, but in the end its still a restaurant. I really think they did a great job with the concept. There was about a 30 minute wait for the main dining room, but open seating at the bar and high top tables around it. The bar was almost full, and there was one high top table so we sat there. Sam Cassell and 2 other assistant coaches were at the booth next to us. But since I refuse to be that stalker--unless its Michael Jordan or Troy Aikman--we left them alone.

The menu is cool because it looks like a normal menu from the outside, but when you open it there's a blue backlight that illuminates the pages. Very unique, and I like it.  There's a regular menu and the Baller menu. The Baller menu is way out of my price range, including a $1,700 bottle of wine.  Most of it isn't nearly that outrageous, but that menu is more for when you're trying to impress a business client and have a huge expense account, or show off to a date.

We decided to start with the crispy brussel sprouts. I've talked on this blog about my severe hesitation about eating brussel sprouts. But they were crispy and had bacon, so I had to give them a try.

Smoked bacon, honey, cilantro, pepper vinegar

Wow. These were excellent. Perfectly seared on the outside and cooked through. The bacon was thick cut, smoky and delicious. At first we thought it had a lot of oil, but now I really think it was the honey and vinegar. The flavors all worked together so well. Seriously, I need to see if I can get the recipe, because I would eat brussel sprouts a lot more if they always tasted like this.

I couldn't really decide what to get, and eventually went with honey chicken. It comes with grits and green beans, but you can pick any 2 sides. I switched out the beans with mac & cheese.

The chicken was outstanding. Screaming hot, great crispy crust that isn't greasy, and drizzled with honey. 

Organically milled, creme fraiche, garlic

The grits were so creamy and delicious. I've never used crème fraiche before and not even sure you can get it at a regular grocery store. But I may need to try and find some to use at home.  

Five cheese mac, oriechette pasta, olive oil crumb topping

The mac & cheese was just okay. It's supposed to have an olive oil crumb topping, but mine didn't. It was very cheesy, and honestly there's really no such thing as too much cheese. But quite honestly I like my baked mac & cheese so much better. That being said, I think people who are used to plain mac & cheese would think this was awesome. In hindsight I probably should have stuck with the green beans. Or, try one of the other options. Because I'm always going to compare to mine, and chances are high I'm going to be disappointed. Lesson learned.

Paul had the catfish. I tried a bite and it was really good. Thought I had a picture, but couldn't find it.

Will I go back? No question. Its a very cool atmosphere, the food was really good, and there's quite a few other items that I want to try. 

#131 - Chiltepes Latin Cuisine & Bar, Oklahoma City, OK

On Monday I was in OKC, and once again restaurant.com came to my rescue for a lunch spot. Chiltepes Latin Cuisine & Bar.  They don't list prices on their online menu, and honestly I'm not a fan of that. To me the prices should always be prominently listed. If not, you never know if they're just making up a price or increasing it randomly. But, I decided not to let that completely cloud my judgment. There's both a $5 and a $10 certificate so I had to get both, just in case. Good thing is you can exchange certificates super easily and with no penalty. So no harm, no foul.

Chiltepes is on the corner, and the sign is pretty small so it can be very easy to miss. I figured it out by the look of the building before I actually saw the sign. I was having a very late lunch, so it was almost 2:30 by the time I got there. I don't like eating that late, especially since I hadn't eaten since breakfast. But my appointment to give blood lasted a lot longer than normal so I didn't have time to eat before my appointment with a donor.

I'm not familiar with the area where its located, but I kind of felt like I was in the hood. I had definitely driven through the hood to get there. They have seating for about 100, with a good sized bar as soon as you walk in. There's one big screen TV across from the bar, along with a bunch of smaller TV's throughout. I'm thinking this is the place to hang out during soccer games. Its a family owned restaurant, featuring Guatemalan cuisine.

Chips and 2 kinds of salsa arrived at my table right after the water.  I had taken picks, but accidentally deleted them. The chips were delicious, probably homemade. Served warm, and they had great crunch. The tomato salsa is one of the best I've ever had. The tomatoes had a roasted flavor, and it was well seasoned, with a much deeper flavor than most salsas.. The green sauce had jalapeños and avocado. I asked the server if it was spicy. Her answer: just a little. Clearly we have VERY different ideas of spicy, because my mouth was on fire after one bite. But it was really good, and so I kept eating it. I just made sure to just dip the chip instead of scooping.

They also delivered a little bowl of consomme, which is chicken broth without the chicken. I had to ask, because I've never had anything like that delivered to my table

It was just okay. Maybe if it was hot I would have liked it better, but it was just lukewarm. I gave it several chances, but just not a fan.

Also got a side of guacamole

Your basic guacamole, but definitely homemade. And recently made, not sitting around all day. Chunky, just like I like it. I knew I didn't need to continue to eat chips, but I had to finish the guacamole. Most restaurants if you ask for a side of guac you don't get much. I was very pleasantly surprised with the portion. 

The server recommended pollo guisado

Spanish chicken stew with tomato sauce & potatoes, served with rice, black beans, avocado, vegetables & fresh handmade tortillas

Wow, this dish was amazing. The black beans were really good. I try not to eat the rice because its always too much, and usually just average at best. Very glad I did not tell her to leave it off. This rice was heat-hot (another rarity at a Hispanic restaurant) and had excellent flavor. The veggies were okay and cooked well, but served cold. Never seen that before. Not really a big fan. I tried a bite of the potato  It was okay, but just a boiled potato with no extra flavor.  I had more than enough other carbs to make up for it. The chicken was fantastic. Super tender. I don't usually like cooked tomatoes, but this was delicious and added great flavor to the chicken.

The dish comes with homemade tortillas. Since I couldn't decide between flour and corn, she brought both. 

Honestly, the only reason I even tried them was because they're homemade. To me, that dish doesn't need them. The chicken is bone-in. But, both kinds were delicious and came out scorching hot. I had to wait about 5 minutes before I could even handle them for more than 10 seconds.

Will I go back? No question. It might be fun to go during a big soccer game, but then again, it might be a madhouse. But that might be fun too. Oh, and the server had given me 4 recommendations and they all sounded really good. So I need to go back and try more.