Each year KRLD is responsible for bringing together some of Dallas’ most exclusive restaurants in an effort to provide a chance for you to get a great meal while helping to raise funds for the North Texas Food Bank. Not only is this a great cause; it’s also a great opportunity for the diner as the pricing is fixed at $35 for a 3 and sometimes 4 course meal (which in most cases is well below what a typical meal will cost at these establishments). So imagine what this type of event does for a food loving citizen of Dallas such as myself!

When I got this year’s list restaurants participating in the KRLD restaurant week I couldn’t wait to hit a couple of Dallas’ crème de la crème restaurants! As I ran through the list like a little kid opening his Christmas present early I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Al Biernat’s at the top of the list!

Al Biernat’s (for those of you who don’t live in Dallas) has become one of Dallas’ seen and be seen restaurants. With Dallas celebrities ranging from Aikman to Dirk and many other VIP’s Al Biernat’s has become known as a hot spot in this city. Their menu also reflects their rise to stardom as well with entrees alone ranging from $24 – $47.

I quickly made reservations for my wife and I and counted down the days with a large X on my calendar every day in anticipation of our special event.

When we arrived at Al Biernat’s I was already under the impression that we had possibly come on a bad night. The place was packed (the line for the valet was about 10 cars deep). While this could be seen as an indication that this place really lives up to the hype it could also mean that it wouldn’t be the quite and intimate dinner my wife and I were expecting.

Upon entering Al Biernat’s we were immediately greeted by a sports bar. Two large TV’s are posted on each side of a bar that was packed with people waiting for their tables. I must admit I was a little put off by how loud it was. Even after being seated you knew whenever Oklahoma scored a touchdown as the place erupted with cheers and sneers.

We had reservations for 8:30 (thank goodness because I don’t think we would have gotten in otherwise). After a few moments wait we got our table at 8:50 which was no big deal to me. I’m use to restaurant running late with reservations.

As we were whisked through the dining room by our host something immediately occurred to me, the tables were much closer then what we were expecting. When I visited the website I saw a picture of the restaurant that shows some tables evenly distributed throughout the dining room allowing guests to have a quite and intimate dinner.

However, this was not the case, a bunch more tables had been added to the room in a fashion that left guests sitting on top of each other. How close were we? Well let’s just say it reminds me of a touristy Italian restaurant where you can hear the conversations of your neighbors more then the conversation in which you are participating. Don’t believe me? Well our diners to the left were a young couple from SMU on their first date. I could tell the guy was a little nervous as he started each sentence with “So…” Our fellow diners to the right were a couple that had been out on a few dates, the gentleman was a big investor in commodities and had been working some late hours as of lately and was looking forward to a vacation he had coming shortly. Ambiance aside my wife and I were really here for the food.

I was going to post a link to the menu for this article but they unfortunately took it down at the end of the restaurant week. There were quite a few choices to choose from which I liked seeing as how many of the restaurants participating in the KRLD restaurant week had a pretty limited scope.

I decided to go with the Prawns in a cilantro lime and habanero sauce as my appetizer. While the combinations of flavor were pretty good, I liked how the spiciness of the sauce was contrasted by the cooling effects of cilantro and lime, I must confess that I have been to Australia and had jumbo prawns before. These were not jumbo prawns; in fact the size was closer to that of regular shrimp that had been relaxed to appear a little larger then what they really were. I had brought my camera in hopes of capturing pictures of our evening however, the lighting was such that all of them pretty much looked like pictures they were taken at night and pretty much indistinguishable. The dish to me was okay. The flavors were unique yet I was still left craving more as the size was petite. Something that is completely okay in my book as it is an appetizer and is not meant to be extremely filling.

Everywhere I read stated that Al Biernat’s was more then a steakhouse. Seeing as how I have had my fair share of Dallas steakhouses (they are overkill here in Dallas as you can imagine). I chose to go off the beaten trail (as they suggest) and ordered the salmon. What it was topped with I cannot exactly say anymore (as again they took down the menu), which is I guess okay in that what I would say about it is that it wasn’t really anything that stood out as a wow food. It was cooked well but really, how hard is that?

The dessert was the Grand Marnier Crème Brulee. Both my wife and I got this and were equally impressed. It really made up some ground work on the meal. The flavor of the Grand Marnier really stood out and the Brulee was perfectly caramelized.

In all I would say that our experience at Al Biernat’s was a little disappointing, which is hard for me to say seeing as how I like to visit an establishment a couple of times before I really make a decision about it.

For the price I was expecting a little more intimate dining experience with food that really stood out. Maybe it was the fact that we were picking form the KRLD menu, maybe it was just an off night because it was a packed joint however, Al Biernat’s really didn’t stand out as a place that was exemplary of what we had heard before. If you’re a person that is a seen and be seen type of diner then this is definitely the place for you as you will definitely be seen. However, if you’re in the search of great food for the price you might want to keep looking.

If you are heading North for a great distance when you drive home from Fredericksburg most likely you will be heading into Austin Texas on your way home. At least that’s what we planned on doing anyway. We did this in part (well let’s be honest here) we did BECAUSE we have heard some pretty good things about the Austin Texas cupcake scene. In all we made 4 stops and ate enough cupcakes to make us so high on sugar that we pretty much had a sugar hangover the rest of the trip home.

If you’ve never been to Austin Texas before I suggest you prepare yourself before going. I would have to say that this city is pretty much known for its oddity. But that is neither here nor there.

The first stop on our much anticipated cupcake tour was at Sugar Mommas. Sugar Mommas Cupcakery is a true cupcake shop (You will understand why I say this later). It is a small locally owned bakery with a really friendly staff. It was a little difficult to locate as it’s in a small strip center on a pretty busy street. We totally missed the parking ramp and had to park a little further down the street.

The small bakery is home to two small display cases filled with fantastic looking cupcakes (I know there is only one display case here but the other case had so much glare from the natural light that you couldn’t see the cupcakes inside so I left that photo out).

My wife and I were hungry having not eaten much earlier in the day as we knew we would inevitably get our fill on cupcakes throughout the day. We chose their Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Watermelon cupcakes.

When I saw Watermelon cupcake I definitely had to try this as I had never heard of it before. The cupcake was pretty good. It was definitely artificially flavored; which is to be expected because real watermelon doesn’t really have a whole lot of flavor to it. The frosting was sweet and delicious and not too over powering. The cake was pretty good too but didn’t have much of a watermelon flavor to it. If you’re a fan of artificial watermelon flavoring it pretty much hits the spot.

I also wanted to try their chocolate cupcake the “James Brown” despite what the frosting looks like….something about chocolate in that shape looks … well I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. The chocolate cake was moist and rich. I really liked it. The frosting carried on the chocolate flavor and was more milk chocolate then dark if you ask me.

Their Peanut Butter (Cup)cake (as they call it) was the final choice I made for this stop. This was pretty tasty as well. They use a the same chocolate cake as the chocolate cupcake and top it with a smooth peanut butter butter cream frosting. I would have liked a little more peanut butter as the chocolate is overpoweringly rich on the cake but the pair was good enough to leave me wanting more.

My overall impression of Sugar Mommas was that it’s a great cupcakery. They have a ton of flavors to choose from and have pretty much mastered the art of the cupcake. Definitely worth the stop and will definitely be visited again by this foodie.

The next stop on our cupcake tour lead us to Lux Bakery & Café. We heard of this place though the web and was suggested though a fellow blogger friend. See the problem with this is I didn’t check it out on my own before driving there. This is not what I would deem a cupcakery. In fact, they were more a deli then a bakery. When we entered this establishment we were greeted by diners who were in fact, enjoying sandwiches. Generally not what you would expect when going out for cupcakes.

While this did not detour us completely (and it totally should have) their display case did. That (look at the picture) my friends was their “cupcake offering”. Now maybe we got there late (doubt it seeing as how it was noon), or maybe they were hosting a baby shower or festive cookie day (hopefully), but if this is what is normally up for sale it’s not a place to visit on a cupcake tour. We still purchased two mini cupcakes and they were what you would expect from a normal bakery and nothing special.

Next up on our stop list was Hey Cupcake! Now this is what I expect when visiting a place touting itself as a cupcakery. Hey cupcake has a pretty awesome theme going. It’s all based around their streamliner trailer theme. What’s cool about that is they have a bunch of streamliner “taco trucks” that drive around the city and set up shop to deliver smiles across Austin. They even have a pretty cool spinning cupcake on top of thier trailers and store as well! I wonder if the homeowners association would have a problem with me putting one of those on my roof…..

Starting to feel the cupcake fill meter rising and knowing we still had a another stop on the list we only opted for two cupcakes from here. We chose to go with their carrot cake and red velvet cupcakes. The cakes on both of these were really good. I would have liked to see a little more chocolate flavoring in the red velvet but it still hit the spot. I also liked the use of walnuts in the carrot cake as it was a delightful surprise! The frostings however, were a little bland. They were both cream cheese tops that didn’t seem to be flavored by much; a little bourbon vanilla could have gone a long way here.

The final stop on our destination lead us deep into Austin City. Delish Cupcakes has a really trendy feel to it which fits it’s urban location perfectly. It even has a pretty trendy sign!

The display for Delish cupcakes was one that I wish they would do away with. I don’t understand why some cupcake shops choose to use cake carousels to hold display their baked goodies! I want to see rows upon rows of cupcakes when I come in! What happens if I want to order more than 6 of one flavor? Do you have enough?

We opted for their S’mores cupcake and Strawberry cupcake as that this was about all that we felt we could eat without exploding. I love the brulee burn on the S’mores cupcake for some reason it just makes them look really delicious (which is a little counterintuitive if you think about it; burnt = delicious?). This cupcake was delicious! The bottom of the cupcake is crushed graham cracker followed by a chocolate cake followed by a really great tasting meringue frosting. The strawberry cupcake was good as well. However, the frosting was a bit artificial for my liking.

Also, just as an FYI I thought twice about linking to their website seeing as how it hasn’t been finished. I put it up so you can find their location but in the future hope that they have some content on there. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why people launch a website when it hasn’t been completed?!?

Overall our cupcake tour was fantastic! We ate some really great cupcakes and had a blast driving around Austin taking in some of the culture! I think everyone should take some time to do this. If not in Austin, then in a town near you!

For many individuals this last weekend was just another weekend. But for the wife and I it was more than just another weekend, it was our two year wedding anniversary weekend! For this special occasion we planned a little get away to the bed and breakfast capital of Texas, Fredericksburg!

For those of you who are not familiar with Fredericksburg Texas, it’s time that you become aquainted. This sleepy little Texas town is home to some fantastic bed and breakfasts and has a main street full of whimsical shops able to keep a foodie busy for hours.

While I could go on and on about our adventures for hours I wanted to spare some of the details and share with you some of the highlights from our trip. Now, while many of you may immediately point out one of the best things about Fredericksburg is that it is Texas’s own little “Napa Valley” and has a full host of wineries. They literally have tours throughout the area on a regular basis. However, my wife and I wanted to do something a little tamer for the weekend so the wine tours will have to wait for our next visit.

We chose to escape to the Queen Ann Bed and Breakfast. Our decision was made easy due to the fact that they had a full gourmet breakfast in the morning and were located directly on Main Street which meant we would be able to walk our way down Main Street to do our shopping.

Our accommodations were perfect and our house mates were friendly.

Here is a picture of the room we stayed in. Beautiful!

And here are some more photos of the house.

While I would love to show you more about the morning’s breakfasts I didn’t want to be ruin our other guest’s meals with my incessant photo taking at the dining table as some might have found this rude. However, I loved the coffee cake so much that I had to sneak a photo of it to share with you.

This coffee cake was fantastic and a great start to our meal. The gourmet breakfast to me was pretty good. It was not the creation of a 5 star chef but tasty none the less. We enjoyed a delicious egg bake that had red peppers, green onions, tomatoes, and yellow onions as well as Au gratin hash browns which were delicious. There were also plenty of freshly baked biscuits and a host of homemade preserves!

After our fantastic breakfast we decided it was time to hit the town.

Java Ranch Espresso Bar & Café is Fredericksburg’s own little version of Starbucks. I wanted to compare apples to apples so I went with the cafés Mocha despite the already quickly climbing temperature. I thought that it was pretty comparable to the Starbucks I get at home however; it could have used a little more chocolate. It also cost a little more than the Starbucks I get at home as well but that is understandable as it probably costs them a little more to get their beans delivered to this small little town.

I did find the interior to be really neat. They had some really large leather chairs to sit in which were so comfy I almost fell asleep right there.

About half way through the day we needed to take a break from out shopping and rest our tired little paws. Seeing as how the temperature had finally broken free of the thermometer we decided that the best way to recharge on such a hot day was to enjoy some ice cream.

Clear River Ice Cream Bakery & Deli was the perfect choice. This 50 style diner (complete with 50’s style games) hand makes their ice cream daily! I opted to go with the cherry vanilla which as you can see here had real chunks of luscious cherries!

My wife however, opted for the more plain Jane option of chocolate chip but was still good none the less. The one thing that I did find really different about this shop was that they sold their ice cream by the ounce. I’m not sure if that is how they do it in the rest of the country but it was definitely a first for me.

After an entire day of shopping we went back to the bed and breakfast to quickly get ready for out dinner reservations at 8. I wanted to make this dinner special and on referral of some locals we heard that The Nest was some of the finest dining Fredericksburg had to offer.

The Nest is one of those restaurants that can be viewed in two lights. Personally, I found it to be quaint and charming. It is literally a house that has been renovated into a dining establishment. The wait staff was friendly and personable however, I could easily see how many could feel that when dropping a hundred bucks on a meal for two would desire more upscale accommodations. If you are the type of person who cannot look past the décor of the room in which you are eating then this unfortunately is not the place for you. This is unfortunate, as you will be missing out on some really great food.

Our meal began with this delectable walnut salad. I thought that the light dressing combined beautifully with the blue cheese and nutty walnut flavor to create a salad that was both light and enjoyable. When my wife and I finished our salads we both knew that we were about to enjoy a great meal!

Next we enjoyed fresh steamed mussels in white wine and shallots with a parsley and cilantro meuniere sauce. I know the photo isn’t the best but the clouds started to roll in and out killing our lighting situation. These were perfect. The cilantro was not over powering and melded nicely with the shallots and white wine sauce.

However, the masterpiece of this meal was definitely the quail. Their broiled semi-boneless quail is stuffed with bacon, spinach, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes on green chili polenta with a port demi-glace. Just writing this makes me begin to salivate again. It was fantastic! The quail literally melted in your mouth and enveloped your taste buds. The quail however, is not for the extremely sophisticated diner. No this is a meal which will require you to get your hands dirty. There are very few bones in this meal however, you will enjoy this quail so much you will want to suck each little piece of meat off every piece there is.

My wife enjoyed a special on their menu which was a pan seared yellow fin tuna which was paired with cilantro and rosemary demi-glace sauce. While I didn’t get a chance to try this as my wife pretty much scarfed it down, she assured me that it was delicious.

I would have to say that a trip to Fredericksburg Texas should be added to any Texas foodies list of places to go. I thoroughly enjoyed myself the whole weekend and look forward to the time in which I get to make this trip again. However, I must admit, the best part of this trip was definitely the company in which I traveled. I could not have asked for a better road mate in life. Love ya sweetie! Happy 2 years!

When a franchise sub shop claims to be “gourmet” I can’t help but feel the word is being a little bastardized. Now don’t get me wrong, I by no means feel this term should be as exclusive as some people would have it. The true “gourmets” would have the term used only by individuals who have seemingly endless budgets and time to eat only the finest of fair ever invented and would never do it for nourishment.

I guess that is why I choose the name for my blog. While the technical definition of “gourmet” is a person with refined or discriminating taste or is knowledgeable in the art of food and food preparation. I would say that I have a pretty refined pallet and have a robust knowledge about the art of food. The second term “foodie” is someone who happens to be a food amateur of sorts. A foodie simply loves food for consumption, study and preparation. Since I fully believe that there is no person on this earth that can truly consider themselves 100% knowledgeable on anything. I believe the term fits as we all should continue to study and learn everything we are passionate about. Since typing out “A refined pallet and robust knowledge about the art of food who is also an amateur who loves the consumption and study of food blog” is a pain in the butt. I chose to go with Gourmet Foodie Blog as it has a little nicer ring to it (plus it’s easier to remember)!

For me companies should only use the word gourmet if they use only the finest of ingredients with their food preparation. There are many a restaurants that fit this description. They are well known around the world and usually tote 5 star ratings. Their ingredients range from exotic salts such as fleur de sel to foods such as foie gras. While I think the first person to truly use these types of ingredients in a fast food sub shop might actually be on to something, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is not that place.

As I perused their menu the other day I definitely saw some ingredients that you typically wouldn’t find on a normal sub sandwich but nothing that would give them the true designation of “gourmet”. That day I choose their Italian sub. I don’t really know why (I guess I was just in an Italian mood). The first thing that I loved about this sandwich was the bread. They use a homemade French bread which I think had a great flavor to it! It definitely was not the same bread you get at subway. The rest of the sub for the most part was that of a typical Italian sub. Salami, capicola, ham, and provolone cheese all topped with Italian vinaigrette. If you’re feeling daring you can get the hot peppers on it as I did and it really spiced things up!

Overall I really loved this sub; the bread and ingredients within complimented each other nicely. The sub also happened to be pared up some Jimmy John’s BBQ chips. These chips are fantastic! Their kettle style chips had a great crunch to them and the BBQ flavor was tangy and delicious.

In all I would have to say that they have definitely beat the pants off of any other sub shop I have visited in recent years, but to say they are gourmet however; well I leave that for you to decide.

As I set out the other day in a quest to finish a long list of errands that have been piling up since last year (as they seem to do every year) I didn’t really make any plans for lunch that day. I knew that I would be pressed for time and figured that I would just stop at whatever place seemed like it might have something edible; little did I know I was about to stumble upon Dallas’s greatest burger house!

I’m completely smitten!

In a well willed effort to make it through one of my lists (I think I have around 200 of them) I rushed out the door that morning without taking time to eat breakfast. I was finally starting to make a small dent in what seemed like a titanic sized list of errands when the hunger from within forced me to my knees (similar to that of a professional wrestler).

As luck would have it I was forced off the road at the corner of 75 and Campbell to finish off one quick list item. As I pulled into the shopping center my stomach growled and I knew this would be the last errand I could complete before my stomach began to eat me from the inside out. I started to seek out a parking spot when I noticed a big white banner that read “Grand Opening!” and much to my surprise it was a new Twisted Root!

“How lucky was that?” I thought. I can grab something to eat and possibly knock out another burger review at the same time (I remember hearing from a friend who lived down town that I really needed to check Twisted Root out if I wanted to find the best burger in Dallas). The only problem with that is I live about an hour north of downtown and it’s a pain to trek all the way down there during a lunch hour. But this new one happens to only be 30 minutes from my house.

Little did I know that I was about to enter the greatest burger house ever created by man. Twisted Root is everything I think a true burger house should represent. It will be the gold standard to which all other burger serving establishments will be judged!

I am so in love with this place I don’t know where to start. When you walk in you immediately realize the owner’s sense of humor as they have written things like “Get your butt in here” written all over the walls. In addition to that, instead of handing you a number when you place your order, they hand you a little piece of paper with a name on it. Mine happened to be “Mr. Tambourine Man”; others included the likes of Bruce Wayne, Mr. Anderson, Homer Simpson and so on. It definitely gives the place a fun and friendly atmosphere.

The atmosphere however, is not the only thing that makes a great burger house, a great burger house. They have to have a burger menu that puts all others to shame. Twisted Root happens to have just that. Their menu contains burgers ranging from the normal hamburger and cheddar burger to the wildly exotic burgers such as Elk, Venison and Ostrich and the burger of my choice that fateful afternoon; The “REAL Buffalo Burger”. They even have a black bean burger (pictured below) for the vegetarian in your life or a Turkey Burger for those keeping to their New Year’s resolutions. My wife opted for the Black Bean Burger (for a healthier choice) which she said was equally as good.

Every burger is handmade to perfection. My real buffalo burger came perfectly cooked with all the toppings one would expect to find on a great burger. What I really love about this joint is they make everything from scratch, from the barbeque sauce to the ice cream to the root beer; it has all been made by hand.

When I took my first bite I damn near fell out of my chair it was so good. The real buffalo meat combined in perfect harmony with the fresh barbeque sauce and veggies to create the best burger I have ever tasted! So good in fact that this will be the burger I order when I’m on death row enjoying my last meal (not saying that I’m going to be on death row, but you know, if I was going to be, that would be what I would order). As if the great atmosphere, and awesome burger weren’t enough on their own, they also decided to switch up the way they do chips and fries. Instead of getting the traditional chip fair I opted for their sweet potato chips. They were perfect! Sweet and crispy with a great flavor structure to them.

I know this post is getting way long but I couldn’t really help it (like I said. “I’m Smitten”). In my final words I will say this, if it wasn’t for the fact that this place only exists 30 minutes to an hour from my house I would eat there damn near every day (No joke). So the only request I have is for Twisted Root to hurry it’s ass up to North Dallas because I’m getting hungry!

Ever since I was a little kid I have always loved discovering those “whole in the wall” joints known for their great food! I have my grandfather to thank for this because he has always been a huge fan of “mom and pop” type shops. He always said that those places put a little more time and effort into the preparation of their food then that of your local super chain like Fridays (amazing what years of wisdom can do)!

So the other day I was flipping through the channels when I happened to stop on Food Network’s Guy Fieri’s show Diners Drive-ins and Dives (I must admit that I personally love this show). Each week Guy brings us to off-beat local eateries that are known for great food, enticing atmospheres and all the aspects of a home town feel (a great concept if you ask me).

For some reason every time I watch one of Guys episodes I get jealous wishing he would do an episode that I didn’t need to plan a long weekend to go eat at. I don’t know if it’s because of his crazy hair or big personality, but he makes these places seem like diamonds in the rough that you just HAVE to visit and if you don’t you will have lead a completely insignificant and wasted life.

So imagine my excitement as I discovered that the show was showcasing restaurants here in the Dallas area! I finally have a chance to live a life worth living (at least for a little while)! After watching the show the one place that I found myself literally salivating over was Louie’s. I called up some friends and made plans to visit Louie’s that very next night!

As we pulled up we began to wonder if the small dilapidated white building with a faded sign outside that read “Louie’s” (which has seen better days) could really be our destination. I must admit I was a bit hesitant to go in as a whirl wind of thoughts began to race though my head. I pondered the possibility of Guy not really having a freakn’ clue of what the hell he is talking about and that I might have wasted hours upon hours of my life watching a show that is completely off the mark. If you don’t know where this place is located then there is a good chance you might just miss it. It is definitely the definition of “hole in the wall”. Louie’s might be a small white building on the outside, but it opens into a small town bar (one with pictures on the wall of past and present patrons) that makes the place feel warm and friendly. It’s a place that you could see yourself coming to for years.

Louie’s is a bar/restaurant that has been serving up some of Dallas’s best pizza and drinks for quite some time. The “lounge” as they call it; was started by two brothers (Louie and Chris), from Chicago, who really know how to make a great pie! To start their masterpiece they begin with a thin crust (which is the only way a truly great pizza can be made) then top it fresh tomato sauce and all the ingredients you can handle. The pizza is then masterfully baked to perfection with a crispy crust and warm gooey toppings that melt in your mouth! I choose to top my masterpiece pizza with onion, black olives, fresh tomato, Italian sausage and pepperoni (I highly suggest you do the same). It’s somewhat obvious that this pizza was delicious as my friends and I couldn’t even keep our fingers off it long enough to take that photo (note the missing slices)!

In all, I feel this is definitely not the place for you to go if you are looking for that world class dining atmosphere. However, if you are looking for one of Dallas’s best pizza joints to visit with some friends to have a beer and a great pizza (or even catch a game) then I highly recommend you stop in when you get the chance!

Maybe Grandpa and Guy really do know what they are talking about after all! “Phew”

Well the other week I started my hunt for the greatest gourmet burgers in the Big D. My first trip to Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers yielded good results so my hopes were high as I visited the second stop on my list, Jakes Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

My first impression of Jakes was a good one. It is a family restaurant with table service and two bar areas with large Plasma screen TVs. I must admit though, I don’t count this as 100% burger house. Anywhere you have a waiter or waitress isn’t really a true “burger house” in my point of view. However, despite this fact the best part of this joint is definitely the burgers!

When I sat down and started to go over the menu I was overwhelmed with the variety of burger choices. They even had a burger of the month; which is a burger creation that isn’t on the list of already great choices! Wanting to judge based on consistency I again opted for the Mushroom Swiss Burger. When it arrived I couldn’t help but notice that the burger had been cooked with the mushrooms stuffed in between two patties with a generous helping of cheese! The poppy seed bun was not too thick and allowed for the greasy tastiness of the mushroom stuffed burger patties to fully envelop my taste buds! The burger was cooked similar to that of Chuck’s however, this one was not dried out, which is probably due to the result of being cooked with cheese and mushrooms stuffed inside. I again like the way the burger was stacked with shredded lettuce as I think that this allows for the full flavor of the burger to shine though. This burger is by far one of the best burgers I have had in a long time!

So if you’re in the Dallas area any time soon definitely make time to stop at Jakes Old Fashioned Hamburgers as it’s one of the better burger houses in Dallas!

This last week I had a little extra time on my hands and was relaxing out by the pool when I smelled the “oh so” familiar smell of burgers cooking on the grill (I immediately started to salivate). That got me thinking… I couldn’t remember the last time I had a really good burger. “This cannot be!” I thought to myself. I guess I have grown envious of the west coast and their superior burger culture. Maybe, it’s because of websites like AHT where each day you are drawn to read more and more about all the great burgers in California. What about Dallas?? So I decided that I was going to take quest to find the most gourmet and delicious burgers in the Big D!

What’s gourmet about a burger you ask? Well it depends on how you look at it…

Some look at it as a simple to make meal that doesn’t take much cooking skill to prepare. (Those individuals have never experienced a truly delicious gourmet burger). I weep for them. I however, look at it as a meal which is actually really difficult to master… and to me many have tried and failed miserably!

I decided to make my first stop at one of Dallas’ well known burger haunts Chips Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

When arriving at Chips you immediately get the old fashioned burger house feel. From the décor to the preparation of the burger everything is representative of the burger days of old.

I ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger while my wife decided upon a more traditional Cheese Burger. While the patty I believe was lacking in thickness (sometimes you just want a thick juicy burger) which surprised me a little and a little dry (can’t really expect more from a burger that thin), however, they more then made up for it with the stacking of mushrooms – cooked to perfection, cheese, mustard and all the toppings. These burgers are stacked perfectly on top of a poppy seed bun which I thought was a nice touch (so long as you don’t need to pass a drug test any time soon). What I liked most about this burger was its balance. There was just the right amount of mustard, onion, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms and cheese. While it wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever tasted in my life it was definitely worth the trip. The burger was large enough to leave me feeling satisfied; their fries however, are another story.

I know that this is a burger hunt and that fries really aren’t that relevant to the topic but maybe they are? I think the two go hand in hand and I would probably not have mentioned them but they were the lamest fries I have ever had (Akin to my elementary school lunch line days). While yes they were thick and crispy they lacked seasoning. They had nothing done to change them up and while many may argue that this was the way they were meant to be, I personally feel that there should be something done to create a memorable fry.

My burger hunt has begun and I must admit, if it gets any better then this I’m in for a tasty food quest!

I love birthdays! What better excuse to get together with friends who are close to you to enjoy some of the finer things in life? What I don’t understand is why it takes something as “special” as a birthday to get everyone together. Why isn’t it the standard for every weekend? Well unless you have the stamina of a college student you need some rest! After having a couple of nice and restful weekends we had the pleasure of being invited to a good friend’s birthday. Her destination of choice? Vino 100 for a wine and cheese tasting extravaganza! What could possibly make this better? How about an unusually warm streak of weather here in the Dallas area? With the weather a comfortable 65 degrees it was a perfect night to taste some fantastic cheeses, wine and conversation with friends on the patio!

The Vino 100 concept to bring limited production, artisan crafted wines at affordable prices is a great one. The walls are literally lined with a fantastic selection of red and white wines that range from fruit to dry, light to bold. Their Wine Barometer as they call it allows even a wine novice to pick a wine to their liking with very little effort.

When we arrived we decided on their Formaggio della Casa selection of cheeses. This selection was a tasting of Asiago, Havarti and Sage Derby cheeses with assorted crackers. While our cheese selection was on its way we dropped in and picked up a bottle of Kyos a fantastic Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately, lost in the moment of the occasion I was not able to get a good picture of the bottle and therefore, have lost the details as to its origin and other fun facts. However, I can tell you this. I did find it to be greatly in line with what you would expect from a good Sauvignon Blanc. I believe that this complimented the smooth sharp cheddar flavor of the Asiago cheese perfectly!

We also picked up a bottle of Morgan Chardonnay a fruity wine from the Napa Valley region. Our selection of this wine was to be paired with the mild and creamy flavors of the New Zealand experiment that is Havarti. The helpful staff at Vino 100 couldn’t have been more right. They definitely pointed us to a combination that could be consumed for hours and hours until you have died from a serendipitous experience.

After a few hours of drinking and dining with friends, a little birthday cake (hey your never too old for birthday cake) it was time to retire to our estate to get some shut eye. I would like to leave this post on this note. Next time your wondering what to do for your next birthday, or other special event, take a trip to Vino 100 and you will be setting the scene for a perfect night of eating, drinking and conversation with friends about the mysteries and complexities of the world and this funny thing we call life.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to take my wife on a romantic dinner for two at the historical Bob’s Steak & Chop House. Nestled in the whimsical shops at legacy town center, Bob’s Steak & Chop house is located a few minutes north of Dallas. I was hoping to indulge in a quite dinner for two with my wife that was representative of a $150 dollar meal. As we entered the establishment, Bob’s Steak & Chop house resembled that of most Texas steak houses, which is mainly comprised of dark brownish colors and Texas décor look. I personally love this look especially when it is paired with low lighting as it can create the perfect ambiance. However, the noise level completely destroys that. We made our visit on a Tuesday evening as we know that any restaurant on the weekend can be noisy. The noise level that night was a bit noisy but not overwhelmingly bad. With that said we did visit there on weekday and wouldn’t want to know what it sounded like if we were there on the weekend. However, noise to me is not a deal breaker as I am more interested in the food and service then the people around me.

The staff however, needs some work. Our waitress, who will remain nameless as she didn’t even present it to us, pretty much assumed that we were a young couple who were not worthy of conversation. The menus were presented and questions were hardly answered to completion. I am a bit of a wine novice and have been working to perfect my pairings as I begin to explore the wonderful world of wine. When asked what wine she would suggest to compliment our meal we were presented with the simple answer cabernet and left with that. Now at an Olive Garden type of restaurant this would have passed as run of the mill service however, I was hoping at an establishment such as this she could narrow down the selection to one or two of the 8 different types of cabernet on the menu. I would also have understood the brief and un welcoming responses if the restaurant was busy and she was in the weeds because as a former waiter I know that sometimes you are not able to provide the 5 star service you would like to because you have 10 tables all of which are running behind but the place was pretty dead and she seemed more interested in flirting with the other waiters then guiding us through our meal.

The food on the other hand was delicious! As an appetizer we ordered the Maryland – Style Crab Cake. Initially there was a hint of sticker shock as a single crab cake ran $15. However, the crab cake which as far as I can tell because the waitress didn’t really know contained crab as well as red peppers and other tasty tidbits and was served with a decadent honey mustard sauce that eliminated any initial sticker shock. I have enjoyed many a crab cakes over the past few years and this by far was the best “one” pun intended I have had yet! For my entree I ordered the COTE de BOEUF a 22 oz bone in ribeye steak that was cooked to perfection. I devoured every bite! The melding of the seasoning with the flavor of the meat couldn’t have been better. My wife enjoyed the rack of lamb as well which came with a fantastic mint sauce. The mint sauce complimented the flavor of the meat perfectly creating a delicious combination.

In my final thoughts I will say this, the food is fantastic. So much so that I will one day again visit Bob’s Steak & Chop house. However, will I be making this trip for a special occasion in which we are seeking a quiet and enjoyable meal? No.