Hello my fellow basic brunchers!
Just wanted to let you know that I've moved my blog to a new site. Check it out, all new post from now on will be located there.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Sundown at the Granada: Winter Menu
Last week I had the privilege to attend the Winter Menu Preview, with many of my fellow Dallas food bloggers, at Sundown at Granada. For those of you that don't know Sundown at Granada is a beer garden and restaurant located right next door to the famous Granada Theater in Lower Greenville.
With 60+ beers to pick from and food taken very seriously Sundown offers the largest patio on Greenville. And I will add that it's a heated patio so don't worry about those cold Texas winters. They have you covered, literally. Food wise they believe in farm-to-table, non GMO, organic fare. Most of which they try to grow in their 600 square foot garden. What they can't grow, like chickens, they make sure it's top quality and free-range. They want to make sure what you put into your body is the best for your body. Very holistic in their approach and many of their dishes from the Winter Menu are inherently vegan (or can have the meat removed to become vegan), gluten free, or both.
Course 1: Loaded Avocados
This is a trio dish of avocados served on endive with cucumbers as chips.
Southwest: Tomato | Feta | Black Bean | Sweet Corn | Hemp Seeds
Italian: Sundried Tomato | Almond | Parmesan | Balsamic Glaze | Basil
Waldorf: Chicken | Candied Walnuts | Cranberry | Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
Of the three my favorite was the Southwest. It had just a little bit of bite and the Tex-Mex flavors were extremely prevalent. My least favorite was the Waldorf. I found it to be too mild in flavor and everything was just too creamy. There wasn't enough texture although there were walnuts in the dish.
Course 2: Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo with Wild Rice
When I saw this on the menu I knew it would be my favorite and I was right. I love gumbo though. This gumbo is actually gluten free because the roux is made from rice flour. You would never be able to tell the difference though. The gumbo itself was rich and deep with flavor while being spicy without being overwhelming. I would order a bucket of this.
Course 3: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Gulf Shrimp | Organic Blue Corn | Cheddar Grits | Bacon Braised Kale
So this dish has a lot of things I normally wouldn't eat. I'm not the biggest fan of shrimp and I've never had grits in my life. Something about the name just doesn't appeal to me. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from trying the dish. With that said, this dish was mediocre to me. The blue corn cheddar grits were a very unappetizing color. Instead of being more of a blue they looked more of a gray which just isn't a color you want to eat unless you're in a Disney movie and a singing candlestick holder is telling you to try it.
The shrimp was fine, the grits were fine, the bacon kale was fine. Get it all in one bite and it's good. I won't go as far as great but yes everything is edible.
Course 4: Texas Ranch
Akaushi Brisket | Elote Corn | Black Beans | Roasted Onions | TexMex Rice
This dish was the biggest disappointment. The dish overall was not that good, but it had the best tasting component of all the dishes on it, the Akaushi Brisket. The brisket beef is a Texas Wagu Steak that is roasted for 12 hours in Shiner Bock. Honestly, if the dish was just a giant slab of the brisket I would be thrilled. There were clear Mexican influences across the dish and if you removed the meat (which you shouldn't) the dish became vegan. I can't pinpoint what exactly went wrong with this dish, There was either too much salt or too much garlic but the corn, black beans, and rice just didn't come together the way they should. Now, the Chef did say there was a burger on the menu that had the brisket on it and I would probably recommend eating that.
Dessert:
Vegan Cake Brownie: Walnuts | Dolce De Leche Ice Cream
Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Crumble: Texas Apples | Toasted Granola Topping | Vegan Coconut Ice Cream
What is better than one dessert? Two! Of the two the Vegan Cake Brownie was my favorite but I am a sucker for apple-based desserts as well. You really can't go wrong with either one so it's just a matter of personal preference here.
All-in-all the evening was phenomenal as well as the food. To be able to bond with my fellow foodies over these artfully prepared dishes was a treat in itself. The best thing about Sundown at Granada is the care that is obviously put into the food. The ingredients are noticeably fresh and the dishes are tailored to the seasons. Without a doubt I would go back. I would recommend you make this a date night place and swing by the Granada to see a show either before or after.
 |
| I had a name card and everything! |
With 60+ beers to pick from and food taken very seriously Sundown offers the largest patio on Greenville. And I will add that it's a heated patio so don't worry about those cold Texas winters. They have you covered, literally. Food wise they believe in farm-to-table, non GMO, organic fare. Most of which they try to grow in their 600 square foot garden. What they can't grow, like chickens, they make sure it's top quality and free-range. They want to make sure what you put into your body is the best for your body. Very holistic in their approach and many of their dishes from the Winter Menu are inherently vegan (or can have the meat removed to become vegan), gluten free, or both.
Course 1: Loaded Avocados
 |
| Southwest (left) Italian (back right) Waldorf (front center) |
This is a trio dish of avocados served on endive with cucumbers as chips.
Southwest: Tomato | Feta | Black Bean | Sweet Corn | Hemp Seeds
Italian: Sundried Tomato | Almond | Parmesan | Balsamic Glaze | Basil
Waldorf: Chicken | Candied Walnuts | Cranberry | Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
Of the three my favorite was the Southwest. It had just a little bit of bite and the Tex-Mex flavors were extremely prevalent. My least favorite was the Waldorf. I found it to be too mild in flavor and everything was just too creamy. There wasn't enough texture although there were walnuts in the dish.
Course 2: Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo with Wild Rice
 |
| Gumbo! |
When I saw this on the menu I knew it would be my favorite and I was right. I love gumbo though. This gumbo is actually gluten free because the roux is made from rice flour. You would never be able to tell the difference though. The gumbo itself was rich and deep with flavor while being spicy without being overwhelming. I would order a bucket of this.
Course 3: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Gulf Shrimp | Organic Blue Corn | Cheddar Grits | Bacon Braised Kale
 |
| First time trying grits. |
So this dish has a lot of things I normally wouldn't eat. I'm not the biggest fan of shrimp and I've never had grits in my life. Something about the name just doesn't appeal to me. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from trying the dish. With that said, this dish was mediocre to me. The blue corn cheddar grits were a very unappetizing color. Instead of being more of a blue they looked more of a gray which just isn't a color you want to eat unless you're in a Disney movie and a singing candlestick holder is telling you to try it.
The shrimp was fine, the grits were fine, the bacon kale was fine. Get it all in one bite and it's good. I won't go as far as great but yes everything is edible.
Course 4: Texas Ranch
Akaushi Brisket | Elote Corn | Black Beans | Roasted Onions | TexMex Rice
 |
| The brisket is the best! |
This dish was the biggest disappointment. The dish overall was not that good, but it had the best tasting component of all the dishes on it, the Akaushi Brisket. The brisket beef is a Texas Wagu Steak that is roasted for 12 hours in Shiner Bock. Honestly, if the dish was just a giant slab of the brisket I would be thrilled. There were clear Mexican influences across the dish and if you removed the meat (which you shouldn't) the dish became vegan. I can't pinpoint what exactly went wrong with this dish, There was either too much salt or too much garlic but the corn, black beans, and rice just didn't come together the way they should. Now, the Chef did say there was a burger on the menu that had the brisket on it and I would probably recommend eating that.
Dessert:
Vegan Cake Brownie: Walnuts | Dolce De Leche Ice Cream
 |
| Delicious brownie |
 |
| Nothing better than apples |
What is better than one dessert? Two! Of the two the Vegan Cake Brownie was my favorite but I am a sucker for apple-based desserts as well. You really can't go wrong with either one so it's just a matter of personal preference here.
 |
| Some of my fellow bloggers. |
All-in-all the evening was phenomenal as well as the food. To be able to bond with my fellow foodies over these artfully prepared dishes was a treat in itself. The best thing about Sundown at Granada is the care that is obviously put into the food. The ingredients are noticeably fresh and the dishes are tailored to the seasons. Without a doubt I would go back. I would recommend you make this a date night place and swing by the Granada to see a show either before or after.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Basic Brunches does Rapscallions
Rapscallion. Typically known as a mischievous person, in this case I am referring to the mischievous (somewhat) new restaurant located in Lower Greenville. Although they've been receiving rave reviews for their standard lunch and dinner options, back in September they opened up their doors just a littler earlier than usual to start serving brunch.
Typically, I will admit, I keep to my comfort zone. I live in Far North Dallas where Addison, Plano and Frisco are king. I occasionally travel to Uptown for brunch because, to be fair, their brunch scene is on point. Also their demographic is 20-something career kids that love nothing more than getting turnt the night before and hitting some hair of the dog on Sunday mornings and Instagramming about it. But Lower Greenville is an area that I have yet to venture to. For this brunch a fellow Instagrammer Vicky D invited me out so we could finally meet in person and she chose the place.
While parking is slightly limited in the surrounding area, and everywhere threatens to tow you, Lower Greenville is quite quaint. Cute little walkable streets with plenty of food and shopping options. It's a place I need to explore more. Upon arrival to Rapscallions it seemed like it could accommodate our party of two but were told there was a 30 minute wait that obviously started with us because no one else was waiting yet. We said we'd sit outside but it was deemed too cold to serve on the patio, although this is Texas and really you just need to wait 5 minutes. Our wait ended up being no more than 20 minutes.
Rapscallions is the Lower Greenville version of Ida Claire. With their farm to table, "eclectic" menu and their hipster dressed waiters with ironic facial hair all over the place. The only difference really was that at Ida Claire they serve their mimosas with Rose while Rapscallions does their mimosas the traditional way with champagne. The menu is very limited and savory heavy. If you are interested in some kind of sweet dish like french toast I recommend you look elsewhere. The only sweet options on the menu were located on the appetizer section. And while, yes, you could easily turn the monkey bread into a personal meal, I wouldn't recommend it.
We ordered the Gammy's Monkey Bread to share which came out looking delicious and it did not disappoint. It was warm and just the right amount of goo for pull apart bread. It will get all over your hands if you choose to eat it that way. But it's very easy to pull apart so using your fork is a more civilized option.
Vicky was debating about getting the "Old Soba" which is a NOLA style lo mein dish which is a pork head broth with pork belly and shaved pork collar. There are noodles and an egg in there too but you are looking at consuming all parts on a pig. She ended up picking the Duck Confit Hash because hash is her weakness, The hash is sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, poached duck egg and duck fat hollindase.
I went a different route and choose The Big Biscuit. Typically biscuits and gravy isn't my thing unless I'm getting it at Old West and it's smothered with eggs, potatoes, cheese and spinach but this looked like it would be good. It's a house-made sausage patty on top on the house-made biscuit with a heavy pour of pork fat gravy and two sunny side eggs. I personally don't like my eggs sunny side up so I asked for them to be cooked just a little longer. While the dish was as good as it looked I will admit that cutting the biscuit proved difficult at times.
The only, slightly ridiculous, thing that happened on our brunch trip was once we got up to leave the table next to us decided that we were inconveniencing them by sitting there because not only did they want to spread out a bit but they also wanted out chairs. As we got up to walk out we heard one of the ladies at our neighboring table say "Finally" and snag one of the chairs. Really?
Overall I would go to Rapscallions again but it's a place you need to be craving. With the limited menu and small space you need to want savory food and be ok with a wait. The food is done well and worth the wait but the menu prices are a little high.
 |
| Rapscallions lovely brick facade. |
Typically, I will admit, I keep to my comfort zone. I live in Far North Dallas where Addison, Plano and Frisco are king. I occasionally travel to Uptown for brunch because, to be fair, their brunch scene is on point. Also their demographic is 20-something career kids that love nothing more than getting turnt the night before and hitting some hair of the dog on Sunday mornings and Instagramming about it. But Lower Greenville is an area that I have yet to venture to. For this brunch a fellow Instagrammer Vicky D invited me out so we could finally meet in person and she chose the place.
While parking is slightly limited in the surrounding area, and everywhere threatens to tow you, Lower Greenville is quite quaint. Cute little walkable streets with plenty of food and shopping options. It's a place I need to explore more. Upon arrival to Rapscallions it seemed like it could accommodate our party of two but were told there was a 30 minute wait that obviously started with us because no one else was waiting yet. We said we'd sit outside but it was deemed too cold to serve on the patio, although this is Texas and really you just need to wait 5 minutes. Our wait ended up being no more than 20 minutes.
Rapscallions is the Lower Greenville version of Ida Claire. With their farm to table, "eclectic" menu and their hipster dressed waiters with ironic facial hair all over the place. The only difference really was that at Ida Claire they serve their mimosas with Rose while Rapscallions does their mimosas the traditional way with champagne. The menu is very limited and savory heavy. If you are interested in some kind of sweet dish like french toast I recommend you look elsewhere. The only sweet options on the menu were located on the appetizer section. And while, yes, you could easily turn the monkey bread into a personal meal, I wouldn't recommend it.
 |
| It's not much in way of full brunch meal |
We ordered the Gammy's Monkey Bread to share which came out looking delicious and it did not disappoint. It was warm and just the right amount of goo for pull apart bread. It will get all over your hands if you choose to eat it that way. But it's very easy to pull apart so using your fork is a more civilized option.
 |
| Monkey Bread for two! |
Vicky was debating about getting the "Old Soba" which is a NOLA style lo mein dish which is a pork head broth with pork belly and shaved pork collar. There are noodles and an egg in there too but you are looking at consuming all parts on a pig. She ended up picking the Duck Confit Hash because hash is her weakness, The hash is sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, poached duck egg and duck fat hollindase.
 |
| The Big Biscuit! |
The only, slightly ridiculous, thing that happened on our brunch trip was once we got up to leave the table next to us decided that we were inconveniencing them by sitting there because not only did they want to spread out a bit but they also wanted out chairs. As we got up to walk out we heard one of the ladies at our neighboring table say "Finally" and snag one of the chairs. Really?
Overall I would go to Rapscallions again but it's a place you need to be craving. With the limited menu and small space you need to want savory food and be ok with a wait. The food is done well and worth the wait but the menu prices are a little high.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)