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.

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 

Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Crumble: Texas Apples | Toasted Granola Topping | Vegan Coconut Ice Cream

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.