Horne & Dekker

Dining Room

Horne and Dekker is not your average restaurant. We first decided to try it out when our boss came into town and wanted to take the office out to dinner, but left it up the staff members to decide where to go. After some thorough research, we decided on Horne & Dekker, a new restaurant in the Dallas are that is different, not too expensive, and took reservations. The theme of the restaurant is gourmet comfort food - not your usual combination. As a result, their menu has everything from gnocchi to fried chicken, with a variety of things in between, not to mention a very eclectic cocktail menu that has all sorts of fun and fresh options. Horne & Dekker is located in the Knox-Henderson area of Dallas, which gets pretty crazy on the weekends, but wasn't too bad on a weeknight. Be prepared to valet though. There is never parking anywhere in this part of town.

Margarugula

A few of us started the evening off with a Margarugula ($10), a drink worth ordering if you can figure out how to pronounce it! It was a margarita mixed with some peppery arugula, and the best word I can think of to describe this drink would be refreshing. Another fun drink was the Honey Badger, which someone had to order merely for the name. It was mixture of whiskey and fruit juice, a little much for me personally.

Spicy Chips

Dekker Devils

The best part about going to dinner with a big group is that there are that many more things to try! The appetizer menu had some interesting options such as fried frog legs and fried green tomatoes, but our group settled on Spicy Chips ($8) and Dekker Devils ($8). The spicy chips were a solid winner with our group: homemade potato chips with spicy seasoning, drizzled with blue cheese dressing, and topped off with bacon and sweet peppers. The Dekker Devils were deviled eggs with ham, bacon, and chives mixed into the yolk. I happen to love deviled eggs, and I liked these, but I would probably prefer some more traditional deviled eggs. What was definitely worth raving about were the basket of biscuits and honey butter that they served with the meal. Confession: I literally grabbed the bus boy to prevent him from taking away the leftover biscuits when he was clearing the table. Better believe those went in my to-go box!

Dr. Pepper Carnitas

When we got to the entrees, there was a variety ordered by our table. Dr. Pepper Pork Carnitas ($16), Salmon & Couscous ($20), Finger Lickin' Fried Chicken ($17), and Sea Bass & Scallop Cake ($24) to name a few. I did not try the carnitas, but they looked delicious. The only complaint I heard about them was that the sauce was a little on the sweet side. I guess that's what happens when you cook with Dr. Pepper. I had the fried chicken. It was an insane amount of food that left me enough leftovers for another full meal the next day! The mashed potatoes were yummy, but I was not fond of the gravy. The fried chicken was moist and definitely fried. I was surprised to find that my favorite meal at the table was the salmon and couscous. The salmon fillet was perfectly cooked with a light citrus sauce and sat on a bed of cranberry and grilled veggie pearl couscous. I don't normally gravitate towards anything with cranberries, but the salmon paired with the couscous and a hint of tangy cranberries made a perfect combination.

Finger Lickin' Fried Chicken

Salmon & Couscous

Banana Bread Pudding

Red Velvet Twinkies

Now to the fun part... dessert! Horne & Dekker has a pretty crazy dessert menu. The items we chose were the Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae ($8), Banana Bread Pudding ($7), and Red Velvet Twinkies ($7). The bread pudding seemed to be a bit of a let down and not as exciting as everyone had hoped. Report was that it was not as moist as they expected bread pudding to be. I had the brownie sundae, which was good, but very rich. The hit of the table was the red velvet Twinkies. In essence, it was red velvet cake filled with cream and served with a carton of milk. The visual aspect of the plate was awesome, and the Twinkies were pretty good as well. I think they could have used a little more of the cream filling though.

Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae

Overall, I would say Horne & Dekker is definitely worth a try! Dinner was, at the very least, a good experience. Other highlights of the restaurant are their Sunday dinner, which has limitless food (like the normal servings aren't enough), and their Hangover Brunch. One look at the French Toast Loaf in their brunch advertisement and trust me, you will be sold.

Horne & Dekker

2323 Henderson Ave #102

Dallas, TX 75206

(214) 821-9333

Price: $$-$$$
Rating:

Komali Contemporary Mexican Cuisine

Mexican food. It doesn't matter how many times I eat it or places I go, I just never grow tired of it. Lucky for me, Dallas seems to have a never ending supply of Mexican restaurants! I first heard of Komali from my new favorite iPhone app, Scoutmob. Basically, Scoutmob has coupons for different local restaurants throughout the U.S. It is only available in some cities, but the company is new and continuing to grow. This was my third Scoutmob restaurant, and they have all been delicious! Plus, I got 50% off... can't beat that! The other reason I had heard of Komali, is that they were just voted #1 by D Magazine for best margaritas in Dallas. So I was more than excited when I walked into Komali to try it out for the first time!

When Lindsay and I wandered into dinner around 6:30pm, we realized that we were lucky enough to beat the dinner rush, and catch the tail end of happy hour. The decor was very clean cut and modern, but still had a bit of a homey feel to it with the relaxed bar setting and the mosaic fireplace in the corner. As we walked to our table, I had that slightly uneasy feeling of, "this restaurant looks really nice... I hope I'm not horrified at the prices when I open the menu." This feeling only intensified as we sat down and our waiter placed the napkins in our lap. When I mustered up the courage to take a peek at the menu, I was pleasantly surprised! Not to say that Komali is cheap, but most of the entrees ranged from $10-$15, with a few of the more expensive dishes getting up to $28. For an upscale restaurant in Dallas, I was impressed.


Not wanting to miss out on what was supposed to be the best margarita in Dallas, we both promptly ordered one. Lindsay ordered "The Komali," the award winning margarita with prickly pear puree, mango, and lime juice. It was good, but personally I preferred my pineapple infused tequila margarita, with chunks of fresh pineapple (both $7 at happy hour). It was refreshing, sweet, and packed a punch.






When the waiter came by to take our appetizer order, we were in desperate need of suggestions. The appetizer selection was not your typical nacho, queso, chips and salsa type menu. Instead, we found ourselves deciding between tamales, sopes, and what sounded like a Spanish version of goat cheese bruschetta. In the end we chose the Queso Fundido ($8). Do not be fooled, this is not your typical nacho cheese queso. It is fresh melted Oaxaca cheese, where we chose to mix in some chorizo and poblano rajas. The dish came out hot with a side of fresh corn and flour tortillas, which led to us making little mini tacos. The appetizer was spicy, flavorful, and delicious. We ate every bite.

We had an equally as difficult time choosing our entrees. In the end, Lindsay ordered the Chicken Enchiladas de pollo en Salsa verde ($14) and I ordered the Chile relleno de Jaiba ($16). My chile relleno was a definite success, not too spicy, fresh and flavorful. My only issue with it was, it was supposed to be a pepper stuffed with crab meat. Each bite I took I thought, is there really crab in here? It looked and tasted like shredded beef to me. I have nothing against shredded beef, but where was the crab? So aside from my disappointment in the lack of crab, I still fully enjoyed my dish. My plate also came with some fresh tortillas, so I could cut a bite of chile relleno, add some rice, and make a mini taco. Again, delicious. Lindsay enjoyed her massive plate of enchiladas as well.

When our meal was over I noticed that Komali had filled up. We went from being one of the only tables to a full restaurant through the course of our meal. The manager came by with our bill to ask us how our meal was and we talk about our Scoutmob coupon. We were sure to let him know that we loved our meal, thought the restaurant was great, and would definitely recommend it to others. So if you have a date night planned, want a nice dinner out, or just want to grab a margarita and some appetizers, this is the place for you!

Komali
4152 Cole Ave
Suite 106
Dallas, TX 75204
(214) 252-0200

Price: $$ - $$$
Rating:

Royal Thai

If there is one food I never stop craving, it is Thai food. I am constantly on the hunt for some good curry. My all time favorite Thai restaurant, Thai Basil, was left behind in Phoenix when I moved out to Dallas. So I have been in desperate need of a replacement! Luckily, after a little internet research, I found one. Who knew that Googling "best Thai food in Dallas" could be such a success! So Lindsay and I decided to check out Royal Thai, and also celebrate her recent engagement :-)

When we first walked into Royal Thai, it looked like everything I would expect a Thai restaurant to look like, but definitely on the more upscale end. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived at about 5:30pm, but by the time we left at about 8pm, it was packed full. It was obvious from the crowd, as well as the reviews I read online, that Royal Thai has definitely made itself known in Dallas for its good food and service.


Lindsay and I started off our meal with some spring rolls ($5.50). They were the deep fried kind, which of course only added to their deliciousness. I am never really sure what sauce it is that they bring out with spring rolls, but I know that I like it!

Our main course was the Gaeng Keowan ($10.95), or green curry as most would know it. For those that are not familiar with curries, there are many different types of curry. The most popular Thai curries are green, red, yellow, and panang (peanut) curries. Each has their own unique flavor and usually a different set of vegetables as well. Thai curries are also very different than say your Indian curries. I guess I'll have to blog about an Indian restaurant soon to get into that comparison more!


Anyway, green curry has always been my favorite, and this green curry was no let down! The bowl of curry had chicken, eggplant, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, jalapenos, snow peas, and basil leaves, and of course came with a side of white rice. The dish had great flavor and the perfect amount of spiciness! The dishes are generously sized, and I thought I would be saving my leftovers for lunch the next day, but I ended up eating just about every bite. We also paired the dish with a glass of Riesling ($6.50). The sweetness of the wine was a perfect offset for the spiciness of the curry.

Overall, I can safely say that I loved this restaurant. The food was great, the atmosphere was great, and the service was great (if not too eager, I kept having to say no, don't take my food, I'm still eating!). The prices weren't bad either, spending about $20 for an appetizer, entree, and a glass of wine. I will absolutely return to this restaurant.... in fact, maybe tomorrow!

Royal Thai
5500 Greenville Avenue # 608
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 691-3555

Price: $$
Rating:

Bellinis Italian Cafe and Pizza

Bellinis Italian Cafe is one of those restaurants you drive by and think, "That shopping center looks pretty sketchy, but I wonder if that restaurant is any good." So this week my friend Lindsay and I decided to try it out. It is just a couple blocks from my apartment in Oak Lawn, which made it a very convenient location for me. With all the great restaurants in the Uptown/Oak Lawn area, this one would be easy to miss. It is down a side street in a run down shopping center. Even the nail salon next door looked closed down.


Having only seen the outside, I was quite surprised when I walked in and saw an upscale Italian restaurant! I actually thought, maybe I should have checked out the menu pricing before I came in cause this place could be expensive. To my delight, Andrea Bocelli music was drifting through the restaurant. Who doesn't love being seated with Con Te Partiro softly playing in the background? I sure do! Lindsay and I could not help but giggle at the maitre d', who I sadly did not get a picture of, but he looked a little something like this (imagine worse hair, and not as cute)...Bellinis was pretty empty when we arrived at around 6:00pm, but it slowly filled up throughout the evening. It was a great atmosphere for a date, a business meeting, or a group of friends. All of which we saw dining there throughout our evening. Alright, now let's get to the important stuff... the food.


Our meal started with some breadsticks and an olive oil dipping sauce. This was no ordinary plate of olive oil. It had balsamic vinegar mixed in with spices (not sure which ones, possibly some basil in there) and more garlic than one person should probably eat in an evening. To say it was delicious is an understatement. Every meal in life should begin with this bread and dip. We also thought it only appropriate to order some Bellinis as well. Again, we were not disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the Bellinis, only $5.25 each.


For an appetizer we ordered something called the Phyllo Basket ($8.95). It was a bowl made of phyllo dough, paper-thin sheets of unleavened flour dough (thank you Wikipedia), and filled with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, shrimp, Parmesan cheese, more garlic, and a light red sauce. It was not your normal appetizer, but it was light and delicious.

Lindsay and I decided to split an entree because, let's be honest, you are never all that hungry by the the time the main course arrives when the starter bread tastes so good. After much debate, we decided to go for the Chicken Piccatta ($12.95), which included a salad. There were lots of other chicken dish options, veal dishes, pasta dishes, pizzas, and more. So if Chicken Piccatta is not your thing, never fear, there is plenty more to choose from. The Chicken Piccatta was everything it should have been: tender chicken, angel hair pasta, light lemon sauce, capers, and of course more garlic. I would have to say that I enjoyed the Phyllo Bowl and the bread more than the entree, but it was still good. Maybe it just leaned a little more toward the bland side. I would definitely be willing to go back, but next time I would try a different entree.

Overall, I found Bellinis to be conveniently located, inexpensive, well run, and have decent food. It would not make it onto my list of best restaurants in Dallas, but the next time I am craving Italian and don't want to stray too far from home, this is probably where I will end up. There is just one final thing to keep in mind when eating dinner at Bellinis, two words... garlic breath.

Bellinis Italian Cafe and Pizza
3810 Congress Ave. Suite 109
Dallas, TX 75235
(214) 528-2844

Price: $$
Rating:

Little Bigs

If there is anything I love more than food, it's traveling. Lucky for me, traveling seems to go hand in hand with finding new restaurants. During a recent trip to Houston, Texas to visit my friend Erin, I discovered Little Bigs. Little Bigs is unique in that its menu items consist of only sliders (not full size burgers), fries, and milkshakes. What more could you want anyway? Little Bigs was recently voted "One of the Best New Burger Spots" by Bon Appetit. Based on my experience there, I would have to agree. If you are wondering where the name Little Bigs comes from, I'll give you the quick version, "little burgers with really big taste." There is also some story about two uncles, one little and one big, but you'll have to read the story on the website for that one. Little Bigs is a stand at the counter and order, then take your seat at the park bench on the patio kind of restaurant. Very casual, but perfect for a quick lunch or a happy hour with friends.


When you get to the counter to order, your first decision is picking which three sliders to try (trio $5.78, solo $2.08). There are four options to choose from: beef patty with caramelized onions, hand-breaded spicy chicken with a pickle, pulled pork with cole slaw, and spicy black bean with Harissa cream sauce. All of the sliders I had were delicious. I did not try the black bean, but of the three I did try, I think the spicy chicken was my favorite. All of the meat was tender and flavorful and each slider was unique. The french fries ($1.62) were fresh and tasty and we topped off the meal with some thick hand-spun ice cream shakes ($3.70).

If you are looking for a late night snack or an evening out with friends, Little Bigs serves beer and wine and is open until 3 am on the weekends. They also have a few "adult only" milkshakes. I am very intrigued by the White Russian Milkshake and the Big Pink (their Sangria Slushy). I will have to give them a try the next time I am in Houston! Overall, Little Bigs was a fun local experience, with good food at a great price. So next time you are in Houston, bring your family, your friends, or your dog, and sit on the patio and try out some sliders!


Little Bigs
2703 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX 77006-2732
(713) 521-2447

Price: $
Rating:

Veranda Greek Cafe

This week, my sister and I decided to try out a little Greek restaurant located right by her apartment in Las Colinas. It is one of those restaurants tucked into a shopping center that you could drive by a million times without actually noticing it. Sarah had remembered seeing it there, we decided we were in the mood for some Greek food and wanted to give it a try. I liked the atmosphere as soon as I walked in. It had a very Mediterranean feel to it with photographs covering the walls. The pictures were taken all over Europe and Frank Sinatra music was streaming over the radio. The restaurant was not very busy, so we were seated promptly by our server who seemed Greek himself.

We started by ordering some pita and tzatziki ($4.95). If you have never tried tzatziki, it is basically a mix of yogurt, cucumbers, and spices. Coming from someone who is not a huge fan of yogurt, this does not sound appetizing, but don’t be fooled by the description because it is delicious! Our tzatziki at Veranda was definitely a win. The dip was creamy and flavorful and the pita was warm and soft.

Sarah and I then decided to share the gyro plate ($12.95) as our entrée. We definitely made the right decision to split the meal because we still managed to stuff ourselves and take home leftovers. The plate included a Greek salad, rice, green beans, pita bread, and gyro meat. The salad was your typical Greek salad: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and Greek dressing. When I say typical Greek salad, I must add that I mean your typical American Greek salad. A few years back I was able to order a Greek salad at a café in Greece itself. Much to my surprise, when it arrived at the table I found that there was no lettuce in the salad at all. It was a bowl of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and Kalamata olives, topped off with a big square of feta cheese and some olive oil. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but not what I was expecting when I ordered a salad.

Anyway, back to our entree. The gyro meat at Veranda is a mix of beef and lamb. While it was not the best gyro meat that I have had, it was still crispy and flavorful. The green beans were alright, with an interesting spice on them that I could not quite identify. The rice was on the bland side, but there was plenty of pita and tzatziki left to mix with the meat.

Overall, I am not jumping up and down with excitement over Veranda Greek Café, but I found the meal enjoyable and decently authentic. Not to mention our dinner for two totaled $20, worth it for a huge meal in a quaint restaurant. My love of Greek food would be enough to bring me back to Veranda just to try some more of my favorite Greek treats. Did I mention that the Mediterranean diet is tied to reduced risk of heart disease? So get yourself out there and eat some flaming saganaki and some baklava!

Veranda Greek Cafe
5433 N. McArthur at Walnut Hill in Las Colinas
Irving, TX 75038
(972) 518-0939

Price: $$
Rating:

The Dream Cafe

I think my dinner at The Dream Cafe this weekend is a perfect way to kick off my blog. I had never heard of The Dream Cafe until my roommate Natalie and her fiance Brady suggested it for dinner. It was located in the Quadrangle in Uptown. Although we walked there, there is a parking garage right next to the restaurant, which makes it one of the few places in Dallas you might actually find a parking spot. It is also located right next door to Theater Three and would be the perfect place to grab a bite before seeing a show. As our host walked us to our table on the patio, he described the restaurant as "Cirque du Soleil, but with food." While I'm not sure that is quite the way I would describe it, the menu was definitely eclectic. Whether you are in the mood for some Greek hummus, Asian stir fry, or Mexican enchiladas, there is something on the menu for everyone.

We quickly discovered that Friday is wine flight night. There were two flight options. The first one was a selection of four glasses of two ounce wines from wineries throughout France, while the second was a selection of four red wines from Spain. We decided to spring for the France flight, $17. It was a great variety of wine, but our favorite was definitely the Sauvion Vouvray. It was light and sweet with a hint of honey. For an appetizer we ordered some edamame, $5. Now I have to say, the three of us have eaten a lot of edamame from many different places, and all three of us agreed, hands down, that this was the best. The edamame was fresh, hot, and had the perfect balance and salty and spicy. I would go back just for the edamame!

Now on to the entrees! I ordered the Global Dinner, $10 (first picture below). It was a mix of brown rice and black beans (all organic of course) with grilled chicken drizzled with some jack cheese and a hint of sour cream. It was surrounded by deliciously salty, crunchy chips with a side of pico de gallo and guacamole. Overall I really enjoyed this dish. While it was not bursting with flavor, it was still tasty. It is not often, if ever, that I can eat a Mexican dish and feel like I am eating healthy at the same time, but Global Dinner accomplished them both! Natalie and Brady both ordered the Enchiladas, $11 (second picture below). They both agreed that it was tasty and still felt like a fresh, healthy meal. The salsa was not your average Tex-Mex salsa; instead it had more of a rustic, smoky taste to it. Natalie's only complaint was that the rice tasted a bit dry.



Overall we had a great experience at The Dream Cafe, and I would absolutely go back. Our service was great from the host, to our waitress, to the manager who came by our table twice to check in on us. On my next visit I would consider taking our waitress up on her recommendation of the Venison Flank Salad or the Carrot Risotto. We also learned that The Dream Cafe is best known for its brunch, something I will definitely be going back for.

The Dream Cafe
2800 Routh St.
Dallas, TX 75201
214.954.0486
Price: $$
Rating: