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:

The Start of Something New

Anyone who knows me, knows that if there is one thing I love, it's food. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "There is no sincerer love than the love of food." There is just something about the moment a new flavor hits my tongue that will never cease to excite me. At any given time I have a list of restaurants I love and restaurants I can't wait to try. So after years of thinking about it, I am finally starting my own food blog!

I have heard it said that Dallas has the most restaurants per capita in the United States. It only takes a few days here to realize that the food possibilities in the big D are endless, and usually quite delicious. So what better place to be as I start my food blog? It seems every time I cross a restaurant off my list (yes, I have an actual list of restaurants I want to try), two more get added on! Looks like I have a lot of work to do, and a lot of food to try.