Saturday, February 18, 2006

 

Breakfast Tacos? Go to Fred's!

FW Joey and I had a cheap breakfast at Fred's Texas Cafe (located on Currie) this morning. I had the breakfast tacos and they were the best in town! You get two for $4.25 and the suckers were huge! FWJoey had to help me finish them. FWJoey opted for the traditional breakfast with eggs, potatoes, bacon and toast. It was a solid breakfast and it was good, but not a stand out like the breakfast tacos. Next time, FWJoey is getting the tacos with a side of the yummy bacon!

Don't forget - Fred's is CASH ONLY - no checks or credit cards so stop at the ATM on the way. Additionally, expect to have neighboring diners puffin' on their smokes (even at 9:00 a.m.). It just comes with the place so either be prepared to deal with it without bitching or don't go!

 

Fuse in Dallas

Last night, FWJoey and I had dinner in Dallas. One of our dear friends, DCSerena, was in town so we wanted to try a new restaurant. Fuse has been getting tons of great reviews and hype around Dallas so our choice was easy. This was the best overall dining experience I have had in Dallas. The restaurant's decor was chic and cool and the music wasn't so loud that you had a hard time conversing with friends (unless you were hanging out upstairs in the lounge area where the music was much louder). Our server was Mike and he rocked! He wasn't pushy or intrusive and he answered our questions about the menu honestly.

My first cocktail was a yummy apple pear martini - it was a perfect appetizer. FWJoey and DCSerena opted for a boring beer (according to FWJoey, the beer selection was unimpressive).

The menu is what they call Tex-Asian. We started with two appetizers - the brisket potstickers and the homemade ravioli. The winner of this battle was BY FAR the ravioli. Although the portion is small, the taste is explosive. The ravioli is stuffed with creamy goat cheese and they are surrounded by shitake mushrooms and edomame which is all drizzled with butter. We seriously wanted to lick the plate when these babies were gone. The potstickers were good, but there wasn't much to them. They were very thin and overall, a little unmemorable.

DCSerena and I sampled a couple of the sushi offerings. We went with the crawfish roll (upon the recommendation of Mike) and the Volcano Roll. Both were excellent! And, they are good choices for those who do not like raw fish because neither of these rolls contains anything raw. The winner of this battle was BY FAR the crawfish roll. It was extra delicious! The volcano roll was covered in scallops, but it was also covered in the spicy mayo based sauce which begins to feel quite heavy after a few bites.

For our entree, DCSerena and I shared the tuna ($22 plus $2 split fee). I cannot tell you how good this was! Defintely the best fish entree I have had in the metroplex. Warning: this entree is served rare/medium rare so if that doesn't sound good to you, go for the snapper or another entree. The tuna entree was surrounded by giant mediterranean mussels drenched in a mild coconut curry sauce. I cannot wait to go back and order this again!

FWJoey ordered the filet mignon ($25). He liked it alot and said he would order it again, but it was very different than your traditional filet. The sauce had a lot of zing and a lot of kick. He said he prefers the filet at Bonnells and Lonesome Dove over the one at Fuse; however, he found the filet at Fuse to be interesting and adventurous and enjoyed it very much! We all shared a bottle of the Mark West Pinot Noir ($24) with dinner. It was a good selection for the price.

We barely had room for dessert, but we couldn't resist trying the Chai Creme Brulee. It was served with chocolate covered coconut macaroons which were delightful. The chai creme brulee was good, but not great. It contained too much ginger for my taste. We still managed to eat up every bite of this dessert though!

After dessert, Mike brought us Fuse's version of the fortune cookie which was 100 times yummier than the norm! It was a small chocolate stuffed wanton cookie that is complimentary at the end of your meal at Fuse. It was a perfect way to end the dinner.

I am looking forward to our next trip to Fuse. The general manager, Jaime Johnson, is doing a rockin' job manging one of the hottest hotspots in Dallas. The menu is ambitious and electic and not for the person who needs to have everything prepared in a traditional manner. So go have fun!!

Valet parking is available. It is complimentary before 9:00 p.m. and $5 after 9:00.

 

Pop's Safari Cigar and Fine Wine

If you are looking for an after dinner drink, check out Pop's Safari on Morton Street. They have an extensive wine list with many offered for sale by the glass. FWJoey loves the 1554 beer they have on tap. If you are in the mood for champagne, they offer a small single serving size bottle for only $6! What a deal. Be sure to ask for Velvet - she'll be able to offer you guidance regarding a wine selection.

Speaking of wine...I think I shall have a glass right now. One of my current favorites is a Pinot Noir called Erath. You can find it at Central Market for less than $15 per bottle. Another recent wine discovery is Cap Rock Reserve (2000) Cabernet. This bottle was given to us as a gift so I am not sure where to purchase another bottle, but it is a Texas wine made in Lubbock and it was deliciously smooth. Thanks, Amie!

 

Viva Las Vegas

FW Joey and I traveled to Vegas a few weekends ago to celebrate a friend's 30th b-day. We stayed at the Paris Hotel, which was really nice. Great casino, great location and yummy restaurants! If you go to the Paris, I recommend dining at Mon Ami Gabi. It is a french restaurant located within the hotel that was recently named "best new restaurant" in Vegas. They have a wonderful outdoor dining area that puts you right on the "strip." Perfect for people watching. It also provides an excellent view of the Bellagio water fountain show because the seating area is directly across the street.

While dining at Mon Ami Gabi, you MUST order the sea scallops. They are not your ordinary scallops and they taste amazing. The scallops are an appetizer, but next time I go, I will get this as my entree so I can save room for the creme brulee! FWJoey and the other diners out my table all enjoyed the restaurants' steaks. Everyone's belly was extremely satisfied!

Another place you MUST go to is Mix in the Mandaly Bay hotel. Mix is located on the 64th floor atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. It has a hot lounge and a hip restuarant. We had an excellent dinner in the restaurant, but the highlight of the evening was the fantastic view of the vibrant Vegas strip from the Mix Lounge. A close second was the scrumptious "Violet" martinis! You have to try this one if you go. I am not sure what was in it, but I think it was absolut kurant and chambord. Take plenty of money (or credit cards) though b/c these babies will run you $15 a pop!

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