EATS

Posted by Matt @ 8:04 PM Mon, Aug 13, 2007

Did an early Abacus dinner tonight -- it was fantastic. My wife and I are Abacus fans anyway, and were a little disappointed with our restaurant week experience last year compared to regular service. This year, the service and food were just as good as we're accustomed to there. The "Central Market Fourth Course" was an appetizer round of the Lobster/Scallion Shooters (4 "shots" instead of the usual 6).

Posted by KWilliams @ 5:26 PM Tue, Aug 14, 2007

My husband and I went to Craft last night for dinner. It was a horrible experience. The food was not up to par, and the service was severely lacking. I had to ask for a coffee refill no less than 5 times. I have been to Craft for non-restaruant week meals and thought it was good - not great - but good. But my experience during Restaurant Week convinced me never to return.

Posted by Ellen @ 1:21 PM Wed, Aug 15, 2007

My husband and I (and another couple) had a good experience at Craft on Monday night. With a group of four, we just let them serve us all Restaurant Week menu options for all courses. The dessert course in particular provided a nice mix for the table--molten chocolate tarts with coffee foam, a sampling of ice creams and sorbets, and panna cotta with mixed berries. Service was a bit hands-off, but that suited us fine as we were a chatty group and don't care for needless interruptions.

Posted by Lisa @ 2:47 PM Wed, Aug 15, 2007

We hit Craft on Monday nite as well and were disappointed that the entire restaurant was obviously Restaurant Week patrons. Food was okay, but atmosphere was lacking as they were working as fast as possible to get people in and out. Having been before, it was a bit disappointing. Hitting Hibiscus tonight, Arcodoro Pomodoro, Nove and Kenichi later in the week. Hoping experience is a bit better.

Posted by Margie @ 6:14 PM Wed, Aug 15, 2007

So far, we have only been to Nobu. Bijoux is tomorrow, followed by Al Biernat's. I loved the appearance of the restaurant and the food. Each course was good, with the exception of dessert which was unimpressive. I'm not sure what I expected of green mousse cake. But, it was pretty boring. The seaweed salad was supposed to come with a plum wine. I was served the house Charnonnay instead and not because I asked for it. The Seaweed & Cucumber salad along with the Miso Cod were very good and elegantly presented. I was slightly insulted to be served a third of a glass of wine for the wine pairings, basically a couple of swallows. I've never had to order a full glass of wine when I was paying for a wine pairing. That is exactly what I did last night, being that I wanted to have wine with my entire entree, not just the first 4 bites. Nor was I impressed with our server, who seemed a bit distracted and had to be reminded to bring wine, etc. I'm glad I've been to Nobu. But, I would probably only go back for drinks and sushi. The sushi which accompanied the entree items was excellent! That is the beauty of Restaurant Week. You get to try a lot for not so much money. It's a great way to experiment with the higher end restaurants. In this case, I would have been very unhappy to have paid twice as much!

Posted by inthebiz @ 11:40 PM Wed, Aug 15, 2007

Of course service is weak! This is my fifth year running a R.W. participating restaurant, and it is completely dreaded on our end of the business. I am lucky enough to work in a great place with great, foodie employees and a very savvy regular customer base. Imagine if you were asked to completely alter the way you do business for one week while producing the same results. We are working our tails off and still having trouble meeting the expectations of "amateurs." My biggest objective this week is maintaining staff morale in the face of under-informed, over-opinionated first-time diners. I love my job, but I hate this week.

Posted by JSIMS @ 1:03 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

I have to say that I was completely disappointed with the service, food portions, and atmosphere at CRAFT. I was there with 4 friends for restaurant week (I have been there for lunch and dinner in the past during non-restaurant week) and I have never been more repulsed. It would take about 53 people to drag me back into that place again. Let me count the reasons...
1) Food portions for SMURFS
2) Service for SERFS
3) Bliss is horrible
4) Attitude is atrocious
5) Ghost Bar = Worthless (go to the Dubliner on Greenville instead)
6) Drinks for complete non alcoholics!
7) I could go on...
:) I know that doesn't rhyme, but hell, when the food is that bad, the drinks better be good.
At $50 a round of drinks for four, you better make the room move a little to the left.
I will never return to the W, Bliss, or Craft. And this is from a Dallasite that has been here 30 years. I am a traveled fellow, NYC, SF, LA, London, Istanbul, Beijing, etc. And I expect more from one of the largest cities in the US.

Posted by BR @ 7:25 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

inthebiz really nailed it. This is a couple of weeks from hell. The heat, managers who don't order enough, diners who all think they are John Mariani, please let this end. Restaurant week is made for people who want to pretend to be critics on the cheap. Absolutely nuts!

Posted by dsr @ 7:37 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

inthebiz needs a wake-up call. I can't speak for the rest of the Restaurant Week patrons but I dine in the type of restaurants that participate in Restaurant Week at least once a week (I have six restaurant week reservations). So we "amateur's" may know a thing or two about what to expect. In most cases (there are always exceptions)the quality of food, level of service, etc. are exemplary. I'm sure inthebiz's establishment is one of the exceptions if his statements are any indication of his contempt for this wonderful program during a traditionally slow time for restaurants. I am sure the North Texas Food Bank is pleased with donations and the restaurants still do a good business with their beverage sales and the good will created by participating.

Posted by anne boyd @ 7:44 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

After reading the hate rant by inthebiz I won't know which restaurant, which waiter, which proprietor is loathing and prejudging our desire to learn about dining in dallas. Abacus was first on our list and was wonderful last night, but my enthuasiam is dampened by the dark side of RW.

Posted by ljb @ 9:22 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

Totally understand that RW from a server/restaurant standpoint is probably a nightmare, but have to tell you that Hibiscus last night was great - and our server admitted that this was first year they had done RW. As he told us, they were doing it a bit differently and keeping portion size the same, and offering from regular menu. Service was great after an initial misstep, food was great and wine selections to pair with each course were well done. Great experience.

Posted by Kelli @ 10:46 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

I went to Hibiscus last night and thought the meal was great, if not a little rushed (I'd been there several times before outside of RW.) The server was a little aloof, but the sommelier was spot on with half-bottle recommendations. Maybe the problem with the waitstaff morale is patrons not realizing to tip on regular menu prices and not the RW $35? I realize that's a huge difference, and not all patrons are aware of the protocol. We're hitting Abacus on Saturday night and really looking forward to it.

Posted by IAMKLEE @ 11:45 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

We ate at Craft Tuesday night (first time) and thought everything was absolutely wonderful! We thought that it was by far the best Restaurant Week experience we have had (second only to York Street). The service was wonderful, very attentive, friendly and conversational. We especially loved the roasted vegetables, mushrooms, and desert!

Posted by Margie @ 11:59 AM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

Maybe that's what I like least about RW. There are service people who treat you like you've never eaten in a joint any better than Denny's. Then there are those who treat you like deserve to be there and might potentially become a long time customer. I think RW can give you a good indication of what the restaurant is really about. York Street, Abacus, Il Sole, Nana... I could list more where I have received excellent service during RW and that is why I've subsequently returned to dine throughout the year. I think to treat RW diners any differently than other diners is pretentious and a risky attitude to take. I know plenty of diners with ample restaurant budgets who enjoy the fun of RW. Hopefully inthebiz's wholely negative attitude toward RW isn't conveyed to their customers who participate. I can understand hating RW because I would hate waiting on people no matter what time of year it was. I just don't appreciate it being brought to my attention that my server is annoyed that I am there.

Posted by Jade Purcell @ 12:39 PM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

We've been to three so far this week. Kenichi was our fav. They did a superb job. We have been there two weeks ago and I did not see any downshift in service, atmosphere or taste because of restaurant week. McCormick and Schmicks was weak. We needed a RW restaurant by NorthPark and it's slim pickings so we went and was very disappointed. Portions are great but lacking in taste.

Posted by BE @ 5:05 PM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

Inthebiz sounds quite bitter, angry and very elitist when it comes to RW diners,. We have four RW reservations at restaurants we haven't been to, but that's only because we have been to so many of the others during non-RW times. I don't expect 100 percent perfection during RW, but restaurants should be smart enough to serve great food because it means the diner will come back when it's not RW. It's also important that diners recognize good service and reward it at the end of the evening because the servers are often working very hard. We look forward to RW as a time to try new places, but I hope we don't step into inthbiz's rude, elitist and unhappy restaurants.

Posted by Preston Nealson @ 6:17 PM Thu, Aug 16, 2007

My wife and I are planning on visiting several restaurants in the course of the next few weeks. So far we have managed to visit one, Nobu. We have participated in RW for years now and were very impressed. I have been in establishments where the servers and staff seem to have contempt for us due most likely because the lack of money they are making...but even at the prestigious Nobu, everyone was warm and kind. Portions were generous and even though the place was packed, our service was excellent and genuine. The restaurant was beautiful and my wife and I cannot wait to return and sample their regular menu in which our server was informing us on...

Posted by Margie @ 8:32 AM Fri, Aug 17, 2007

I died and went to heaven and it was Bijoux. Everything about the RW experience at Bijoux was absolutely perfect. The wine, the food, the service... I can't wait to go back and do the full tasting menu. Heaven.

Posted by Robin @ 9:25 AM Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Do whatever you have to do. Beg, borrow, or plead your way into a RW reservation at Stephen Pyles. My fiance and I went last night and were completely blown away by the food, service, and atmosphere. It's quite refreshing to visit a restaurant in Dallas where its stellar reputation is actually earned! Here's another novelty - RW portions are notoriously light, but we left completely stuffed! Everything from the amuse bouche to the handmade chocolates that came with our check were nothing short of divine. This is my seventh consecutive year to participate in RW and let me tell you -- if RW is a sort of dining Olympics, Stephen Pyles would be slapping around the competition with their gold metal. Our enthusiastic compliments to the chefs and staff. We'll be back, no doubt about it!

Posted by Keith @ 3:07 PM Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Count me as someone who isn't so high on the RW experience. For $35 you get a limited menu (how about the steakhouse that doesn't offer even a small steak?), small portions and hit-or-miss service. Plus it's usually crowded with all the other RW patrons. I'm glad to see others have had better success with RW, but it's not for me. For the cost of two RW visits, I can make one non-RW visit and enjoy a much better meal. I may have Ramen noodles the next night, but at least I've had one great meal instead of two so-so ones.

Posted by nuff said @ 9:55 AM Sun, Aug 19, 2007

Went to Al biernat's last Thursday (8/16) and had a wonderful non-rushed meal. Prime rib was excellent alternative to a steak!
The sommelier spent extra time wth us conversing on types of wine we were not as familiar with.
We, like many others, are regulars at top restaurants and use RW for testing new waters- Abacus remains consistently the best through 4 RW's - Have first time visit to Bijoux coming up - Sorry Lola and French Room do not participate- both faves of ours.

Posted by iris @ 7:37 AM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Reservations to Trece yesterday - high praises for food and service. They even gave us chocolates in a gift bag on our way out. It's a jewel of a place - check em out!

Posted by Greg @ 7:59 AM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

I am always frustrated with RW. If I want to go to a nice restaurant, I want to have the full menu available. Had one REALLY bad experience a couple of years ago at III Forks. I was paying full retail for my meal and got the service of a RW patron. I actively boycott restaurants during this week that participate.

Posted by DM @ 9:37 AM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

We went to Abacus on Friday night and Craft on Saturday and were very happy with both.
Abacus always rocks RW--this year perhaps a tiny bit less so, but it was still outstanding.
I wasn't expecting much from Craft, to be honest, but was VERY pleased. I thought the portions were more than sufficient (although they looked small, it was deceiving). Great variety--lots of creative options. They had a great featured (read: less expensive) Sangiovese. Spectacular. I would definitely return.
We're up for Bijoux this week and Stephan Pyles the week after.

Posted by Kristine @ 9:42 AM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

My husband, some friends and I went to Kitchen 1924 for the first time this last Saturday. 3 of us ordered off the RW menu, and my husband ordered off the regular menu (steak not being an option on the RW menu). Having never been there before, I can't speak to the portion sizes on the RW menu. But, all the items on the RW menu came from the regular menu, and we all left stuffed. I think they just limit the RW menu to items that can be offered at the $35 total price. We adored the place. The service and food were both stellar! Two of us did the wine pairings for an extra $20 with the RW menu, and the wine options were really imaginative and good. I would absolutely go there again and am raving about the place to anyone who will listen.

Posted by Mark @ 10:29 AM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

I went to Nana on the first night and to my surprise the restaurant was not very crowded at all. The service was excellent and I had a great time. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was everything I expected. I would definitely return at a later date.

Posted by Todd M @ 11:49 AM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Went to 4 places last week. Pappas Bros., Sushi Samba, Kenichi and Nobu. All were amazing, delicious experiences, except for Kenichi. The service was top notch and a couple of the entrees were quite good (lamp chops, sushi and sea bass), but several really missed the mark, either with bad taste (cod had no flavor, the tofu under the sea bass tasted awful) or with execution (the shiitake negimaki was horribly overcooked and hard to chew). Pappa Bros. Steakhouse was the best all all of them. To correct another post here - the restaurant week filet at PBS is 6 oz., the NY strip is 10 oz. Both were excellent!

Posted by colin @ 12:00 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

inthebiz's cowardice is remarkable. are you honestly going to pop in and thumb your nose at not only your patrons, but also-- indirectly-- a charity, and then hide behind an absurd nom de plume? Hey, grow up. it's a job. some days you love what you do and some days they'd have to pay you to be there-- which they do.
I too used to be "inthebiz", so I can sympathize with your frustrations, but the venting is the kind of stuff you do in the kitchen with like-minds who also understand.
The fact that you're hiding behind an assumed name indicates that you know that you're wrong in the first place.

Posted by Misty @ 12:13 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

I wish people would review the courses they had at each of the restaurants rather than just saying "it was good" or "it was bad."
Anyway, I tried Abacus for the first time. The service was outstanding, food excellent, and wine pairing enhanced the dishes.
I started with the pork belly, which had a nice crisp skin, moist pink flesh, and a nice spicy kick. Paired with a Riesling. Main course was the jumbo prawns (3 large shrimp) which was also relatively spicy. Shrimp was perfectly cooked and the accompanying vegetables and peppers were great. Finished with the vanilla parfait with strawberries. The dessert wine pairing with this was stunning. It brought out the flavor of the berries so well.
My dining partner started with the crab cake, ordered the steak rare, and the pecan chocolate dessert. I tried her steak, and it was phenomenal, with a nice sweet glaze on it. Her only complaint was the wine pairing with the dessert, which I also tried and did not care for.
We also ordered the lobster shooters, which were fantastic. I am still thinking about them. Fantastic experience. I will be going back to try their full menu as soon as I can scrounge up the cash to do so.
I also tried Oceanaire. Less impressive overall, but still quite good. They didn't offer a wine pairing, so I ordered a glass of German Riesling. I had the clam chowder, which was solid but not mind blowing. My sea diver scallops with sweet sausage and fennel salad was delicious. Key lime pie for dessert was impressive. Service was not as astute, but the server himself was quite amusing and enjoyable.
We will be trying Craft on Thursday, despite the mixed reviews I've read here.

Posted by BE @ 1:29 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

We also went to PBS on Friday night. The service was fantastic. We all started out with salads, which were perfectly good salads. All four of us had some version of steak, whether the filet, the strip or the evening's special, which they allowed you to order for the same cost as the RW menu. I applaud them for welcoming and respecting RW diners. PBS is a little further away than I would normally go for dinner, but the service was so great and the food was wonderful, so I think I could venture out that way again when I want a great dining experience.
Going to Stephan Pyle's tonight, Abacus Thursday and Trece next week. Looks like an exciting week of dining!

Posted by mjryan @ 2:43 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

We went to Trece last Tuesday and had a good experience. We all ordered the quesadilla appetizer which was wonderful. Each of us (4) ordered a different entree and gave high marks to each one. I had the salmon and it was fabulous. Dessert was rather lackluster, but I expect a lot from dessert, it being my favorite part of any meal, so my expectations were probably unrealistic. My chocolate cake was good but it didn't wow me.
The service was good but maybe deliberately slow. I didn't get the impression that the servers were rushing around trying to keep up, but that rather the pace of the service is deliberate to allow a leisurely meal with good conversation. Great idea, if that's indeed the case, except that the restaurant was so loud I felt like I was shouting across the table at my companions. This criticism isn't exclusive to Trece - it seems that many restaurants are designed to maximize noise - but it is a trend that I hope goes out of style quickly.
I would absolutely recommend Trece to my friends. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was creative and flavorful.

Posted by Amber Kelm @ 2:52 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

If you're thinking of going to Luqa, DON'T. We sat for 25 minutes without a greeting. Finally, we told our incompetent waiter that, in addition to the wine pairing, we would also like a nice bottle of wine for the table and asked to see the wine list. The waiter's response was very suspicious, and we were essentially told that bottles of wine were not being sold to RW patrons. Too bad the food couldn't redeem the poor service: most of the dishes were of unacceptable quality (i.e., polenta tasting like a rubber shoe; "seafood lollipops" resembling a Long John Silvers hush puppy; and a molten lava cake the consiitency of a powdery protein shake). Luqa really should spare everyone their time and money, and close their doors.

Posted by JC @ 3:09 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

We took two other couples to Nick & Sams for the first time last Friday night. Wonderful experience and I was surprised to be able to get in on a Friday for RW. Steak medallions were wonderful as well as the salmon. Not sure about the Kobe cheeseburger though. Desserts were all excellent as well as the service. Great atmosphere as well as a great wine selection.

Posted by CP @ 11:19 PM Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Did RW at The Mercury this past Sat. night. Food ranged from very good to outstanding (olive oil poached salmon was voted by our party as the best of the evening). Wine pairings were nicely done (though one desert selection tasted like raspberry cough syrup). Service was excellent, even on a busy Sat. night. We use RW as a "value" chance to try new restaurants and return to ones we haven't been to in a while - experiments we wouldn't do at full price. If it's good, we'll go back in non-RW times. The savvy restauranteur (and staff) knows RW is a great marketing opportunity to win new customers, plus a chance to help the community. Hats off to them all for participating (and we'll go back to The Mercury again.)

Posted by Gail @ 8:08 AM Tue, Aug 21, 2007

We had dinner at Craft with 4 other couples on Friday evening. We all enjoyed the food served "family style". Seemed the portions were a little small. Found the sea bass to be favorless, but the scallops were our favorite. The deserts were o.k., but the tiny portions of sorbets were hard to share.
The next evening we went to Hibiscus and rate it 4 star! The entree portions were very large and the ones we tried (tenderloin and Maui maui) were great. The deserts were delicious and generous as well. We will return.

Posted by Jim @ 9:55 AM Tue, Aug 21, 2007

Inthebiz: since I’m going to be an intrusion in your otherwise glorious job experience, isn’t it only fair you let me know where you work so I don’t come and bother you with my presence next year?

Posted by Elsie Carpenter @ 10:35 AM Tue, Aug 21, 2007

We dined at Grill on the Alley this past weekend. Grill on the Alley is one of our favorite restaurants. Their portions are very generous and the food is excellent.
Our dining experience during RW was disappointing. I selected the steak medallions as my entree. I was served two thin medallions topped with a blue cheese sauce. The vegetable was three slices of tomato and a piece of lettuce. The meat was full of gristle and practically inedible.
If you go to Grill on the Alley during RW do not choose the beef entree!
The salad and desert were excellent.

Posted by B @ 11:38 AM Tue, Aug 21, 2007

STEPHAN PYLES: Went to Stephan Pyles last night. It was fantastic. I was surprised that the RW menu didn't offer choices like so many others, but it got us to try things we might not necessarily have tried otherwise. My husband is bit of a picky eater, but it forced him out of his comfort zone and he thoroughly enjoyed everything. The food was wonderful and the service was perfect, as always. It reminds me why SP is one of my fave restaurants in town.

Posted by chefferd @ 10:32 AM Wed, Aug 22, 2007

I can't believe all the whining about restaurant week. First and foremost it benefits a great number of people by donating to the North Texas food bank.Second it puts butts in seats during the slowest and hottest week of the year, thus putting money in the restaurant, servers and cooks pockets. Without this event a lot of people would be hurting financially and be very hungry. Stop complaining and put up a good front. It will benefit the restaurant with repeat and new business going into the holiday season and thus benefit the entire crew working there.

Posted by Nicolle @ 12:51 PM Wed, Aug 22, 2007

NANA: My husband & I visited Nana on Friday evening 8/17. The experience was less than we had hoped for. The food was good and the ambience was nice, but the service was awful. From the moment we entered we were made to feel sub-human because we were "Restaurant Week" customers. We were sat in the back corner of the restaurant, surrounded by other RW'ers, clearly because Nana would not dare mix their high-end non-RW clientele with the "riff-raff". The problem with this is Nana's assumption that RW'ers are "riff-raff". We've been enjoying Restaurant Week for the past several years and have discovered new places to dine that we've frequented several times since our initial RW visit. The waiter hardly stayed at our table long enough to take our order, was not interested in giving his recommendations on the entrees, and had the audacity to write in his own tip. All in all, Nana's food and skyline view will not be enough to cause us to visit again.

Posted by Julie @ 3:03 PM Fri, Aug 24, 2007

ABACUS: Great Service & Great Food! Wine Pairings were wonderful! There was nothing to complain about. However, I didn't realize until the next day that I had undertipped our waitress because of a miscalculation, I didn't realize this until I balanced my checkbook the next morning. I was planning on going after work to to give her the additional tip because I've been there and done that and know how it feels to be jipped(sp) when giving great service. Unfortunately, she beat me to it and decided to give herself the 20% she deserved. I was checking my online statement and noticed the significant change. Please Be Aware and Always reconcile your receipt with your statements.