Showing posts with label Dallas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dallas. Show all posts

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Deep Sushi - Deep Ellum, Dallas

Party of 4 . . .

Deep Sushi is located in a small eclectic area of Deep Ellum.  There are parking lots on both sides of it, across the street are abandoned buildings.  In fact there are several abandoned building down there, but you wouldn't know it from the crowd tonight. 

As was typical for a Thursday night, Deep Sushi was almost to capacity.  They had a large party of 16 on the patio.  We entered and are greeted with a warm hello from no less than 3 employees.  We are seated but not in our usual spot, more mid restaurant.  We can see everything from here.  The fun party on the patio, the sushi chef making rolls, the bar scene and both indoor parts of the restaurant.  We are the only people with children, and that is pretty typical.

Once seated we order our drinks, the bartender makes 2 special drinks for our boys and dolls them up.  The boys love the special treatment.  My husband had a soda and I had water.  We also ordered edamame and a shrimp and veggie tempura.  Deep is consistently good and timely with the appetizers.  First the edamame arrived and just as that was being finished the shrimp tempura arrived.

We placed our order which is filled with "special request."  Our 4 year old wants a California with only crab and cream cheese.  Our older son only wants a shrimp tempura meal with some rice.  The waiter is good to remember my son doesn't like the black sesame seeds on the rice.  Our order is a bit more complicated: one order of a California, a New York, Cherry Blossom, Volcano, and a Longhorn.

The California roll is HANDS DOWN the best roll in town.  I have not had a more fresh tasting roll anywhere in Dallas.  Deep will modify the rolls to make you happy.  I am happiest when my California has a bit of cream cheese in it!

The New York roll is shrimp tempura and avocado on the inside, wrapped in rice.  Where is gets awesome is the crab placed across each roll in strips.  Deep uses a special sauce that blends the sweet and savory for this roll.

My husband's favorite is the Longhorn Roll.  The basics of the roll are similar to that of a New York.  The topping will set you on fire.  Deep uses one drop of Srirache sauce on top of a thinly sliced jalapeno on top of some eel sauce.  It is spicy, warm and all sort of wonderful.

The Longhorn and Cheery Blossom rolls were rolls featured one night on Deep Sushi's features board.  We tried them both and now they are staples when we dine.  The Cherry Blossom roll is one of the pretties rolls I have seen.  Again, it has the basics of a New York but then they add some fresh salmon and cucumber wrapped in soy paper and then rice.  It is topped with a beautiful piece of tuna and spiced up with some spicy mayo, eel sauce and Sriracha. LOVE THIS!!!

The last dish to arrive at our table is the Volcano.  It has a base of California rolls, and is then topped with a special sauce.  We requested for them to burn the topping just a little more than normal since we like it crispy.  As usual Deep accommodates us.  You can have one of two seafood topping on your Volcano.  We get the small baby scallops others prefer the crawfish.

From time to time the Deep's Sushi Chef are creating new rolls and will test them on diners.  That was not the case when we dined last Thursday, but I have been fortunate to have had strawberry rolls, dark chocolate rolls and rolls that had no name at the time! All delish!

We continue to experience good service and great food here. A true bonus is our boys like it so we get to enjoy our meal!

Kid Friendly:  Depends on the children.  The menu can support children eating there, the environment can handle children - they have 2 high-chairs.  My hesitation here is the other diners who want a nice evening out.  I would say no crying is allowed!
Cleanliness:  Pretty clean, I have seen finger prints on the front windows, but other than that never anything dirty or out of place.
Service: Very attentive and they anticipate when you need refills or soy.  Long before you have a bite in your hand and can't request their help.
Cost:  $$
How likely to go back:  I hope to go back before the end of the month.  Truly the best tasting sushi & rolls in the city!


 So, when you drop by for some great sushi be sure to say hi.  I am usually at the small window table when you come in, unless they are full again and I get to sit mid-restaurant!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Il Cane Rosso - Dallas: Deep Ellum

Party of . . . 22

My husband and I, along with the other 3rd grade parents, were invited to a social at Il Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum tonight.  We thought sure why not - we know most of the families going - and boy are we glad we did!

The evening was a private party and when we got our of his car you could smell the goodness coming from the restaurant.  We walked inside this new restaurant and were warmly greeted by friends.  Almost immediately the wait staff brought out the appetizers: garlic knots, mushroom knots, pepporini knots and veggie knots.  Garlic was hands down the best - all of the knots was warm dough baked with the different goodies inside them.  Three bites and you were done with your knot and on to the next.  Leave it to the husbands, they broke the ice and dove right in! 

Next the salads were brought out - I started out with the ceasar salad - it was good and I love a lettuce not too cold.  My friends Julie, said how good the other salad was so off I go to taste and boy was she right.  It was an Insalata Mista with balsamic vinaigrette. Love balsamic vinegar!

The wait staff was amazing and cleared off plates after each course and were Johnny on the spot with the drinks.  Glad I am not doing the dishes!  Pizzas were brought out - one yummy creation after another.  This isn't your typical pepporini pizza.  These pizzas had speciality meats and high end ingredients you would only find at home but who has a wood buring pizza over?

We were done eating pizza and into the good gossip only to smell a most amazing scent!  It was their Smores pizza and Nutella Pizza.  Being a professional consumer of anything sweet I was in.  My husband brought me one piece of each and there was none left.  Our boys would have loved the Smores as it was textbook gooey marshmellow - warmed chocolate and the pizza dough was the perfect subsitute for graham crackers. Their apple pizza was also very good!  Perfect way to end the night!!!

The evening was absolutely wonderful - good friends, good times and really great food!  Thanks Il Cane Rosso (the Red Dog) named after their red dog!

Oh, check them out for your next party!  They have a traveling pizza oven!!!


Il Cane Rosso

On a mission to bring authentic Neapolitan pizza to Dallas


Thursday, March 24, 2011

Corner Bakery - Dallas: Preston & Forest

Party of . . . 3

Today Jake, my youngest, and I joined my MIL for lunch.  We were in between errands and Corner Bakery was a very central location.  I love anything that combines froo froo salads with baked goods! 

Jake and I enter and I must say standing in a queue and ordering is not kid friendly.  Once I was able to digest the menu (all 7 panels) I knew what I wanted.  however Jake was a different story!  Maybe I just didn't see it IN ALL THE WRITING but I couldn't find a kid's menu.  I asked the lady taking the orders and it is typical kids fare - grilled cheese, PB & J, Ham or Turkey sammys.  Jake was so not interested in any of those he just wanted a chocolate organic milk and a banana.  Finally he ordered himself a grilled cheese with fruit.  I got the 1/2 & 1/2 combo - a pretzel sandwich, so yummy to the tummy, and a ceasar salad. My MIL ordered the same combo but with a turkey sandwich and momma's chicken noodle soup.

On a side note - once Jake and I queued I was standing next to a lady who was in a motorized wheelchair and she started to ask me questions about the menu.  I was trying to help her out as best I could and as I was pointing something out she told me she cannot see.  I asked what she was wanting to eat and started reading the menu to her.  We told her to go ahead of us and order her lunch.  Clearly . . . I was vested in this lady.  I want you to know the Corner Bakery employees, especially this one young man, were so helpful to her.  Getting her tea, at the self service tea bar, getting her napkins, helping her to find the very best spot in an already crowded restaurant for her to be comfortable and have plenty of space.  I found myself, again, near her as there was only one booth left and putting Jake in a booth is the VERY BEST way to contain him!

On to the good stuff . . . the pretzel sandwich was so good - it had ham, a stone ground mustard, caraway havarti cheese, thinly sliced purple onions and tomatoes on it.  Every flavor worked perfectly.  As mentioned before got the 1/2 & 1/2 so my other half was a ceasar salad.  The salad has the perfect amount of dressing and the croutons had a kick to them that walked a fine line of gret and too much.  Both are a really good portion size and perfect for a lunch.  Jake, got his banana and chocolate milk but also the grilled cheese.  It looked like it was grilled on a panini, and had perfectly cut up fresh fruit, pineapples, strawberries, grapes, and melon.  I loved that it had good fruit and not just the cheap - no body wants it - melon!   My MIL, Margie, got the turkey fresco on asiago cheese bread!  It looked good!  It has turkey breast slices, 6 spinach leaves, marinated artichokes, roasted sweet balsamic onions, provolone cheese, and sun-dried tomato pesto mayo.  I considered asking for a bite!!!!   She also got the momma's chicken noodle soup - she said it was good but she could taste the pepper in it and she prefers not to eat foods with black or white pepper in them.

The best part of our meal experience is that the lady taking our order gave us some small cookies on the house.  Jake who not only loved his banana, his chocolate milk, his fresh fruit and grilled cheese especially loved his and my cookie!  The things we will sacrifice for the little boys in our lives!

Kid Friendly:  Yes & No - if you have more adults than children or have older children then YES YES YES.  If you are out numbered by young children (not in a stroller) than NO NO NO!  Give it time, Corner Bakery is going no where!
Cleanliness: Very and there was a nice lady that came by several times to help keep our table picked up.
Service: Great - Friendly - Caring
Cost:  $
How likely to go back: As soon as someone is free for lunch!