Herb687

What other Dallas restaurants are owned by the M Crowd?

techgirl

They are "in" the burger... it appears to be a normal hamburger until you cut into it and then you see a bit of the "string" from the shortribs. You can't actually see the foie gras, but you can taste it... like butter melted into the burger. Yum!

techgirl

Mi Cocina
Taco Diner
The Mercury
Mercury Grill

I think they also had Taqueria Canonita (which is now a Taco Diner) in Las Colinas. I notice the one in Las Vegas at the Venetian is still open though.

techgirl

I'm not a big chain restaurant fan at all. My friends know this too. So when Restaurant Week rolls around each year, I'm always amused at folks who want to go eat at chains. A couple of folks suggested Palomino (I mean, HELLO?!... every week is Restaurant Week there with the coupons they constantly send me that seem to imply they are a week away from going under).

I did, however, give in to my friend Jodaho on his suggestion that we dine at Mortons. And I should note that this was a BIG sacrifice for me as I had just done Mortons in San Francisco with a colleague a couple of weeks before.

So... here is my review of Restaurant Week at Mortons in Dallas.

RW reservations were noted by the staff... when we were seated we were given RW week menus rather than the regular menus. (Note to restaurants participating in RW... you SHOULD at least offer to add on additional items... not all of us are such cheap .......s that we might not spend additional money beyond the $30... hell, I even had to ASK for a wine list. Tacky, tacky, tacky.) We also got to skip the usual cart presentation (Meat 101, as I've heard it called).

Our first course was a choice between a casear salad or a Mortons salad with bleu cheese. I had the Mortons and my friend had the caesar. I don't particularly like hard-boiled egg... so it would have been nice to know in advance that the salad came coated in egg (and that it was pretossed with the dressing... so it was impossible to try to pick out lettuce that wasn't dripping with bleu cheese).

Our second course was a choice between a single cut filet, chicken, or salmon. All had sauce but since we both wanted beef all I recall is that came with beirnaisse. We both had our steaks rare and they came out a delicate pink. A single cut is MORE than enough for me (I had leftovers for lunch today) and all entrees came with a separately plated side of broccoli with hollandaise sauce (on the side) and a plate of mashed potatoes (with a choice to add in butter, sour cream or bacon added tableside).

Dessert was a choice of NY cheesecake or nothing. We (of course) chose the cheesecake. It was good like a fresh baked cheesecake should be... great texture and taste. Mmmmm...

Overall, I would give the food itself a 7 out of 10, the service a 4 out of 10, and my opinion of Mortons remains that it is a great place to go if you need to entertain 10 or 15 clients in a private room and you have your basic easily impressed "don't eat out much" types. It is a lousy place for a date (tables are too close together) and a bad place to go for good service unless you are spending $200 a head.

techgirl

My server last night at Smith & Wollensky told me that the Mortons in Addison closed recently.

(I guess North Dallas "Steakhouse Row" really HAS hit its saturation point!)

JAWS_II

Been to the Morton's in Addison and could not agree more that it should be closed.

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"The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You"

[This message has been edited by JAWS_II (edited 08-25-2003).]

swag

More proof of this. I ate last weekend at Copeland's on Beltline. They now have added an 2nd, separate menu of their "steakhouse" offerimgs, including prime steaks, and steak-housy sides. Hardbound and everything.

It's just a matter of time before the local McDonalds offers a Prime McRib.

Pietro

Great recommendations here.

I'm bringing this back to the top since I have a short trip coming up - any recommendations for a good Tex-Mex or BBQ place between DFW and the Dallas Parkway area? Those mom-and-pop Tex-Mex places (or even the more upscale ones) are always a favorite.

Thanks.

JAWS_II

Since it hasn't been mentioned, Truluck's Steak & Stone Crab is an excellent choice, whether you order Stone Crab appetizers or the "full blown" meal. Truluck's steak, especially the filet, is excellent. I recently dined with a lady-friend at the Addison location.

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"The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You"

Herb687

While definitely upscale and not a mom-and-pop place, I would recommend Ciudad as the best Mexican restaurant in Dallas. Although bear in mind that this is not Mexican food as we have come to know it but rather elegant continental Mexican cuisine (Mexico City cuisine is what they purport to be). Owner Monica Greene is the local authority on Mexican food and also owns Monica's Aca y Alla, a more casual Mexican restaurant in Deep Ellum.

As a side note, I've noticed a definite lack of good mom-and-pop authentic Mexican places here in the Dallas area. The selection of good, cheap hole-in-the-wall taco stands is nothing here like it is in LA and the SF Bay Area, for example.

dallassaintlouis

Several of you have asked about Mexican/Tex-Mex places in Dallas. While Ciudad is very good, it is way expensive. (I'm cheap) My all-time, hands-down,would-eat-there-every-night place is Ojeda's.
Standing on Maple Avenue among laundromats and used tire stores, the iron gates and security guard will make sure your Lexus or Mercedes in still intact after you are full from enchiladas. The salsa is very hot and the chips are the best around. Have a designated driver if you want to enjoy a margarita, too!When my Mom visits me, we make no stops from the airport to Ojeda's.

The best hamburger lunch deal is Gazeebo Burger on Royal at Preston. For $5.70, you can have a cheeseburger, fries and a soda. Fuddrucker's style, you can load up with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles. Be sure to take someone with you to get a table while you order.

Lastly, the best pizza I have found is Brother's pizza on Montfort between Alpha and LBJ (by Target). It is NY style, with lots of cheese and a great thick crust. By no means a fancy place, but the pizza makes up for it. Lunchtime they serve by the slice. At my office, we order from there all the time.

Enjoy!

empedocles

I go for the cheaper places, myself.

Mexican - generally El Fenix. I'm relocating back to DFW in a few weeks so I'll probably start sampling Mexican restaurants.
Buck n Loons in Arlington - Good bar food and awesome burgers.
Bobby V's in Arlington - Best damn cheese sticks I've ever had.
Campisi's Egyptian Restaurant - Actually Italian. I've heard it is mob owned.
Best BBQ I've had in Dallas is Mike Anderson's on Harry Hines.

alanw

I'm going to be in DFW with two of my never-been-to-the-US Spanish colleagues at the end of the month. I'd like to take them out for a couple of nice "American style" dinners, stuff they have probably never had before.

We're going to be out in the boonies at something called the Gaylord Texan Resort, which I gather is close to the airport, but will have a car. Hopefully there will be something in the vicinity that FTers can recommend.

I'd like to do a nice steak place - Morton's, Ruth's Cris - one night and BBQ the next. Neither is afraid of meat.

We're also going to hit a diner type place for a typical American breakfast one day also, plus fried chicken if I can find a Popeye's (not for breakfast).

There you have it, FT: Can you recommend some places? Anywhere in the city is OK, though I would prefer not to have to stray too far if we can help it.

Thanks everyone!

Oh, PS - what about a hotel? The people hosting the event recommended the La Quinta Airport. Um...gonna have to go ahead and say no to that. Is there a Wyndham or *wood property?

Sweet Willie

I have not been, but have seen and heard high marks for Steel ^ ^ ^ , I WILL stop next time in Dallas.

dfwabel

The GAylord Texan is located in Grapevine, north of DFW airport, but not by much. One think you may want to decide is if you would like to dine in Dallas or Ft. Worth. You are basically the same distance from either city.

Steak- Dallas: Bob's Steak and Chop House (2 locations)
Del Frisco's
III Forks
Al Biernat's
Ft. Worth: Blade's Prime Chop House
Reata
Chisholm Club

BBQ- Dallas: Sonny Bryant's
Peggy Sue's
Fort Worth: Angelo's
Railhead (One location in Colleyville, about 12-15 minutes from the Gaylord)

For chicken, probably Celebration, but there are Popeye's around.