Reviews by Mike Orren
Page 1 of 5
|
Posted on October 28, 2009 at 10:39 a.m.
Caught dinner before a show and thoroughly enjoyed. Good mix of tapas and entrees on the menu, plus nightly chef's specials. The porcini risotto had me licking the plate.
Wine prices aren't cheap, and seemed a bit over marked-up to me, but on the flip side, the food was an amazing value.
Service was good but a bit fussy and obsequious. Yes, it's cool that read and remembered my name from the reservation, but I don't need it repeated to me thrice in one sentence.
Interior is small and cozy, giving a New York dinner-and-show vibe to the evening.
Must-visit before any Performing Arts Center show. Bonus: $5 valet at One Arts Center is cheap parking for that area and they have a shuttle down to the venues if you can't manage the two-block hike.
Posted on October 9, 2009 at 1:23 p.m.
Hadn't been to Bubba's in ages, but found myself at Snider Plaza for an eye doctor appointment and thought I'd get my fix.
I'm a longtime fan, and the chicken didn't disappoint. Really juicy without being greasy and incredible taste to the batter.
But everything else was a (not hot) mess. I had to reorder twice to get the right sides. The mashed potatoes and gravy were cold and bland -- no excuse for cold as big a turnover as they were doing. Cole slaw tasted fine but had way too much liquid, with a milky mess washing over onto the chicken section of my plate.
Also, don't remember it being so expensive. Three-piece meal and a single-serve drink busted $10.
Totally shattered my post-hangover memories of yore...
On Bubba's
Posted on September 10, 2009 at 11:48 a.m.
Had my second breakfast taco there this morning and am asking myself why I don't make time to stop every day.
Fresh, local ingredients; some nontraditional fillings (mashed potatoes?); everything cooked perfect and to order; absofreakinlutely transcendant salsas.
These are, without a doubt, the best tacos I've ever had.
At breakfast at least, prices are super-reasonable. $2.75 this morning.
It's inside the Green Spot, so you're looking at convenience store ambiance, albeit a nice, clean one with interesting products. Still, I recommend you eat there. My only criticism of the tacos is they don't travel well, so if you take them far you're looking at a soggy, but delicious mess.
On Good 2 Go
Posted on August 5, 2009 at 11:01 a.m.
Made our maiden voyage to the new FS last night, sailing up to the dock outside the retail complex that also includes Primos, Texas Land & Cattle and Bass Pro.
Despite the fact that this was another restaurant before FS moved in, it looks and feels like the other locations, inside and out. Beer selection is every bit as good. Bonus is that there are a few more food items on the menu than at other locations, with a focus on fish (natch).
Service was prompt, knowledgable and friendly. As always, enjoyed FS' way-better-than-average pub food.
With a more laid-back vibe than Primos, this is my new lake hangout. Especially like the well-shaded back patio (with its own bar) overlooking the lake.
Posted on July 24, 2009 at 2:17 p.m.
Great vibe and unexpected in downtown Plano. Nice twists on traditional bar food. Really enjoyed brisket sammich. Friendly staff. Art is by bar manager.
On Vickery Park
Posted on July 16, 2009 at 10:44 a.m.
Really great food; good prices. Bonus soup at beginning of lunch. Corn patties rock. Spice level actually matches order, unlike many places today. Highly recommend.
On Noodle Wave
Posted on July 4, 2009 at 10:38 a.m.
Easily the best tapas restaurant on Lake Ray Hubbard...
This one's a matter of expectation setting. If you're expecting Cafe Madrid, Si Tapas, De Tapas, or similar Spanish restaurant, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a quick bite on the lake you could do much worse.
The calamari (our default dish for comparing Tapas places) was good, but not great. It wasn't too chewy, but it was a little chewy and the seasoning on the batter and the aoli wasn't spectacular. Garlic cheese fries were OK, but certainly had no Spanish flair. Best dish we had was the ceviche, which rivaled neighbor Gloria's.
The new menu is more conventional than most Tapas places, with as many entrees as Tapas. (My guess is they learned that the lake crowd didn't get a world without entrees.)
Ambiance-wise, the place is a bit schizo. The bar is a see-and-be-seen modern-elegant affair. The restaurant area was, by contrast REALLY BRIGHTLY LIT and featuring fast-food tables and art from the Courtyard by Marriott collection. (This at 9:00 on a Friday.) As we finished, they started breaking down the tables and setting up a DJ for dancing.
At any rate, we'll assuredly be back, but only when we happen to be on the lake.
Posted on June 22, 2009 at 1:07 p.m.
This is, indeed the same recipe as the old Brothers Chicken.
The fries are really bad-- a bunch of seasoning salt doesn't hide that they are cafeteria frozen fries. Wish there was an option to order a 10 or 20 piece and not get fries.
Still, amazing chicken. Better cold on day two and three.
Posted on May 31, 2009 at 12:24 p.m.
Been meaning to try Local for a long time. We went last night at the tail-end of a long-planned date night.
A warning-- Despite the laid-back Deep Ellum vibe, it ain't cheap. But it's worth it and then some. All the ingredients are fresh and delicious and there is an attention to detail that underscores that someone is thinking about food as (accessible) art:
Lobster cake appetizer was delicious and immediately displayed the welcome addition of a mini-salad on almost every item. Fried green beans with a buttermilk sauce showed the right way to eat green vegetables-- only complaint is that the portion is so large and filling that it puts you in a worry about the meal.
Even though the cooking is elegant, homey ingredients are put to great use. I had the bass coated with corn flakes and it was fantabulous. (Also on a bed of risotto, plus the ubiquitous greens on top.)
"Chocolate Composed" dessert was a mini-souffle; three perfect cookies and a spiked ovaltine shot (see elegance + homey ingredients.) It was a chocolategasm that still has me in a trance today.
Biggest criticism is that there's nothing affordable on the wine list. If you want a bottle, you're dropping a minimum of around $80. A half-bottle list only highlights the pricing. That said, we were driven to the much more reasonable prosecco mojitos, which were very refreshing.
On Local
Page 1 of 5
|
Posted on November 21, 2009 at 9:27 p.m.
Food: 4/5 Vibe: 2/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Overall: 4/5
Team PegNews was fueled by Marco on relaunch night and everyone was very happy. Guys who generally thought BBQ chicken pizza was blasphemy wolfed it down with high praise. And for those of us stuck on a no-carb diet, the pecan salad was as good as a salad could be when surrounded by pizza.
On Pizza By Marco