Its so refreshing to go to a highly recommended restaurant that lives up to the hype. Hibiscus is one of those places.

Its so refreshing to go to a highly recommended restaurant that lives up to the hype. Hibiscus is one of those places.

On a recent visit my companion and I were pleasantly surprised at everything from the atmosphere, service and food. We arrived during peak time on a Saturday night. The hostess greeted us graciously and told us that the wait would be about an hour. We expected that since we didn’t have a reservation. The place was busy but not overcrowded so finding a spot at the bar was easy. We ordered some wine and their tempura fried green beans to enjoy while we waited for a table. And enjoy we did! The green beans were crisp and light with an accompanying wasabi aioli. Perfect to start off our meal since it was not too filling.

Once we were seated at our table we ordered our first, or technically our second course. I had a wedge salad and my friend had a yummy crab dish. Both were wonderful and were a perfect prelude to our main course. For our main course we had the crab crusted sea bass and the steak. We ordered some mac and cheese as a side dish. “They are FAMOUS,” our waiter said and they were! Some of the best I have ever had. The serving was more than enough for dinner and perfect for a snack for the next day.

On a roll, we ordered cheesecake with raspberry sauce for desert. Neither of us would have typically ordered cheesecake but for some reason it sounded to good to pass up. Glad we took the risk! YUM! YUM!

Overall our experience was superb. No hype at Hibiscus. It’s the real deal!

Posted by Kathrine Glass at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the great things about spring is the opportunity to spend some time outside. Picnics are a great way to share the warmer weather and enjoy the company of friends. Packing the perfect lunch is as easy as throwing some great wine and cheese into your basket, making up some yummy salads or picking up something to go.

One of the great things about spring is the opportunity to spend some time outside. Picnics are a great way to share the warmer weather and enjoy the company of friends. Packing the perfect lunch is as easy as throwing some great wine and cheese into your basket, making up some yummy salads or picking up something to go.

On a recent outing to White Rock Lake my crew picked up some gourmet sandwiches from a neighborhood store called The Corner Market on Greenville Avenue. This little place has everything you could want for a picnic and beyond. Their cold case is filled with classics like fruit salad, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, and my favorite – pesto tortellini served chilled.

Their sandwiches take a unique twist on lunch like turning a chicken salad sandwich into a “sweetened cranberry and toasted almond chicken salad with cranberry shallot relish” delight! The Mockingbird Turkey and Apple sandwich couldn’t be more satisfying, made with oven-roasted turkey breast, grilled apple slices, lacey Swiss and sweet mustard. Mmm!

And as long as you are there, you can pick up fresh flowers for your sweetie or a “sweet treat.” The Corner Market is part florist, part bakery, part deli and completely wonderful!

Posted by Kathrine Glass at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comfort food at it's best. March 3-5 is the Irish Festival and in honor of all my Irish friends here is a great receipe for Shepherd's Pie.

Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 c. milk
1-2 T. butter
salt & pepper

1 lb ground beef
1 t. herbs de provence
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. red wine, I prefer Zinfandel
2 T. tomato paste
1 (10-ounce) pkg frozen peas and carrots
1 cup beef broth
2 T flour
1-2 c. shredded cheese

Cover potatoes with salted water and boil for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender.

Saute ground beef in 1T. olive oil on medium temperature with herbs de provence and salt and pepper (hint: for better tasting ground beef brown on medium to medium-high heat). Remove beef from saute pan and add 1 more T. of olive oil, saute onions and garlic add salt and pepper. Once onions and garlic are soften add flour to make a roux. Add red wine and tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Add frozen peas and carrots and beef broth. At this point the beef mixture should be thick.

Mash potatoes (I prefer to mash potatoes with a potato ricer)
add butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Transfer beef to 2 quart casserole dish and top with potatoes. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Top shepherds pie with cheese to melt.

Serve with a good Irish beer.

Posted by Joe Weir at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've worked downtown for 7 years now and over those years I've eaten at almost every restaurant within a 6 mile proximity. One of my favorites is East Wind.

East Wind is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers healthy and fresh solutions in Asian cuisine. The restaurant made a name for itself in deep ellum for years but with the downfall of that area the restaurant moved to the Quadrangle near Routh and Howell streets in uptown a couple of years ago. The new building is spacious and allowed for the addition of a sushi bar and expanded menu.

Now I have to admit I've eaten at East Wind at least fifty times over the last seven years but only at lunch. Living in burbs keeps me away from East Wind at night. Like most Asian menus the dishes are numbered for ordering ease but make no mistake this type of simplistic ordering system in no way reflects the high quality of ingredients and taste.

Most dishes are $10-$12 for lunch. With that you get three courses (yes 3 courses for lunch, how extravagant is that). Every entree comes with soup of the day or salad. I usually go for the soup which is typically sensational, Hot and sour, chicken and tomato or corn chowder are just some the favorites. What I have proclaimed as the best soup in the city is the Cream of Pumpkin Soup. Unfortunately this is only served on Wednesdays from October-December when pumpkins are in season.

For entrees I have several favorites on the menu. My top choice is Lemon Grass Chicken with vermicelli (similar to angel hair pasta), lettuce, cilantro, cucumber topped with peanuts and served with Nuoc Mam (this is a fish sauce that is used in many Vietnamese dishes). This dish is served in a large bowl and mixed together by your server to distribute all the flavors. This dish can be ordered with pork, shrimp or beef in place of chicken. Other such favorites are chicken sautéed with curry, coconut, lemon grass and onions with rice which also can be supplemented with shrimp or pork.

To finish your 3 course lunch East Wind serves a small slice of cake usually lemon, German chocolate or nut. It's the perfect serving to satisfy your sweet tooth.

At dinner the menu expands and prices increase from $15-$25.

In case you don't take my word Zagat has named East Wind the 3rd best Asian restaurant in DFW. So if you haven't tried East Wind go and let know your thoughts.

Posted by Joe Weir at 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)