G.R.i.D. (Get Rich in Dallas)

The dish itself was simple and tasty with a good noodle and decent bites of chicken but nothing stood out that was spectacular. The simplicity didn’t match up to the surroundings. Instead of spicing it up with, well, spices, or garnish to create their own version of the dish, the food seemed merely a step-by-step recipe. Is it fair to judge a restaurant by what may be its most simple dish? Yes. And no. Thai restaurants can pull of Pad Thai. No matter. But in stylized surroundings and attempts to be more destination than eatery, there should be something a little more outstanding or original. A little more acidity might have worked. But otherwise, there wasn’t too much impressive.

Their hot tea was actually a treat. Our jasmine tea was silky smooth and perhaps it was the overdone jade-like  teapot and cups but I could not stop drinking it. However, that being the highlight of the meal wasn’t enough for me to want to go back. There isn’t a genuine feeling here that the food is the star here. It certainly isn’t at Nandina. Having said that, their menu is at least inspired. And although I didn’t have sushi, their selection is very tempting at good prices.

If you want hot guys serving up adequate dishes, this is the place. That alone might keep the doors open being in Oak Lawn and being very gay-friendly. They even want to have a “men’s night” once a week for drink and food specials. But hopefully, they men at Manow will think about two things. Don’t forget the lady folk. And change chefs.

Ironically, I hate hot buffalo wings. I pretty much do not have a palate for anything hot - fake or authentic. Although it is something I’m working on, my sensitive taste buds still get a shock to the system when even mild salsa hits. But the tang and saltiness of these pretzel nuggets filled the mouth with flavor and while probably not hot for the majority of peeps out there, they did provide a nice kick regardless. One will not be enough to satisfy your forever changed buds after a taste of these.

I have seen the future of pretzel pieces and it’s name is Snyder’s of Hanover Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel Pieces. Whew! Long name!

This past weekend the BF and I headed over to Don Panza on the recommendation of a friend of his. A high recommendation might I add. So, we busted out the GoogleMaps, found it located on Clarendon in Oak Cliff between Westmoreland and Hampton and made our way out in my trusty Ford Escape.

Now, when BF first mentioned Argentinian, I was a bit excited but also trepidatious over the thought of the impact on my wallet. Hell, holidays ain’t cheap! But my experience with Argie food was relatively nil so I was up for it. BF mentioned pizzas and empanadas. I crinkled my nose at the combination but then I’m always excited about pizza so I figured how bad could it be? I’m highly tolerant to pizza. Even those $.99 cheapie frozen ones can be good with some tweaking. But as we drove closer, I began to get a tad nervous.

We were mostly in a neighborhood area and there it was with a big patio, the name on the marquee and one car. On a Friday night. Hmmm. On top of that, it just looked, umm, well, not very interesting. We walked into a SMALL dining room with flourescent lights and not a lot of ambience save for an overly loud television. The lady/owner seemed a bit thrown off by sudden business but was very nice and walked us over a couple of steps to our table.

The menu was much more interesting despite its plain design. Breaded steaks, a multitude of pizzas (with fried eggs!), several empanada options and this and that. We both decided on the latter sampling different flavors and fillings. I ordered a blue cheese and ham, sweet corn paste and regular ole beef empies while BF ordered the same first two, a shrimp and a spinach panada. I was slightly excited by the corn paste because I imagined a maza type filling but yellower and sweeter. Sweet corn meal basically. When I asked the owner about it she described it as corn whipped with cream. “Oh, like elotes?” I asked. Glazed eyes appeared and then she said, “Well we whip the corn with the cream into the empanada.” OK, so it was what I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t. It was elotes in an empanada. Sigh.

The beef didn’t make much of an impression either. Non seasoned or salted, the beef just seemed cooked and then filled into the empy. However, the blue cheese and ham was a sublime bite. The cheese was perfectly gooey and it’s tartness was ideal against the slight sweetness of the ham and the pastry. The empies themselves were perfectly done and practically pristine in appearance. BF’s spinach empy was also a nice bite and well cooked. I don’t like cooked spinach but this had just the right amount to not overpower everything else.

However, not being too impressed by these bites, we decided against pizza. And to me, some of the toppings weren’t all that enticing plus, BF made the point that there were way too many options and for a place like that, I couldn’t feel that I would trust what would come out. Something about their small kitchen area didn’t invite confidence from me that culinary masterpieces were being made back there. We did opt for dessert. He a bread pudding and me horchata.

The pudding was harder than I like and nowhere NEAR the perfection that Angelo’s has made it to be. It had a nice flavor but meh. My rice milk wasn’t overly sweet either. I’m used to Cuquita’s divinely sweetened drink that doesn’t feel too rich but enough to have as a dessert. Here, I had to sweeten it about four times with sugar. After that, it wasn’t so bad.

I can admit I wasn’t as adventurous with their menu but empies and pizza were on my mind. The rest of the menu looked like it could be delicious and I’ve only heard good things about their pizza. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t feeling it from what I had eaten. And ambience is so important to me. Flourescent lights do not make for a great date night destination.

Don Panza wants to move into better digs in the area meaning Bishop Arts. Probably a good idea as it would probably give them busier Friday nights. Other than the rowdy group of yuppies that came in toward our finish, not much else was going on. Bishop Arts would be a better look for them. But they might need to work on some better tastes.

The absolute best deal at the Fair is the Dollar Dog over by the Old Mill Inn. It ain’t nothing fancy but it’s a buck! And it’s fairly fresh save for the not yet stale buns that never seem to be freshly soft. Plus, they take cash which saves on coupon usage for later. Next year, remember to start your day off with that to get something in your tummy that’s yummy, cheap and sets the tone.

My only venture outside of Fletcher’s corny dogs and roasted corn was the chicken fried bacon and the whole time I ate it, I kept thinking, “I think I like this.” My hopes were a little high on this because I figured it would have been a thicker slab of bacon. Instead, they were literal bacon strips from the store fried up in batter. The batter overpowered the bacon but at times I could taste that crispiness I love in overdone strips. However, the flavoring of the batter AND the strip, I see now, was way too salty and I’ve mentioned before that is was pretty much a fried saltlick. If the meat was thicker, then it would have made sense. Also, if they had provided a sauce, it would have enhanced the treat in a positive fashion. Simple ranch would have made it more delectable but dried out strips of fried meat ended up on the unattractive and boring side of Fair dining. Plus, the rudeness of the lady serving them up didn’t help. That carnie bitch should have been happy to get my money to pay her way home in these economic hard times!

Despite the chicken fried bacon being on the new set of treats, my old standby did not fail to impress. The cinnamon roll in the food court is divine sugar heaven. The mere presence of its aroma is like a romance novel between it and my nostrils. There could perhaps be nothing better on this earth at that time that could provoke my nose to run off with one of the cinnamon rolls to have a torrid affair in nighttime Paris while leaving me tortured to only look at the other rolls dripping with sweet cream and adorned with perfect pecan bits. Yes, the smell is that good and it can only be topped by the deliciousness of the taste. Mine was just out of the oven so when topped by cream, it melted immediately. The bread was perfectly moist and gooey but soft and fresh. While so big it needed to be eaten with a fork, I longed to just be in private where I could hold it with my hands to eat. Oh trust me, it is THAT good. Cinnabon? No way but close! This is a more homemade (even if it’s not) slice of heaven on earth.

As for the rest of the Fair, my pizza disappointed. The little stand between the Midway and the market area by the Cotton Bowl had declined in their tasty goodness. Their yeasty crust was no more nor was their taste. Plus, once again, a carnie bitch could have cared less that I was forking over some four bucks for a barely slice of pizza that need to be reheated.

Tornado taters weren’t that good but I did not go to my usual stand. The Nutty Bar lived up as always. However, I did take a bottle of water that I nursed on for hours and refilled where I could. At the end of the day I had so many tickets left over and then I realized it was because I wasn’t spending any on drinks! It’s probably no secret but I had always figured I needed my sodas for the whole Fair experience. I didn’t save for one at the end of the day. Saved me about twenty bucks! Or coupons rather.

Until next year…

But really, we just care about the food and listen to this:

Chef Robbie, a one-year veteran of the Tex-Asian concept, enhanced the menu creating new dishes and maintaining favorites.  The new “Casual” Dining section includes affordable entrees priced between $13 to $16, such as the Hibachi Chicken Pad Thai and Ancho-Honey Pork served with ”daily mashers” and soy BBQ sauce.  New entrée highlights include the Ginger-Sake Salmon with traditional spicy cucumber salad, scallion, and cous cous and Miso Lobster with parmesan risotto, Texas sweet corn and white miso broth. 

A diverse array of starters tempts the tastebuds including Spicy Fuse Popcorn, Tex-Asian Chips dusted with nori and salsa roja, Tortilla Fried Avocado and Braised Brisket Potstickers.  Sushi and sashimi arrives in classic style or with a contemporary twist, such as the signature Fuse Roll made with Snow Crab, salmon, asparagus and carrot wrapped in cucumber.

Lunch, now available Monday through Friday, offers a tantalizing selection of salads, rice or noodle bowls, sandwiches, entrees and Balanced Plates, a choice of protein served with a California or tuna roll, miso soup, steamed rice and mesclun salad.  The Kobe Short Rib Bowl with garlic, broccoli, daikon sprouts, jalapeno, fried egg and hoisin sauce and Tex-Asian Sliders with cilantro aioli, soy caramelized onions and cheddar cheese are not to be missed.

After reading all that, just kill me. My mouth is watering big time. Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes but sliders, as trendy as they are, have been sliding up my list of treats to eat. So, for sure, Fuse has just made its way back from my “meh” category of restaurants to try to the “marking the calendar now” list.

Fuse is located downtown at 1512 Commerce Street.  Lunch - Monday - Friday 11:30am until 2:30pm.  Dinner - Monday -Thursday 6 - 10pm, and Friday and Saturday 6 - 11pm.  Happy Hour  Monday -Friday from 4 - 7pm.  For reservations call  214.742.FUSE(3873).

Upon walking in, there was a bustle in the air that made it sound like Friday night. Conversation, people, food, the TV in the background - it was all flowing that gave an energy to the place I really liked and hadn’t felt in a while. Some places are too staid with atmosphere and other try too hard to be casual. This got it just right and in a way that felt as it was almost by accident.

Despite being seated at a two-seater too small table in a banquet room just slightly off kilter from the main room, the energy bubbled into our alcove and soon we had tables around us that had filled up. While there was no bread basket available (complimentary or to order - grrr), we started out with a Caprese Salad, tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil with oregano and olive oil. The cheese was divine and while I’m not a tomato fan, they had good flavor. Grimaldi’s loves them some basil so the scent in the air as the salad came was pleasant and kept us hungry.

We ordered a large regular pizza with toppings of pepperoni, Italian sausage and fresh garlic. We were sticking to the plainer side of pizza because personally, I think that’s the benchmark. If they can pull that off, then they can probably do the other selections of white and pesto pizzas just as well. We conversed, waited, conversed, picked at the salad, waited, then waited and finally, a server brings a delicious looking pie to our table. It turns out, it was the table’s next us. Sigh. So more waiting occurred until a manager came to report that our pizza had been burned in their signature coal oven, they were getting it out and that dessert was on them. Surprisingly patient as we were, we nodded and waited.

I’d like to say we waited about 45 minutes from the time that we ordered but when the pie came out, it’s bubbling beauty was a sight and smell to behold. It was oh-so pretty. Pizza is probably my favorite food and the sheer style of this thin crusted pie with a beautiful blanket of glistening mozzarella, mountainous texture of meat and an aroma to die for made everything forgivable.

The slices are a bit big and I had to sacrilegiously cut the first bite with a fork instead of wrangle it with my mouth from the floppy slice. But as that first piece met my taste buds, I had to have a moment. If my taste buds were on EHarmony, this pizza would have been their perfect match. While nothing overpowers the rest, each ingredient is flavorful and apparent and sublimely fresh. I could almost get high off the tasty bouquet of the pizza. It is simply, to die for. While hot enough, the roof of my mouth was never in fear of a cheesy burn. The crust, complete with oven residue on the bottom was a perfect crisp when not weighed down toward the center with ingredients.

It was so good we went back two days later. We added ricotta cheese to the mix which was not the greatest idea. It made for a more gooey texture which I didn’t like all that much but the same outstanding qualities the first pizza had were there.At least they are consistent.

Save for maybe their service. Both times we noticed some scattered server. Ours on Friday night seemed to forget us at times and on Sunday, a server had given one table the wrong pizza. Oh wait, that happened to us too. Their friendliness almost makes up for it. But if it’s more than one, it makes me wonder if management is so strict it freaks them out. Bill Addison at DMN had a better experience. Maybe we should go with him!

But the scatter-brained coup d’etat (sp?) was the free dessert from the first night. They kept pushing the Godiva chocolate cheese cake which sounded of rich delightful-ness. I opted for that while the date selected a cannoli. They packaged them to go and off we went with leftover pizza and two fresh desserts. I was having visions of chocolate goodness when we decided to open our desserts at home for a late night treat only to find they had given us two cannolis. D’oh!

The cannolis were pretty good and the sweet ricotta cream inside was perfect. But it wasn’t Godiva chocolate.

I used to think Pastazio’s was the best in town but Grimaldi’s, despite its flaws, has won themselves a fan for life.

I had been olfactorally scarred because my dad, a chef, would make curry at home when I was a kid and let me tell you, that is some funk you do NOT want permeating the house. The grody green color and the pungent rank made me want to runaway from home more often than not. So, mind you, Indian food has just never been high on my list.

An acquaintance of mine however does PR for Clay Pit and always talked them up and then had her party with yummy treats from there. I distinctly remember the puff pastry samosas which were just to die for. So fluffy and savory, we ordered those to begin with - one chicken one veggie. They did not disappoint at all. Not that I have much to compare them too but they came off as ideally made. The chicken was flavorful and seemed plenty for the small appetizer and the vegetable was filling which usually isn’t the case for me. Although a bit on the heavy side for starters, they were a delicious beginning along with the “chips” and dips they had offered. I wasn’t feeling so afraid anymore. Although I cannot detail the rush of fear and queasiness that filled me when smelling that same odor that I had endured as a child.

Bread is never a bad thing for me either so I figured our decision to order some naan would be a good one. And it was. I forget which flavor but the bread was appropriately fresh and felt more like a puffier flour tortilla. Dipped in the yogurt based Tandoori sauce (I hope I have that name right) made it infinitely more enjoyable.

I kept thinking Clay Pit was the $hit with all these delicious offerings. And then the main course came. Feeling emboldened by the tasty food I had already eaten, I ventured into trying the lamb biryani (Ustad ki Dum Biryani) - marinated lamb with saffron flavored basmati rice, mint & spices cooked on a slow fire. Biryani in itself is a type of dish described as ” a classic Nawabi (Indian royalty) dish that is popular all over India. It is derived from the Persian word ‘Birian’, which means ‘roasted before cooking’. Biryani is a mixture of Basmati rice, meat/vegetables, yogurt and spices.”

Upon coming out, it looked like a cool pot pie. In a large bowl, the top was covered by more bread that was covering it like a lid. This made me perk up even more. I love me some pot pies. After peeling away the yummy bread, I saw a colorful mixture of rice and spices and meat. My fork dug in and then trekked into my mouth. My  mouth didn’t move right away. It was spicy. And a bitter spicy. I downed it and grabbed for my drink pronto. Oh no.

Not my meal but perhaps an idea of what it looked like.

My dinner date’s meal of stuffed chicken medallions looked (and tasted) good. I looked at it with much envy but I figured I’d get through mine. I’m trying to increase my palate’s taste with hotter spicier foods so I poured on the Tandoori sauce thinking it would cool it down and make it tastier. No. And there was no salt on the table to pour on either. Plus, my tea refills were happening so fast that I couldn’t even wash it down with a nicely sweetened drink because after a drink, here came the server with the tea pitcher. I had just a tad more forkfuls of the dish and realized, this just ain’t gonna happen. This plate was gross and a double cheeseburger was sounding oh-so good. So I asked them to pack it up to go and generously donated it to my dinner date’s refrigerator. Incidentally, it Biryani doesn’t make for good leftovers either.

Being already biased against Indian food probably doesn’t help but I give myself some credit for giving it a shot and I would totally nosh on the medallions as well as more samosas. Would I go back? I’m not completely against the idea. I may try to steer the dining selection elsewhere but at least now I know what NOT to order.