Tillman's Roadhouse

I think I can make a broad statement and say most people probably have that "special occasion" restaurant that they visit when its a birthday, promotion, parents are coming in town, etc. For us that restaurant is Tillman's. It's another great one in the Bishop's Arts district in south Dallas. Tillman's calls itself, a "California twist on Texas roadhouse."

It gets hopping around 7:00 pm, so if you get there before then, you usually don't have to wait at all. The restaurant decor is a fun mix of hunting lodge and tea room, with exposed wood planks on the wall and large crystal chandeliers. We like sitting on the porch when its pretty outside. They have couch-like seating on one side of the table that I like to lounge on. Perfect for purse placement :)

All of Bishop Arts District is seeing a rebirth, and Tillman's is leading the charge. It's a different type of restaurant, one in which we have found a little bit of ourselves. They take what you like about some of your favorite Texas food, and change it just a bit...The restaurant itself is different as well, decorated with raw, unstained and refined wood on the walls, huge logs, and an outdoorsy feel. The tables are small...as to ensure you and your date are never far from one another!

The first time we went, I was won over by their free table appetizer that included my favorite flavor...truffle oil. They give you little servings of warmed peanuts and popcorn drizzled with truffle oil. Scrumtulescent! We also really really like their trio of french fries. They offer a sweet potato fry, a parmesan black pepper fries and chili dusted purple peruvian fries. Their ketchup is homemade and it also comes with a horseradish/mayo sauce that is yummy!

She lies not about the fries...I mean it's fries, with cheeses and seasonings and all kinds of amazing flavors...honestly, it's the best option when it comes to an appetizer. Good bang for your buck!

As far as entrees go, you really can't go wrong! J has ordered the Venison Frito Pie a couple of times and it is always good. The venison has a sweetness to it that is a perfect combo with the salty frito chips. I've gotten the pork chops before and those things will feed you for days! They are absolutely huge! They come with a polenta that is a mix of goat cheese and coffee. Sounds weird I know, but it is so good. Instead of the crispy green beans, I got their signature macaroni and cheese. It's kind of salty, but I love it! My mother sent hers back once because of the level of salt, but I didn't have a problem with it. The waiter told Mom that they were very proud of their seasoning, hence the lack of salt and pepper on the table, and she didn't doubt it. I've also gotten the Hickory Smoked Chipotle BBQ Ribs before and loved em'. You have to be in the mood for spice, because these suckers don't go light on the chipotle! They come in a bowl on top of their mac and cheese, so that cuts the spice a little. Who wouldn't like ribs and mac and cheese?

I'll let J tell you about the chicken fried steak. They definitely do it uniquely there.

First of all the Chicken Fried Steak is different, and it's actually called Chicken Fried Hanger Steak. It's not one big piece of steak, rather small pieces of steak that are fairly thick, battered and deep fried. It's really good but you definitely see the california flair on this dish. The first time I got it I went in thinking "luby's" chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, etc....haha, needless to say I was disappointed! However, upon further review, it's really good...and it grows on you!

Now the dessert is pretty much the best part of Tillman's! They have ingeniously thought up the perfect smore. They bring out a little, mini pot o' fire and homemade graham crackers and marshmallows. Those are orange, maple and coffee. It also comes with dark chocolate bark and a bunch of little skewers. We have more fun making the smores and have almost always had leftovers that I make later on my gas stove. It keeps surprisingly well.

I am always sooooooooo full by time we get to dessert...but let's be clear here, it's dessert...and it's amazing...and you are STUPID to pass it up! I am serious, no matter how full you are, if you don't get something off of this list, you have missed the very heart of the restaurant. By the time you make it to dessert, the place has usually filled up nicely, so people watching is in full swing, and this neighborhood has really come to life. Do dessert...After all, you deserve it.

Last time we went with my parents, my mom ordered the peanut butter cookie sandwich. What the waiter didn't tell us was this was about a half pounder cookie with a few chocolate chip cookies on the side and three scoops of banana ice cream. We were so deliciously full we were in pain. That also came with a carafe of melted chocolate that you could drizzle over your portion to your heart's desire. Sadly, we were so full we couldn't go over to Eno's to get a beer. Sad day!

We rate Tillman's Roadhouse a 4.75 out of 5 for food and a 4 out of 5 for twenty somethings.

Highlights:
- Venison Frito Pie
- Chicken Fried Hanger Steak
- Trio of French Fries
- Homemade Smores at your table!
- Wines and a Prickly Pear Margarita
- Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere!
- Romantic restaurant, in an amazing area!
http://www.tillmansroadhouse.com/

Trece

So we used to love Trece. Hip, good food, awesome happy hour and really cool ladies night on Thursdays. Ladies could get free chicken quesadillas (now that I look at that word, something doesn't seem right?), blueberry mojitos and margaritas. Everything was delicious and of course even better when free! We went to Trece once when I got a raise at my last job (haven't celebrated that occurrence at my new job...hmmmm) to celebrate. It was great! I got the Tablones and J got the Enchiladas Bandera. They were both pretty good.

As A was saying here, this place used to be awesome...it was all about atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere! It still is, it's just lost some of it's luster. It used to back up an amazing atmosphere, lots of people watching and slightly high price tags with good food and great specials. Now, it's the atmosphere...minus the great food...and it's a little less than worth it considering the price tag!

Well, since we liked it so much last time, when my sister and mom came in town a few weeks ago we told them that we had to try Trece. "They would love it." Oh boy...big mistake! I don't know what has happened there. Maybe a change in management? Whatever it is, the food has completely gone downhill. I got the enchiladas this time and they were nothing special. For their price ($25) I think they should have been spectacular. My sister got the Pollo con Mole and it was bizarre. Now I'm a big fan of mole sauce, something about being surprised every time that chocolate and spice go on enchiladas, but this was bad. It was basically like chicken hot chocolate. The chocolate taste was completely overwhelming. It basically tasted like they had melted a Hersey's bar on top of the chicken. We should have thought twice when our waiter told us he makes better mole at home, but we thought, "ah, what does he know?" Our bad. My mom got the Chilean sea bass and it was definitely nothing to write home about.

We had even raved about the chicken quesadillas with a roasted poblano cream sauce so we ordered one for the table and that disappointed! No longer creamy with this delicious white cheese...it's about what I'd make with my 2% Kraft and whole-wheat sprouts brand tortillas.

She's not kidding about the quesadillas here...we used to go in when they were free on ladies night...as soon as the bar tender turned away I was shoveling them in my mouth and she was calling him over to attempt to convince him she had managed to eat them all already! What in the world happened to the quesadillas?! It used to be all about the amazing cheese...now, you're better off bringing your own!

We even had a bad experience with our water, if that's even possible. We just ordered water and he brought them out in what looked like refilled glass water bottles. No biggie, we don't mind tap. We do mind, however, being charged $3.50 a bottle for refilled tap water bottles. The weirdest thing about that was that we questioned the charge because it just said "Catering Fee" and the waiter said, "oh, um, well, that's the water." Weird!

Long story short, used to be awesome...not worth it any more! (The free food might still be worth it as it is free, but we haven't been back to the happy hour since)

The restaurant itself is still very trendy...lots and lots of pretty people in there, well maybe a few less since we're not there...but you get my drift! It's got good music, it's busy and it's pricey. If that's your thing and you aren't worried about food, then head down to Trece. We'll try it again in a few months and see if anything's changed, but as for right now...it's not worth it considering everywhere else that Knox/Henderson has to offer! The area is amazing...the parking is awful...and the restaurants around it are just alot more fun and have food alot more memorable.

We rate Trece a 2.5 out of 5 for food and a 3 out of 5 (now, used to be cooler) for twenty somethings.

Highlights:
- Cha-Cha Rita
- Blueberry Mojito
www.trecerestaurant.com

Taverna

We love Taverna, a local Italian eatery a couple of streets off of Knox-Henderson. The prices are great and so is the food! I generally love their pizzas, butternut squash gnocchi with crispy sage and their Paglia e Fieno, a Green and White pasta tossed with Chicken, Truffle Oil (YUM) & Cream Sauce. That last one can be heavy, so expect left overs!

The restaurant has a very open layout, but lends itself to romance and coziness via draping, lighting and well placed tables. It just feels right...gentlemen if you're looking for a laid back yet romantic date spot, you'll find both in this cozy locale. The outdoor seating on their patio remains open year around. In the winter, the patio is enclosed and heaters are installed which do a more than ample job. In the summer, the patio lends you to believe you're in a small town neighborhood sitting on a front porch, enjoying a slower pace of life.

We have generally had good service and always felt very welcome. They are also great with reservations...our table is always ready when we arrive, which is a refreshing change from another restaurant that we visited recently that will be blogged about soon. We went this weekend for Valentine's day with a reservation (thank goodness as the wait looked pretty horrible! I definitely felt bad for the guys that took dates their without reservations) and ate some seriously delicious food! Of course our table was ready when we arrived, but it was on the patio, which at times, could be a little chilly and busy. Maybe we should have specified inside? Our table was on the corner of the patio that you walked by to get into the restaurant...good for people watching, bad for not getting bang into by purses, etc. Our waiter seemed slightly perplexed and very slow, but honestly, that was the first time we'd had any issue.

No matter the event this restaurant always pulls through. In all seriousness, if you want a classy restaurant but don't want to drop $100, this is your place. Sure, as was pointed out by some friends the other day, you can spend $40 on a bottle of wine there...but you can do that anywhere, it doesn't mean you ACTUALLY do it, does it!? If you go in knowing you are there for good food, a glass of wine or two, and a great atmosphere...you can't go wrong. Parking is awful, however, so make note of the side street parking and places other than the small lot on site.

The Valentine's Day menu is what attracted us this weekend and it did not disappoint! We started with the lump crab cakes ($11.95) that were spectacular! It really was big chunks of crab, which I like better than the pureed/battered ones, in a yumo orange sauce with spinach. J even liked the spinach which is something, believe me! Then I had the butternut squash risotto with scallops ($23.95), and J had the heart-shaped veal and lobster ravioli ($21.50)...how romantic...i know! Now normally those prices are a little high for us, but it was valentines day after all! Their normal stuff is cheaper (e.g. pizzas are $10).

We rate Taverna a 4.5 out of 5 for food and a 4 out of 5 for twenty somethings.

Highlights:
- Polpettine Pizza $12 (Meatballs & Provolone Cheese)
- Great wine by the glass list
- Gnocchi
- Fun, albeit small, bar area
- Romantic setting...ooo lah lah!
www.tavernabylombardi.com

The Palomino

I wanted to drop a quick note to give a shout out to The Palomino restaurant in the Crescent Court in Dallas. We always have the best experience there! Last night, after a Mavs game, we decided to go to the late-night happy hour they have every night from 10 pm to Midnight. We were trying to act like we were in our twenties for once instead of old farts...hehe. Anyway, they have a 'drink of the day' that is always yummy and $4.95 all day. Last night it was some sort of apple vanilla concoction with just the right amount of sweet and sour.

Overall the restaurant is amazing...it's got a great lounge-feel in the bar, good lighting, big bar tops, and plenty of seating. During the warmer months they have tons of outside patio seating, great for people watching in one of the snootier shopping venues in Dallas. The restaurant itself is well decorated, the wait staff attentive and the kitchen visible, which adds a little visual interest to the scene.

Their appetizers are always delicious! Last night we decided to go with an old staple, calamari. While it seemed a little more chewy than normal, it was still pretty good! It has a great peppery batter that just hits the spot. I love their mayo sauce that comes with them and J loves their marinara, so it's a perfect fit for us. We never fight over the dipping sauces (ahhhhh how sweet, haha). Funny, reminds me of a How I met your mother episode. Anyway, I digress...all the appetizers are half off from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and 10 pm to midnight, which puts them all around the 4 to 6 dollar range. The fondue is another one of our favorites along with the gorganzola french fries! The best deal of all, however, is the pizza. Normally priced from 9 to 12 dollars (and worth every penny!), during both happy hours they are only 5 bucks. 5 bucks! 5 bucks for goat cheese, roma tomatoes, proscuitto and basil?! So much better than Subway! The pizzas are big enough to feed 2; in fact I had some again for lunch today. Talk about fitting in a twenty-something budget!

The bartenders are always great there, and I'm sad I didn't get the name of ours last night. He was a hoot and incredibly good-natured with us. One note, if you park downstairs in the parking garage, don't forget to get your ticket validated!

If you are looking for a great centrally located bar, with above the bar "bar food", this is your place. The crowds are usually trendy and well dressed and the "bar food" classifies as a gourmet meal for most of us! Drinks are great deal during happy hour, and the $5 pizzas cannot be beat! Come one come all, there's plenty of room and reason to go to The Palomino.

We've been to the Palomino for my birthday, New Year's Eve and other random events and they have always been right on the money. Make reservations for big occasions, but for happy hour, the Palomino is still a slightly-hidden gem, so just show up!

We rate The Palomino a 4.5 out of 5 for food and a 5 out of 5 for twenty somethings.

Highlights:
- The three course meal for 20 bucks on nights there are Mavs or Stars games (they also have a complimentary shuttle over to the AAC for diners)
- Great Martinis and creative mojitos
- Tasty Ravioli
- Amazing Calamari and Gorganzola French Fries
- Great thin-crust pizzas for $5!
www.palomino.com