Restaurant Week in Review

I LOVE Restaurant Week and take full advantage of it every year. The only year I did take part was the first year I lived in Dallas and I happened to be in Scotland at the time so I suppose I have a good excuse for missing out. Anyway, just about every restaurant I dine at throughout the year participates in KRLD Restaurant Week. During Restaurant Week you can enjoy a three course meal for $35 while also helping local charities. You see, $7 of each of the $35 meals goes to one of two local charities, The North Texas Food Bank or the Lena Pope Home. Dallas Restaurant Week has become a "summer fundraising tradition" in the opinions of many!

If you live in Dallas you know that there are several restaurants that fill up all their Restaurant Week reservations the very first day they open their books. I learned this three years ago so ever since I have tried to be on top of my game and call in mid-July. This year I got a hold of The Mansion on Turtle Creek while Melissa was able to get Fearings to pick up their phone; success! In addition, I also went to my beloved Cafe Pacific and tried NOBU. I have included my thoughts and reviews below for my reference and in the event that you just might happen to be in the the Dallas area and you are looking for a place to dine they might help. :)

Cafe Pacific

Grade: A+

I simply adore Cafe Pacific and actually happened to have brunch there the day before our reservation. This was not at all a problem for me because I love everything they serve and their Restaurant Week menu did not disappoint. Cafe Pacific was just voted the Best Seafood Restaurant in Dallas so they were having each guest toast with a complimentary glass of champagne as well as crudites for the table. I choose a light salad to start, the short rib followed and I ended with their famous pecan ball. The short rib was one of the BEST I have EVER had. It literally fell apart if your fork just tapped it. Simply divine! The pecan ball is one of my top three favorite desserts in Dallas (the coconut cream pie at Capital Grill is another), it NEVER lets you down:

NOBU

Grade: D-

I have to admit I was incredibly disappointed by NOBU as was everyone else I dined with. I have heard great things from acquaintances, but it did not at all live up to the hype, in any way whatsoever. While I understand Restaurant Week can be busy, that is not excuse for bad food. The server was incredibly pushy at first when trying to get us to order but then the service for the rest of the evening was slow and frankly just off; our plates were cleared and the next course did not come for another 20 minutes. The food was not very good or tasty. In fact, we all left hungry and went home and ate. On a happier note, the atmosphere was very neat, but that is not enough to make me ever want to return to NOBU. Overall, it was a real letdown and I think everyone I dined with would agree that they took advantage of their Restaurant Week clients which will only hurt them (as well as the two charities that benefit from RW) in the end.

The Mansion: A

After a disappointing night at NOBU I was looking forward to The Mansion as they never let me down. We had a reservation for the first seating which worked out very nicely. We were escorted into the famed Mansion bar to wait while all the tables got their finishing touches. Once everything was ready we were directed to our table where the staff pulled out our chairs and placed out napkins in our laps. Our server was wonderful and so attentive (and we later found it was only his second evening!). The food was phenomenal again this year. I started with grilled zucchini topped with feta, I enjoyed the 'Diablo' chicken for my entree and finished with a Texas peach Sundae. The dessert was again the highlight of my meal, simply delicious! As mentioned, the Mansion never lets you down!!

Fearings

Grade: A-

We had a late reservation at Fearings (9:45pm), but still enjoyed an incredible meal. We had a wonderful table with delightful views and a very interesting server. While you can of course order off any restaurant's menu during Restaurant Week what I liked about Fearings is that they allowed one to order combine the menus. You could order your appetizer from the three RW selections, but then substitute your entree with one of their famed entrees for an additional fee. This was a great way to do it in my opinion. I started with the watermelon gazpacho and a tamale:

Both were very Texas and very delicious! I then enjoyed the filet followed by a trio of desserts. Everything was wonderful though the server was a bit off as mentioned which made for an interesting evening.

All in all Restaurant Week was a huge success. It is a great time to try new restaurants and add new favorites (or in my case, new places you will never return to) to your list while enjoying great food!

Do you have Restaurant Week in your home town??