planojim

kieth: Hard 8 in Coppell would probably be your best shot. I've been 3 times, once was real good, the other two just so-so. http://www.hardeightbbq.com/home.html

I ate at Meshack's BBQ Shack in Garland recently and thought it was one of the better BBQ places in DFW. No seating, you order through a screen window. Tried the brisket and ribs. I preferred the ribs, but the brisket was good as well. The menu is painted on the outside of the building. However, for me, the most interesting item is not on the menu. After I'd ordered, the guy behind me ordered "two roll ups." When I was handed my bbq, I asked what a roll up was. It's a hot link, with sauce, rolled up in a slice of white bread. I ordered two. Those were the star of the show, and a real bargain at $1/each. Meshack's address is 240 East Avenue B in Garland.

Big Daddy's in Lavon made the top 50 in Texas Monthly's issue some months ago. I went about 9 years ago and wasn't really impressed....but I guess it had just opened. I might give them another shot. http://www.bigdaddysroadhousebbq.com/index.htm

I went to Big Daddy's about 6 or 7 years ago. It was ok. Nothing remarkable. Ribs were chewy. kind of a cool place though.

margo.....If you want a great dinner within walking distance of the Adams Mark, you need to go to Stephen Pyles. I didn't mention it earlier because you said diner and tex-mex. http://www.stephanpyles.com/index.asp Entees are a bit pricey, but you can sit at the ceviche bar and order some apps and such that won't break your wallet. It is one of the better restaurants in the city. dress is business casual-ish. as far as diner type food goes, the best I can offer is the All Good Cafe in Deep Ellum. It's not really walkable....and they don't open till 9am, but their breakfast is good, and their chicken fried steak is more than respectable. http://www.allgoodcafe.com/

Sprouts Market had an ad today (2-13) for USDA Prime Filet for $12.99/lb. I got some, and they had plenty when I was there. just an FYI.

if he's still in Allen, the bbq place for which I couldn't remember the name is C&B BBQ. I went there last week for the first time, and it was great. One of the better places around DFW from first tastes. http://www.candbbarbque.com/

yoikes.....not exactly a mecca of good dining. On Main St in Allen, a little east of the intersection of hwy 5/greenville ave, there's a bbq place called Sugar Baby's. I've only been once. It was tolerable, but not fantastic. I think I went on a Tuesday, and we were the only people there. I did talk to the owner, and he said that they did smoke everything on premesis. maybe it would be better if it were more crowded. http://www.sugarbabysbbq.com/ Just west of that intersection is another fairly new bbq place that I have not been to as of yet. They're not open on Mondays iirc. I talked to the owner of that place, and he was mentioning that they'd won all sorts of bbq awards at competitons. I can't remember the name. It's right at the triangle where Main splits off going west. The Allen Cafe, also on Main after it splits off, serves up a decent breakfast and lunch. Italian Villa, on the NW corner of hwy 5 and Main, serves a passable Italian dinner. Nothing fancy, but decent. Ralph and Kacoo's at the SE corner of hwy 75 and Mcdermott has good cajun type food. That restaurant is actually your best bet for a dinner out with business associates. http://www.ralphandkacoos.com/main/index.php?page=allen There's a good Thai restuarant on the NW corner of 75 and Mcdermott called Samui Thai. http://www.samuithai.com/ Tin Star is a small chain that started in Dallas serves; food in a casual atmosphere with a Southwestern bent. NW corner of 75 and Mcdermott http://www.tinstar.us/menu_start.cfm Sorry, that's all I can think of in Allen. I drive through there every day on my way home from work, but don't drive that way to go eat often.

Monica's Aca y Alla is relatively close to the Cotton Bowl, and I'm sure will serve you a mojito if needed. not sure if it's open NYD though. http://www.monicas.com/

Holly, will you be attending? now that, my friend, would be worth the $125.

I went down there in February this year when the Roadfooders had an informal gathering in Lockhart. That was fun. And free. I think there were about 30 of us there. But, as much as I'd like to see some of those guys again, I'm not going to pay $125 for the priviledge. As I read it, the $125 only gets you onto the bus with the Sterns. So, you can pay $125 to be on the bus, or you can pay $0, and eat with them just the same if you drive yourself. here's the itinerary for Saturday April 26: The tentative itinerary begins with a stop at Round Rock donuts, then heads north to Louie Mueller's in Taylor, to Elgin for sausage, then to Lockhart to compare and contrast Smitty's, Black's, and Kreuz Market. We will be back in Austin by about 5pm. http://www.roadfood.com/store/eatingtour.aspx

It's in Plano, but Hirsch's has dry aged prime beef for sale. most of the time, you need to order it in advance because of the demand, but you can sometimes find it in the butcher's case.

just picked up a 6 of Schlafly Dry Hopped APA while in St Louis. I'd never heard of it before, but, I like it very much. also got a 6 of Odells IPA.

oh, forgot to mention, Dean Fearing's restaurant just opened recently at the Ritz Carlton. I've not been, but it's been getting rave reviews. It's also downtown, just a short cab ride from the Adam's Mark. http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/D...arings/Menu.htm

Stephen Pyles has a great bar dining area. It's a tapas/ceviche bar....but I'm not sure if you can get the whole menu there. Here's a link to the tapas menu: http://stephanpyles.com/menu-tapas.asp Abacus is a great restaurant, near downtown. I was there a couple of weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure I saw some seats at the bar in front of the kitchen: http://www.abacus-restaurant.com//indexinner.php I great area to go to is the Knox/Henderson area. It's on the east side of 75 just a couple of miles north of 75. I've been to all of these, and they all have bar seating. The Porch: http://www.theporchrestaurant.com/ Cuba Libre: http://www.cubalibredallas.com/index.php Fireside Pies (pizza) http://www.firesidepies.com/home.asp The Old Monk (good moules frites) Bakers Ribs serves pretty good bbq: http://www.bakersribs.com/ http://www.oldmonkdallas.com/ Tei Tei Robata (sushi) http://www.teiteirobata.com/intrtopage.html

I ate there in June and it was good. We called the day of and asked for reservations and were told they were booked, but, we showed up anyway, and were seated immediately. Desserts were a little dissappointing, just your standard up-scale type things.....flourless choclate cake, creme brulee, etc. They weren't bad, just didn't seem to have anything "original" in the dessert portion.

I haven't been in a while, but near downtown, Monica's Acca y Alla always had what I thought was an interesting menu. It's Tex-Mex-ish. I know you said maybe not Tex Mex, but sorry, it's all I can think of. http://www.monicas.com/

yes, fatty brisket. oh, and step out behind Smitty's and see a great example of an old Texas courthouse.

of the 3, I always go to Smitty's. People quibble about which is better, I think all 3 are great, but something about the atmosphere at Smitty's just does it for me. oh, and they'll ask you if you want the brisket fatty or lean. If memory serves, Smitty's only sells ribs on Friday and Saturday, so, you're in luck on that front. no silverware, no sauce. Be forewarned.

Schoepf's BBQ is in Belton, TX which is between Hewitt and Austin. Easy on, easy off of I-35. good stuff.

Very nice restaurant. I hadn't seen it's name mentioned as often as I'd had in the past, but, I guess we discuss more of the new than the tried and true. Anyway, here's what we had, and the full menu choices at the bottom. dinner last night: we had a coupon that enabled us to get a 4th course for free. It turned out to be 2 of those lobster shooters. they were brought out first: Lobster - Scallion “Shooters” they were pretty much like hush-puppies, with some lobster and scallions. They were put in a shot glass, and then a warm sauce of coconut milk, chili sauce, ginger, and some other stuff got poured over them. They were good, but you tasted more of the sauce than the lobster for sure. Wife got the crabcake app: Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Texas Sweet Corn and Black Truffle Chardonnay Sauce. Good crabcake. Very little filler. I got the pork belly. Crispy Seared Pork Belly with Spicy Sesame GlazeGinger Sunchoke Puree and Micro Cilantro. Mine was fantastic. Actually, it reminded me of a spare rib without the bone. It was not fatty at all like I'd feared it would be. entrees were Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin on English Pea Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Rosemary Port Sauce for me (they were out of the perch) and Grilled Beef Filet on White Cheddar – Bacon Potatoes and Summer Tomato Demi with Mixed Baby Vegetables for her. My risotto was fantastic, and her potatoes were real good. Unfortunately, neither of us felt we got enough of the sauces for sopping up the last parts of the meat. dessert brought me Dulce de Leche Banana Bread Pudding Myers Rum Sabayon and she got Chocolate Brownie Pecan Tart Espresso Caramel, Mascarpone Cream. Mine was fantastic. The best thing we ate. It wasn't anything like I thought it would be. Normally, bread pudding is kind of a mushy, jumbled mess. this had 3 layers to it....the top crust, a layer of bananas, and then the pudding. Yum-o. the wife's was good also, especially the espresso caramel. The bill was $90 after tax and tip. A GREAT deal. here's the full menu: Small Plates Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Texas Sweet Corn and Black Truffle Chardonnay Sauce *** Wild Horse Chardonnay, Central Coast, 2005 Crispy Seared Pork Belly with Spicy Sesame Glaze Ginger Sunchoke Puree and Micro Cilantro *** Knappstein "Hand Picked" Riesling, Clare Valley 2006 Asian Surf and Turf Potstickers: Tiger Shrimp and Buffalo - Shitake with Spicy Apricot Sauce *** Wattle Creek Rose, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino, 2006 Seared Diver Sea Scallop with Chilled Asparagus Soup and Preserved Meyer Lemon Olive Oil *** Wild Horse Chardonnay, Central Coast, 2005 Porcini Mushroom Soup with Fresh Fava Beans, Tomatoes and Crème Fraiche *** Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano, Tuscany, 2004 Asian “Field Green” Salad with English Cucumber, Black Radish and Sweet Chili Lime Dressing *** Knappstein "Hand Picked" Riesling, Clare Valley 2006 Wild Arugula Salad with Ruby Red Grapefruit, Shaved Fennel, Goat Cheese and Cibatta Croutons *** Kunde "Magnolia Lane" Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley, 2006 Intermezzo Raspberry Limeade Sprizter Big Plates Wood Grilled Wild King Salmon on Tequila Lime Sauce and Jalapeno Jack Cheese Grits *** Wild Horse Chardonnay, Central Coast, 2005 Pan Seared Lake Victoria Perch with Basil Gnocchi, Asparagus, Tomatoes and Champagne Butter *** Wild Horse Chardonnay, Central Coast, 2005 Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin on English Pea Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Rosemary Port Sauce *** Green Point Shiraz, Victoria, 2004 Pan Seared Jumbo Prawns with Mushroom Dumpling and Spicy Thai Basil Lemongrass Broth *** Kunde "Magnolia Lane" Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley, 2006 Grilled Beef Filet on White Cheddar – Bacon Potatoes and Summer Tomato Demi with Mixed Baby Vegetables *** Souverain Merlot, Alexander Valley, 2004 Sides Lobster - Scallion “Shooters” (6 pieces) 18. Fresh English Pea Risotto 12. Grilled Asparagus 8. Steamed Edamame 6. Pomme Frites 6. Sweet Plates Fresh Mint and Shaved Chocolate Ice Cream Puffs Valrhona Chocolate Glaze *** Cockburn's Special Reserve Port NV Madagascar Vanilla Crème Fraiche Parfait Chilled Strawberry Champagne Soup *** Ceretto Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, 2006 Dulce de Leche Banana Bread Pudding Myers Rum Sabayon *** Osborne Pedro Ximenez 1827 Sherry, Jerez Chocolate Brownie Pecan Tart Espresso Caramel, Mascarpone Cream *** Cockburn's Special Reserve Port NV | Executive Chef Kent Rathbun Chef de Cuisine Tre Wilcox Sous Chef J. Guadalupe Sous Chef Jermaine Brown Pastry Chef Rick Griggs Assistant Pastry Chef Kara Blair Additional $25 Per Person For Premium Wine Pairings jb

richard: that was a good wine tasting event. Thanks for putting that together. It was a lot more informal than I thought it would be. I was fearing that it would be a bunch of wine snobs sitting around debating whether the wines had quince, black olive, or plum undertones. Thankfully, this was not the case. Like you said, the wine rep did a great job giving a little background on the winery, the grapes, and the regions from which each wine was made. Besides, how often do you get to taste a wine that cost, at the store, $180?

yesterday, I had a Hop Whallop. Unfortunately, I'm suffering through a bad head cold, and the old taste buds have shut down. I couldn't taste a thing, but could actually feel the hops on my tongue. Can't wait for this dang cold to clear up so I can drink the other 5. On another note, while in California last week, I saw that Sieera Nevada had an IPA available. Has anyone tried that yet? I'm intrigued.

At the Galleria is Oceanaire Seafood. Somewhat expensive, but good. Near the Galleria is Snuffers for a burger and great cheese fries. Nates for good cajun seafood, although I don't think crawfish are in season anymore Blue Mesa serves some real good Southwestern/tex mex kind of food. Gloria's serves good El Salvadoran food. Sambuca is a good jazz place (for people that like that) that serves decent food. If you're into beer, there is a Flying Saucer nearby as well. LOTS of microbrews on tap.

For ribs near you, I'd head to Bakers Ribs on Greenville Ave.