Urban Crust

Day 4 of Icepocalypse 2013 found me having a rare weekday off.  The roads in my neighborhood had all melted, so I decided to run a few errands.  My last errand of the day happened to be close to downtown Plano, so I decided to stop in and have a bite to eat at Urban Crust.  Urban Crust has been on my short list of pizza joints to try, so I took advantage of the opportunity and stopped in to grab a pizza for lunch.

The oven at Urban Crust

Reviews by critics have always been favorable for Urban Crust, so I had high expectations for this pizza joint.  The staff was extremely friendly and I was pleased to see that they had a lunch special that included an eight-inch one topping pizza, soup or salad, and a drink for $8.90.  It seemed like a good value, so I ordered a pepperoni pizza, Caesar salad, and an iced tea.

Caesar Salad

Within just a couple of minutes, I had my salad, tea, and some flatbread at my table.  The salad had a Caesar dressing that was very light and it was covered in large pieces of shaved Parmesan cheese.  The bread was served with a side of marinara sauce and an olive oil based dipping sauce that included several other herbs, chopped olives, and garlic.  The salad was good and the bread and dipping sauces were a nice surprise.

Bread and Dipping Sauces

My pepperoni pizza arrived just as I was finishing my salad and flatbread.  It was just the right size for a lunch that had already included a salad and bread.  The pepperoni was delicious, but the mozzarella may have been some of the best I have ever had on a pizza.  The crust was pretty typical of a wood-fired pizza joint, but it was cooked to perfection.

Pepperoni Pizza

I enjoyed my lunch at Urban Crust and will certainly go back again.  One would be hard pressed to find a better value for a lunch special, because it usually costs me more than $8.90 to get burger, fries, and drink at a fast food joint.  The service was outstanding at Urban Crust and the restaurant itself had a very homey feel to it.  While this place is not my absolute favorite DFW pizza joint, Urban Crust is certainly worthy of the praise it has received from DFW food critics.

Dining Area

Urban Crust
http://www.urbancrust.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating = 3

Emporium Pies

During our family outing to escape the 2013 DFW Icepocalypse, we went to downtown McKinney and enjoyed lunch at Spoons Cafe.  Following lunch, my wife and I both had a sweet tooth and decided to walk around the corner and try the new pie shop.  Emporium Pies had very recently opened up a sister location to it's popular Bishop Arts District location and we were anxious to try out this new location in Downtown McKinney.

Pie Counter at Emporium Pies

Several Dallas area publications had very high praise for this pie shop, so we had high hopes for this new location.  When we arrived, they even told us they were giving a ten percent discount to all local residents who ventured the dangerous road to come eat pie.  The location of Emporium Pies in Downtown McKinney is very "cute" according to my wife, but I was more impressed with the smell when we walked in.  The smell of coffee and pies filled the entire pie shop.

The Smooth Operator

Several delicious-sounding pies were on the menu on this particular day.  The gentleman behind the counter informed us that they had some pies that they served year-round and others that they rotated seasonally.  It was a tough choice, but I chose the Smooth Operator (French Silk Chocolate on a Pretzel Crust) and so did my oldest daughter.  My wife chose the Lord of the Pies (Deep Dish Apple Pie with Cinnamon Streusel).  We also ordered two cups of coffee and sat down to wait for our slices of pie to arrive.

Lord of the Pies

After five minute wait, our order arrived and they looked amazing.   My first bite of the Smooth Operator was the highlight of my ice-filled weekend.  I quickly devoured the rest of what was the best chocolate pie I have ever had the pleasure of eating.  My wife only gave me one bite of her apple pie and slapped my hand when I tried to get a second bite.  I am not usually a fan of apple pie, but this pie was good enough where I would eat it any day.  

My oldest daughter enjoying her pie 

My youngest daughter sneaking a piece of mommy's pie

On top of the awesome pies, the coffee was strong and had a rich flavor.  With this kind of quality desserts being served, I can see Emporium Pies becoming a frequent stop for our household.  I regret that I was not able to try all the pies on this visit, but I plan to try them all in the very near future.  I highly recommend Emporium Pies, so stop by if you are in the vicinity of the McKinney Square.

Emporium Pies
http://emporiumpies.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating = 5

Spoons Cafe

Icepocalypse 2013 hit McKinney Texas and covered our neighborhood in three inches of thick ice.  Due to the ice and the fact the temperature had not rose above freezing, I had not been able to leave the house in three days.  I had a severe case of cabin fever and could not take another hour being trapped in the house with my wife and two daughters.  If I had heard another verse of The Sound of Music, I might have gone crazy.  I decided I was escaping the house and spent two hours scraping my drive way and de-icing my truck.  I loaded the fam in my truck and we headed to downtown McKinney for lunch.

A few determined souls braved the icy roads.

We did not have a specific destination in mind, so we decided we would eat at the first place that struck our fancy and was actually open.  Spoons Cafe, located on the McKinney Square, was open and it sounded good to all in the car.  It happens to be a restaurant that my family enjoys, but we don't eat there often due to the fact that there is usually a long wait.  I know it might be hard to believe, but long waits with a five year old and a one year old are not that enjoyable.  Lucky for us, only seven to eight other groups had braved the icepocalypse and decided to dine at Spoons Cafe.  This restaurant is primarily known for their breakfast, but they serve up some pretty decent soups, sandwiches, and burgers.

My oldest warming up with some hot chocolate

We were seated quickly and decided we would start with an appetizer of cheese fries with bacon.  The peppered fries arrived covered in cheese and bacon.  I was very please that they had not skimped on the bacon, because it was delicious.  Without question, these were some the best cheese fries I have had in some time.

Some top notch Cheese Fries

For my main meal, I ordered the club sandwich with fried okra.  I usually don't eat sandwiches with okra, but I didn't want fries since I had just had a huge order of cheese fries.  The club was very good and included more of the fantastic tasting bacon.  The sourdough bread was fantastic as well, but I was a little disappointed that the sandwich did not have more turkey and ham on it.  The okra had a light batter that was really crispy and had great flavor.

Club Sandwich with Fried Okra

My wife got the half sandwich and soup combo; getting the BLTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado) and the tomato basil soup.  She said that both were good, but she particularly liked the soup.  One of my daughters had the kids chicken strips and another got the grilled cheese.  Both cleaned their plates and I didn't hear any complaints from them.

BLTA and Tomato Basil Soup

This visit and every other visit to Spoons Cafe has been a pleasant one.  We were starving when we arrived and the food really hit the spot.  Although I would have preferred more deli meat on my club, I though the food was good overall.  The service was commendable and our waitress was very friendly.  Spoons Cafe is always a reliable breakfast and lunch destination for me and my family.

Spoons Cafe
http://www.spoonscafe.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Kelly's at the Village

On a recent Sunday evening, my wife and I were very extremely tired; her from shopping and me from a stressful afternoon of following my fantasy football teams.  Neither of us wanted to cook, so we decided to go out for dinner. We didn't want to go to far, so we decided to venture to the Allen/Fairview area around Stacy Road.  I wanted to go somewhere that I could continue watching football, so we decided to give Kelly's at the Village a try.

Patio area at Kelly's at the Village

We had never been to this restaurant before, but we had dined at Kelly's other restaurant, Kelly's Eastside, in downtown Plano.  It was a nice evening, so we sat on the patio area.  They had a pretty decent selection of appetizers that included chips and queso.  Never being one to turn down this particular appetizer, we ordered chips and queso and added spicy beef.  The queso had excellent flavor and the spicy beef gave it a mild kick, but it was a little too runny for my particular tastes.

Chips and Queso with Spicy Beef

For my entree, I ordered the chicken fried steak with fries and dirty rice.  The chicken fried steak itself was fairly avererage.  The batter had a nice flavor, but it was somewhat tough and didn't come topped with much gravy.  The fries had a great seasoning to them, but were very chewy and made me think that they had been sitting out too long prior to being served.  The dirty rice is not something that I would usually order with chicken fried steak, but it had great flavor.  My only complaint was the fact that it was a little too dry and made me think that it too had been sitting out too long under a heat lamp prior to being served.  The meal was also served with cornbread which was flavorful, but somewhat cold.  

Chicken Fried Steak with Fries, Dirty Rice, and Cornbread

My wife ordered the grilled chicken club with cheese, bacon and avocado.  She said the it was delicious, but she also didn't care for the fries either.  My oldest daughter had the kids chicken fingers with fries and didn't seem to have any complaints.

Grilled Chicken Club 

Kids Chicken Tender Basket

Our first visit to Kelly's at the Village had mixed results.  Some items were really good, while other were less than desirable.  The service was decent and the patio areas was very comfortable with plenty of TVs for me to watch the game.  I would be willing to go back here again and try some other items.

Kelly's at the Village
http://www.kellysatthevillage.com/HomeVillage.html
Livin the Good Life Rating =3

Square Burger

Sundays are important to me and my family for two reasons; church and going out to eat with family following the church service.  We enjoy getting to worship as a family and enjoy getting to eat together as a family as well.  Following church, my in-laws or other family members frequently join us for lunch.  

Dining Area and Bar at Square Burger

The Square area in downtown McKinney is one of our go-to destinations due to the fact it is walking distance from our church. I have reviewed several restaurants located in this area, but I have not posted about one of my favorite burger joints in DFW; Square Burger.  I haven't been intentionally avoiding Square Burger, but there have been a lot of new restaurants opening in the area and we have been giving them a try lately.

The board where they list the daily specials not found on the menu

My party arrived at Square Burger on a recent Sunday and we were one of the first groups through the door a few minutes after 11:00 a.m.  The first thing we did was check out the daily specials because the restaurant usually has very appetizing specials that are not found on the menu.  Although several of the specials sounded good, I was here for a burger and ordered the Bacon and Smoked Cheddar BBQ Burger with a side of Spicy Onion Strings.  My wife ordered a bowl of the Pumpkin Bisque, which was one of the daily specials and a House Salad.  Others family members also ordered the Pumpkin Bisque and the Salmon Burger.

Pumpkin Bisque

House Salad

My burger arrived cooked to my specifications.  It was topped with fried onion strings and bacon.  It also included the usual lettuce, tomato, and onion, but the pickle was a fried pickle spear.  I have never put the spear on my burger because I usually gobble it up before I even start the burger.  The burger really was delicious and the spicy fried onion strings gave it the little extra flavor that made it a truly "great" burger. 

Bacon and Smoked Cheddar BBQ Burger with Spicy Onion Strings

My wife allowed me to try her pumpkin bisque and her house salad.  The bisque was very creamy and had the flavor of pumpkin pie.  Her house salad had a dressing that was a little too sweet for me, but I liked the candied cashews on the salad.  She was very pleased with her choices, but did take a couple of bites of my burger.

I have never had a bad meal while dining at Square Burger and my latest experience here was no exception.  The food was great and the service was spectacular.  Our waitress was even smiling when she had to clean up a mess when my oldest daughter spilled her Sprite.  Square Burger easily ranks in my top five DFW burger joints and I am sure I will eat here several times in 2014

Square Burger
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Square-Burger/110456025670122
Livin the Good Life Rating = 4

Mellow Mushroom

A pizza joint, Mellow Mushroom, recently opened up a location in downtown McKinney.  It is a chain that has been opening locations in Texas over the last year.  Several coworkers have had high praise for this pizza joint, so I decided that I must give this place a try.  On a recent Saturday, my brother and I made plans to go to lunch and decided to give Mellow Mushroom a try.

As you first walk into the restaurant, you notice a very Austinesque (Texas word for hippie-like) feel to the restaurant.  The front of the restaurant is open air when the weather is nice, thus allowing patrons to enjoy the sights and sounds of Louisiana Street.  There is a large bar area in the middle of the restaurant with an enormous selections of brews on tap.  When we arrived, we were seated in the back of the restaurant towards the kitchen.  I was surprised by how big the restaurant was, because it looked like a small space from the outside.  

Kitchen and Dining Area (note the totem pole made from kegs)

Mellow Mushroom has a rather extensive menu that includes several appetizers, salads, sandwiches, etc. in addition to pizza.  Our waiter was very helpful in giving us advice and explaining the menu to us.  We decided to start with an order of the Muffeletta cheese bread, which is french bread that was topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  It was served with a side of red sauce to dip your bread in and I thought the combination of bread and sauce was very good.  

Muffeletta Cheese Bread

Although the cheese bread was delicious, we were here to try their pizza.  Mellow Mushroom has an extensive selection of specialty pies, but they also have over forty toppings if you decide to build your own pizza.  My brother decided to order the Mighty Meaty, which was topped with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, and applewood-smoked bacon.  I built my own pizza with ham, applewood-smoked bacon, and fresh basil.

About twenty-five minutes after we ordered, our pizzas finally arrived.  My pizza could have won a prize if there was a pageant for beautiful looking pizza.  The pizza had a thick crust on the edges, but was somewhat thinner towards the middle.  What really made this pizza stand out was the fact that it included whole pieces of apple-wood smoked bacon.  Most places just have tiny bacon-bits on their pizza, but you get your money's worth at Mellow Mushroom.  It looked so good, I almost hated to eat it.  From the first bite, I knew this was going to be a great pizza.  The crust was fantastic and the toppings were absolutely delicious.  The apple-wood smoked bacon tasted as good as it looked.  The ham was good too, but not as delicious as the bacon.  My decision to top it with fresh basil also paid off, because the added flavor made it one of the better pizzas I have had in 2013.  

My Creation With Ham, Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon, and Fresh Basil

My brother gave me a slice of the Mighty Meaty pizza and it was a carnivore's dream.  Mellow Mushroom does not skimp on toppings and I ingested protein on every single bite.  By the time we finished our pizzas, we were both ready for a nap.  

The Mighty Meaty

Even though I had heard good things about Mellow Mushroom, I was skeptical because it was a chain.  It turns out I had nothing to fear, because the food was delicious.  Although we had to wait a long time for the pizza, our waiter and the rest of the staff were very attentive.  Cadillac Pizza Pub has been the undisputed champion of pizza in downtown McKinney, but they now have some legitimate competition with the addition of Mellow Mushroom to the Square area.

Mellow Mushroom
http://mellowmushroom.com/store/mckinney
Livin the Good Life Rating =3

Sauced Texas Kitchen

After doing some Christmas shopping in Allen, Texas, I decided to look for a place in the area to grab a late lunch.  Going from store to store to find that perfect gift for the wife can work up an appetite.  I was in the area of Bethany Drive, so I pulled into the parking lot of Sauced Texas Kitchen.  I really didn't know much about this place, but I had driven by it on several occasions and thought I would give it a try.  

Inside Sauced Texas Kitchen

Since it was a Saturday afternoon, I was please to see that it was a sports bar and had several television tuned to college football.  I started with an order of boneless wings "sauced" in Caribbean Jerk and an order of bacon cheese fries.  The wings and cheese fries arrived very quickly and I dug into my appetizers.  The boneless wings were not impressive at all.  They had the look and texture of chicken nuggets, while the sauce was very thin and didn't have much of the traditional flavor of Caribbean Jerk.  The cheese fries were a little better, but not much.  While they had plenty of cheese, they were lacking in the bacon department and I had to look very hard to find any underneath the cheese.

Boneless Wings with Caribbean Jerk Sauce

Bacon Cheese Fries (Bonus points if you can find bacon)

For my main meal, I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with onion rings.  When my order arrived, it looked like a million bucks.  My mom always said that looks can be deceiving and this was certainly the case here.  The burger itself was very dry, tasteless, and looked to be cooked from a pre-formed frozen patty.  The onions rings had an excellent looking batter with good flavor, but the onion rings themselves were very tough and chewy.

Bacon Cheeseburger with Onion Rings

While I was there, very few customers were dining at Sauced Texas Kitchen and now I know why.  The food was some of the most disappointing I have had in quite some time.  The service was decent, but it did not make up for the horrible food that was  pricey for the quality that I received.  This place will most certainly not be added to my lists of quality restaurants in Allen.  I should have stayed and grabbed a bite to eat while I was shopping at Watters Creek, because I know they have several quality restaurants to choose from.  

Sauced Texas Kitchen
http://www.saucedtexaskitchen.com/index.php
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Big Ray's BBQ

I happened to be in Allen, Texas for a playoff football game last week and was looking for a place to eat a quick bite before the game.  I was in the mood for barbecue and started doing some research on my iPhone.  After looking at some reviews, I decided to give Big Ray's BBQ a shot.  It seemed to be the the place to go in town to get barbecue and it was close to the new stadium in Allen.

Dining area of Big Ray's

I was warmly greeted when I entered Big Ray's and headed toward the serving line.  I decided on the three meat combo (because few barbecue joints have a six meat combo) and ordered it with brisket, turkey, and sausage.  Ribs were not an option on the combo plates and could only be ordered as a plate by themselves, which was disappointing because I usually order ribs on my combo plates.  For my two sides, I ordered the barbecue baked beans and the loaded mashed potatoes.  I also couldn't resist getting an order of the delicious looking banana pudding for dessert.

Three Meat Combo with Loaded Mashed Potatoes

The brisket was the first item I tried and it was very disappointing. It had great texture, but lacked bark and did not have even a hint of smokiness.  The sausage was above average and had great flavor.  I forgot to ask if they made it themselves or bought it, but it was good either way.  The turkey was very dry and like the brisket, I could not detect any smoky flavor.  The beans were excellent and I regretted that I didn't get a bigger scoop of them.  My final side was the loaded mashed potatoes.  They were decent, but nothing special.  

The BBQ Baked Beans were good.

Although I was disappointed in the barbecue, I still had high hopes for the banana pudding.  It did not disappoint.  The pudding was very light, had great texture, and had just the right amount of crumbled vanilla wafers.  I was tempted to go buy another serving, but it was getting late and I had to get to the game.

Great Banana Pudding

Based on the reviews that I read, Big Ray's was not as good as I was expecting.  Big Ray and his crew were extremely friendly, but the food was lacking on this visit.  I might try it again if I am in the area, but I would not go out of my way to try Big Ray's BBQ again.  If I want good barbecue in Collin County, Hutchins BBQ in McKinney is tops in the area (at least until the second location of Lockhart Smokehouse to open up in downtown Plano) and I would recommend them over Big Ray's.

The Taj Mahal of Texas HS Football Stadiums-Eagle Stadium in Allen

Texas HS Football Game-Even with a crowd in excess of 4,500 people, we did not come close to filling the 18,000 seat facility

Big Ray's BBQ

http://bigraysbarbeque.com/index.html

Livin the Good Life Rating = 2