RIck's Chophouse

Although I have never blogged about it before, Rick's Chophouse is my favorite steakhouse in Collin County.  With a number of high-end steakhouses in Plano and Frisco, I believe that this is high praise for this restaurant situated in the historic McKinney Square.   When looking to show off McKinney's dining options to friends from out of town, this restaurant is always towards the top of my list.  I have dined at Rick's over a dozen times and I have never had a bad experience there.  Although I prefer some menu items over others, I am still yet to try anything that I just didn't like at all.

On a recent Friday night, my wife and I chose to dine at Rick's prior to taking in a movie.  We started with the Crab Dip and we were not disappointed.  The lump crab meat, goat cheese, and Texas caviar (aka black-eyed peas) combine to make a fantastic crab dip.  The thick tortilla chips had a little too much seasoning on this visit, but they were the perfect thickness for dipping into the crab dip.  Rick's has several delicious appetizers and we are also big fans of the calamari.

Crab Dip

The menu boasts delicious steaks and other entrees.  Although I am a fan of their bone-in ribeye and their filet, the restaurant also serves ups some delicious delicious wild game items that include black pepper crusted elk and buffalo tenderloin.  My wife really enjoys some of the seafood options on the menu and she chose the Shrimp and Grits on this visit.  I sampled some of her dish and was very impressed with the flavor.  The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the grits held their own as well.

Shrimp and Grits

On this night, I chose the Cowboy Bone-in Ribeye.  My steak arrived with a loaded bake potato and topped with three giant onion rings.  My steak was perfectly cooked to a medium-rare and was tender, perfectly marbled, and flavorful.  The baked potato was fantastic and the onion rings had a terrific batter.  I have had this ribeye several times and I can honestly say that it is one of the best in DFW.

Cowboy Bone-in Ribeye, Baked Potato, and Onion Rings

Being a little too full for each of us to have our own desserts, we decided to split a dessert.  On previous visits, we have enjoyed the bread pudding, the Amaretto creme brûlée, and the key lime pie.  On this visit, we decided to try the Pecan Pie.  The pecan pie filling and whiskey chocolate sauce tasted great, but the crust was a little too dry for my taste.  I am not usually a fan of vanilla ice cream, but the ice cream served with this pie was the best vanilla ice cream I have ever had.  

Pecan Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream

If you are in the McKinney area and looking for a great steakhouse, then I highly suggest that your take a look at Rick's Chophouse.  The service has always been spectacular, the food is terrific, and the old building has a lot of character.  The restaurant also has a large bar area in the back where you can listen to live music and a patio where you can enjoy the sights of the McKinney Square on a beautiful day (or night).  Sunday mornings are great here as well, because Rick's offers one of the best brunch buffets in DFW.  This restaurant continues to be one of our go-to restaurants and is always a quality experience.

Rick's Chophouse
http://rickschophouse.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Del Frisco's Grille

Del Frisco's Grille recently opened a location at the Shops at Legacy.  I heard good things about the Dallas and Southlake locations, so I have been wanting to try the Plano location ever since it opened.  My wife and I had the opportunity to meet for lunch there one day and it just so happened to coincide with DFW Restaurant Week and their lunch special of an appetizer and entree for $20.

Cheesesteak Egg Roll

The DFW Restaurant Week lunch menu had several items to choose from and I chose to order the Cheesesteak Egg Rolls and the Grille Prime Cheeseburger.  The egg rolls were great and I liked the crispy egg roll and the flavor of the cheesesteak. I also appreciated the fact that the onions were finely chopped and didn't overpower the dish.  The cheeseburger was okay, but not earth-shattering awesome in any way.  The fries were bland, but that was easily remedied when I added some more salt to them.

Grille Prime Cheeseburger and Fries

My wife went rogue and actually ordered off the normal lunch menu instead of the Restaurant Week Menu.  She ordered the Chicken Avocado Wrap with sweet potato fries.  It was a very large wrap, so she gave me half of it and I loved the flavor of the chicken, avocado, thick-cut bacon, and the chipotle aioli.  Usually I am not a fan of wraps, but this one was huge and I actually preferred it to my burger.  Her sweet potato fries also tasted much better than my fries.

Chicken Avocado Wrap and Sweet Potato Fries

We enjoyed our meal and the service was decent enough with no real complaints except having to wait a little longer than we should for drink refills.  I really liked the laid back atmosphere of this high-end casual restaurant and plan on going back.  Their dinner menu is intriguing and I really want to try out some of the items that were not available for lunch. 

Del Frisco's Grille
http://delfriscosgrille.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Abacus

DFW Restaurant Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  Think of it as Christmas in August for foodies.  This event is a week where participating restaurants offer a prix fixe dinner of three courses (or a two course lunch) and donate a portion of the proceeds to the North Texas Food Bank.  Over the last few years, my wife and I have made it a point to visit a restaurant or two for the benefit of charity and our bellies.  For the first night of DFW Restaurant Week, we chose to meet some friends at Abacus, which is a restaurant that I have wanted to try for quite some time.

Comanche Buffalo Potstickers

Between the four of us, we tried Comanche Buffalo Potstickers and the Cornmeal Crusted Calamari for the first course.  The potstickers were flavorful and tender, with the buffalo having a texture close to barbacoa.  The calamari was outstanding as well and I particularly liked the crunchy batter which was a nice balance to the tender texture of the calamari.  This dish was also served with thinly sliced fried green tomatoes which I also loved.

Cornmeal Crusted Calamari

The table also decided to order a side of the Lobster Scallion Shooters, which were served six to an order and were not included as part of the three-course dinner.  This dish was a fried lobster dumplings which were served in a shot glass and topped with a red curry-coconut creme.  We all agreed that this dish was incredible and even asked for a second order prior to our entrees.   The curry sauce was extremely flavorful and went well with the lobster dumplings.  

Lobster Scallion Shooter

Abacus had six different entrees available on the prix fixe menu and I went with the Beef Tenderloin, which was served with a Black Truffle Potato Puree and Brussels Sprouts.  The tenderloin itself was somewhat lacking in flavor, but the sides were both great.  I particularly enjoyed the Brussels Sprouts, which were amongst the best that I have ever had.

Beef Tenderloin

My wife ordered the 44 Farms Flat Iron Steak, which was served with Green Beans and Sweet Potato Gratin.  While not as tender as my tenderloin, her steak was better seasoned.  Both sides were good, but I was particularly intrigued and pleased by the unique flavor and texture of the sweet potato gratin.  

44 Farms Flat Iron Steak

For dessert, each couple was given a dessert trio that included a slice of Salted Caramel Tiramisu, a slice of Blackberry Upside Down Cake, and a Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Tart.  My wife liked the blackberry upside down cake the best and I preferred the tart, which was extremely rich and bursting with the flavor of dark chocolate.  Neither of us particularly cared for the tiramisu and we both agreed that we would have preferred a more traditional tiramisu.  

Clockwise from Top Left: Salted Caramel Tiramisu, Blackberry Upside Down Cake, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart

We had a great time catching up with friends and enjoying the menu at Abacus.  I preferred the appetizers and dessert to the entrees, but none of the food was bad.  The service was more than adequate and the entire staff was friendly and welcoming.  The restaurant has a nice atmosphere that would make it a fun place to dine with friends or a great place for a romantic night with a spouse or significant other.  

Abacus

http://www.abacus-restaurant.com

Livin the Good Life Rating=3

 

Preacher's Kitchen and The Hub

Two Short Reviews From My Family Vacation to Seaside, Florida.

While on a jog one morning, I ran (and I use this term loosely) past a new restaurant called Preacher's Kitchen that served burgers.   Later on that morning, my wife and daughters decided to have a girls day, which left me to my on devices for lunch.  Since I was flying solo, I decided to ride one of our rented bicycles to the restaurant and try out their burgers.

Cheeseburger with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Fried Egg

I ordered a burger with cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and a fried egg.  The burger was very good and I particularly liked the thick slices of applewood smoked bacon and the sweet bun.  The burger was juicy enough, but was only about 3/4 the size of the bun.  The fries were golden brown and seasoned lightly with seasoned salt.  Overall, the burger and fries combination was the best I have tried in the Seaside, Florida area.

Preacher's Kitchen
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

On yet another morning jog along 30A, I happened upon a new place called The Hub.  Jogging doesn't do me much good if I keep finding new places to eat, but I thought it might be a fun place to hang out and take the family.  That night, my family rode our tandem bikes to The Hub and decided to eat dinner and listen to some live music.  

The Hub has three different restaurants.  Mile Marker 15 serves tacos and also has a full bar, Red's Chicken Shack serves fried chicken, and Crave Burgers serves, you guessed it, burgers.  They also have an ice cream stand and a cart that serves cotton candy and shaved ice.

Outdoor Patio/Concert Area

My family sampled the burgers from Crave and the chicken strips from Red's Chicken House.  The burger was okay, but nothing to write home about.  The chicken strips were good, but weren't served with gravy or any dipping sauce.  The wedge fries served with them were not good at all.  The kids enjoyed ice cream and they shaved ice.  Although I was not impressed with the food, it was still a fun place for us to go hang out with the kids and enjoy some outdoor entertainment.

The Hub
http://www.hub30a.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

The Donut Hole

Having read good things about The Donut Hole, we thought we should try this place out.  They not only serve donuts, but they also serve breakfast and lunch.  After a morning at the beach, I loaded up the family with promises of both lunch and donuts for dessert.

When we arrived, the place was really busy with the late breakfast and early lunch crowd.  A busy restaurant is usually a sign of good food, but our table was passed by several times before a waitress finally took our orders after we had been seated for about fifteen minutes.  I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and Fries, which I now regret.  The chicken fried steak was comparable to the quality that one would find in a high school cafeteria and the fries were equally bad.  Neither tasted homemade and I strongly suspect they were purchased frozen from a supplier.  

Chicken Fried Steak and Fries

My wife ordered the BLT, which was better than my meal and had bacon that was thick and flavorful.  While not the best BLT I have ever had, it was certainly a step up from my meal.  She ordered the potato salad as her side and it left a lot to be desired.  Neither of us cared for the taste of this item.  

BLT and Potato Salad

The donuts ended up being the highlight of the meal, but I feel they were highly overrated as well.  I sampled the Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel.  I usually don't order cream filled donuts, but the two I ordered looked too good to pass up.  The Chocolate Angel was filled with chocolate, covered in powdered sugar, and was my favorite of the three I tried.  The chocolate donut was average compared to other donut places and I did not care much for the Cookies and Cream variety.  Even the crumbled Oreos on top didn't do it for me.

Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel

 Maybe I built this place up too much in my head due to the reviews I had read, but I was upset that I had wasted my family's time dining here.  The service was extremely slow and the food was disappointing.   If I ever go here again, I will only go for donuts for the kids and skip the other options.

The Donut Hole

Livin the Good Life Rating=1

The Great Southern Cafe

Seaside, Florida has quite a few restaurants in the downtown area.  During our previous visit to the town, we tried quite a few of them but didn't get to dine at all of them.  The Great Southern Cafe was one of them that we did not get to try on our first trip to Seaside.  We made it a point to remedy that situation on this trip because several friends highly recommended the restaurant.

Covered Patio Area 

Since my wife and I are both fans of collard greens, we started with the Soul Rolls.  They were essentially spring rolls filled with chicken and collard greens.  We both enjoyed the Asian-style take on a Southern-style food.  The rolls themselves were quite good, but I didn't particularly care for the peach chutney or the horseradish sauce that was served with them.

Soul Rolls

I had heard through the rumor mill that their Grits and Grillades was a dish that was not to be missed.  Having never had grillades before, it was a very unique taste and reminded me of gumbo made of beef.  This restaurants version of the dish consisted of slow roasted beef in a Shiraz stew and served over smoked Gouda cheese grits.  I absolutely loved the flavor of the dish and it was unquestionably the best-tasting food item I had on this trip.  It was so good that I almost cried when I shoveled the last bite in my mouth.

Grits and Grillades

My wife decided that she wanted to try the vegetable plate.  When people order the vegetable plate, you assume that they are trying to eat healthy.  This was not the case this time around as my wife chose fried okra, fried green tomatoes, grits, and black-eyed peas.  Everything on the plate was delicious, but the fried okra cut length-wise was absolutely incredible.

Veggie Plate-Fried Okra, Fried Green Tomatoes, Grits, and Black-Eyed Peas

We enjoyed the food at The Great Southern Cafe and were pleasantly surprised how cool the breeze as it was blowing off the ocean while we sat on the patio.  The place always seems to be packed to the gills, but the service was more than adequate despite the large crowd.  This place will definitely get a return visit from me the next time my family visits Seaside!  

The Great Southern Cafe
http://www.thegreatsoutherncafe.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4