Super Chix

I was in Richardson, TX for work one day and decided to head to the newish CityLine development to see what they had to offer.  Several restaurants now occupy this new area, but I decided to have lunch at Super Chix.  Several food bloggers and foodies have posted reviews and pictures of this restaurant on social media lately, so I thought I would see what all the buzz was about.

The restaurant offers chicken sandwiches and chicken tenders.  I couldn't decided between the two, so I ordered both.  For my sandwich, I ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, which was marinated in spices and tossed in their Nashville Sauce.  It was spicy, but not overly spicy and was served with a few thick-cut kosher pickles.  The sandwich was definitely in the upper tier of fried chicken sandwiches.

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

The chicken tenders were  crispy and had great flavor.  Patrons can choose between 4 different sauces and I chose the Mississippi Come Back Sauce, which tasted a lot like Thousand Island dressing.  If I had a do-over, I would have chosen the Alabama White Sauce.  I ordered the fries for a side and had them tossed in Rosemary Black Pepper seasoning.  As great as the chicken was, the fries were absolutely incredible and the portion was huge!

Chicken Tenders and Rosemary Black Pepper Fries

I was too full to try the frozen custard, which I hear is spectacular, but I did enjoy a grapefruit soda that was very refreshing.  This place is a little pricier than most fast food chicken joints, but the quality is better too.  If this place was closer to my home, I would certainly eat here often.  Next time I am in Richardson, I definitely plan a return trip!

Super Chix
http://superchix.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Julia Pearl Southern Cuisine

For the last few months, Julia Pearl Southern Cuisine has been on my "must try" list.  Being fond of all things Southern, and especially Southern food, I had high hopes for this restaurant.  I had also read favorable reviews, which sang the praise of this place.

Cornbread

We had reservations and were immediately seated and given complimentary cornbread.  The cornbread was pretty basic and nothing special, but I was hungry and we dug in.  I inquired about what soup of the day was and was told that they didn't have a soup on this particular day, but didn't give a reason as to why this was the case.  With no soup to choose from, we settled on the Black-Eyed Pea Hummus.  The hummus was okay, but the dish has a very high hummus to bread ratio and we quickly ran out of bread.

Black-eyed Pea Hummus

For my entree, I ordered the Oven Roasted Lemon Pepper Redfish. The fish was quite good and was served with a terrific sweet corn succotash and hush puppies.  Although the hush puppies were rather bland, the rest of the dish was very good and I would not hesitate to order it again.

Oven Roasted Lemon Pepper Redfish

My wife ordered the highly acclaimed Fried Chicken and attempted to order a side of Collard Greens.  Our waiter said he wasn't sure if they had any collard greens left and recommended she order a second side in case they were out of collards.  She ordered the Bacon Cheddar Cheese Grits as a back-up.  When her meal arrived, it arrived with the grits, which leads me to assume that they were out of collards.  The chicken had a tasty batter, but it was cold and dry.  The grits were fantastic, but couldn't compensate for the disappointing chicken.

Fried Chicken

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Grits

For dessert, we shared the Julia's Chocolate Cake.  The cake itself was dry and not great by any means, but it was served with a coffee ice cream that was commendable.  If I had a mulligan, I would have ordered the Lemon Cake or the Peach Cobbler.

Julia's Chocolate Cake

I arrived at this restaurant with expectations that it would be of the quality of Sissy's Southern Kitchen in Dallas, but it was anything but.  The food was disappointing overall and I was put off by the fact that neither the soup of the day or the collard greens were available on this night, despite the fact it wasn't even 7 p.m.  The noise level was moderate and the wait staff check on us regularly, but I am not sure if I would be willing to give this place a second chance.

http://juliapearlsoutherncuisine.com
Livin the Good Life Rating = 2

Kenny's East Coast Pizza

Pizza joints are a dime a dozen in the DFW area, but good pizza joints are rare gems in the Metroplex.  Highly acclaimed chef, Kenny Bowers, has many successful restaurants in DFW and recently through his hat in the ring to mix it up with the heavyweight pizzerias.  Kenny's East Coast Pizza recently opened in Plano and I had the opportunity to eat there with some family members recently.

Prosciutto Wrapped Fried Mozzarella

For our appetizer, we started with the Prosciutto Wrapped Fried Mozzarella.  Although I have had this menu item at his Italian concept, Kenny's Italian Kitchen, I felt compelled to order it here because I liked it so much on my last visit to said restaurant.  Others at our table were pleased with the taste and I felt it was a great start to our meal.

Pepperoni Pizza

We also ordered two pizzas, a pepperoni and a ham.  The pepperoni was one of the best pepperoni pizzas I have had in the state of Texas and I loved the sauce, the crust, and the abundance of cheese.  The ham was delicious as well, but played second fiddle to the pepperoni.

Ham Pizza

My daughters ordered from the kids menu, because neither of them wanted pizza on this visit.  My oldest had the chicken strips with chips and my youngest had the kid's spaghetti with a meatball.  My oldest liked her chicken strips, but my youngest chowed down on a larger than expected portion of the spaghetti.  I tried some of it myself and it was very good spaghetti.

Chicken Strips

Kids Spaghetti

I must say that I was quite pleased with Kenny's East Coast Pizza and can't wait to go again.  The service could have been a little better, but that is somewhat expected from a new restaurant.  It wasn't bad service, but they did forget a drink we ordered and could have checked on us a little more.  I have dined at several New York and East coast pizza restaurants while on vacation and I would put Kenny's East Coast Pizza up against any of them.

Kenny's East Coast Pizza
http://kennyseastcoastpizza.com
Livin the Good Life Rating = 4
 

Butcher Board

A co-worker recently recommended that I try Butcher Board, which is a new sandwich placed that opened next to Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen in downtown McKinney.  Butcher Board was actually opened by the same team that owns Sugarbacon, so I had high expectations prior to entering.  Unlike it's sister restaurant, patrons order at the counter and your sandwiches are brought to your table.

Below are a few items that we sampled on this visit:

The Whole Hog - If you like pork, this is the sandwich for you.  the bread is topped with a generous portion of honey-glazed ham, pulled pork, bacon, Swiss, and bbq mayo.  This sandwich was phenomenal and I would defiantly eat it again.

Wagyu Brisket Daily Special- This sandwich was a slightly different one then the one on the regular menu.  This sandwich had Wagyu brisket, cole slaw, jalapeños, and bbq sauce.  I was surprised by how good the brisket actually was.  It was tender, the fat was well rendered, and it had the perfect amount of smoke to it. This sandwich rivaled anything I have had at highly rated barbecue joints in the area.

Kids Chicken Strips- My daughters ordered these from the kids menu and I stole one (I realize this takes me out of the running for Father-of-the Year).  These chicken strips were battered with corn meal and fried like catfish.  Although unusual, it was good and my daughters enjoyed them.

Chocolate Chip Cookie- This was a huge cookie that had to way over 1/4 a pound.   The quality of the cookie was very good and neither of my kids could finish their cookie, which left some for me!

S'Mores Brownie - This brownie was topped with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed graham crackers.  I am not a fan of brownies in general, but this one was one of the best brownies I have ever had.

To say we were all pleased with our first visit to Butcher Board, would be an understatement.  The food was incredible and the staff was friendly and good at their jobs.  I will be back here in the near future because I really want to try a couple of other sandwiches, the Texas Cuban and the Wagyu Roast Beef.  This place takes sandwiches to a new level and rivals the other heavyweight and highly acclaimed sandwich shop in Downtown McKinney, Patina Green.

Butcher Board
http://butcherboard.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=5

Gregory's Bistro

For years, I have heard great things about Gregory's Bistro.  Even with all the praise, my wife and I had not dined at the restaurant, despite the fact it was so close to us.  The restaurant recently moved from it's location in Downtown McKinney and opened at it's new location in Adriatica Village.  On a recent Friday, we decided to finally go give it a try.

Upon walking in, our first impression was that it was a beautiful restaurant with simple decor.  Having reservations, we were immediately seated and some delicious bread and butter was brought to us.  For a starter, we decided to split the Crab and Lobster Cake, which was absolutely delicious and was a great start to the meal.

Lobster and Crab Cake

For our main course, my wife and I found Gregory's Feature of the Day to sound appealing and ordered that.   The feature was a Pan Seared Texas Redfish with Lobster and Hatch Green Chile Butter Sauce.  The dish was served on a bed of Pesto Fingerling Potatoes. I am not exaggerating here when I say that it was the best seafood dish that I have had in years.  The flavor was amazing and the ingredients went together nicely.  The potatoes were great too and went well with the fish.

Pan Seared Texas Redfish with Lobster and Hatch Green Chile Butter Sauce

Instead of splitting a dessert, we each ordered our own.  My wife had the Bread Pudding, which was quite tasty.  I had the Texas Pecan Cream Cake, which was light and not overly sweet.  Both desserts were great, but we could not agree on which we liked the most.  My wife liked the bread pudding best, but I loved the cake.  We each had a cappuccino to go with dessert and the coffee got a big thumbs up as well.

Bread Pudding 

Texas Pecan Cream Cake

Cappuccino 

We were quite pleased with our first visit to Gregory's Bistro and I would definitely rank it in my top 3 restaurants in McKinney, Texas.  Our table had an amazing view of the lake at Adriatica Village and you didn't feel like you were in the middle of a Dallas suburb.  With the decor and architecture of Adriatica Village, you almost felt like you were dining in Europe.  The service was absolutely on point and it was an amazing dining experience.  We can't wait for our next visit!

Gregory's Bistro
http://www.gregorysbistro.org
Livin the Good Life Rating=5

Grub Burger Bar

Grub Burger Bar recently opened another DFW location in Plano, Texas.  Several friends and fellow foodies said that they really enjoyed the burgers and food at the other Metroplex location on Greenville Avenue.  Despite the recommendations, I had yet to make it down to try that location, but was pleased to see that another location had opened in Plano, which is a much closer drive for me.

Bacon Love #9

We arrived to a line about 10 deep, but it moved quickly and they were taking our order in a matter of minutes.  I ordered the Bacon Love #9, which includes applewood smoked bacon, American Cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and secret sauce #9.  The burger was extremely juicy, the bacon was crispy and flavorful, and the overall flavor was spectacular.  I upgraded my fries to include the bacon cheese fries (minus the jalapeños) and they were delicious as well, particularly the bacon.  My buddy had the Mac 'N' Cheeseburger, which was topped with macaroni and cheese.  He said the texture was a little unusual, but he liked his burger as well.

Bacon Cheese Fries

Since the venue was newly opened, they were serving small samples of milkshakes to customers and I had a chocolate shake sample, which was certainly above average in the shake department.  I felt the service was pretty good and they got our food to us within 12 minutes, despite the fact that the place was jam packed.  The restaurant also has a full bar and a patio, but I wouldn't recommend sitting outside in North Texas until at least October.  I was impressed with what I had and I will be back to Grub Burger Bar!

Grub Burger Bar (Plano Location)
http://grubburgerbar.com/project/plano-tx/
Livin the Good Life Rating=4
 

The Printing Press Bar and Kitchen

The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen is located on George Street and occupies the former home of Susan Ferrier, a highly acclaimed 19th century Scottish novelists.  Prior to traveling to Edinburgh, I did some research into restaurants, and favorable reviews of this restaurant kept popping up on several occasions.  The restaurant offers up modern Scottish cuisine in a casual setting.  

Sourdough Loaf

For  a starter, my wife and I ordered the Sourdough Loaf for us to share.  The bread and butter really hit the spot because both of us were starving.  Prior the entree arriving, I also had a Scotch Egg, which was equally delectable.

Mince and Tatties

For my entree, I ordered the Mince and Tatties.  Although I had never heard of this dish before, it was absolutely delicious and I was happy with my choice.  Both the minced beef and the potatoes were very flavorful and filling.  

Truffled Honey Chicken

My wife ordered the Truffled Honey Chicken, which was tender and flavorful.  She allowed me only a small bite, which tells me that she really liked it.  We also split a side of Roasted Parsnips and Carrots, which were both quite good.

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

We finished off the meal with Cappuccinos and a Dark Chocolate Tart.  Both were enjoyable and were the perfect end to a very good meal.  The wait staff was friendly, but I felt they could have checked on us a little more.  The ambiance of the restaurant is very relaxing and would be a great place for a romantic dinner or a night out with friends.  I would not hesitate to return to this restaurant in the future.

Dark Chocolate Tart

The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen
http://www.printingpressedinburgh.co.uk/
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Zizzi

In case you didn't know, it rains a lot in Scotland.  One evening my wife and I were walking around Edinburgh and taking in the sights, when it began to rain on us.  My wife was on the verge of a "hangry" attack, so we decided to grab a bite to eat and get out of the rain.  The first place that we came across was Zizzi, which is an Italian restaurant chain in the United Kingdom.

Garlic Bread with Mozzarella

We had walked close to twelve miles that day exploring Edinburgh, so we were both starving.  We started with the Garlic Bread with Mozzarella.  The bread had caramelized balsamic onions on it, which gave it some additional flavor, but this dish really hit the spot and was quickly gobbled up.

Prosciutto Verde Rustica Pizza

For our main course we decided to split a pizza.  We chose their seasonal special, which was the Prosciutto Verde Rustica Pizza. This pizza was a white pizza with mozzarella, ham, balsamic tomatoes, garlic cloves, spinach, and prosciutto.  I am usually not a big fan of white pizzas, but this one was terrific.  We both agreed that it was one of the better pizzas we have had in 2016.

Tiramisu

For dessert, we split the Tiramisu, which might have been the best item we ate at Zizzi.  It was certainly top notch and amongst the best pieces of Tiramisu that I have ever had.  While the food was really good, the service was a little disappointing.  They seemed to be under-staffed and we had to wait quite a while between visits from our waitress, which left us without drinks frequently.  Although she didn't check in on us regularly, our waitress was friendly and helpful with the menu.  Overall, we thought the restaurant was very good, especially considering the fact we had done zero research or even heard about it prior to this visit.

Zizzi
https://www.zizzi.co.uk/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Angels with Bagpipes

On one of our days that we spent walking around Edinburgh, we decided to do a little fine dining and made reservations at Angels with Bagpipes, which is located on The Royal Mile.  I had a cousin that recommended this restaurant to me after she had dined there the previous year.  In addition to her recommendations, the Internet also offered up favorable reviews of this establishment which served up fresh Scottish Cuisine.

Bread and Oil

After ordering drinks, our waiter brought out some bread and oil  The fresh bread was fantastic and helped ease the hunger pains in my belly.  For my entree, I ordered the Fillet Steak topped with garlic butter.  My steak was cooked to perfection and the garlic butter gave it a little extra flavor kick that set it over the edge of greatness!  Without question, this was the best fillet (filet for us Americans) that I have had in a at least a couple of years.  It was served with an order of "chips", which were crispy and quite good in their own right.

Fillet

Chips (Fries)

My wife ordered the Salmon.  It was served with wild garlic and gnocchi.  As impressive as my steak was, her salmon was equally unimpressive.  My wife thought it tasted overly fishy and couldn't even finish it.  I sampled some myself and it did have a funny taste to it and was the worst of three salmon meals I tried on this visit to Scotland.  Our waiter was very gracious and insisted on having the chef remove it from our bill, which he did.

Salmon

Angels with Bagpipes is a very quaint restaurant with a comfortable feel to it.  Although the salmon was disappointing, I was quite happy with the quality and flavor of my steak.  The service was friendly and accommodating.  Since we had plans later that night, we skipped dessert, but they did have several interesting looking options on their menu.

Angels with Bagpipes
http://www.angelswithbagpipes.co.uk/the-restaurant/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3