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

Rye. Craft Food and Drink

In recent blog posts, I have described what a great destination Downtown McKinney has become, especially for foodies.  Several new restaurants have opened on the Square and one can easily find delicious restaurants with a variety of cuisines.  Earlier this year, Rye. Craft Food and Drink, opened in between Square Burger and Bien Salsa.  Since it has opened, my family has had the opportunity to eat there a couple of times and we have been impressed on both occasions.  

Below are some items that I have tried and my opinions of them:

Eggs Benedict- For brunch each Sunday, Rye offers an Eggs Benedict of the Day.  On one occasion, they offered pulled chicken atop bread pudding that was covered in chipotle Hollandaise sauce.  On another visit, they Benny of the Day was smoked Prime brisket atop house-made ricotta and fried green tomatoes, then topped with chive Hollandaise sauce.  Both were yummy, but I particularly liked the variety with the brisket and fried green tomatoes.

Chicken and Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce atop Bread Pudding 

Smoked Prim Brisket and House-made Ricotta atop Fried Green Tomatoes with Chive Hollandaise Sauce

Biscuit Slider Trio - Biscuit slider served with three different ingredients: crispy ham with local preserves, friend chicken with local honey, and applewood-smoked bacon, tomato, and goat cheese.  Although a little on the small side, the biscuits were delicious and I particularly liked the ham and the fried chicken.  

Rye Burger- 8 oz. burger served with rye-whiskey mustard, aged white cheddar, and a buttered brioche bun.  Simple burger, but the beef had a nice char and the veggies were fresh.  The mustard can be a little over-powering, so I recommend using it in moderation.  

Pancakes- Ordered these as a side and they were served with maple vanilla syrup.  I thought they were quite good and on a future visit, I will have to order the variety topped with Nutella and bacon.

Both of our visits have been at brunch, but we have liked the items we have tried so far.  My wife and I plan on dining here for dinner at some point and trying some of their dinner entrees like their steaks, pan roasted grouper, or chile-rubbed pork tenderloin.  Although the space is very intimate and has limited seating, the service had been exceptional on both visits and we like the rustic decor of the restaurant.  This place is certainly another welcome addition to the McKinney Square. 

Rye. Craft Food and Drink
http://www.ryemckinney.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4
 

Starwood Cafe

Cappuccino

The much awaited McKinney location of Starwood Cafe finally opened in Adriatica Village.  My wife has dined at the Frisco location on several occasions, but I have never had the opportunity to dine their myself.  On a recent Saturday morning, we loaded up the 2 girls and ate breakfast at the new location.  We arrived a little after 8 a.m. and there was already a crowd and a 30 minute wait.

Bacon, Hash Browns, and Eggs

My family and I tried several items, including cappuccinos, bacon, eggs, cheese grits, chicken fried steak, hash browns, toast and pancakes.  The majority of the items were good and the cappuccino, chicken fried steak, and pancakes were great.  In fact the chicken fried steak might be the best I have had so far in 2016 and the pancakes were pure greatness themselves.

Chicken Fried Steak, Eggs, and Cheese Grits

The service was as good as the food and the price was about what you would expect for breakfast and not expensive.  It is certainly a welcome addition to the McKinney breakfast scene and a place where I will go back again.  I actually went back the following weekend, only to find that the wait was over an hour.  Since it really hasn't been advertised that much, I can only assume that word of mouth is singing the praises of this restaurant, because people are beating down the door to get in.  I will just have to wake up earlier next time I visit!

Blueberry Pancakes

Starwood Cafe
http://starwoodcafe.com
Livin the Good Life Rating= 3
 

The Brass Tap

The Brass Tap, a craft beer bar, recently opened in Allen, TX.  In addition to being a craft beer bar with a huge selection of craft beers (over 200), it also has a kitchen that has a fairly large menu for a bar.  Since this place is just a stone's throw from my residence in McKinney, I have been there several times and sample several menu items.

Below are my thoughts and opinions on the food options I have tried:

Jalapeño Corn Fritters- Puffy and sweet with a slight kick from the jalapeños.  Served with Peppadew Pepper Ranch and sweet chili sauce for dipping.  Great appetizer.

Pretzel Bites- Another winner in the appetizer department, the pretzels are great, but the real winner is the beer cheese fondue.  Great combo of flavors when you dip the pretzel bites in the fondue.

Tempura Chicken Sliders-Meh...the tempura chicken finger on a King's Hawaiian roll sounded great, but didn't live up to expectations and was very bland.  The fries were average at best too.

Pretzel Pizzas- Individual pizzas made with pretzel dough.  Although you can barely make out the pretzel flavor, it is there.  I have tried both the Margherita and the Four Meat pizza and both were good.

Fish and Chips-Fish was good, but didn't care for the fries or the slaw.  Pretty basic fish and chips that you would expect to find at a pub. 

Cowboy Burger- smoked Gouda, pepper jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Cowboy Sauce.  Average burger, but loved the brioche bun and whatever ingredients they used to make their Cowboy Sauce.

For the most part, I have liked most of the food that I have tried at the Brass Tap.  It is certainly above-average in the bar/pub food dept.  The Jalapeño Corn Fritters and the Pretzel Bites are a definite hit in the appetizer department.  I am happy that another good restaurant is close to my house, but if you are a craft beer fan, you will be impressed with the selection as well.

The Brass Tap
http://www.brasstapbeerbar.com/Allen
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

Teddy Jack's Hub City Grill

Whenever I travel to Lubbock, I always attempt to try out new restaurants that I have never been to before.  I have my favorites that I frequently hit in the city, but I always enjoy trying new places.  On a recent visit, my family and I hit up Teddy Jack's Hub City Grill, which has a little bit of everything from burgers to wood fired pizzas.

Cheese Sticks

We arrived hungry and sampled several items.  Below is my opinions of each item we tried at Teddy Jacks:

Cheese Sticks- Very large and absolutely fantastic in the flavor department.  Reminded me of a smaller version of the cheese sticks at Spanky's.  
The Cowboy Burger-This burger came with A-1 steak sauce, cheddar cheese, onion rings, lettuce and tomato.  Pretty good burger with a lot of flavor.  I really liked the crispy onion ring (which I also ordered as my side item) and the addition of the A-1 sauce.  

Cowboy Burger with Onion Rings

Italian Meat Lovers Pizza- This impressive pizza was topped with mozzarella, Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Salami, and Prosciutto.  This was hands down, the best pizza I have ever had in Lubbock.  The toppings were generous and had great flavor, but it was a little on the spicy side.

Italian Meat Lovers Wood Fired Pizza

Chicken Strips- The hand battered chicken strips were tasty, but I wished they had been served with gravy instead of barbecue sauce or honey mustard.  The fries were basic and not noteworthy at all.  The onion rings I had with the burger were much better than the fries.

The menu at Teddy Jack's was quite extensive, so I only scratched the surface of what they had to offer, but most of what I tried was good to very good.  The wood fired pizza was probably my favorite item, but the cheese sticks were impressive in their own right.  I wouldn't hesitate to go back and dine at this restaurant and I think Teddy Jack's is a nice addition to the Hub City.

Teddy Jack's Hub City Grill
http://teddyjacks.com
Livin the Good Life Review=3

The Theodore

Tim Byers is one of the hottest chefs in DFW and his most recent brainchild, The Theodore, recently opened at NorthPark Mall.  Normally I shy away from mall dining, but this particular mall tends to be the exception to the rule and houses several quality restaurants.  Since I am a huge fan of another Byers restaurant, Smoke, I couldn't wait to try out this menu.  

Dining Area

The menu at this causal restaurant includes such items as sourdough toasts, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, desserts, etc.  Since it opened in November, I have had the opportunity to try several items.  Below is my opinion of the items I have tried:

Sausage and Chervil Sourdough Toast-This toast was generously topped with sausage, chervil, bacon, onions, and a spread which I could not identify.  I usually have an aversion to light colored sausages, but this one had a unique taste and was better than most.  The toast was flavorful in it's own right and was toasted just enough to hold up all the toppings.

Corned Beef Brisket and Cabbage Sandwich-  This open faced sandwich was topped with a delicious corned beef and plenty of cabbage.  This was some of the best corned beef I have had in recent memory and it was served atop the same delicious sourdough bread as the toast above.  Although I would have preferred less cabbage, it was cooked well and added to the flavor of the sandwich.

Burger on Sweet Yeast Roll-Quite basic, but extraordinary in it's simpleness.  The meat was juicy and flavorful, the roll was truly sweet, and the veggies were crisp.  It is refreshing to see a burger that is delicious without adding a bunch of toppings other than cheese, bacon, lettuce, pickle, onion, and tomato.

Beef Wellington- The fleet was cooked to perfection and the pastry was nice and crispy, but I really didn't care for the foie gras that sat atop the filet.  I have never been a fan of foie gras and thought even this small sampling of it, detracted from the meat itself.  Mashed potatoes accompanied this dish and they were amazing, but I would have preferred a larger sampling.  The gravy was also delicious.  

Crab Apple Toffee Cake- Loved the toffee cake, but felt the crab apple was a little too sour for my taste.  I was also disappointed in how small the dessert was.

Dark Chocolate Tart- Chocolate perfection.  The tart made me question ever eating anything else chocolate again besides this dessert.  In fact, it was so good, I considered ordering a second tart.

Most of the menu items I have sampled were good, but not all lived up to expectations.   The service was spectacular and what one comes to expect from a Tim Byers restaurant.  I do think Byers has another winner in The Theodore and I truly believe it is a nice addition to NorthPark Mall.

The Theodore
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Prairie House Restaurant

Driving home from a quick trip to West Texas, my wife and I decided to grab a bite to eat at Prairie House Restaurant in Cross Roads, Texas.  This restaurant, which is located on 380 between Denton and Little Elm, is always busy whenever we pass by.  Since the parking lot is always packed, we decided to stop on this trip and try the cuisine.

Dining area and bar

I was pleased to see that they had Burnt Ends as an appetizer.  Burnt Ends are a barbecue item that I cannot turn down and are absolutely amazing when done correctly.  Unfortunately, the burnt ends at this restaurant were a disappointment.  The burnt ends were from the point end of the brisket and had a decent smoke ring, but they were extremely chewy and were seriously lacking in the bark department.  

Burnt Ends

For my main meal, I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak with fries and onion rings.  The onion rings themselves were great, but the chicken fried steak was not tender and the batter was not cooked evenly.  The steak cut fries were horrible in flavor and tasted like they had been sitting under a heating lamp for a considerable amount of time.  My wife ordered the catfish basket and neither of us were impressed with the catfish, which was really bland.

Chicken Fried Steak 

Catfish

The food at the Prairie House Restaurant was extremely disappointing, but the service was worse.  Our server rarely checked on us and left me without refills on drinks for the duration of my meal.  Instead of checking on customers, the wait staff preferred to gather in groups and talk amongst themselves for most of the time we were there.  There will not be a return visit for me and I cannot recommend this place.

Prairie House Restaurant
http://www.phtexas.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

LUCK-Local Urban Craft Kitchen

Trinity Groves seems to be one of the hottest dining areas in Dallas these days.  There are no shortages of highly recommended restaurants at this relatively new development and I have been wanting to visit for some time.  As "luck" would have it, my family and I finally ventured into this area of Dallas and dined at LUCK, which is the acronym for Local Urban Craft Kitchen.

Patio at LUCK

After a morning field trip to the Perot, we arrived hungry and started with the Hand Twisted Soft Pretzels.  They arrived quickly and were served with beer cheese fondue and stone ground mustard.  This appetizer was very good and even the kids loved them.  My wife preferred dipping hers in the mustard, while I preferred the beer cheese fondue.

Hand Twisted Soft Pretzels

For my main meal, I ordered the North Texas Hot Brown.  This open face sandwich was served with thick turkey, bacon, grilled tomatoes, and topped with white cheddar beer cheese sauce.  Impressive does not begin to describe the greatness of this sandwich.  The turkey was great, the thick cut bacon was crispy, and the beer cheese sauce was tasty as well.  The house-made chips were also much better than average.

North Texas Hot Brown

My wife had the Signature Pastrami Sandwich on sourdough and she graciously gave me half.  The brisket pastrami had been cured for three days and smoked for fifteen hours.  It was served with caramelized onions, stone ground mustard, and Swiss cheese.  As good as my sandwich was, this sandwich blew mine away in the flavor department.  It had the taste of pastrami, but the texture and bark of brisket.  This was the first time I have had pastrami like this and I am not sure I can ever go back to eating regular pastrami again.  

Signature Pastrami Sandwich

The kids enjoyed their grilled cheese and chips as well.  LUCK was busy on this Friday afternoon and we had to sit outside on the patio, but the fans and breeze made it a pleasant dining experience.  The servers aim to please and do a commendable job, but the food is the real hero here.  I was impressed with my first dining experience at Trinity Groves.  LUCK was as good as advertised and I need to plan a return trip in the near future!

LUCK-Local Urban Craft Kitchen
http://www.luckdallas.com
Livin the Good Life=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