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

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
 

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

Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen

There are some restaurants that have such catchy names that they seem to draw you to them.  Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen, in downtown McKinney, is one of those restaurants.  What is there not to love about sugar and bacon?  I think bacon is so amazing that it should be it's own food group!  Foodies in Collin County and particularly those in McKinney, have eagerly awaited this restaurant's opening.  This brainchild of former Jasper's GM Johnny Carros and Jon Thompson, former executive chef at Stampede 66, opened it's doors to the public in late June.

Bar at Sugarbacon

Naturally, the Sugarbacon appetizer was the first item I tried.  The restaurant's namesake did not disappoint and is an absolutely delectable little bite.  This appetizer consists of smoked Berkshire pork belly that is basted in ancho barbecue sauce and served atop a crostini with bread-and-butter pickles.  The Sugarbacon here is tender and the ancho barbecue sauce has outstanding flavor.

Sugarbacon

I have also been impressed with the few entrees and sandwiches that I have tried.  It seems that everyone is doing Shrimp and Grits these days, but Sugarbacon does it much better than most.  The shrimp were perfectly cooked, had a tasty glaze on them, and sat atop some very fine grits that had a cheesy flavor to them. 

Shrimp and Grits

Of the sandwiches that I have tried, the Pulled Berkshire Pork Sandwich is my favorite.  The pork was extremely tender, had great flavor, and was topped with the barbecue sauce and some terrific cole slaw.  As good as the sandwich was, the house cut fries certainly don't play second fiddle to the sandwiches.  I don't know how else to describe them other than simple, salted, and amazing.  I could have eaten baskets full of them.

Pulled Berkshire Pork Sandwich

The SB Burger was also fantastic, although somewhat messy.  The burger is made with wagyu beef that comes from local favorite, Local Yocal.  The beef itself was excellent, but the flavor really goes over the top when you add a slab of sugarbacon slathered in ancho sauce, cheddar, garlic mayo, and b+b pickles on a buttered bun.  I also sampled the Griddled Cheese Sandwich, which included mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and sunflower pesto spread.  The pesto was quite unique and really gave the sandwich a flavor that was unusual, yet pleasing.

SB Burger 

Griddled Cheese Sandwich 

I have only tried one dessert, but I would be doing you a disservice if I did not recommend it to you.  The Chocolate Hazelnut Icebox Pie is a killer dessert.  It was so good, that we actually ordered it again on our second visit and didn't even consider ordering anything else.  The chocolate is very rich, has a great texture, and is served atop what tasted like a shortbread crust and topped with whipped cream.

Chocolate Hazelnut Icebox Pie

It definitely appears that downtown McKinney has another tasty and quirky gem that is fit for foodies.  Everything we have tried so far has been top notch and the service has matched the food.  When I first moved to McKinney, there was only a handful of restaurants on the square and now there are several outstanding restaurants.  I would rank Sugarbacon right on up there with the best in the area!

Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen
http://sugarbacon.com/#/
Livin the Good Life=4

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen

Rick Wells, a restaurateur based in McKinney, has been serving seasonal items at his steakhouse, Rick's Chophouse, for a number of years.  These menu items are in addition to his regular menu and usually features items from regional producers.  Mr. Wells recently decided to take this a step farther and opened Harvest Seasonal Kitchen last month.  The menu is filled with local, regional, and organic menu items and Andrea Shackelford was hired as executive chef for the restaurant.  Since Rick's Chophouse is one of my favorite restaurants in Collin County, I was very excited to try Harvest.

Decor and Bread Basket

I was unable to get a reservation for the first week that the restaurant opened in September, but my wife and I were finally able to dine at Harvest last week.  One of the first things that I noticed was that the restaurant was much larger than I had anticipated.  The restaurant is decorated with a rural theme, but not in a corny way that is such a cliche in many restaurants.  My wife absolutely loved the decor and assured me that it was "super cute."

Crispy Ribs

After our server described several of the appetizers and the nightly special, we decided to start with the Crispy Ribs.  The ribs were basted with their house version of Texas barbecue sauce and served with apple and pear slaw.  They arrived just a few minutes after we ordered them and the ribs were crispy on the outside, but very tender and easily pulled off the bone.  Both of us thought the sauce was extremely flavorful and felt that the apple and pear slaw was a perfect compliment to this dish.  We were also served a basket with a variety of tasty bread.

Chicken Fried Buffalo

I ordered the Chicken Fried Buffalo for my entrée. This dish was topped with sage gravy and was served with mashed sweet potatoes and squash gratin. The chicken fried buffalo was phenomenal and rivaled any chicken fried steak I have had in the last few years. The batter was fantastic and the sage gravy could not have been better. One of the restaurant's managers, Brent Tyler, explained to us that the batter on this particular item had hops, barley, and other byproducts from Franconia Brewery mixed in with flour. Both sides were great as well, but I liked the squash gratin the best. It was made from butternut squash and had a very sweet flavor.

Butternut Squash Gratin

My wife ordered the nightly special, which was Pan Roasted Black Drum.  It was served with sautéed sweet potato greens, purple kohlrabi, sweet potato puree, celery, and watermelon radish.  She was very pleased with the fish and I also enjoyed the couple of bites that she gave me. The sweet potato puree was the favorite of the sides that were included.

Pan Roasted Black Drum

Since everything that we had tried so far had been delicious, we decided that we could not leave without trying dessert.  My wife ordered the Apple Brown Betty with salt caramel ice cream and I ordered the Chocolate Whoopie Cake.  Of the two desserts, we both preferred the Chocolate Whoopie Cake, which had a tasty marshmallow center. 

Whoopie Cake

Apple Brown Betty

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen did not disappoint. The food was simply amazing and it was priced right too. For the quality of food, we felt the dishes we ordered were a good value. The service was remarkable during this visit as well and the wait staff is very informed about the menu and preparation of dishes.  If this restaurant can continue to consistently turn out dishes of this quality, it could easily be a top five restaurant in DFW. The dining experience we had at Harvest was one of the best overall dining experiences I have had in the DFW area in the past five years.

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
http://harvesttx.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=5

Bien Salsa

I recently had the opportunity to have brunch at Bien Salsa.  This Mexican restaurant is located in downtown Mckinney and has received good reviews from the majority of diners.  Bien Salsa has been on my wish list of local places to try and I was finally able to convince my family to eat there on a recent Sunday morning.

Dining Area

Chips and Salsa Sampler

A brunch menu is served on weekends and my party was pleased with this because my entire family is a big fan of brunch.  We started with the chips and salsa sampler.   Unlike most Mexican restaurants, this item is not free and they charge $2.49 for this item.  The fried tortilla chips come with three different types of salsa that included a chunky smoked salsa, salsa verde (green sauce), and a hot salsa.  I absolutely loved the chips and all three versions of salsa.  If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with the hot salsa.

Breakfast Taco Trio with flour tortillas

For my entree, I ordered the breakfast taco trio.  The dish had one chorizo and egg taco, one ham and egg taco, one potato and egg taco, black beans, and rice.  You can choose either corn or flour tortillas and I chose the latter.  Each taco was very good, but I was very impressed with the house-made chorizo.  The black beans were pretty basic, but the rice was very good.

Huevos Revueltos

My wife and mother-in-law both ordered the Huevos Revueltos which included scrambled eggs with bacon, salsa, corn tortillas, and flour tortillas.  The pancakes got a stamp of approval from my oldest daughter and my father-in-law enjoyed his breakfast of Chilaquiles Mexicanos served with bacon and potatoes.

Chilaquiles Mexicanos

Pancakes and fruit

The food was tasty on this visit and the portions were more than adequate.  Bien Salsa has a very nice dining area and the service was faultless on our visit.  Although this is an upscale Mexican restaurant, the food was not overly-pricey.  Now that I have tried their brunch menu, I cannot wait to go back and sample the goods on their dinner menu.

Bien Salsa
http://www.biensalsa.com/home
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

The Pub

On a recent Sunday, my family and I were looking for a quick meal after church.  My wife and I could not agree on any of our usual go-to restaurants, so we decided to try The Pub.  This bar and restaurant opened a few years ago, but this was our first visit here.

Bar and Dining Area

We arrived just as they were opening for the day, so we only shared the restaurant with a couple of die-hard soccer fans who were watching the World Cup game between Russia and Belgium.  For an appetizer, we chose the cheese board.  It came with several different varieties of cheese, smoked salmon, crackers, bread, sliced apples, and grapes.  The cheese board was very good and our family of four quickly devoured every item on the board.

Cheese Board

For my entree, I ordered the pub-style fish and chips.  The long pieces of beer battered cod was crispy on the ends, but were somewhat soggy in the middle.  Despite the soggy middles, the fish was flavorful.  The steak cut fries were pretty basic and similar to what you would expect with any order of fish and chips.

Fish and Chips

My wife ordered the Greek Salad.  She said it was a decent salad, but would have preferred her olives to be pitted.   The Pub also has a kids menu that has a few options for the little ones.   We ordered the fish and chips for one kid and the grilled cheese for the other.  The grilled cheese was eaten in it's entirety by my toddler, but my oldest only ate about half of her fish and chips because her fish was also soggy in the middle.

Greek Salad

If one is thirsty for some beverages made of hops and barley, The Pub has several local options on tap.  The food may not have been perfect on this visit, but it was still above average in the pub food department.  A table next to us ordered a delicious-looking burger and fries that I will be trying on my next visit.  This place would be a fun place to dine with friends or catch a game on one of their televisions, but it is also a kid friendly restaurant for lunch.  I liked the fact that the interior had an authentic "pub" feel to it and the menu had classic pub fare.  I enjoyed the visit enough to warrant a return trip to this restaurant.

The Pub
http://www.thepubmckinney.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=2