Wild Salsa

After what seemed like an eternity, the Fairview location of Wild Salsa finally opened.  After watching the remodeling of the space for months, I was happy to see that it was finally open for customers.  With only a handful of good Mexican restaurants in Collin County, I had high hopes for Wild Salsa.

The menu boast more of a true Mexican restaurant and not the Tex Mex that you find in most restaurants in the area.  Below are my options of the items  I have tried thus far:

Choriqueso- this appetizer contains house-made chorizo and sizzling Oaxaca cheese served with flour tortillas.  I really liked this dish and there was plenty of chorizo, but it did tend towards the greasy side.  

Sopa Azteca Verde- basically a fancy name for chicken tortilla soup, but it was excellent.  It included chicken, tomatillo, hominy, Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and serrano.  The soup had a lot of different flavors working for it, but none that were overpowering.

Taco Al Pastor-Included pork, pineapple and pico de gallo.  Too much pico and not enough pork.
Chicken Tinga- chipotle rubbed chicken and pico de gallo.  The chicken was spectacular, but once again, their was too much pico.
Beef Barbacoa- Included Negro Modelo braised beef, chipotle, caramelized onions, and cilantro.  My favorite of the tacos I tried and it had plenty of meat and appropriate amounts of onions and cilantro.  The trio of tacos was also served with cilantro rice and black beans, both of which were pleasing to the palate.

Wild Salsa also has a kids menu and both of my kids chose the cheese quesadillas.  The waitstaff was excellent and we all enjoyed the decor, including a huge fireplace in the middle of the covered patio where we dined.  With a great location and a good menu, I see good things to come from Wild Salsa.

Wild Salsa
http://www.wildsalsarestaurant.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

La Duni-Fairview

La Duni is a popular Latin American restaurant with four locations in the DFW area.  I have always been a big fan of the location at NorthPark Mall and I have dined their on several occasions when forced to go shopping with my wife.  The location in Fairview is much closer to me, but I was disappointed with the service when it first opened and haven't been back since.  After a hiatus of several years, my family and I decided it was time to give this location another chance.

Brunch Chile Relleno

On a recent Sunday, we decided to try out the weekend brunch menu at La Duni in Fairview.  A Brunch Chile Relleno sounded intriguing, so I had to order it.  This poblano pepper was absolutely huge and took up half the plate.  The pepper was stuffed with refried black beans, eggs, bacon bits, cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, queso fresca, and charred salsa roja.  The dish really hit the spot and had an outstanding flavor.  I would have preferred more bacon, but who doesn't prefer more bacon?  The roasted potatoes were also better than average.  

Breakfast Tacos

My wife ordered the Breakfast Tacos with roasted potatoes.  She let me have one of her tacos and we both agreed that they were a little bland until you added some hot sauce and avocado mash to them.  My father-in-law had joined us for brunch and he ordered the Migas.  Although I didn't sample that dish, he said that it was very good.

Nutella Milk Chocolate Cake and Cuatros Leches Cake

La Duni is famous for their desserts and we ordered a trio of desserts; Cuatros Leches Cake, Nutella Milk Chocolate Cake, and a Grape Snow Cone for my daughter.  My daughter certainly enjoyed the snow cone, but my wife and I were big fans of the cake slices.  The Nutella Milk Chocolate Cake was very good and topped with an expresso white chocolate ganache sauce, but it was not near as good as the Cuatros Leches Cake.  We have had the Cuatros Leches several times before and it seems to get better each time.

Grape Snow Cone

Although the service wasn't exactly stellar on this visit either, the food more than made up for anything lacking with the service.  The first time I visited the restaurant, we had to wait for close to an hour for our food.  On this visit, they had our food to us in less than fifteen minutes.  I am glad that I gave this restaurant a second chance and my family will certainly be going back in the near future.  The brunch items were very good, but I might just go back and have a variety of cake slices for my meal.  

La Duni (Fairview Location)

http://laduni.com/fairview-village/#

Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Cane Rosso - Fairview

Having dined at the two Cane Rosso locations in Dallas, my wife and I were excited to hear that the mini-chain was going to open up a location in Fairview.  This new location of this pizzeria is located at The Village at Fairview and is only a short 10 minute drive from my house.  D Magazine has called Cane Rosso the best pizzeria in Dallas for three straight years and Eater.com has named it one of the top 15 pizzerias in the nation.  I have reviewed the White Rock location and was very impressed with this restaurant.

Bar and Kitchen

When this location first opened in September, I had heard that it was jam packed every night the first couple of weeks, so I waited until October to try out this location.  My family visited the restaurant on a Saturday morning just as they were opening and we were seated immediately.  I had heard that they have brunch specials on the weekend, so I was anxious to see what items they were going to offer that were not usually on the menu.

Garlic Knots

My family decided to share some appetizers before ordering pizzas.  We ordered the garlic knots and mozzarella fritta.  The garlic knots were larger than those you usually see at pizza joints or Italian restaurants and they were served with a red chile marinara that had a little kick to it.  The mozzarella fritta  consisted of house made mozzarella that was fried and served with a side of marinara.  Both appetizers were tasty and quickly consumed by the four of us.  

Mozzarella Fritta

After looking at the menu and hearing the brunch specials, I decided to order the breakfast pizza.  This pizza was topped with their house-made mozzarella, eggs, potatoes, speck, prosciutto, and grape tomatoes.  These ingredients blended into what I believe was the best breakfast pizza I have ever had.  Every bite was a masterpiece and I particularly liked the flavor of the speck and the potatoes.  My wife and girls shared a Margherita pizza, which is her favorite pizza.  Although they ate almost the entire pizza, my wife said it was not as good as Margherita pizzas she has had at other locations.

Breakfast Pizza

Sadly, we were all too full to eat dessert.  I had really wanted to try the S'Mores Calzone, which my wife had raved about after dining at one of the Dallas locations with a friend.  The food was fantastic and the service was just as good.  Cane Rosso Fairview will be getting more visits from me and my family.  It is easy to see why this restaurant is considered to be one of the top Neapolitan pizzerias in DFW.

Margherita Pizza

Update 2-2-15
TIP:  I have gone back several times since this first visit and have fallen in love with an off-the-menu pizza.  When you visit, ask for the Honey Bastard.  It has mozzarella, spicy sopressata, bacon marmalade, and habanero honey.  We have also tried the S'Mores calzone and I highly recommed that as well.   

Cane Rosso (Fairview)
http://ilcanerosso.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=5