Maggiano's Little Italy

My two daughters have recently started liking pizza and pasta.  This was a major event in my family, because my wife and I love Italian food and we can now have family meals at some of our favorite Italian restaurants.  Maggiano's Little Italy (Plano location) happens to be our favorite Italian eatery in Collin County, so one night we decided to take the girls there for Sunday dinner.

Mozzarella Marinara

We arrived hungry and immediately ordered an appetizer.  Although they have several appetizers that we like (the steamed mussels are a favorite), we decided to order the Mozzarella Marinara on this night.  Having never ordered this dish before, we really didn't know what to expect.  Rather than the typical cheese sticks you see at most Italian joints, this dish is large square pieces of mozzarella that are fried and served over their very flavorful marinara.  We enjoyed this appetizer and I would certainly order it again.

Chicken Picatta

Deciding what entree item to get is always a chore, because they have a long list of entrees to choose from.  On this visit, I ordered the Chicken Picatta and was pleased that I did.  The chicken was great and I loved the added flavor of the capers and the lemon butter sauce.  It was served with spaghetti aglio olio and I felt it was the perfect compliment to the chicken.  

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

My wife had the Baked Eggplant Parmesan and it was very good as well, but I certainly preferred my dish to hers.  Since this was one of the "On The House Classic Pastas", she also got to choose one of the other classics to take home and she chose the Baked Ziti.  We ate it later in the week and typical of Maggiano's dishes, it was big enough to feed two of us.  My kids were also pleased with their kid's menu meals of Spaghetti with Meatball and Cheese Pizza. 

We couldn't leave without dessert, so the four of us shared a piece of the Chocolate Zuccotto Cake and it was huge, very rich, and devoured to the last bite.  The service was once again impeccable and I don't ever recall having bad service at any of the Maggiano's locations.  If you haven't already visited Maggiano's, this place can be a great place for a date, dinner with friends, or even dinner with two rowdy little girls.  I am so glad my daughters will eat Italian cuisine now, because that allows us to more frequently visit some of our favorite places, including Maggiano's.

Chocolate Zuccotto Cake

Maggiano's Little Italy
http://www.maggianos.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

Rum Runners

On our way to Seaside, we stopped in Sandestin around lunchtime. Having some time to kill until we were able to get into our beach house, we decided to go The Village of Baytowne Wharf because our kids had enjoyed it on a previous visit.  After walking around for while and perusing the various restaurants, we decided to dine at Rum Runners.

Having never dined here before, I asked our waitress what she would recommend for an appetizer.  She suggested the Caribbean Egg Rolls, which were crispy flour tortillas stuffed with Jerk chicken, onions, peppers, black beans, pepper jack cheese, corn, and salsa.  The dish was served with what tasted like sweet and sour sauce.  I anticipated a flavorful dish, but the egg rolls were very bland.

Caribbean Egg Rolls

Knowing that we would probably be having a big dinner with my in-laws, I decided to just order a sandwich and fries for my second course.  I chose the Fried Grouper Sandwich, which was the fresh fish of the day.   The fish was crispy and the sandwich was better than our appetizer, but nothing special and the fries tasted like they were frozen and out of a bag.  

Fried Grouper Sandwich

My wife had the Spring Salad and the kids ordered mini-corn dogs. The kids didn't seem to mind their food, but my wife barely touched her salad.  The service could have been better too.  While our waitress was friendly, she went long periods of time without checking on us and refilling drinks.  The restaurant had only a handful of other customers, which should have been a sign to stay away since it should have been busier on a Saturday at lunch.  Overall, I was disappointed in the restaurant and I cannot recommend it because there are much better casual seafood restaurants in the area.

Rum Runners
http://www.rumrunners.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Cafe Du Monde

Before we went to New Orleans, my wife informed me that we had to do two things:  eat breakfast at Cafe Du Monde and ride a trolley.  Both of those things had made an impression on her when she visited New Orleans as a child, so she insisted that we do them with our kids as well.  It just so happened that we had a trolley line close to our hotel that could take us directly to the Cafe Du Monde location at Jackson Square.  I love it when I can kill two birds with one stone while making my wife happy!

Beignets

I had read that this location of Cafe Du Monde could get very crowded on weekends, so I woke my family up at 6 a.m.  We were able to jump on a trolley and beat the crowds to Cafe Du Monde.  Despite it being really early for a Saturday morning, we took the last table available indoors.  We promptly ordered three orders of beignets, coffee for my wife and I, and milk for the kids.

Chicory Coffee

The beignets arrived covered in powdered sugar, so I was very glad that I had worn a white t-shirt.  All of us dug into the beignets and  enjoyed these donut-like treats.  I was expecting them to be light and fluffy, but they were much more dense than I had anticipated.  The flavor was very good and there was plenty of powdered sugar to go around for everyone.  They were definitely flavorful, but I didn't think they were the best beignets I have ever had.  While I usually don't put cream and sugar in my coffee, I was pleased with the restaurant's chicory coffee.

My youngest with her first bite of a beignet

The service is very quick and they seem to be experts at getting large numbers of people in and out.  By the time we left, there was a line thirty deep waiting to be seated.  We all enjoyed our experience at Cafe Du Monde, but it didn't live up to the hype my wife had been building up for a month before our arrival.  That being said, it was a decent enough breakfast and a fun place for families to go and get covered in powdered sugar.

Cafe Du Monde
http://www.cafedumonde.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Bonefish Grill

There are not a whole lot of good seafood options in Collin County, so I was pleased to see that a new option is now available in Allen.  I have driven by the construction site of Bonefish Grill for the last few months and my family decided to dine there when it was finally open for business.  Upon arrival, we were surprised by how nice it was inside and we second guessed our decision to bring the kids.  We looked around and saw several other tables with kids of the same age, so we decided that our kids would not make too much of a disturbance.

Wagyu Beef Ginger Potstickers

I started with the Wagyu Beef Ginger Potstickers, which came with crispy onions, Thai peppers, and green onions.  The large order of potstickers also sat atop soy sauce.  There were several different flavors going on here, but they all blended well.  Despite this being a seafood restaurant, this dish was more than adequate and the dumplings were entirely filled with beef.

For my entree, I ordered the chef's special of the day, which was Fresh Grouper.  The grouper was grilled, topped with a lemon butter sauce, and served with seasonal vegetables and one side of your choice.  Potatoes Au Gratin were my side of choice and I also added a house Ceasar Salad.

Caesar Salad

The salad arrived first, but was disappointing and lacked flavor.  Instead of freshly shredded or shaved Parmesan, it came topped with grated Parmesan that looked like what people sprinkle over pizza.  The croutons were few and far between.

Grouper with Au Gratin Potatoes and Zucchini

The grouper was actually quite good and I was happy that I added the lemon butter sauce as a topping.  The fish was flaky, moist, and had a very mild flavor.  The potatoes au gratin were almost too rich, but I enjoyed each bite.  Zucchini was the seasonal vegetable of the day and it was also quite good.  

My wife ordered the Lobster Rolls with fries.  While the fries were not great, the lobster rolls were terrific.  The lobster tasted fresh, the cole slaw had good flavor, and the bread was delicious.  These were some of the best lobster rolls I have had in several months.  Unfortunately, my wife thought they were great too and only allowed me one bite.

Lobster Rolls

I was quite full after eating all this food, but I didn't let it stop me from ordering dessert.  The four of us decided to split the Berry Shortcake, which was topped with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and an ample amount of whipped cream.  This tasty dessert had so much fruit that I almost felt like I was eating healthy!  We were more than happy with our choice of this seasonal dessert.

Berry Shortcake

My family enjoyed our first visit to Bonefish Grill.  The kids gave a thumbs up to their mac n' cheese and chicken strips.  Although this casual restaurant borders on being a fine dining establishment, the staff was more than accommodating to kids and the table is covered in butcher paper which the kids can use to color.  It was busy when were were there and I anticipate it continuing to be busy as there are not many decent seafood options in this area.  We arrived around 5:30 and by the time we left an hour later, there was a long wait (approximately 40 people) for a table.  The food and service at this place will certainly bring us back.

Bonefish Grill
https://www.bonefishgrill.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Rainforest Cafe

My brother and I were supposed to go camping with my oldest daughter on a recent weekend, but we were notified by Ray Roberts State Park that the camping area was forced to temporarily shut down due to flooding from the recent rains.  Since our camping trip was a no-go, we decided to take my daughter on a Saturday adventure instead.  Although she was disappointed that we wouldn't be camping, she was excited that plan B included a trip to the Rainforest Cafe and the Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine Mills Mall.

Somebody was happy to be at the Rainforest Cafe.

We had never been to the Rainforest Cafe, but my daughter was enamored with the place from the moment we stepped into the restaurant.  The jungle theme with gorillas, elephants, tigers, and leopards was something she couldn't stop talking about all day.  After she was able to curtail her excitement for a few moments, we ordered the cheese sticks for an appetizer.  The cheese sticks were very basic, but I really liked the flavor of the marinara sauce.

Cheese Sticks

The restaurant had a larger menu than most restaurants and had plenty of options, but I was in the mood for seafood.  I ordered the Congo Fish Plate, which included two large fried whitefish fillets, fries, and cole slaw.  The fish was not as crispy as I would have preferred and it was much more "fishy" tasting than what I have come to expect from whitefish.  As for the sides, they were also disappointing.

Congo Fish Plate-Fried Whitefish, fries, and slaw

My brother ordered the Beastly Burger, which had two patties.  The burger was very large, but neither of us were impressed with it's taste.  My daughter ordered the two cheeseburger sliders with applesauce.  She seemed to enjoy her meal much more than the adults did.

Beastly Burger-Double Meat Cheeseburger

The cheese sticks ended up being the highlight of the meal.  Everything else we tried was below average in the taste department.    I will say that the service was very good and they go above and beyond to make it a fun experience for the kids.  Even though the food was a disappointment, I would go back again with my kids just to see the sparkle in my daughter's eyes while we dined.

Fun at the Sea Life Aquarium after out lunch at Rainforest Cafe

Rainforest Cafe
http://www.rainforestcafe.com
Livin the Good Life=2

VooDoo BBQ & Grill

VooDoo BBQ & Grill recently opened it's first Texas location in Frisco.  This popular chain originated in New Orleans and claims to combine barbecue with Cajun, Creole, and Caribbean-style dishes.  Being a fan of both barbecue and Cajun food, I was eagerly anticipating this opening.

I have dined at VooDoo BBQ & Grill twice since this restaurant opened in early May and I have sampled a variety of items.  One of the first items I tried was a bowl of Red Beans and Rice.  The bowl was quite large and the dish was topped with sliced spicy Cajun sausage.  I liked the taste and the fact that it had plenty of sausage, but it tasted even better when I added a little dash of hot sauce.  The portion was actually large enough for a meal, but I had it for appetizer.  

Red Beans and Rice

They have several different barbecue platters with meats that you could find at any barbecue joint, but the restaurant also serves Jerk chicken, Cajun slow cooked chicken, and The Carnival, which includes brisket, chicken, pulled pork, and sausage that is chopped and mixed with sauce.  I had the two meat platter, aka The Graveyard Platter, with brisket and pulled pork.  This item comes with two sides and I ended up adding a third.  

Clockwise From Top Left-Cornbread Pudding, Jambalaya, Brisket, Pulled Pork, Cornbread, and Cajun Fries.

The brisket I had was absolutely abysmal, even by chain standards.  The lean slices I received lacked a smoky flavor, were cut too thin, and were extremely tough.  As bad as the brisket was, I absolutely loved the pulled pork.  It had an excellent bark and had the smoky taste that was lacking in the brisket.  The restaurant offers three types of barbecue sauce that included Mojo sauce (traditional sauce), Cane Vinegar sauce, and spicy sauce made with Crystal hot sauce.  Of the three, I preferred the Mojo sauce.  For sides, I had the fries, jambalaya, and cornbread pudding.  The cornbread pudding was out-of-this-world delicious and the the jambalaya was top notch as well.  The fries were sprinkled with Cajun spices, but were note even close to being as good as the other two sides.

Three Types of Sauce

On my next visit, I decided to try the Jerk Chicken Po' Boy with a side of Gumbo.  The Jerk Chicken itself was a thick sliced chicken breast and it had great flavor that one expects from Jerk spice.  The portion was quite large and filled up the entire six inches of the French bread.  The gumbo I received didn't have much chicken in it and was lacking in flavor until I added a little of the Crystal hot sauce to it.

Jerk Chicken Po'Boy and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

I was also able to sample the Beignets.  Ir took about ten minutes for them to cook, but the arrived piping hot with plenty of powdered sugar.  The beignets were some of the best I have had in recent memory and I quickly inhaled all three of them in the order.

Beignets

VooDoo BBQ & Grill had some very good items and some I will take a pass on when I visit in the future.  The brisket, gumbo, and fries will not make my list of favorites, but I really liked the pulled pork, the cornbread pudding, the jambalaya, and the beignets.  There are better barbecue choices in Collin County, but I really thought this place was better than average and found the Cajun twist a pleasant experience.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill
http://www.voodoobbqandgrill.com/home
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

S. & D. Oyster Company

Oysters on the Half-Shell

My wife absolutely loves oysters on the half-shell and S. & D. Oyster Company is her favorite place to eat them in Dallas.  I actually prefer oysters fried or chargrilled, but my wife prefers hers raw and she assures me that few are better than those served at S. & D. Oyster Company.  She has been dining there with her family for over three decades and we recently celebrated her birthday at S. &. D.

Hush Puppies and a French Loaf

While my wife ordered a half dozen oysters, the rest of us had seafood gumbo, hush puppies, and a couple of french loafs.  The gumbo was very thick and was just spicy enough for me.  As for the other items, the french loafs were slightly better than the hush puppies.

Cup of Seafood Gumbo

I ordered the Grouper Fish Loaf and fries for my meal.  Grouper is one of my favorite types of fish to eat and the Po'-Boy-like fish loaf was good, but it only came with tartar sauce and ketchup.  I would have preferred that the sandwich be topped with lettuce and tomato or cole slaw.  The fries were average at best and very bland.  Others in our party ordered the fried shrimp and the fried snapper, both of which got a thumbs up from the family members who ordered them.

Grouper Fish Loaf

My wife couldn't leave without getting the Bread Pudding, which she claims is her favorite bread pudding in Dallas.  I tried some and agreed that it was good, but I wouldn't consider it to be the best in Dallas.  I had the Lemon Pie and actually preferred it to the Bread Pudding.

Bread Pudding

The service was outstanding as usual and even the kids enjoyed their meals.  An expansion is occurring right now and it should greatly increase the amount of people that can dine at the restaurant, which is a good thing because it usually gets packed after 6 p.m.  While I don't hold the restaurant in the same regard as my wife does, it is still a solid seafood restaurant and judging by her smile it seemed that my wife thoroughly enjoyed her birthday dinner.

S. & D. Oyster Company
http://sdoyster.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