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
 

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 Royale Magnificent Burgers

February of 2016 saw the opening of The Royale Magnificent Burgers in Plano.  The name is somewhat cumbersome, so most people have been referring to it as "The Royale."  John Tesar's most recent brainchild is his contribution to the growing number of burger joints in DFW.  The restaurant makes fancy burgers and shakes, but is also kid friendly.  

Best Chocolate Shake EVER

I was finally able to try the restaurant in May, which was three months after it's opening.  My daughter joined me on my visit and she insisted on ordering the chocolate shake, so I allowed her to order it...if, she promised to share it with me.  It arrived in a huge Mason jar and was topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, chocolate chips, and a toasted marshmallow.  Simply put, this was the most incredible chocolate shake I have ever had.  It was so good in fact, that I ordered a second shake just for myself.  In case you are wondering, I didn't share mine!

The Royale with Sweet Potato Chips

The Wagyu burgers were also quite tasty, and not overly expensive, considering they were made from Wagyu beef.  I had the Royale which was served with Applewood-smoked bacon and truffle aioli and my daughter had the Americano.  Both were extremely juicy, but the Royale was the better burger of the two and I particularly liked the favor of the truffle aioli.  Each burger was served with sweet potato chips that were both crispy and sweet.  In addition to the chips that come with each burger, we also tried their fries.  The thick cut fries were good as  well, although I didn't care for the pomegranate ketchup that was served with them.

Fries

In addition to the food, the servers were prompt and knowledgeable of the menu.  Although the burgers were good, the shakes were absolutely fantastic.  On my next visit, I will also be trying the Queso Poutine Fries, which I drooled over when an adjacent table ordered them.  Even if you don't like burgers or you are a vegetarian, I would certainly recommend going to try the shakes.  The Royale gets a big thumbs up from me!

The Royale Magnificent Burgers
http://royaleburgers.com
Livin the Good Life Rating = 3
 

Goodfella's

One cold Saturday, my youngest daughter and I were hanging out, while my wife and oldest daughter were attending a birthday party. As lunchtime approached, I began to get hungry and called my brother and sister-in-law to see if they wanted to meet us for lunch.  They agreed to meet and we decided to eat at Goodfella's Wood Fired Pizza because it was halfway between our homes.

Homemade Mozzarella Carrozza

While we looked over the menu, we decided to get an appetizer and chose to get the Homemade Mozzarella Carrozza, which was mozzarella between two slices of bread and lightly fried.  This appetizer seemed to be the lovechild of a cheese stick and a grilled cheese sandwich.  I thought it was delicious and so did everyone in my group that tried it .

Chicken Parmigiana Pizza

For the main meal, we ordered a couple of pizzas that included the Chicken Parmigiana Pizza and a pizza with hamburger and pepperoni.  The Chicken Parmigiana Pizza was a first for me, as I had never had breaded chicken on a pizza before.  Although I liked the pizza crust, the chicken and the rest of the pizza proved to be very bland.  The hamburger and pepperoni pizza was also disappointing and somewhat soggy.  The only positive was that it had plenty of meat on it.  

Pepperoni and Hamburger Pizza

The appetizer proved to be the highlight of this visit and the pizzas were a disappointment.  They weren't bad, but they certainly weren't what I would call great either.  The service was average at best and this is not a place where I plan to dine again.  

Goodfella's Wood Fired Pizza-Pasta-Bar
http://www.santinosgoodfellas.com/#about
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

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

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

Hickory

Kent Rathbun is one of the most highly acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs in DFW.  Both Jasper's and Abacus have been highly acclaimed by critics and diners alike.  He recently opened up Hickory, which is a causal restaurant that he describes as a "modern Texas roadhouse."  The menu is intriguing and serves up several Texas favorites, including barbecue, burgers, chili, and tacos.  Since it opened in June, I have dined there a couple of times and had the opportunity to sample several of the items.

Hickory Waffle Fries

For appetizers, the restaurant has several options with a twist on the traditional, including chili, fried green tomatoes, charred corn bread, Hickory waffle fries, and smoked sausage fondue.  I have sampled the Hickory waffle fries and the charred corn bread.  The corn bread is delicious and served with honey butter.  The Hickory Waffle Fries are topped with Maytag blue cheese, bacon, and scallions.  If you have ever had Rathbun's Maytag blue cheese potato chips at Jasper's, then you will notice that the Hickory waffle fries are basically the fry version of this dish.  The waffle fries themselves are excellent and have a very strong blue cheese taste.  I personally liked this twist on the traditional cheese fries, but would have preferred to have a little more bacon and scallions on my order.

I was also able to sample some of his smoked meat.  On my first visit, I ordered the Meat Lovers Combo with Wagyu Brisket, Smoked Turkey, and their sausage of the day, which was Chorizo.  The brisket was smoked well, had well rendered fat, and was better than I had anticipated.  Unfortunately, a quality bark was lacking on the serving I received.  The turkey had a nice smokey flavor, but was a little too chewy for my taste.  Perhaps my favorite of the three, the sausage had a nice little kick to it and I liked the texture of the course ground sausage.

Meat Lovers Combo

As much as I liked the barbecue, I was also impressed with the 44 Farms Burger.  This burger was served with a pepper crusted bacon, scallion hollandaise sauce, and an egg which I had cooked over medium.  The overall flavor of the burger was great, the bacon was top notch, and I liked the egg cooked over medium because it wasn't quite as runny as some other burgers I have had with eggs.

44 Farms Burger

Sides are impressive here as well.  Although I have only tried the Texas Cheddar Mac & Cheese and the Backstrap Molasses Baked Beans, both were terrific.  The mac & cheese was topped with Parmesan cornbread crumbles and somewhat spicy, but not so much that it overwhelmed the cheddar taste.  The beans were my favorite of the two dishes.  They had a very sweet taste and were topped with two slices of thick cut peppered bacon.

Texas Cheddar Mac & Cheese and Backstrap Molasses Bake Beans

The Texas Sized Chocolate Cupcake is the only dessert I have tried so far, but it had an excellent chocolate flavor, was very moist, and was served with a warm chocolate topping.   The restaurant has a warm and cozy feel to it and the servers work hard to please.  I had a few questions that they couldn't answer regarding menu items, but that is expected with a new restaurant and a staff that is still learning the ropes as well.  I think Rathbun has another winner with Hickory.   I wouldn't hesitate to go back here again and I know that I will have to go back very soon because I still haven't tried the burnt end chili or ribs yet!

Texas Sized Chocolate Cupcake

Hickory
http://www.hickoryplano.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Gordon Biersch

Gordon Biersch Brewery has two two restaurant locations in Texas.  The upscale casual brewery restaurant has one location in Dallas and one at The Shops at Legacy in Plano.  On a recent Sunday, I met my brother for dinner at the latter location.

Italian Cheese Pizza

We were both hungry and decided to start with the Italian Cheese Pizza.  The pizza was made with Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses and was between 12-14 inches in diameter.  Neither of us were impressed with the pizza, which was burned in some places and had a tough crust.

Marzen BBQ Chicken Sandwich and Garlic Fries

For my entree, I ordered the Marzen BBQ Chicken Sandwich with garlic fries.  The barbecue sauce was almost non-existent and the chicken was rubbery.  The garlic fries had way too much garlic on them for my taste and I didn't finish either the sandwich or the fries.  My brother gave me a bite of his Kobe Cheeseburger and it was the one item I tried that was actually decent.

Kobe Cheeseburger and Garlic Fries

The wait staff was decent enough and checked on us regularly, but the food was beyond disappointing.  Maybe some of their food is good, but I certainly didn't try any of it on this visit.  Gordon Biersch Brewery will not get a return visit from me, especially when their are much restaurants located at The Shops at Legacy.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Smoke-Plano

The Plano location of Smoke is finally open.  The original location has been highly acclaimed by critics and made the D Magazine list of the 100 Best Restaurants in Dallas.   The location in Dallas has been on my short list of restaurants to visit, but I decided to forgo the trip to Dallas and just wait for the much closer location to open in Plano.  Although it opened a few months later than expected, I was excited to give the restaurant a try.

The new restaurant took over the building that formerly housed a Snuffer's.  The layout, furniture, and decor has changed dramatically from the style of the former occupant (which is a good thing).  Smoke is laid out beautifully and has an open and warm feel to the restaurant.  

Smoked Sausage (pork, beef, lamb, and rabbit)

For an appetizer, my wife and I ordered the house-made smoked sausage.  Their sausage included four different varieties made from beef, pork, sausage, and rabbit.  When they arrived, I asked our waiter which sausages were made from which meats and he admitted that he did not know.  I could positively identify the pork andouille and the beef paprika from the taste, but I admit that I could not tell the difference between the lamb and the rabbit.  Of the four sausages, the beef was really good and one of the two sausages that I was unable to identify was also good.  The other two sausages didn't exactly appeal to my tastebuds.

The Big Rib

For my entree, I ordered the Big Rib.  The large beef rib, which was the size of my forearm, was perfectly smoked and had a delicious bark on it.  The fresh herb chimichurri was flavorful, but not necessary when a piece of meat is smoked to perfection (and this rib was perfect).  The hominy casserole was flavorful and made for a nice pairing with the beef rib.

Coffee Cured Brisket

My wife had the Coffee Cured Brisket and it was simply outstanding.  It had a nice smoke ring, a flavorful bark, and practically melted in your much.  This was one of the better pieces of brisket I have tried in the DFW area and I had to beg my wife for another piece.  As good as my rib was, this brisket gave me some serious entree envy.  Potato salad came with the brisket and while it had a decent flavor, I definitely preferred the hominy casserole that came with my entree.

We couldn't leave without trying at least one dessert.  My wife and I debated ordering the dark chocolate ice cream, but we finally decided on the Hummingbird Cake.  Although it had good flavor, it was a little dry and did not have icing like the Hummingbird Cake that my grandmother used to make.

Hummingbird Cake

Overall, Smoke gets a thumbs up from me.  For the most part, the food was really good.  The service was lacking at times and the waitstaff needs to better familiarize themselves with the menu, but the servers were friendly and seemed eager to please.  When we dined at Smoke, they were just doing a "soft" opening and were still trying to work some kinks out, so I can forgive the service on this visit.  Given time, I have not doubt that owner/executive chef Time Byres will have this place running smoothly.  Smoke combines barbecue and fine dining, which sets this eclectic restaurant apart from any other restaurant in the area.  I loved the uniqueness of the restaurant and I think this place will be a welcome addition to Collin County.

Smoke
http://smokerestaurant.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4