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

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

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

The Donut Hole

Having read good things about The Donut Hole, we thought we should try this place out.  They not only serve donuts, but they also serve breakfast and lunch.  After a morning at the beach, I loaded up the family with promises of both lunch and donuts for dessert.

When we arrived, the place was really busy with the late breakfast and early lunch crowd.  A busy restaurant is usually a sign of good food, but our table was passed by several times before a waitress finally took our orders after we had been seated for about fifteen minutes.  I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and Fries, which I now regret.  The chicken fried steak was comparable to the quality that one would find in a high school cafeteria and the fries were equally bad.  Neither tasted homemade and I strongly suspect they were purchased frozen from a supplier.  

Chicken Fried Steak and Fries

My wife ordered the BLT, which was better than my meal and had bacon that was thick and flavorful.  While not the best BLT I have ever had, it was certainly a step up from my meal.  She ordered the potato salad as her side and it left a lot to be desired.  Neither of us cared for the taste of this item.  

BLT and Potato Salad

The donuts ended up being the highlight of the meal, but I feel they were highly overrated as well.  I sampled the Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel.  I usually don't order cream filled donuts, but the two I ordered looked too good to pass up.  The Chocolate Angel was filled with chocolate, covered in powdered sugar, and was my favorite of the three I tried.  The chocolate donut was average compared to other donut places and I did not care much for the Cookies and Cream variety.  Even the crumbled Oreos on top didn't do it for me.

Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel

 Maybe I built this place up too much in my head due to the reviews I had read, but I was upset that I had wasted my family's time dining here.  The service was extremely slow and the food was disappointing.   If I ever go here again, I will only go for donuts for the kids and skip the other options.

The Donut Hole

Livin the Good Life Rating=1

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

Cheezies Gourmet Grilled Cheese

I am usually not a big fan of sandwiches, but occasionally I will get a hankering for a grilled cheese.  It is hard for me to find a place that makes a grilled cheese as good as I can make at home, but occasionally I am pleasantly surprised.  When some coworkers told me about Cheezies Gourmet Grilled Cheese, I knew that I would have to try out this Frisco restaurant.

Following work one day, I met my family for dinner at Cheezies.  In addition to serving a "plain ol' " grilled cheese sandwiches, the restaurant also serves nine signature grilled cheese sandwiches that include such ingredients as brisket, pulled pork, ham, turkey, salami, etc.  Soups, salads, and mac n' cheese are also on the menu.

The Smokin Chick-roasted chicken, smoked gouda, and a hint of apricot on sourdough bread

After some deliberation, I chose to get the Smokin Chick sandwich and an order of the Cheezies Mac n' Cheese.  The ingredients for my sandwich were roasted chicken, smoked gouda, and a hint of apricot on sourdough bread.  Although I am not sure what the "hint" of apricot was, the sandwich had a definite apricot flavor and was absolutely delicious.  This sandwich was one of the top five grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had.  The garlic parmesan chips that came with the sandwich were certainly above average in the flavor dept.  The Mac n' Cheese was not bad, but it paled in comparison to the grilled cheese.

Mac n' Cheese

My wife got the "plain ol' " grilled cheese and my kids got the kids grilled cheese with fruit.  All three of them enjoyed their meals and gave the place a thumbs up.  We also tried the chocolate fried pies, which were much better than I had anticipated.  On my next visit, I definitely want to try some of the fruit fried pies as well.

Chocolate Fried Pie

My coworkers had raved about the grilled cheeses here and I have to say that they lived up to the hype.  Although I wasn't impressed with the mac n' cheese, the grilled cheeses were top notch.  I cannot wait to try some of the other sandwiches, particularly the Big Texas, which has brisket, white cheddar, and onion marmalade on jalapeño cheddar bread.  Cheezies get a thumbs up from me and my family!

Cheezies Gourmet Grilled Cheese
http://www.cheeziesgourmet.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Black Walnut Cafe

Black Walnut Cafe is a small chain based in the Houston area that has opened it's first restaurant in the DFW area.  The location in Allen opened up a couple of weeks ago and there are currently plans for locations in Flower Mound and Coppell.  My family has been passing by the Allen location throughout the construction process, so we were pleased to see that they were finally open for business.  

Enjoying a nice day on the patio with my girls

A colleague said that she enjoyed Black Walnut Cafe so much that she ate their each of the first three days it was open.  I can think of very few places where I would like to dine three days in a row, so I had high hopes when entering the restaurant.  When we arrived, we were greeted by a hostess who handed us a menu and told us that we order at the counter.  

Doohickey's Crispy Southwestern Egg Rolls.

We quickly ordered our meals for us and the kids.  After a little deliberation, we started out with an order of the Doohickey's Crisp Southwestern Egg Rolls.  They were served cut in half on a bed of lettuce.  The egg rolls had roasted chicken, corn, black beans, cilantro, jalapeños, and bell peppers.  They were then topped with pico de gallo, lime juice, and sour cream.  My wife and I both thought this appetizer was terrific and had great flavor.  I really liked the crispiness of the egg roll and it was just spicy enough for me, but not too spicy for my wife.

Anderson's 'Bout Time Chicken Sandwich

For my entree, I ordered the Anderson's 'Bout Time sandwich.  The sandwich had a grilled chicken breast, Swiss cheese, sliced avocado, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and alfalfa sprouts.  The chicken itself was very flavorful and the veggies were fresh.  I was disappointed in the fries that were served with the sandwich, because they did not appear to be fresh cut and had too much seasoned salt for my taste.

Eggs Benedict and potatoes

My wife had the Eggs Benedict served with house potatoes.  She really liked the Eggs Benedict, but thought the potatoes were just okay.  My kids enjoyed their items that they ordered off the kid's menu.  

Hummingbird Cake

While we were ordering, we noticed that they had a dessert counter that looked appealing.  When we finished our meals, I went to take a second look at the dessert selections.  I ended up getting some gelato for my girls and a slice of Hummingbird Cake for my wife and I to split.  The cake had good flavor and you could definitely taste the pineapple and bananas, but it was a little dry.  There was also a small hint of cinnamon and the cream cheese icing was perfect.

Black Walnut Cafe gets a mixed review from me.  Some items were good and others were not.  The restaurant is kid friendly and it has a patio that is a perfect area to sit on a nice day.  We did not have to wait very long before our appetizer was ready and our meals were ready just a few minutes later.  This restaurant has a huge menu and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I am pleased that another restaurant has opened just a few minutes from my house and I look forward to dining again at Black Walnut Cafe.  

Black Walnut Cafe
http://blackwalnutcafe.com/locations/dallas-locations/allen/
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

Fish Shack

Seeing a restaurant with a lot of vehicles is usually a good sign that there is good food to be found inside.  I am always skeptical of a restaurant that is not very crowded.  Since the parking lot has been packed  every time I have passed by Fish Shack in East Plano, I decided to stop in and give it a try.  

Dining area and menu board

The patrons order at the counter at Fish Shack, which can be quite daunting considering the very large menu board that they have.  Luckily for me, there were a few customers in front of me and I was able to look over the menu while other customers were ordering.  It had been several months since I have had a Po Boy, so I ordered the Catfish Po Boy and fries.  I am also a huge fan of hushpuppies, so I ordered the small order (6 hushpuppies) of those as well.

Catfish Po Boy

It only took a few minutes for my order to arrive, so I didn't have too much time to look back at the menu board and second-guess my lunch choice.  The Catfish Po Boy had a very crispy cornmeal batter that had good flavor, but it was a little tough and perhaps slightly overcooked.  Even with it begin somewhat tough, it was still above average in the taste department.  The bun was toasted to perfection and the veggies were fresh.  The fries were pretty basic and typical of most seafood joints, but the hushpuppies were incredible.  I could have easily ate two dozen of these and regretted that I only ordered six of them.

Fantastic Hushpuppies

My visit to Fish Shack was certainly worthwhile.  Although I only sampled a small fraction of their large menu, it certainly left me wanting more.  The food is fresh and tasty, the staff is friendly, and it is a fun place to have a quick meal.  I was glad I took the time for a quick lunch at Fish Shack.

Fish Shack
http://www.fishshackplano.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

East Hampton Sandwich Co.

I am lucky that I have several friends that are also foodies and they frequently recommend restaurants to me.  These recommendations often lead to a dining excursion at the recommended restaurant. Two of my foodie friends highly recommended East Hampton Sandwich Co. to me.  The Dallas Observer voted the restaurant as the Best Sandwich Shop in 2013 and Thrillist claimed it was one of the 21 Best Sandwich Shops in America.  The high praise bestowed upon this restaurant served to set the bar very high in the expectations department.

In addition to their popular Snyder Plaza location, East Hampton Sandwich Co. opened up a second location in Plano at The Shops at Legacy.  Last Wednesday, my wife and I decided to meet for dinner after work and enjoy a hump-day meal at the Plano location.  One of the first things that we noticed is that they have a very nice outdoor dining area that looked like a perfect place to dine and visit with friends.  We contemplated sitting outside, but the wind made it a little too cold to dine outdoors on this particular day.  

We ordered our sandwiches at the counter and found a seat in the corner so our kids could be corralled without bothering other patrons.  The menu has several delicious-sounding sandwiches, which made it tough for me to pick just one.  After contemplating for a time, I finally ordered the Fried Chicken+Jack sandwich which consisted of Southern fried chicken, pepper jack, greens, bacon, avocado mash, tomatoes, and a jalapeno cream sauce.  The fried chicken breasts were pounded very thin and they had a crunchy batter that was seasoned well.  Although the chicken itself had a nice flavor, the sandwich was underwhelming in the flavor department.  Even the jalapeno cream sauce did not give it a punch of flavor.  Each sandwich is served with their homemade thick-cut potato chips.  The potato chips were certainly better than most, but they could have used some more salt.

Fried Chicken+Jack Sandwich

My wife ordered the lobster roll which included lobster, greens, chives, and a butter drizzle.  She felt the lobster roll on this day did not have enough greens on it and could have benefited from some more chives.  I tried a couple of bites and agreed with her assessment.  The sandwich was very bland, regardless of how much butter I liberally applied.

Lobster Roll

We ordered a grilled cheese for one kid and chicken strips for the kids.  They both ate well without any complaints.  We also had an order of the Hampton's Donut Bag with strawberry filling.  The donuts were somewhat tough to chew and seemed to be slightly overcooked.  The strawberry filling was very tasty, but you had to be careful eating them because the filling had a tendency to squirt out of the donut.

Hampton's Donut Bag (in a box, not a bag)

My wife and I were both disappointed in our visit to East Hampton Sandwich Co.  Perhaps I had over-hyped it in my mind, because it certainly did not live up to my expectations.  Different people have different tastes, but I will have to disagree with my friends on this particular restaurant.  The sandwiches were not horrible by any means, but they were not memorable either.  I also felt the sandwiches were a little on the pricey side, especially since they were just served with chips.  There may be a time when I give this place a second chance, but I certainly will not be going out of my way to eat here again.  

East Hampton Sandwich Co.
http://ehsandwich.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating =2