Dallas' BILLY CAN CAN sure can (10/21 & 22/18)

A friend of mine had mentioned a new restaurant in Dallas, so on arrival I headed to Billy Can Can located near the American Airlines arena in downtown and settled in to the comfy worn brown leather banquette in the huge open dining room. It's more than two stories high with lots of windows and a huge bar in the center with wooden high chair-like stools and there are loads of stuffed animals on the walls. Check my FB page for photos of my dinner dates!

Southern hospitality oozes here and my server Brenda was a gem and super helpful on suggestions. They've been open less than 4 months but they have signature Crispy Oyster Slider with Slaw and Comeback Sauce on a Sweet Potato Roll by the piece, so I tried one at $5 and while I wanted more, stuck with two other starters, knowing how big Texas portions are.

The Snapper Crudo had a lot of tasty fish with Citrus, Fresh Peaches (yes still fresh down south)and Citrus-Basil Vinaigrette.  A glass of Texas Viognier from Brennan Vineyards in Texas High plains was sublime with this, crisp and dry, yet full of flavor showing how the wines in this state have grown in the past decade!

It was the Texas Venison Tartare, however, that had me hooked with Egg Yolk Juniper Cherries, Fried Shallots and tasty grilled Rosemary Toast and super dollops of horseradish aioli.

I saw an order of the Hot Fried Quail go by and had plenty of time left before the opera. so I indulged. The dish was huge with three battered and deep fried quail halves sitting atop two slices of fried pickle biscuits and an amazing Ranchovy(read rich white sauce with an anchovy kick and lots of spice) for dipping. Radish slaw on the side was with carrots as well and cut the spice when you needed a cool bite. One of the best southern fried dishes anywhere for sure. Brenda suggested a glass of the Mourvedre 2016 William Chris “Lost Draw”, also from Texas High Plains.

I had arrived at 530pm and the place was fairly quiet, but by 630pm,it was heaving due to a basketball game at the nearby arena. I waddled off to the opera knowing I would return, but clueless it would be the next evening.

After the Sunday matinee, I was invited to a cast and patron party for The Dallas Opera but didn't have any of the unexciting penne with tomato sauce or other dishes and headed back to Billy Can Can for a reprise. The staff recognized me and I got a warm welcome like a regular and Brenda was so excited to be my server again. As I sat down, she mentioned some specials and the folks at the next table showed me the huge bone remaining from a giant steak and recommended it highly. I told them I wanted to try several more dishes and could never eat that much and they immediately passed over the remaining Cast Iron Cornbread and Brussels Sprouts they had left! 

I ordered the 1/2 dozen Deviled Eggs which were:

Blue crab(the best), Pickled shrimp and crunchy fennel(also tops), Pickled Okra and fried shallots, Smoked Paprika with avocado, mustard seed and pickled red onion, Crispy country ham and Candied Bacon which was delightfully chewy and flavorful.

A glass of Rose of Carignan from Yellow City Cellars in Dead Flowers, Texas was another superb local treat as was the Texas GSM(Grenache,Syrah,Mourvedre) Melange from Pedernales Cellars in Texas Hill Country! This paired ideally with my "Bowl of Red" a Texas beef Chile with Beef bacon, Longhorn Cheddar and pickled jalapenos. The dish was extremely salty, but superb and the cornbread with green chilies and whipped honey butter from my neighbors was the perfect foil to the salt. The Brussels Sprouts with Fig Glaze, Mint Yogurt and pecans were winning as well.

That was it for me... Billy CanCan sure can!

Port Chester,NY's SONORA soars for small plates(10-5-18)

We were in Westchester Country on Friday getting ready to head home after a quick day trip up and were delighted to find a wonderful spot(about 10 minutes from White Plains/Westchester Airport) called Sonora in an unassuming neighborhood of usually unremarkable Port Chester(about 10 minutes from where I grew up). We arrived at 530pm and the place was extremely quiet as our server Eduardo explained the menu and took our drink orders. I loved the beige stucco walls that were etched with copies of the Nazca lines images with cozy tables, nice linens, very comfy chairs and a banquette along the two walls. Will loved his Cucumber Mango Martini and I was brought back to recent trips to South America with a delicious Pisco Sour. Thick warm toasted sourdough bread arrived with a chimichurri sauce that was thick and tasty as we slathered it on the bread.

Samuel is a guacamole fiend, so we ordered the large size which was prepared tableside in a stone bowl. Eduardo asked how spicy we liked it and when we said medium to spicy he suggested a plate of extra chopped jalapenos to adjust our own servings, which I loved. The chips were superb and the guac was declared one of the best ever; move over Rosa Mexicana!!

Will and I ordered two tapas(fotos on FB) to share: Monfongo of Crispy oysters with fried sweet plantains and saffron mojito sauce were served in their shells in a deconstructed version that was delicious. Each dish indicates the Latin country of origin which was fun, Mofongo being Puerto Rico, Guacamole being Mexico and the Palomino Pulpo of Grilled octopus, fingerling potatoes, arugula, diced chorizo and chimichurri being from Portugal. Samuel chose the Eggplant Meatballs in Spanish tomato sauce which were two gigantic balls covered in a tasty sauce and grated cheese looking like a fresh snowfall.

For his main course, Samuel ordered, yes, another portion of guacamole, despite the large choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well.

We split a Lomo Saltido(Peru) with chorizo, onion, peppers, fries, and brown rice topped with a fried egg, and the dish would have been way too large for one person. The meat was tender and the fries were served like Quebecois poutine covered with the yummy sauce and oh so gooey. We ordered a bottle of wine which was sold out and Eduardo brought over the Tarima Monastrell 2015 from Alicante which was nice, especially with the meat.

A bass and trumpet duo had started playing in the entry hall to the restaurant and that was quite nice and we also got a visit from Chef Rafael Palomino (who hails from Colombia) and was checking with virtually every table to make sure everything was okay. The small place had filled up by 7-730pm and you could tell this was a very popular local spot for everyone as well as the Latino community!

We wanted to share a simple dessert and chose the churros with two sauces, Mora(berry) and Chocolate and they were indeed delish. I was surprised to see that churros originate from Venezuela and not Mexico!

If Samuel decides to head to school in Westchester next year, I am sure we will head back to Sonora!

Kingbird at the Watergate will WOW you, and Chef Noah Poses poses it all perfectly(10-3-18)

Each year we have two anniversaries, and often celebrate them together as they are 2 days apart, this year we headed to KINGBIRD at the Watergate and had a truly memorable and delicious meal created by Chef Noah Poses who took over at the helm earlier this year. We dined in the upstairs Library, which is part of the hotel but can also be used for a private dining room or even good-sized reception; classy and elegant, it overlooks the Potomac and makes you feel really grand to boot. Nial is the sommelier at Kingbird and was also our main man explaining al the wines and pouring them to perfectly coincide with all 7 courses. I was more than impressed with the variety of wines available here, but even moreso with their age, as older vintages can be quite hard to find; here they are revered!

Argyle 2012 Rose Sparkling from Oregon's Willamette Valley was poured from a magnum(all served in DiRona crystal) as we arrived and sat down and has an intense effervescence that might be a bit over the top for me, but I still managed three glasses!

Two Toasts was the first course, which if ever presented as a pair of amuses would indeed have you amused and on the edge of your seat for what's to come. On one side the small toast(FB fotos are available) was smeared with fried egg sauce and topped with Hackleback Caviar, pickled shallot(I am going to start making this at home as a garnish) and fresh dill. On the second toast was Uni, a beautiful slice of fresh Burgundy black truffle and sea salt. The pairing was divine and the oohs and ahs didn't stop with each bite.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Candied Hazelnuts, Warm spices(thyme,ginger) was poured tableside and was paired with the first vintage ever of Argyle 2007 :extended Tirage" Sparkling which was sigorged in 2017 then cellared for 6 months before release. The wine was less effervescent due to its age, but also had more of a French yeastiness to it; what a treat. The soup had a residual ginger taste that turned sweet which our friend Mel said, "whatever, it's delicious."

Cauliflower & King Crab followed with toasted almonds, slow roasted shellfish butter and shellfish vinagrette, golden raisins & cauliflower puree. It was an ingenious creation that oozed so many flvors in each bite depending on how you matched the ingredients. Domaine Larue 2008 Puligny Montrachet "Le Trezin" was another magnificently aged wine, but a 10-year old chardonnay of this quality is very rarely found in  US restaurants these days.

Black Truffle Risotto was by far the most decadent dish of the evening as well as the most popular as the risotto was covered with a mound of truffle oil sabayon and then Chef Noah shaved tons of those beautiful black Burgundy truffles over the dish with what seemed like wild wantonness. We were all in heaven and the earthly Tempranillo Monte Real 1998 Rioja was another rare treat so seldom seen today when dining out. I was complementing Nial every two seconds and I think as he is 1/2 Spanish, he was most proud of this wine as he is also the buyer for Kingbird.

Brazilian Rouget or red mullet(snapper family) was cooked to perfection in fish head broth with celery root, rutabaga and turnip all harboring the coming of fall and was matched with the acidity of the Mount Eden 2018 Chardonnay. The 6th or meat course was a perfectly Aged 910 days) Duck Breast from Crescent Farm on Long Island that oozed smokiness. Prepared with caramelized Gala Apple, Purple Cabbage puree, duck jus and baby kale(I hope I got it all) and declared beyond brilliant by me for it's salted crunchy crust. Cain Concept Cabernet 2008, another wonderfully aged wine that is drinking better than ever after 10 years in the bottle.

There was no dessert listed on the menu and we were in shock when Pastry Chef Kieu-linh arrived with the most magnificent of white cakes that she explained was Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse, Praline, fondant and cocoa nibs. The marzipan white frosting was rich, but the ideal foil to the rich chocolate and mousse. You know I am not a cake person, but I was truly impressed, as we all were, and this was a true work of art and love.

Blandy's Malmsey Madeira was a great dessert wine to cut the sweetness and enjoy before we all headed up to the rooftop bar on this most perfect of nights. We all enjoyed the lights of Washington twinkling all around as we celebrated our 8th of 24th anniversary(whichever you care to choose!).

Many thanks to the amazing team at the Watergate's Kingbird for making this one of the best meals ever.