Jimmy's Food Store

Jimmy's Food Store is my favorite place to go in Dallas for sandwiches.  I've tried almost every sandwich on the menu, but it's hard to cheat on my favorites.  I've found that I'll usually get the Muffaletta or the Italian Beef sandwich, but the Paninos and the Italian Stallion are great too.  Although if you have the time, or if you're smart enough to call ahead, you can get the Cuban.

Once you try this Cuban, you will forget that you had to wait for it.  It's my favorite Cuban sandwich in Dallas.  The slow roasted pork is so flavorful and tender, and the ham adds just the right amount of salt.  But I must warn you, if you aren't really in to spicy stuff, ask for the Mojo sauce on the side.  I like spicy food (a lot) and that stuff blows me away, so I opt to add just the right amount on my own.

The tasty sandwiches aren't the only amazing thing about Jimmy's.   It's also a gourmet grocery store  specializing in Italian imports and local foods.  I always kick myself when I end up buying my olive oil or Italian sausage at a grocery store chain.  They also sell homemade pastas, and a wide array of olives, cheeses, and peppers.

And of course, they have a great produce selection compiled of fruits, vegetables and herbs from local growers and the garden behind the store!

If you haven't been to Jimmy's before, I strongly urge you to go for lunch.  Browse the store while they make your sandwich and try a specialty soda or grab a Kinder Bueno bar.

Jimmy's Food Store
4901 Bryan Street (@ Fitzhugh)
Dallas, Tx 75206

Call 214-823-2104 15 minutes ahead to order the Cuban!

Deep Sushi

I must be on a sushi kick this month! Here's a snap of the yummy bento box I had for lunch at Deep Sushi with Gail.

 

I hadn't been to Deep Sushi in years, and I was pleasantly surprised that the food quality was still fantastic.  Everything was freshly prepared, and the service was great for a 12 o'clock lunch hour.  I really like that you can get quality sushi in Deep Ellum for a reasonable price, in a pleasant atmosphere.   Over it's 15 years of service this restaurant really has mastered the art of consistency.

Meddlesome Moth

I've been dreading this post.  I hate bashing a place, but Meddlesome Moth really let me down.  I was a little hesitant to try it out because of the mixed reviews I'd heard of the place.  Sometimes I don't get the best service at certain places.  I don't know why, maybe it's because I'm young (I'm 24), maybe it's because I have tattoos... which brings me to my first complaint about Meddlesome Moth.

We headed up to "The Moth" around 4:45, arriving around 5 o'clock.  As my boyfriend Ryan pulls up to the valet and I'm getting out, the valet guy comes over to my door and starts touching my arm while he tells me how much he likes my tattoo.  Okay- I've got this before, people like to touch tattoos for some reason (I don't get it).  So anyways, after already invading my space he goes even further by sticking his fingers under my shirt to see my entire tattoo.  This all in the span of about 4 or 5 seconds while I am getting out of my car.  I brush it (and him) off and decide to go in anyways. This is my first mistake and my first impression of Meddlesome Moth.  Not so great so far... but wait, it gets worse.

As we enter the restaurant, I'm attempting to forget my uncomfortable run in with the valet guy.  I notice that the place isn't very busy, and we were starving so I'm hoping we can get in and out for more than one reason.  We were seated at a booth close to the kitchen (which I liked) and I was beginning to relax.  So we ordered a couple beers and picked out our starters.

We ordered the Moth Balls and the Venison Tartare.  I chose the Moth Balls, because they claimed to be a "shoutout to The Spotted Pig in NYC".  The dish they are referring to (which is not listed on the MM menu) is the Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnudi.  Last May my friend Gail and I went to The Spotted Pig and tried the dish that they are referring to.  I raved about it to Ryan, telling him how cheesy, buttery, salty and delicious it was.  It was like nothing I've ever tried before. 

Here's a photo of the original Spotted Pig Gnudi.

This is Meddlesome Moth's version.

They were different.  I won't go in too much detail about The Spotted Pig's Gnudi, because that would be another post.  But, if I hadn't tried The Spotted Pig's version (or if they hadn't referenced it) I probably would've liked Meddlesome Moth's just fine.  This dish just did not pay a very good homage to the famous New York eatery.  In addition to that, the dish was dry and room temperature.  The sauce was separating.  It was chewy.  I was disappointed... again.

We still had the Venison Tartare to try.  We chose this dish because Ryan and his father are avid game hunters and he grew up eating venison.  Usually, our freezer is full of different cuts, but we had never tried venison raw.  Ryan said he was game (pun intended) and we ordered it.

The tartare was served with gaufrette potatoes (thin homemade waffle cut chips).  This was probably my personal favorite part of our meal, if you could call what we had a meal.

To be honest, I wasn't really impressed with the presentation of this plate.  The green smear, the greasy paper bag, the way that they smushed the tartare into a cup and then plopped it on to the plate... what an abomination.  The only reason this was my favorite part of the meal is because the "Moth Balls" were such a dissatisfaction, and the rest of our meal never even showed up!

That's right, after finishing our appetizers, we ordered the sirloin "Meat Sticks" and the Creamed Corn.  After two beers and 45 minutes of waiting for meat and corn, we finally asked our waiter what was up.  We were told that it was the kitchen's fault and he could turn it in and it only takes 10 minutes to make!  He blamed it on the fact that we came in during a shift change period, and that the chefs must have been confused (personally, I didn't appreciate him blaming the kitchen).  We were pretty irate at this point and just told him to bring us our check.  We then noticed him walk over to the computer, and print off our check with just one touch of a button... seeming as if he hadn't had to remove items from the bill.  Meaning we waited around, hungry for 45 minutes for nothing.  When he brought us back our check, he never apologized and he didn't comp anything on our "meal".  This waiter just made us feel like it was our fault, like we came into the restaurant at a bad time or something.  He could have easily taken off a beer or something!  Especially since it was happy hour!!

I really wish I had more pictures and more positive things to say about this place, but it was 99% awful.  They have a great beer selection, but the service and food were poor.  I left feeling hungry, angry, and mistreated.  I do not recommend going there.

Sushi Sake

My wonderfully food savvy niece Rachel decided she wanted to go to Sushi Sake for her birthday, and I couldn't have been more pleased.  I had been wanting to try the place because I always hear great things.  I think I let the Richardson location discourage me from making it out there, but trust me I will not make this mistake again.  Everything was absolutely delicious.

Upon entering Sushi Sake, you are greeted by this cute little guy, a Tanuki statue that they have by the entrance.  Tanuki is the Japanese god of Restauranteurs, and is said to attract customers.  He seemed to definitely be helping the night of our dinner.  The restaurant was packed, and I'm told it's usually like that every night. 
 

I really admired the decor in the restaurant.  It was fresh and modern, and didn't feel outdated or stale.  The main seating area was comfortable, and featured long cushioned benches.  The back of the restaurant (The Tatami Room) boasts traditional Japanese low dining tables on Tatami mats.  And of course, you can always sit at the Sushi Bar for an even more authentic experience.

As we settled into our table with our green teas and sake, we picked out our appetizers.   I ordered the Hotategai Butteryaki (scallops sautéed in butter) and we ate them so fast I didn't get a picture!  Although, I did get one of my Japanese dinner staples; Miso Soup, Green Salad with Ginger Dressing, and Edamame.  All were excellent, but those scallops were just on point, and they were my favorite part of the meal!  Next time I go, I'll be sure to take a picture to remember them.

After scarfing down our starters, we made our sushi selections.  Everyone had an input, and we all wanted something different (yay!) so we filled out our sheet and handed it to our waitress.

This is what we got back.  Isn't it beautiful?  I wish I could have that plate again right now.

I'm going to do my best to recall everything: Louisiana Roll, California Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Jalapeno Roll, Toro (fatty tuna), Snow Crab, Fresh Salmon, and Fresh Tuna.  (I hope I didn't forget any!)

Each sushi or sashimi I tried was AMAZING.  It was all super fresh and tasty.  The rice was cooked perfectly.  The whole plate was bright and inviting.  My favorites were the Toro and the Jalapeno Roll.  Both were suggestions of my brother, who has great taste in food.  He said the Toro was like the filet mignon of sushi.  I'll just say he certainly knows what he's talking about!

We just dove right in, I'm surprised my family let me take this picture!

After that plate everyone was pretty full, but it was my niece's birthday so we couldn't say no to dessert, right?

I noticed Mochi on the menu, and it's one of my favorite sweet treats.  Rachel said she hadn't tried it before, so naturally I had to insist that she did and we ordered the mango and strawberry flavors.  I have to be honest and say that I had never tried fresh mochi before, only the kind from Whole Foods or Central Market.  Boy was I surprised at how much better it is!  I almost don't want to buy the store bought kind anymore.  They were tender and slightly chewy, with creamy, fruity ice cream centers.
These cute little desserts were the perfect ending to a fabulous meal.

 

After finishing our desserts we hugged and said our goodbye's, and I left feeling like it was my birthday.  It was that good.

Click here for reservations for 6 or more in the Tatami room!