This place defines the 5 star rating for me. If possible I would give them 6 stars just to show how blown away I was at every aspect of the experience.
I had never been to Texas before, but I had seen it and heard about it from friends. Its a dinner only place, upscale but not too fancy. The kind of place you go for a business dinner, a special occasion or a nice date with the wife. If you dont get a steak, you could eat here for about $20 a person, but thats no fun is it?
We were greeted warmly at the door by the hostess and sat within minutes. The waitress was professional, knowledgeable, kind and prompt. The tea glass there was kind of small, so I warned her that she would need to refill my glass often. She took it as a challenge. Never once was my glass empty for more than 30 seconds.
We had a fried zucchini appetizer which was delicious. It was very lightly fried and the batter was great. The ranch made in house was perfect too.
For our next course we both had a cup of soup in lieu of salads. I got the sweet potato jalapeno soup, which sounds ridiculous but tastes AMAZING. I hate sweet potatoes, let me tell you, this was magic. The combination of flavors here in this little cup was overwhelming and magical. This is the places secret weapon.
At this time the "pepper girl" came round and asked me and my wife if we wanted crushed black pepper. When we said yes she asked us if we preferred fine, medium or coarse. Seriously? 3 granulations? To really blow our mind, she then went on to explain to us what the 3 differences were and why we might prefer one or the other. She could not have been 19 years old, but she was a "food nerd" and she spoke her passion. Yes, at this point I was realized that I had found someplace truly special to eat at.
Dinner came after some warm bread, (which was served with pure, real butter unwrapped of course) and this is where it got next level. I ordered the 12oz Ribeye, which they called "Delmonico". She said it was from New York, which puzzled me in a place clearly and proudly called "TEXAS" but no matter. Being a steak lover, I ordered it Medium Rare. They loose a small point here by asking me to "cut into the steak" to check that its perfect. I think that practice should come to an end as I would not like to spoil the steak by slicing it down the middle before I eat it and release the juices pre maturely.
The steak was a showstopper. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper (as a good steak should only be) the texture, marbling and flavor of this cut was supreme. I gave a small piece to my wife and here eyes rolled back into her head and she exclaimed how incredible it was. This is a moment I wont forget, steak is not normally an emotional experience.
The whipped mashed potatoes were more than I had hoped for and the green beans had the perfect match with bacon. I was now in heaven, and my glass was still full to the brim.
If we were not stuffed like turkeys, I would have bought some dessert just to say that I had tried it, but I was done. No more could fit into my belly. The bill was not cheap, but I had never been so happy to pay it. I felt like I had discovered some sort of secret in Richardson and needed to tell people.
To the online reader who is viewing these words in consideration, do not worry, you will have made a good choice. Put on a nice shirt, head to Texas, and have a dining experience you wont forget. I will certainly be back myself soon. read more