The Best Restaurant in Dallas?
I'm planning a business trip to Dallas tomorrow. I have 5 managers I want to take out. Where should I take them? Aurora? York Street? Nana Grill? The lists I have found are confusing. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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For future reference-I wouldn't recommend York Street for a business related dinner, mainly for size reasons. It's such a small place you might feel self-conscious making small talk and "getting to know people," considering everyone around can hear your conversation pretty easily. To me, Aurora is a very special occasion type venue, and the prices and atmosphere reflect that.
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re: Piegirl
TexasToast
Nov 9, 2006 09:52 PM
We've done Sambuca Uptown for business as well. Great atmosphere, live music, and if you get a private room in the back it's very nice for conversation. The only downside is that the food can be a little "chain" like and not as creative, or well executed, as can be had at some of the other places in town mentioned in this thread.
TT
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re: jerryketel
TexasToast
Nov 9, 2006 09:49 PM
Oh nothing, it's just that you're likely to find a disproportionate amount of it at Lola, Aurora, and (possibly) York St, than you would at Abacus, which is more mainstream. But, like I said, it just depends on a person's personal tastes, that's all.
Glad you liked York Street. What did you have?
TT
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re: TexasToast
I disagree with your characterization of the restaurants' menus, TT. All four restaurants have menus of similar accessibility. Just glancing at the menus they currently have online, the only offal at Lola is foie gras and sweetbreads. At Aurora, foie gras appears in a couple of courses. At Abacus, foie gras and veal cheek turn up. Week to week, those offerings will change. But offal items, while few, will typically appear on all of their menus. And the offal items that *do* appear tend to be ones that have gained broad acceptance in polite society--American haute cuisine standards. Dallas doesn't have anything like a St. John (whose current online menus includes warm pig's head, tripe, roasted bone marrow, backfat, pig's cheek, trotters, calf's brain, and veal kidney).
Scott
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re: Scott
TexasToast
Nov 10, 2006 02:08 PM
What's to disagree with? You are more likely to see unusual items at the other three places than at Abacus, because those places have smaller menu selections. While offal may appear at Abacus, it is balanced out by the vast array of other items.
TT
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TexasToast
Nov 7, 2006 06:32 AM
I'll second Abacus. It's a very loud, rowdy, expense account kind of place. And the food's not bad either! And it's closer to "real" food that people might eat. With some of the other places mentioned, you're likely to find tasting menus filled with all kinds of things that many people won't eat (e.g., brains, cheeks, tongue, etc). So I guess it depends on how adventurous you and your dining companions are.
TT
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I do love Lola and Local, but I have to say after our dinner at Stephan Pyles Saturday night, it is near the top of my list. The waiter was exceptionally attentive and warm, but not overly so. The food was excellent. The ambience was very nice and until about 21:00 the space was very quiet.
Husband had tenderloin that was cooked perfectly. I had the vegetarian option which was not an afterthought. Every element was delicious. The only disappointment was the Pumpkin Creme Brulee. The tostado layers were a little tough.
There were some cutesy things, like the dressing arriving in pipettes and added to the greens at the table, but it was fun. -
vktp
Nov 6, 2006 04:55 AM
Without further criteria, I would vote Abacus. Here's the Dallas Morning News's review: http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?...
