Indian Cuisine: Compliments of Sunil

Our dear friend, Sunil or "Sunny" decided to cook for us one weekend.  We all met up at the Galaviz's (as usual!) and waited semi-patiently for the Goat Masala (Goat Curry) and Grilled Indian-Spiced Chicken to finish cooking.  Unfortunately, the goat masala was the first thing to finish cooking so we had to conduct quality control with the chapatis (wheat flatbread) while we waited on the chicken.

The Goat Masala was very, very good.  I've never had goat before and you couldn't even tell it was goat. It has the same consistency as chicken, a little more tender.  The spices were all there and it was soooo delicious.  The chicken drumsticks had a nice grilled touch to them and the spices reflected throughout the entire drumstick.  We always love it when Sunil cooks.  (It gives me a break, lol.)


I found a similar recipe here if anyone wants to try out the Goat Masala:  http://indianfood.about.com/od/meatdishes/r/Goat-Curry-Mutton-Curry.htm

Plano, TX: Zander's House

Menu:  http://www.zandershouse.com/
Hours: 
Monday:  11:00 a.m.- 3 p.m. | 5 p.m.- 9 p.m.
Tuesday:  CLOSED
Wednesday & Thursday:  11:00 a.m.- 3 p.m. | 5 p.m.- 10 p.m. 
Friday:  11 a.m.- 3 p.m. | 5 p.m.- 11 p.m.
Saturday:  12 p.m.- 11 p.m.*
Sunday:  12 p.m.- 10 p.m.
*Please check the Calendar Page or call ahead on Saturday nights as they sometimes are close for private parties*

My fiance and I are foodies and decided to check out Zander's on our designated "date night".  We try to pick a different place every week.

I am Vietnamese so of course, I will be slightly picky.

Appetizers:

We ordered the Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimp which are always (at every Viet restaurant I've been to) are skimpy.  It was tasty.  I didn't really care for the "crunchy" that they added inside (which isn't traditional) and they could have offered more meat inside like the traditional pork and shrimp.  Most places have been known to cut one shrimp in half and make it look like it's two.

The Beef Carpaccio was excellent!! The herbs, spices, and beef were prepared to perfection.  I've had the "rare" beef version before and this one was actually slightly seared.  We used the reserved sauce with our dinner.









Dinner:

The entrees we had were the Spicy Basil Beef, Salt and Pepper Calamari, and Mixed Greens.  The calamari had a nice crisp and flavor to it.  Spicy Basil Beef could have used a little more basil but it was still good. Mixed greens were my fave!!!  It had bok choy, brocolli, peppers, and snap peas.

Everything we ordered tasted great.  The Jack Daniels on the rocks wasn't skimpy either, lol.

Next time, we'll sit at the family-style table and have them bring us whatever that's off the menu-- off-the-menu items are always great!

The only gripe I would have is that they didn't offer Pho, Banh Xeo, or some other traditional Vietnamese dishes and the prices are a "tad" expensive.  However, the serving sizes of the entrees were plentiful.

For two appetizers, 3 entrees, green tea, and one Jack on the rocks, our tab was about $82 and that includes tip.

Plano, TX: UrbanRio

Menu:  http://www.urbanrio.com/Menu.aspx
Hours:  Monday through Saturday- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

My friends and I were sitting at Filmore's Pub and decided to cheat a little and go check out this new place called "Urban Rio".

We walked passed the antique shops and approached a very attractive and inviting UrbanRio.  The set-up, atmosphere, and building reminded me of Urban Crust/32 Degrees.

We were welcomed by friendly and helpful hostesses and decided to go upstairs to the bar area.  The decor is beautiful, contemporary, and trendy.  They have the glow-lighted ambiance and several tv's throughout the bar area.

We went outside to the patio area and it's very spacious and the bar is also connected to the outside area.  I love this place already!  The menu itself was short and sweet, it wasn't too wordy-- they weren't killing any fonts! The cedar wood used as the backing was a nice touch and "UrbanRio" was branded on the back of the wood.  Had a very nice selection of food and was unique.

Warm, fresh chips and cold salsa came out promptly.  The chips were the traditional yellow corn and they even had green chips.  The salsa had a nice spicy kick to it.  I think it could have been a tiny bit more flavorful.

Our waitress was nice and very knowledgeable. She did forget one thing but that's normal.  She even tried to get us a sample of some beans that we requested to taste but was not successful.  ::sad face::  It's okay, our overall service experience was great.

We ordered the Tropical Ahi Tuna Ceviche which has fresh ahi tuna, avocado, and GRAPEFRUIT pico de gallo.  It was very tasty and I love ahi tuna too.  They even have apricot pico.

What we also love is that their specialty and house margaritas which were made what I consider the "real" way.  No generic-pre-mixed laced with sour at all!  They even have tequila on TAP!

We all ordered the La Verdadera Margarita and it was made just perfect.  The right amount of tequila, a hint of sweetness, and not too much ice. They are served in colorful hand-blown glasses. They could have used a garnish or something to make it more presentable.  Maybe even a lime.

Next, we ordered the appetizer, Smoked Brisket Quesadillas.


Smoked Brisket Quesadillas with La Verdadera Margarita

 It was EXCELLENT!  It was double-layered (maybe triple?), yummy cheese, seasoned pork, and topped with a flavorful "crema" with cilantro and roasted corn kernels.

We will definitely be back!