Greetings

Dallas has few diversions other than eating, drinking and shopping.....and shopping does not interest us.
So we spend our time hopping from restaurant to restaurant and to every pub that we can find in search of the perfect meal and the perfect beer.

We randomly review restaurants and bars, dishes and beers at whim and give our brutally honest opinions of our findings. And while we concentrate on Dallas, we travel far and wide to sample cuisine from all regions of the country and beyond.



Monday, August 2, 2010

Restaurant Review - Smoke (brunch)

Smoke - Brunch

I have to admit that I am not overly fond of breakfast food.  The way eggs look, smell, feel and taste literally puts my gag reflex in overdrive and, in case you haven't noticed, eggs are an integral part of your typical breakfast.  So, I travel where I must to find a breakfast/brunch with a menu selection that does not initiate a technicolor yawn. 
Smoke, my latest attempt at avoiding embryo, is located in Oak Cliff in the hip Belmont Hotel.  As the name hints, the hook is that all the foods are smoked, or smoke flavored, added to mostly locally sourced, fresh ingredients.  The menu has several options that look promising.

The Smoked Brisket Cornbread Hash has brisket, cornbread and potatoes along with poached egg, green chili rajas and pearl onions...wait...poached egg?  Damn.  My dining companion raved about how delicious it was however, and devoured it with much gusto.

Handmade Biscuits and Spicy Sausage Gravy & Fresh Fruit contained no eggs and coincidentally, the biscuits contained no moisture.  Luckily, the delicious gravy was there to make these hocky pucks consumable.  Never had BBQ sauce in gravy before....not sure I will again, but it was interesting to say the least.  You have the option of adding a sausage side, either chicken patty, pork andouille or beef paprika/fennel seed.  At the servers suggestion I chose the chicken patty which had a satisfying spicy kick, but oddly, almost no flavor other than the spicyness.

Vegetarians may (and did on this occasion) chose the Heavy Handed Blueberry & House Made Ricotta Cheese Pancakes with Vanilla Poached Apricots and Cream.  You have to give it to the creators of the menu for smoke, the food is named what it is and I don't have to guess what a Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity is.  The pancakes were really like cakes, 4" x 1.5" of tasty goodness.  Dense, creamy and filling....and containing a piece of wire.  The staff was completely stumped by that one and then asked if we wanted a replacement.  No genius, I was hoping find what is attached to the other end of the wire.
All in all not a bad meal but I don't think that I will make a special trip to brunch again.  Maybe if I happen to be cruising around the Cliff......

Smoke
901 Ft.Worth Avenue
Dallas, TX 75208
214.393.4141
http://www.smokerestaurant.com/index.html
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