November dining adventures part 1

Local Diner

120 S Denton Tap Rd
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 393-3894

Local Diner serves up simple, inelegant, unpretentious fare. The fiance and I paid the Local Diner a visit for a Sunday breakfast. This Coppell outpost evoked old-time diners…barstools and tiled countertops, bright lighting, primary colors, and scores of 40s-60s memorabilia hanging from the walls. Our hosts were courteous and upbeat, very attentive when it came to taking orders and refills. While the Sunday church and sports crowd slowly filtered in, the fiance and I dove into our simple repasts. I ordered eggs and bacon with a side of 2 pancakes, while the soon-to-be-DH ordered French Toast with his eggs and ham. I found our meals acceptably executed, nothing too exciting or daring in the presentation…though I thought the bacon was lacking in salt. Nothing else thrilling to report about the meal…except that it was priced just right for what we got. Perhaps their lunch menu will have more tasty offerings…but one presumes too much to expect any more from this budget dining destination.

My rating: 2.5 stars
**1/2

Kasa Kolache

761 S MacArthur Blvd
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 745-8822

I’ve been drawn to this place ever since I saw the “kolache” sign beckoning. And I was pleased to discover that this little hole-in-the-wall bakery serves some mighty fine fruit kolaches, in addition to their sausage kolaches and cinnamon rolls. I confess that the first time I arrived at 1pm during a weekday I was worried that I wouldn’t get a chance to try their sausage rolls (they had run out). But my consolation was a half-dozen cinnamon rolls which proved to be tasty. Hoping it wasn’t a fluke, I’ve returned with the soon-to-be-DH who reckons himself a cinnamon roll fanatic. We came early on a Saturday morning and sampled sausage rolls (tasty and spicy), ham & cheese rolls (good), fruit kolaches (blueberry was an excellent rendition) and their cinnamon rolls (went back for seconds). We both agreed that everything exceeded expectations…and we enjoyed the cafe feel of the small dining room (loved the mural) and the counter staff was helpful and courteous. Kasa Kolache is definitely worth stopping by if you’re craving a good baked breakfast.

My rating: 3.5 stars
***1/2

Uncle Tai Chinese

820 S MacArthur Blvd, # 112
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 393-0415

I remember the original Uncle Tai location in the Dallas Galleria, well known for supplying North Dallasites with fine Chinese cuisine in upscale digs. I’m happy to hear that Uncle Tai relocated to smaller, casual and cozy outpost in Coppell. While I’ve only sampled one lunch dish from their takeout menu, I’m looking forward to trying out more of their menu. The tasty Hot Garlic Beef I ordered came out well prepared and cooked to order (I requested broccoli), though I must remember to stress steamed rice in the future–I wasn’t too keen on the dirty fried rice they paired with my lunch portion. I gobbled down lunch like Chinese food was going out of style–proof that Uncle Tai hasn’t lost his touch. I am looking forward to more takeout and delivery from Uncle Tai’s!

My rating: 3.5 stars
***1/2

Siam Thai Cuisine

820 S MacArthur Blvd Ste 108B
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 462-1584

I was thrilled to discover great Thai food in Coppell. The fiance and I visited Siam Thai for dinner and we feasted like royalty here. Nearly everything we ordered was a delightful treasure trove of flavors. The fried calamari were not the typical deep-fried rings usually offered by other restaurants–ours was a plate of lightly battered toothsome squid sticks, paired with sweet chili sauce. The coconut soup was at once sweet, sour and mildly spicy, with a slight fishy-sauce aroma…the signature of a well-balanced, flavorful coconut soup. The corn patties, while filling, was the only appetizer to disappoint, the batter seemed too thick and overpowered the scattered kernels of corn. As for the rest of the dinner, we requested 4- to 5-star heat with our pad thai with pork, Thai spicy peanut sauce with chicken and their signature seafood dish on sizzling plate. The pad thai noodles was a fantastic rendition of the classic dish…and with the added heat, we found we couldn’t stop eating despite the slow burn. The Thai peanut Chicken–while nowhere near the caliber of Banana Leaf’s version–was still a crowd-pleaser, and disappeared faster than the pad thai noodles. As for the sizzling seafood, I was pleased to see many different chunks of seafood swimming in the red coconut curry…this turned out to be the spiciest of all the dishes we sampled that evening–perhaps due to its still being served piping hot. Everything turned out delicious, and we lamented that even when loosening our belts, we couldn’t stuff ourselves any fuller with the excellent meal before us. Thankfully, we’re within delivery range of this Thai restaurant and we look forward to sampling more of their exotic menu!

My rating: 4.0 stars
****

The Original Fried Pie Place

1980 Nantucket Ste. 103
Richardson, TX 75080
(214) 575-7437

The Original Fried Pie Place will be the death of me. I like fried pies way too much…and the small variety of meat and fruit pies peddled here will keep me coming back for more. And wow, now they also serve funnel cakes. There’s nothing else like this restaurant in Texas! I’m looking forward to their Spinach/Mushroom/Cheese and Broccoli/Chicken on my next visit.

My rating: 3.5 stars
***1/2