I am not alone in looking forward to a better year; 2006 was a bitterly hard year. It had crests and it had falls. I miss my pups, and I miss the people no longer a part of my life. I am thankful we survived many near-tragedies. I am thankful for my friends and their well-being. I am thankful I still have a job and a roof over my head. I am thankful for my hubby. I am grateful for all the simple things. I am happy with our accomplishments and I am looking forward to next year’s goals.
I am reminded at this moment that if the wind blows fierce, I should bend with it so that I will not break.
5013 West Park Blvd
Plano, Tx 75093
(972) 596-7100
We went back to Steve Fields for the fourth or fifth visit this year for a pre-Christmas celebration with our good friends, the Rustons. We used OpenTable.com to set our reservation for four, which made booking easy, and we received email confirmation the previous day. Even though we manage to straggle in 30 minutes late, the hostess still welcomed us cheerily and led us to our booth. Our server as usual was knowledgeable and friendly (hey didn’t he serve us on previous visits) and gave us plenty of time to talk, give gifts, and make our dinner selections. As usual I was torn between prime rib and ribeye, and a special surf-and-turf option didn’t make the decisions any easier. Of our appetizer choices, the lobster pizza impressed the most with its crisp-crunchy foundation smothered with cheese. The stuffed mushrooms disappeared too fast for me to make an impression. The sliced-strip bread with its olive oil concoction was still too spicy for DH, but it is still distinguishes itself from other beef palaces’ carb offerings.
Everyone in our party chose a beef entree: beef medallions, a couple of filets, and a ribeye. My bone-in ribeye turned out just a little rarer than usual, but it was still tasty (and DH argued it was gristly). Everybody enjoyed their entrees, with no complaints except that maybe the portions were larger than expected. Well…I do remember being disappointed with the pencil-thin greens that masqueraded as asparagus (that seems to be the standard here). Hey, Steve, could you PLEASE pick some “beefier” asparagus stalks to serve with those steaks?
We finished off the meal with an apple cobbler ala mode and twin raspberry/chocolate cheesecakes. The cobbler wasn’t quite as memorable as the cheesecake, which surprised our friends with two helpings instead of just one.
Another great meal from our top picks of 2006. We’ll be back, Steve!
I heard that Dirty Dawgz opened a location in Sachse…that means no more hikes across Plano to visit the Preston/Park location. I remember the days when we lived in Addison and made the lengthy drive to their Mockingbird store (near the Dallas Dog Park)…then the Preston/Beltline shop. Dirty Dawgz’s success is an indicator of how Dallas loves their dogs…and it sure makes it easier to bathe a 150lb pup in the right-sized tub.
While it shares a common owner with the Silver Fox Steakhouse across the parking lot, Ye Shire seems poised to deliver a more satisfying meal that won’t traumatize the wallet. The service that we received for a mid-week dinner seemed more knowledgeable and attentive than the reception at its pricier sibling; the menu was less ambitious and geared toward a casual/bar food crowd. True to the sign out front, Ye Shire serves up prime rib. For $25 it’s a great deal and a delicious, hefty portion–and dare I say, possibly one of the best prime rib plates in Richardson. The prime sandwich also received high marks along with its side of chip-sliced fries. Only the deviled egg appetizer seemed unoriginal, no more memorable than a grocery store deli imitator. Still, some other items on the menu appeared tempting, so it may be worth another trip to Ye Shire for more exploring. As long as you’re comfortable with the casual sports bar-like digs, then you’ll feel at home at Ye Shire Tavern.
After a conversation today that tended to mull over palate pleasers, I decided to compose a list of the best and the worst dining adventures I had this year in Dallas. I specify Dallas because I don’t want to include my dining adventures in Hawaii about two months ago or from my South Padre trip this past summer. I’m listing here the standouts and lowpoints that I recall, but my memory might be fuzzy on the specifics. So here we go:
The Best: Steve Fields’ Steak and Lobster Lounge (Plano) Zea WoodFire Grill (Plano) Luna de Noche (Plano) Geisha (Plano) Rafain (North Dallas) Paparazzi’s (Richardson) Sawadika Thai Zone (Richardson) Aboca’s (Richardson) Picasso’s (Plano)
The Worst: Silver Fox Steakhouse (Richardson) The Keg (Plano) Bob’s Steak and Chop House (Plano) Kirby’s Prime Steakhouse (Plano) Dakota’s Steakhouse (Downtown Dallas)
