On separate occasions I’ve visited Gyros & Grill to try their gyros and kabobs. Their kabobs tended to be on the lean, tough and well-done side, but their beef gyros are spot on. If you pick up the combo, you can get either fries or salad with that. The salad is generally on display, pre-tossed, and typical salad fare. Fries are thicker than usual, with a better-than-average seasoning (probably the best fries available from this strip mall). I’ve also had their hummus and suspected it came from Central Market.
They have expanded their menu since my last visit, offering tacos, pizza, sandwiches, fish (grilled and fried) and rotisserie chicken on their menu. However I have one gripe with their posted menu. Often times one can’t figure out what combos are available and no descriptions are given on the picture menu. A little cleanup and de-cluttering is in order, methinks.
Gyros & Grill sits on the corner of a strip mall neighboring Grill Express. The dining room is smaller than other cafes on this strip, so large parties may have to get their Greek fix to-go.
FYI, a sign on their food counter indicates they are halal, though I did not ask to verify this.
Two words: Butter Chicken. 10 minutes and 2 music videos later, I was out the door and on my way home for some buttah luvin.
Tender chicken, a slow-burn spiciness, and delicious creamy sauce. Paired with rice and at $7.99 a plate, it made for a marvelous lunch. It was even too much for me to finish, and I normally gorge on this stuff.
I’ve also had their large wedge-shaped samosas (beef, chicken and veggie). Paired with their chutney it makes for great snacking.
This is a non-descript cafe, appropriate for casual lunches, and an unintimidating atmosphere for Indian food newbies.
After checking out the Coppell Deli, my man and I decided to see if Deliman’s is any improvement on the original.
At Deliman’s they offer an expanded menu including lunch and dinner items like chicken fried steaks, pork chops, chicken, and shrimp. They also had a Mediterranean menu, with the standard offerings of kabobs, gyros, and grilled fish. The dining room is casual, substantially larger than the original, and Dallas Cowboys-love is evident everywhere. There isn’t a direction that you can point your fork at without finding a flat-screen TV looking back at you, so this is great for Cowboy- and sports-viewing parties.
However for our visit, my man and I went for the burgers again. He ordered the double-bacon cheeseburger while I opted for the patty melt. Again, I took a stab at their breaded onion rings and found it lacking–flavorless, like the kind you find in your grocer’s freezer. The fries tasted better, though they weren’t the same kind of wedges we got at the original location. My patty melt came with two cheeses oozing over the sauteed onions. While the burger came medium well, it was juicy and full of beefy flavor. My man reported that his came medium-well too but delicious, perhaps near the top of his list, as burgers go. His only complaint came from the bacon, which while plentiful, wasn’t fresh and too crunchy from sitting under a heat lamp too long.
Total damaged amounted to $22 and change with a soda. We’ll be back to try out their Mediterranean menu.
We drove into Keller’s Drive-In for their burgers…
…and had to drive away.
They don’t take plastic. Strictly cash only.
A sign out front proclaims: “Been Here A Long Time…” and the place looks it. You don’t come here for the ambience or the people-watching (unless you enjoy this kind of place)…it’s probably the rattiest, dingiest little drive-in you’ll ever see. If you don’t cater to the truck-stop vibe, it will take a bit of courage to venture into the Harry Hines location. Forget about family-friendly–no Happy Meals here, no cheery-faced teenagers manning the registers, no wacky mascots, no ball-pits. The ladies walking up and down the stalls to take your order look like they can manage an unruly crowd—they won’t take no bull. This is an adult burger joint–beer is the liquid of choice to wash down their food.
But I hear it’s home to Dallas’ best burgers. So, one of these days…one of these days…
My man and I were looking for a new dining adventure, and the man was craving Indian. Previously, the man had only one year’s experience with Indian food, so going to buffets was the best way to initiate him into the earthy-spicy exotic world of Indian food.
So we headed into Addison to give Flavors a try. First mark in their favor: nice, clean and spacious digs. If it wasn’t for the Sunday buffet I can imagine this place can host upscale dining. Second good sign: we were greeted immediately and ushered to our seats. Always a telling sign that the staff gets down to business–and that business is good food.
Third good sign: 2 buffet lines and all-you-can-drink soda fountain. As soon as we hit the buffet, everything was clearly labeled and stocked with fresh food. This was a good sized buffet with diverse vegetarian and meat offerings. Some standouts include their chicken tikka masala, lemon rice, fried fish, a fried potato/veggie dish and an excellent naan. (Which is saying something since I generally avoid the bread everywhere I’ve gone.) Other dishes less memorable were the chicken biryani, goat curry, saag paneer. We were surprised by the inclusion of a bitter melon dish on the buffet–typically more ethnic than most Americans can handle…woo! that’s definitely an acquired taste.
Flavors also delivered a capable fruit custard and a gulab jamun that was more custardy than bready, a decent rice kheer and good carrot halwa (though my partner says it’s not the best gajar ka halwa he’s eaten).
One thing I must fault Flavors’ buffet: not a single thing on the line was spicy-hot (not the pickled carrots or the spiced onions). Throughout lunch, I craved a burn, a kick, anything to get the nose running or throat scratchy…but none of the dishes I found delivered on the heat. In this I suppose Flavors’ buffet is newbie-friendly, but it would not be my first choice if I were looking to shock the tastebuds.
So Flavors’ buffet is great for initiates to Indian food, but too safe a choice if you’re looking for something stronger, more flavorful. However, the price is right (10.99 on Sat-Sun with unlimited soda), especially if it’s your first foray into this type of cuisine. As for me, I’ll come back for the good service and the naan.
My Circulon Original covered saute pan (or is that a chef’s pan) has finally given up the ghost. The once-durable, ridged non-stick hard-anodized surface began to worry me over the last 6-8 months as food began to adhere to the surface and failed to lift with gentle cleaning. I expected a lifetime of use from it, but only got 10 years of heavy usage. While it was a beast to handle (heavier than other hard-anodized cookware that I owned) it was the workhorse of the kitchen. I cooked everything in it: from pan-broiling steaks, stir-frying batches of fried rice, to serving up adobo chicken. It endured constant use and never warped or scratched.
Today it sits in the sink, its bottom surface grimed and caked with burnt food that no amount of soap or scrubbing has removed. I’d hate to retire the thing, but I’ve already invested a couple of hours attempting to clean it with no success. Any stronger methods is sure to destroy what’s left of its non-stick nature. My other Circulon cookware has seen moderate use and has continued to perform as expected…just not this particular piece. I’m glad to have owned one though, and my next heavy-duty chef’s pan will definitely be comparable if not better than this one. I bought my share of cheap, short-lived $20 cookware…never go back to those again.
For now I’m having to fall back on a Kitchen Essentials/Calphalon Everyday Nonstick Saute Pan…but a few years ago, the bottom of the pan warped, no doubt from high heat. So there is a slight curve in the center of the pan that really cramps my cooking style…
