Category Archives: Food
Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Latte
So the falling autumn temperatures have you craving something infused with pumpkin (and caffeine), but you don’t feel like handing five bucks to a barista. That’s understandable.
Here’s a way to make a multi-use batch of pumpkin spice syrup, which can be directly added to coffee — and optionally espresso — to replicate the festive drink that you are so used to paying for.
Yo guy, how ’bout some pizza, ay?
A $5.50 Bacci's lunch special, complete with homebrew Arnold Palmer.
Addison is known for its overwhelming selection of just about every restaurant on the planet within a two-mile stretch of Belt Line Road. I’m not quite sure when Bacci’s Pizza and Pasta opened its doors, but I don’t think it’s been there too long (surely not as long as Magic Time Machine). I didn’t expect much out of a quick lunch visit, but my expectations were a bit off.
For weekday lunch, Bacci’s offers a $5.50 special with a salad, a drink, and a HUGE slice of New York pizza. Don’t let the photo fool you, these things must be a foot long. I’m a sucker for deals, so I may have been subconsciously hooked before I sat down.
My go-to pizza usually features pepperoni as the lone topping, so I can’t vouch for the extras. The pizza itself was outstanding though, with plenty of cheese and a smooth blend of seasoning that had me wanting to trade the salad for another slice. But the salad ended up tasting pretty good too, and I’m usually not too big into salads (who is?). The house Italian dressing was excellent and the Bacci folks made sure there was plenty of it, so speak up if you don’t want too much.
And so, the legend of the Belt Line “food strip” grows — and so does my midsection.
Genki’s Conveyor Belt Sushi
Genki Sushi & Steak’s conveyor belt serves one purpose only: to deliver rolls to those who order the all-you-can-eat buffet. If this type of experience is beneath you, Genki offers an extensive selection of sushi and more off their regular menu.
Included in the buffet price — available for both lunch and dinner — is a salad with ginger dressing and miso soup. Edamame comes around occasionally on the conveyor belt.
Philadelphia roll, veggie roll, spicy tuna roll, and several variations of California roll — all of which come two per plate — are what I remember eating on my last couple of visits. According to a couple of Yelp reviewers (and unconfirmed by me), Genki will serve certain nigiri and sashimi pieces on request at no additional charge.
At the time of this writing, the lunch and dinner buffets are $12.95 and $16.50 respectively. Take your time and enjoy the meal. Try anything that looks interesting. You will be full before you know it.
Genki Sushi & Steak is located at 14902 Preston Rd., Dallas, TX 75254. Their menu is available at http://www.genkisushidallas.com/menu.html.
Ain’t No Party Like an Irish Party
Thirty years ago from Saturday, a small group of Celtic musicians gathered at Nick Farrelly’s Lounge in Oak Lawn. That pub, which now houses a Pappadeaux restaurant, is no more; but the modest get-together has evolved into the largest Irish celebration in the Southwest.
The annual North Texas Irish Festival (NTIF) is funded by The Southwest Celtic Music Association and, in accordance with tradition, will happen on the first weekend of the month: March 2nd through 4th. The “Céilí” (Gaelic for “gathering”) will feature some of the world’s finest Celtic musicians, traditional Irish performers, and plenty of Irish cuisine. Of course, a shortage of Guinness, Harp, and other Irish brews is unlikely.
The culinary “Galway stage” will debut this year, providing festival-goers with the opportunity to watch local chefs prepare traditional and hybrid Irish dishes. Executive chefs from Westin Galleria Dallas, Front Burner Restaurants, Trinity Hall Irish Pub, and Kirby’s Prime Steakhouse will all be featured.
For animal-lovers and future pet adopters, over 50 animal rescue groups (animals included) will make the weekend trip to Fair Park.
North Texas Irish Festival hours:
Friday, March 2nd
6:00-11:00pm
Saturday, March 3rd
10:30am-11:30pm
Sunday, March 4th
11:30am-7:30pm
Photo courtesy of Southwest Celtic Music Association, Inc.
Afrah: Put Some Garlic in Your Belly!
I recently visited Afrah twice in three days — one for the weekday lunch buffet and one for regular dinner service. Both offer the same food quality and freshness.
My love for Lebanese cuisine led me to Afrah on my birthday. I met my wife there for lunch on a Friday. The celebration continued on Sunday night when my parents treated me to a meal of my choice; Afrah narrowly won out over Zafaron, a Persian restaurant I wanted to try.
We arrived early — around 11:30 a.m. — for the lunch buffet. Many more items were available to sample than I could realistically try in one lunch session.
On one plate and a salad bowl, I managed to fit hummus, baba ghanouj (eggplant dip), grape leaves, falafel, fattoush salad, tabbouli salad, shish tawouk (chicken breast kabab), kafta (ground sirloin with onion and parsely), gyro meat, basmati rice, fried cauliflower, and pita bread. There wasn’t a single dud in the bunch.
What stood out most was Afrah’s Kafta, which is among the best I’ve ever had. Their dips (Baba Ghanouj and Hummus) are also hard to beat. Though not as moist and tender as my other favorite Dallas Middle Eastern restaurant (which will remain nameless for this post), the Shish Tawouk was delicious and well seasoned.
Two days later, Afrah was absolutely hopping. Shortly after we arrived, all inside tables were occupied. A fair number of people were dining in the outside patio area where a couple of hookahs were being passed around.
The service suffered a little because of the number of patrons. Our food was slow to arrive, and they gave me Vermicelli rice instead of the Basmati rice I had ordered. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed and devoured my Kafta plate, which also included (by choice of two sides) Baba Ghanouj.
If you go to Afrah with a group of four or more, consider one of their Family Feasts, which come with your choice of meat skewers, rice, fattoush salad, hummus, and baba ghanouj. As you make your way out the door, don’t forget to order some delicious pastries, including assorted cookies and baklava.
Afrah is located at 314 E Main St., Richardson, TX. Their complete menu is available at www.afrah.com.
