Dallas: Eno's Pizza Tavern

I love pizza of all shapes and sizes: cheese-crust, Chicago deep-dish, New York, and thin-crust. Eno's Pizza Tavern has not only mastered the thin-crust pizza in Dallas, but has a great atmosphere (often with live music multiple times a week), great service, and a beer selection that would please even the most sophisticated beer nerd. As a Dallas native, I've had pizza from all over the city. It was not until just recently I was introduced to Eno's Pizza Tavern... and my perception of Dallas' pizza capabilities were changed.
For starters, I ordered the Honey Chile Hog Wings, which the table ended up ordering another because they were amazing. This tender piece of pork came still on the bone (although it fell off instantly) in a cast iron skillet. The pork was glazed with local sweet honey and a red chile sauce. While the hog wings were sweet from the honey, the after-burn from the red chile was enough to make you reach for that cold brew -- but a good temperature burn.. the kind that makes you want to take another bite! The bleu cheese buttermilk dip was a great way to neutralized the spice and added a great deal of flavor. I also ordered the Harvest Pear Salad. Consisting of a mix of Arugula, local greens, and fresh Basil. The salad contained Bleu Cheese crubles, sliced Pears, Pancetta, and was all brought together with a Champagne Vinaigrette. The contents of the salad worked wonderfully together,  and the dressing really brought out their flavors.

When I go to a pizzaria like Eno's, I know I should just trust them and choose a pizza that is a selection on the menu, but when they offer customized pizzas.. I can't help but indulge. The pizza that I concocted was: Pepperoni, Hot Sausage, Charred Green Onion, Garlic, Fresh Basil, Jalapenos, Artichoke, and Sun Dried Tomatoes. These customized pizzas are called 'iPies' at Eno's. These thin-crust pizzas are the perfect size to split with somebody, or fully satisfy you if you are pretty starving.
In addition to great pizzas, Eno's offers a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, and Italian pastas.
It was quite unlike me, but I just couldn't push myself to get any dessert -- I was stuffed! I was regretting my decision when I saw some kind of Hot Brownie Sundae brought to the table next to me.

-- Their dedicated beer menu is vast and contains variety and character. From seasonal draughts, many local Texas microbrews, to 'Micro Cans', they have almost every flavorful beer you can think of. They also have a great wine selection.

Emo's Pizza Tavern is a must if you live in Dallas, or stopping by the area. I can't wait to venture back for dinner, possibly to try a sandwich or homemade pastas -- and most probably a desert!
A must-go for any pizza or beer lover!
Overall I give Emo's Pizza Tavern 5/5 stars! ★★★★★


Eno's Pizza Tavern: Menu (Dinner)

Eno's: Drink/Dessert Menu 

NxNW and Lotus Hunan

This past week I have gone out twice to eat; my dad was in town and took my sisters and I out to dinner. The next night I went out to dinner with the Nom Crew.
Both places we went I had researched and made sure they were up to par.

North by NorthWest
My dad took us to the restaurant and brewery, North By NorthWest (NxNW). I was very impressed with all that it had to offer. They had amazing appetizers and a wide range of entrées. Unfortunately we were all too full indulge in any dessert. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which came with four items: fried calamari, buffalo wings, fried artichoke hearts, and sausage-stuffed mushrooms. It came with three different dipping sauces that went well with everything. I ordered the Asian Chicken Salad (you'll soon figure out that that is my go-to dish, and I am always trying to find a great Asian chicken salad). It was good, but not the best asian chicken salad I've had, and next time i go back I will definitely be trying something different. One of my sisters ordered the Orange Chicken, which she let me try and so very good; it was moist and the orange sauce wasn't too overpowering. We went on a monday and the Tortilla-crusted Tilapia was the special of the day. My other sister ordered it and was very pleased. My father ordered the Lemon Shrimp Linguini, which he enjoyed as well.
The really cool thing about North by NorthWest is that they are a brewery and brew their own beer on site. They offer 5 different types of beer, and had a sixth option that was seasonal. My sister and I tried three of the six beers, and I really enjoyed each one I tried. I ordered their seasonal hefeweizen, which was quite bitter, but full in flavor, and their "Duckabush Amber" which was smooth and 'hoppy'.
The atmosphere was very modern and chic, and had a really homey feel at the same time.
I would give North by NorthWest 4½ out of 5 stars: ★★★★✫       http://nxnwbrew.com/

Lotus Hunan Chinese Restaurant
The other restaurant I ventured to this week with some of my buddies was Lotus Hunan Chinese Restaurant in Westlake, Austin. On the way, all of my friends were talking about how they had not been able to find a solid Chinese restaurant, besides P.F. Chang's or a Pei Wei, in Austin... or they weren't as easy to find as compared to our hometowns of Dallas and Houston. I can confidently say that we all left satisfied and happy that we had found the place that we were all looking for. The service was UNBELIEVABLE, almost "too good" if you know what I mean. Our waitress was coming to our table every other minute checking in, and our waters were constantly being filled before they even got to the halfway mark. The food was very solid. Three friends ordered the WonTon Soup, and really enjoyed it, while a friend and I ordered the Crab Ragoons as an appetizer. There was no dipping sauce that came with our ragoons, but our waitress quickly made us a sweet & spicy concoction in the kitchen and brought it out for us.. it was awesome! Tangy and sweet - it really complemented the ragoons. Two friends ordered your standard Sesame Chicken, which they both raved about. Another ordered Kung Pow Chicken, and I never got feedback on it, but he didn't say anything negative (so I am going to take that as a good thing). I ordered the Pan Fried Noodles with Beef, Pork, and Shrimp. I wanted to get something new, and the waitress said it was one of her favorites. It was prepared with a brown sauce and served over fried noodles, which were crunchier than I thought. I was really impressed with the dish and glad I decided to venture out of my Chinese comfort zone.
Overall, the food was solid and the service was great. I'd give it 4 stars: ★★★★☆    http://www.lotushunan.com/index.html