I have very good news for Dallas-dwellers.

Neighborhood Services Tavern opened on the sly this weekend.  (You might remember my post about the original Neighborhood Services.) The new abode is cozy (read tiny) and promises the same quality on a smaller scale. The cocktail list is impressive and has bloggers buzzing . . . but let's get down to brass tacks.  The food.  It's amazing and surpassed all my already high expectations.

First the mussels arrived steamed in a white wine/butter reduction, with smoked chorizo and roasted cherry tomatoes.  I know it's hard to mess up mussels, but it's also hard to take them to the next level.  These mussels just beat out the Porch for best mussels in Dallas.  Just the right combination of acid from the tomatoes and wine, while the chorizo grounded the flavors without overpowering the mussels. (The classy quote of the evening came from a fellow diner who said, "I want to stick my face in these.")

The waitress recommended the scallops.  I'm a sucker for scallops so I obliged.  They were served on a bed of couscous with a beurr blanc sauce.  The amount of butter was ungodly heavenly.  I can't remember the last time I ate something so rich without being heavy.  The scallops were seared to perfection with a slight smoke to them.  I would skip the frisee salad that was served on top, but this was easy enough to scoot to the side.

My partner in crime got the steak of the day, a juicy rib-eye, served with roasted potatoes and horseradish dipping sauce.  Check and check.

Then the dessert. The butterscotch pot de creme.  The 'pot' was a mini mason jar with tiny wooden paddles to serve as spoons (remember the wooden things you used to eat the mini icecream cups when you were in elementary school.)  It felt naughty, spooning something so rich directly into my mouth. 

Only negative would be a few misplaced divider walls which chop up the space unnecessarily and leave you feeling slightly caged.  Don't worry, I told the waitress my opinion, which was quickly dismissed with a polite smile.

Entrees are in the $15-20 range.  Great for a date night.  I can't wait to go again.

Roasted sweet potatoes.  I serve them with dinner about three times a week and everyone helps themselves to seconds.  They're good.

But here's the rub . . . they never seem to get crispy enough.  I have tried everything: lower heat, higher heat, broiling, more olive oil, less olive oil.  They were always soft and tender, but not crispy. 

After some internet sleuthing, I found the answer to getting crispy taters.  Pan fry them after you pull them out of the oven.  Just put them on the stove over medium heat, and cook for additional 3-5 minutes tossing once.  They crisp right up! Why didn't I think of this sooner?


Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Peel and chop sweet potatoes into your preferred size.  Spread into cast iron pan or baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.  Place in oven at 400 for 30 minutes, tossing once.  If using cast iron pan, move directly to stove top and cook potatoes over medium heat for 3-5 more minutes tossing once. If using baking tray, transfer potatoes to saute pan before crisping on the stove top.

My man and I went to a cooking class dedicated to Shellfish: lobster, clams, mussels and five types of oysters. He got a new camera the same day,  so here you have a fully-documented shellfish extravaganza.


First up: Lobster.  I chopped up this little guy while he was still twitching.  I even removed his intestinal track and stomach (the pictures were a little to graphic for blog posting.)

 Then into the pot for him! Sauteed with shell on a mixture of ginger, soy, cilantro and fermented bean paste. 

All the ingredients for our Oysters spread out, ready to go.  I need these little plastic cups in my own kitchen. 

 A good start to any recipe!

Alcohol likes to catch on fire.  Gratefully, we meant to do this.  Oysters Rockefeller calls for a little flambe action.  Add a little Pernod (licorice flavored liqueur) and let the gas flames get a hold of it.

 Topping the oysters before a quick blast under the broiler.  I snuck a few raw ones.

The final result: Fresh oysters on the half shell "five ways" (rockefeller, bienville, oscar, casino and horseradish cream with salmon caviar.)  In my opinion, nothing beats a raw oyster, but adding butter and bacon sure does get close.

And a few of our other creations: mussels thermidor over linguini, panko crusted clams with spicy remoulade and a little lobster cameo in the back.  We also made a steamed clam dish that was my favorite.  I ate them too fast for a picture.  Favorite recipes below.


Oysters Bienville
Recipe by Chris Svalsen 
30 oysters
1/2 cup diced Applewood smoked bacon
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 minced onion
1/4 green bell peppers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Saute bacon.  Add celery, onion and green peppers.  When light brown add garlic, cream, salt and pepper.  Cook until cream reduces to half, and add Parmigiano Reggiano.  Place heaping mound on each oyster and broil for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned. 

Clams Oreganatta
Recipe by Chris Svalesen 
12 clams
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
butter

Wash clams under cold water, being careful to not break their shell.  Add red pepper and oregano to a dry pan over medium heat, and toast for about 2 minutes to release more of the flavor. Add all other ingredients, and cook on high until the shells open, 2-3 minutes. Serve in bowl with broth with a side of melted butter for dripping, dribbling, drizzling.

My sister is a strikingly beautiful lady, who eats Potbelly sandwiches seven days a week, only taking a break if Bagel Bites are available.


I laughed out loud when she accidentally wound up at Tom Colicchio's Craft, and I asked her to write a restaurant review from her Potbelly-state-of-mind.  Here's what we got:


Last night, I went to Craft.  I never thought I would say that, but it's true.  During the brief time that I lived in Los Angeles, Craft was moments from my office.  I would drive by with envy, as I headed it 'In & Out Burger' for my version of dinner.

My friend Annie is an international tour guide (that's right.  Her job is an international tour guide.)  She's finally settled in New York, where I have no doubt she will do something fearless with her amazing self.  

She knew I loved Julie & Julia, but challenged me saying, "You HAVE to read Julia Child's My Life in France."  So I am.  It is phenomenal.  Check out her description of her first meal in France: 

"It arrived whole: a large, flat Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. The waiter carefully placed the platter in front of us, stepped back, and said: "Bon appètit!
I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection."

I made it and was shocked at how easy it was.  A light piece of fish dusted in flour and seared in a butter bath.  I served with roasted broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes.

Sole Meuniere
To serve, sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper.  Serve immediately. 

Here's a quick comfort-food that's on the lighter side for this glorious spring weather. (By 'lighter side' I mean it doesn't have any sausage.)

Spicy Shrimp and Rice
1 cup rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup stock (chicken or seafood)
salt to taste
 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 clove garlic
1/2 shallotpinch of red chili flakes
cilantro

For rice:
Melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter in a medium pot.  Once melted add rice and stir until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle rice with salt and then add stock.  Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 20(ish) minutes, or until rice is cooked to desired tenderness.

For shrimp:
Finely chop garlic and shallot.  Melt remaining butter in medium sauce pan.  Add garlic and shallot and stir until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add chili flakes and shrimp and a pinch of salt.  Once shrimp has started to curl into a C shape, remove from heat. (if it turns into a full O shape, it's overcooked.)   Top with cilantro and serve over rice.

Collaboration.  Cool people doing cool things.  I experienced true collaboration this week as Sharon Hage (of York Street) served as the visiting chef for 48 Nights.  In case you missed it . . . Sharon Hage is a James Beard Award Winner, and York Street was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the nation by Gourmet.


A little back story:
Two great guys in Dallas, TX (Chris Jeffers, Chris Zielke) open a restaurant named Bolsa.  It's based in the cool, yet rugged Bishop Arts District and focuses on fresh, local ingredients with a Latin flair.  They team up with head chef, Tim Byres, and create Smoke, the hippest barbecue joint in the area.  In comes real estate developer,  Brent Jackson, who is dedicated to bringing 'cool' into the area without disrupting history.  Before they rebuild a few buildings, why not do something AWESOME in the standing space?


 48 Nights is born.  Salvation Army provides all the furniture and mismatched plates and glass.  Open only Monday and Tuesdays for exactly 48 Nights, and all proceeds benefit charities.  You buy a ticket, not knowing who the chef will be.  It could be Stephen Pyles or Bruno Davaillon of The Mansion on Turtle Creek.

Have a pot of leftover Cajun Dirty Rice?  Make rice cakes!

Scoop 2-3 spoonfuls of leftover rice into your hands and form into small cakes.  Dredge in beaten egg, and coat with panko bread crumbs.  Heat a little oil in pan over medium heat, and cook rice cakes for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with a fried egg on top.  Leave the yolk runny, so when it pops you have a delicious sauce for your crispy Dirty Rice Cakes.

The man likes spicy food, so I decided to treat him to a red hot dish: Blackened Catfish and Cajun Dirty Rice.
The catfish is slathered in butter then coated with every spicy/flavorful herb I could think of.  Seared in butter (of course) in a cast-iron pan.  It gets smoky.  Be warned.
Dirty Rice usually calls for chicken livers, but I stuck to my beloved pork sausage and called it heaven.  Same spicy herbs went into the rice.  Serve with roasted broccoli and pretend you're healthy.

Blackened Catfish
4 catfish fillets
2-4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1. Pat catfish fillets dry with paper towel, and spread half the butter on both sides of fillets.
2. Combine all spices/herbs in a shallow plate, and coat both sides of catfish in the spice blend.
3. Melt remaining butter in a cast iron pan over medium heat and cook catfish in butter for about 3-4 minutes a side.

Dirty Rice
1 pound spicy sausage
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (adjust to personal taste)
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1. In large stock pot, brown sausage over medium heat.  Remove sausage to plate, reserving fat in the pot.
2. Finely chop bell pepper, celery, onion and garlic and add to the pot.  Saute over medium heat until softened through.  
3. Add rice and all spices/herbs and cook for 3 more minutes.
4.  Add sausage and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  
5. Reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until desired tenderness.
6. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve immediately.

 I went to the Liddabit website and learned it is the creation of two pastry chefs with a passion for local, fresh (delicious) ingredients.  I suggest the ricotta orange caramels. I'm hooked.

I love shrimp.  My sister can't stand the sight/smell/texture of shrimp.  My man loves shrimp/chicken/anything edible.

We straddled the fence of likes and dislikes with quesadillas. I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it, keeping it separate from all other ingredients.  I also kept a little bowl of baby shrimp on the side.

Then I made a huge bowl of delicious quesadilla goodness (shallots, garlic, mushrooms, corn, cilantro, etc.) and made everyone a personalized quesadilla (some shrimp, some chicken and BOTH for me.)

Quesadillas: Shrimp and/or Chicken
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 can sweet corn
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 baby pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups cheese Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
Large flour tortillas
Avocado slices or guacamole
Sliced tomatoes
Sour cream

1. Saute the shallot and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  When softend add mushrooms and saute until softened. 
2. Place in a large mixing bowl with cilantro, corn, cumin, hot sauce, and stir gently together.
3. In large nonstick pan, melt 1/2 teaspoon of butter over medium heat.  Place one large tortilla on pan.  Top with a hand full of shredded cheese, mixed goodness and either shrimp, chicken or both.  Top with more cheese and another tortilla.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side.  Make a personalized quesadilla for everyone around your kitchen table.
4. Slice quesadillas and serve with avocado, tomatoes and sour cream.