Mi Dia From Scratch ~ Grapevine, Texas

Latest visit: Jan 2018 (Grapevine)

First visit: 2015 (Grapevine)

Regular readers of the RJG (do such people really exist? Questions...) will know we are big fans of New Mexican cuisine, to the point where we travel there at least annually. Presumably just to eat. And, well, that's not far from the truth.

So why have we been so tardy to review Mi Dia From Scratch, since they've been open for over 6 years now? I have to admit I was a bit reluctant originally. They had been advertised as something of a Mexico City interior kind of place, with New Mexican seemingly a "throw in", and their menu lacked any authenticity in this area. But over time, they fine tuned that menu, and we've now been a few times, and it's superb each visit. Mi Dia is one of only a couple of restaurants in DFW that knows that Christmas has another meaning outside of a religious event or a holiday.

Let's get this out of the way first: This isn't a fast casual restaurant, nor a mid priced family dining establishment. Mi Dia is borderline fine dining, and I've been here more times for business luncheons or dinners than for personal meals. However, on one fine Monday for lunch, Mrs. RJG and I wandered over as we had a hankering for some Santa Fe cuisine, and our next trip there isn't for another 5 months at the earliest.

There's a corporation behind Mi Dia, and that capital is necessary to a) be in the location it is, and b) to build such a lavish restaurant. If I heard our waitress explain correctly, the owners possess most of the restaurants nearby, including Bob's Steakhouse. There's also a chef behind the food creations, and it shows.

As is often the case, with places like Mi Dia,one must start off with a frozen margarita (or on the rocks as the Mrs. prefers).You can smell the tequila before the waitress can get it off the tray. So after two sips, and already half in the bag, it's time to dig into the complimentary chips, served with both a green and a red salsa, side by side in the bowl. If you're like us, you'll be asking for more. At least once I've had an appetizer here with the Tampa Pound and a bottle of wine (after the margarita), and the heck if I can remember what it was! Oh wait - it was the queso fundido, because I remember us making fun of the name - in that drunk sophomoric way that the waiters must endure nightly I'm sure. We weren't terribly annoying that night. Says I anyway... Well, it was delicious too. OK, back to the lunch with Mrs. RJG. I keep it simple: The Xmas burrito. I cannot for the life of me understand why New Mexican cuisine isn't more popular here. My goodness, just the flavor of the green and red chile alone is enough to make your mouth water. Of course the grilled chicken breast (fajita style), the rice and beans only adds to the allure. And it's piping hot - temperature and spice. Mrs. RJG had the Huevos Rancheros, and once again it was the chile that ruled the palate. Refried beans is not a NM tradition however, and we both prefer the whole beans one gets in Santa Fe, but it's hardly something to get all worked up about. We were both completely stuffed once the main meal was over, so dessert isn't something we could even imagine, but of course they have it.

As mentioned, the setting is very nice, with outdoor dining, and a bar area if dining solo or looking to meet new people. Even at lunch, there was quite a bit of activity at the bar we noticed (we sat right "below" it). Mi Dia is on Main Street north of 114. It's a large building, you really can't miss it. Tons of parking for all the restaurants in the area.

Mi Dia From Scratch has been a hit, and as such, they now also have locations in Plano and Flower Mound for those poor folks who have to live over there in the congested freeway areas of the endless northern Dallas suburbs... (kidding, kidding....)

8/31/16; 1/27/18 (new entry)

Ocha FTW Thai ~ North Richland Hills, TX

Latest visit: Feb 2018

First visit: Jan 2018

There was a time when finding a good Thai restaurant in Northeast Tarrant was quite a challenge. Think back 15 years ago. Back then we liked Thai Chili (Southlake - now in Roanoke), Top Thai (NRH - long closed), Thai Rice (Grapevine - now Thai Riverside), and Bangkok Cuisine (Haltom City - still around, but new owners). And Sweet Basil had yet to get the new owners that transformed them to a 5 star place.

Now it seems all one has to do is go outside... and turn right.

Which brings us to Ocha FTW, the latter appellation added to distinguish itself from a similarly named restaurant in Denton. This isn't our first encounter with the restaurant setting. According to the RJG archives (yes, deep in the labyrinths of the Earth, a virtual time machine), we tried a place called D. Asian almost exactly 6 years ago. It wasn't bad at all, but not enough to get us to add to the rotation.

Ocha FTW is good enough to add to the regular Thai rotation. We were very impressed with our first visit. For the RJG, having Pad Kra Pow on the menu, exactly as it should be, is an all-time first for DFW! Ground chicken or pork, basil leaves, and a fried egg. I didn't have to alter one thing. And of course I get it Thai Hot! It was really quite excellent as the natural flavor of basil juxtaposes against the spice mixture, all soaked up with the ground chicken. And it was blazing spicy, almost to the point where I might consider 4 stars instead next time (aghast!). The flash fried egg was a bit on the smaller side (i.e. not the giant double egg of Thai Hut), but that's not a complaint at all. Mrs. RJG went for the ginger chicken, and was also giving a thumbs up. We started with an appetizer of butterfly shrimp. Their variation is a lightly breaded jumbo shrimp, very much like a Southern Cooking place might offer up. It too was delicious.

It's BYOB in the grand tradition of DFW Thai restaurants, so more savings there. They'll provide wine glasses, no problem.

Ocha FTW is at the intersection of Rufe Snow and Glenview in the deep south of NRH. It sits next to a convenience store. The surroundings are pleasant, and they do provide mood lighting at night, so it doesn't have that 7-Eleven glare that can often ruin the dining experience.

We'll be back.

1/27/18 (new entry); 2/10/18

Jalapeno's Taqueria ~ Keller, Texas

Last visit: Jan 2018

First visit: Nov 2009

A long time ago we mentioned this small taqueria in a post about what we thought might be - or not, never was sure - of a related restaurant. That restaurant later became Las Pinatas in far north Fort Worth and is now gone as well.

According to my personal database, my last visit to Jalapeno's Taqueria was in November of 2009, about a year and a half into this blog. It didn't leave much of a mark, and we forgot about it. Well Mrs. RJG and I were in the mood for some tacos, and it's not that far from where we reside, so we thought we'd try it again.

And now I remember why it didn't leave a mark. It's pretty average fare for a taqueria. It seems to be popular though, and it's a small family run business, so I guess it's just a matter of personal taste. I tried four street tacos: Ground beef, chipotle chicken tinga, al pastor, and carne asada. That's the order I ate them in. The ground beef was just flavorless mush, and I didn't like the look of it, so I ate it rather quickly to get it over with. The tinga wasn't much better in that category, again not very strong in flavor, and way too much grease. The al pastor, on the other hand, was excellent. One of the better attempts at the famous Lebanese/Mexican dish I've tried in DFW. I didn't see a skewer of meat with pineapple, but the flavor was superb. The carne asada was certainly cooked properly, and was tender, but again not exactly a burst of flavors. Mrs. RJG stated she thinks that's because they don't grill their meats, but rather cook them on a stove. All tacos were garnished with chopped onion and cilantro, and I had them wrapped in a corn tortilla, but flour is available for a few cents more. Perhaps if I just order a pile of al pastor tacos, I would have been more happy. So there's a silver lining in my black cloud. And another silver lining is that Mrs. RJG ordered the huevos con chorizo with rice and beans. Her impression was far more kind than mine. And being that she is actually from Mexico, perhaps she's a better judge for the local populace than myself. But all opinions needs to put on the table accurately, or you won't know where we stand. Because we ordered more than $5 of food, chips are complimentary. Only a handful though - in a cardboard to-go box. But it was enough to sample their 3 salsas. To be honest, I can be swayed by a salsa bar. And Jalapeno's doesn't do enough. The red arbol sauce was the hottest and best, and certainly was quite delicious. Typical of a taqueria red though. I did also enjoy their more traditional chipotle and onion sauce as well - though it was a tad watery. I do like green sauces, but not a big fan of the lime green avocado based salsas, and that's their verde variety

You'll find Jalapeno's tucked away in a all roadside strip mall, on the east side of US 377, just south of Keller parkway. There's very little parking up front, so if you see it full, just pull over to one of the side streets and walk. We did manage a space in the front, but it was a major PITA getting out, so perhaps best just to shoot for the side street when going. It's a real hole in the wall, and ambiance is not why you go here - unless looking for a hole in the wall of course...

I'm not exactly sure when Jalapeno's opened up, but if memory serves, they were here when we first moved into the area in early 2003. And on our visit, there was a small line. So obviously they know what they're doing and the customer base they serve. Which tells the RJG that perhaps there's a magic dish he needs to be trying here!

11/6/09; 1/27/18 (new entry)

Kindred Coffee Co. ~ North Richland Hills, Texas

First visit: Jan 2018

Coffee, eh? Well, why not... We've not reported on the coffee places we go to, and that's probably because it never was a focus area for the RJG. That's about to change. And what better place to begin that journey but at Kindred Coffee Co., which is not too far from the RJG stable.

Kindred Coffee offers a full array of pastries, bakery items, salads, wraps, fruit juices, and teas. And of course various types of coffee, espresso's, and frozen concoctions thereof. On this visit I tried the Mocha Frappe, which is their variation of Starbucks' famous Frappuccino. And like any decent coffee house, Kindred blows away the watered down cheap Starbucks variation. It is quite decadent, and packs a caffeine wallop as bits of espresso beans are ground up within (which you can taste), and topped with whipped cram and chocolate. I was climbing the walls at home for 2 hours straight. An organic energy boost that tastes great. Mrs. RJG, who cannot take caffeine past 8 in the morning or she can't sleep some 14 hours later, chose a pastry. In this case it was the Morning Glory which was loaded with "fiber" the wife says - and had shredded coconut, carrots, oatmeal, and blueberries. She quite liked it, this we know. It's quite large, so she took half home.

The setting is quite "delightful" as the Brits might say. There's comfortable couches and chairs, and is far more bright and welcoming than your typical Starbucks. They even have a separate meeting room area, that can be closed off if reserved. A good place to meet friends or clients. They've been open since 2014 and appear to have good crowds, especially for this area. Well worth going to!

Kindred Coffee can be found anchoring a strip mall (that once featured prominently an Albertsons, followed by a Ross, and now empty) on the SW corner of North Tarrant Pkwy and Davis.

1/25/18 (new entry)

TruFire Kitchen and Bar ~ Southlake, Texas

Latest visit: Jan 2018

First visit: Dec 2013

It had been many a year since we last dined at TruFire. A little bit over 3 years in fact (late 2014). TruFire had been one of my go-to restaurants for business lunches, but once that slowed down, I just never returned. Well Mrs. RJG and I finally ended that, and headed over for dinner one recent evening. And we fell into lockstep and she got the Spicy Garlic Noodles and I the Chicken Parmesan. Still excellent! TruFire maintains its 4 star rating.

TruFire is the modern kind of American restaurant that is chef driven, but not necessarily expensive or overly fru-fru. The menu is definitely Mediterranean focused, with a specific Italian flair. After ordering a bottle of wine, we decided to try the The Board (fka The Paddle Board) appetizer which is a sampler of high quality meats, cheeses, spreads, and breads. It was quite good. The Mrs. RJG likes the Spicy Garlic Noodles, which I would describe as an Asian/Italian fusion with shrimp, chicken, arugula, prosciutto, romano cheese, mushrooms, and crushed red pepper. I personally go for the chicken parm. Since none of the official Italian restaurants in NE Tarrant know how to make it, this is the only place I can enjoy the timeless dish. They have a "small" portion and a large. Go with the small. Believe me, it is a full serving by itself and I could not imagine devouring a large. Large, small, makes no difference if it isn't any good. Ah... but it is. Fantastic in fact! Easily the best chicken parm I've had in the area. No longer does one have to venture to Dallas for this dish. A nicely seasoned and breaded mix and then it's baked to perfection. It's actually crispy like it's supposed to be! It's served with linguini. I tend to be a traditionalist, and want something similar to spaghetti, but I was willing to go with the flat noodle. The other issue I have with linguini, is most places don't know how to cook it, and leave it mushy. Not TruFire! It was al dente. And the pomodoro sauce is delicious, very similar to what you would actually get in Italy rather than New York.

One of the anomalies of TruFure is that they do not have beer taps. Kind of a bummer, but their wine prices aren't that bad! While certainly not cheap, I've seen far worse at establishments such as this.

With great food and reasonable prices, consider TruFire a regular stop on the RJG tour.

TruFire sits in the SW corner of the Southlake Town Square, near the Del Frisco Grill. If memory serves, there were a couple of sports bars here prior, which is the wrong location for that type of venture. And TruFire has clearly made it so far. TruFire also has a location in Frisco.

12/26/13 (new entry); 11/19/14; 1/21/18

Johnny B's Burgers & Shakes ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jan 2018

First visit: Sometime in 2004

After a 3 year absence, we revisited Johnny B's - and 3 days later they closed! So much for that....

Food: Would you believe burgers and shakes? And chili. And the latter is not something the RJG is likely to forget, as it's a favorite item for me. Loaded with hamburger meat and chili powder - and served at a super hot temperature - this remains a side I cannot go without. As for their signature burgers, they remain true to the original recipe: Fresh beef patties (thin), crisp lettuce / onions / tomato, gooey American cheese, and Thousand Island sauce. All of that fits snugly into a sweet Hawaiian type roll, that is toasted and lightly buttered to perfection. It is indeed a formula similar to In-N-Out Burger, but Johnny B's was here long before the California based chain showed up. You can also get the Dragonburger which is a triple with chili and jalapenos. Sounds ideal for any member of the Southlake Carroll football squad! The fries are homemade cut potatoes, plump, hot, and not soggy. Very good. Often times, Johnny B's find its way onto local Best Of lists. That honor is well earned.

Drinks/Desserts: Fountain sodas and real ice cream shakes.

Location: Hidden in a strip center on the northeast corner of Souhlake Blvd. and Nolen. Look for Weir's Furniture and start heading towards Southlake Blvd. The inside is decorated with Southlake Carroll and Texas Tech memorabilia and regalia. It's a scene straight out of the 1950s, exactly what they strive to do, both regarding the food and dining experience. Counter service.

Notes: Johnny B's opened not too long before our posting in 2008. As stated above, they were ahead of the arrival of In-N-Out, and had a chance to build a faithful following. It's very apparent after 7 years, that Johnny B's can only be called a success. They even own/rent the space next door for special events.

5/3/08 (new entry); 10//11; 2//13; 6/5/15; 1/20/18

Cane Rosso ~ Fort Worth, Texas

May 13, 2022 update: There are 6 locations in DFW: 4 in Dallas, 1 in Arlington, and the one below in Fort Worth.

Latest visit: Jan 2018 (Fort Worth - Magnolia)

First visit: Jul 2016 (Fort Worth - Magnolia)

Since we've last been it appears Cane Rosso has taken the additional step to be certified. We made a bit of fun about Campania when they did that (and subsequently lost it - and now are closed). Anyway, it's one way to draw patrons to your business, so whatever works...

As our waiter stated right off, this is "knife and fork pizza". I may have mentioned this before, but while still in my 20s in the late 80s through the mid 90s, the RJG was an avid European backpacker, taking a full month off nearly every year to explore the continent, both west and east. Those were heady days, as the Fall of the Wall spurred on a most exciting environment everywhere. When it came to lunch or dinner, one of the more satisfying meals, on a backpackers budget mind you, was that of the Italian pizza. They were uniformly excellent, and cheap (usually in the vicinity of $5 back then). They were knife and fork pizzas, and whether you were in Norway or the Ukraine, rich or poor, the pizza was superb, and filling. Cane Rosso is that pizza. But taken to the next level with artisan ingredients, and of course the specially made coal oven that they fire up to 900 degrees (getting up to cremation temperatures are we? Not saying they put dead bodies in there or anything...). We split a Zoli, which contains hot soppressata, basil, and "local sausage". The latter sounds funny to me. Locally made sausage or locally sourced sausage makes sense, but local sausage? It's a Union made up of sausages! Anyway, the soppressata is in effect their version of pepperoni, except it's way better. Much spicier and flavorful and absolutely fantastic on pizza. The "local" sausage is crumbled, and not as distinguished as I'd hoped, but it was still very good. The basil is fresh, like you'd get at a Thai restaurant. Most of their pizzas feature homemade mozzarella, and hand crushed San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. Sauce, cheese, and crust are the key ingredients to any great pizza, and it's here that Cane Rosso really shines. They have a great formula, can't miss really, and is very satisfying. We did ask afterwards if they can make the pizza a tad crispier. The answer was no, because it would burn.

I think this last point is important. Occasionally you'll see this as a complaint (not crisp). Mrs. RJG is one of them. She's not a big fan of this style of pizza to be honest. It's not for everyone. But according to the "rules of getting certified", that's how it's made.

The pizza is 14 inches so perfect to split... as long as you also split a salad too! A small salad is gigantic, about the same size as a "small" at Grimaldi's. At $6 to $7, it is an absolute bargain. A large salad, BTW, feeds 5 to 6. We had The Larry, which was superb. I tend to bristle when I see the phrase "field greens", or what I frequently refer to as "backyard salad". However, these field greens were fresh and delicious. The balsamic vinaigrette is a very high grade, as is the shaved parmesan. The tiny rolled Italian meats only add to the greatness. All in all just fantastic, and I'd love to explore the menu further. They need to come to NE Tarrant! And not Southlake either (there's plenty there already)... Cane Rosso also features Italian appetizers, pastas, sandwiches, and desserts. But pizza is why you come here.

In following modern protocol, Cane Rosso is heavily committed to craft beer. Yaay! They have many local taps, as well as a full selection of cans/bottles. I tried on tap one beer from Panther Island and Martin House, both Fort Worth breweries, and both were beers that you cannot find in bottles or cans. And of course, they have a full wine list as well. The Mrs. had the same IPA I did from Martin House (it's a different hop from their canned version).

Cane Rosso is perfectly located on Magnolia, and fits the neighborhood to a T. It's on the eastern end of the strip of restaurants lining the Fairmount neighborhood's most famous road. It appears to be a new structure, and has that post modern industrial 1950's meets the 2010's look. Very spacious, welcoming, and open. They also have patio seating, but you have to be a masochist to do that this time of year. Oh, and they have a special space for a large group, which is good for noise control. Parking is in the back on the east side of the restaurant. Or if that's full, there is free garage parking about 5 minutes away by foot (one block over to the west, and then go north).

Cane Rosso is growing fast with 5 locations in DFW, 2 in Houston, and one in Austin. It's easy to see why, especially in today's food culture. They're here to stay. This is not trendy food, but as noted earlier, the kind of staple of the diet that has been in Europe for decades.

Some of you astute readers may recall that Mr. Music wrote about the original location in Deep Ellum, not long after they first opened.

As an aside, when Mr. Music and I first heard the name, and they initially went by Il Cane Rosso, we immediately thought of Italian prog. Bands with names like Premiata Forneria Marconi, Il Balletto di Bronzo, and Raccomandata Ricevuto Ritorno (and hundreds of others). If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, then you have hours of fun awaiting you on YouTube.

7/3/16 (new entry); 1/15/18

Freebirds World Burrito ~ Texas chain : Lewisville

Latest visit: Jan 2018 (Lewisville)

First visit: Oct 2004 (Dallas - Greenville Ave)

BIG is a good word to describe Freebirds' burritos. From our experience, Freebirds was the first burrito chain to offer up more than just a flour tortilla. You can choose between spinach, cayenne, flour, or whole wheat.  And they offer a tremendous amount of toppings to get stuffed in those massive tortillas. It's basically Chipotle x10 - which can be a good thing if you want more than just a few items. The rice and beans are delicious (again, they offer more than cilantro lime rice and pinto/black beans), and the chicken & steak have an excellent charbroiled flavor. I also like that they have ground beef, something I always appreciated from Qdoba, since the meat allows for the salsas to penetrate. I love that their signature habanero sauce is on every table. And dousing some of that habanero all over those massive burritos, will result in a truly sublime experience. They sometimes feature different salsas, for example they have a mango chili as I write this. Mrs. RJG speaks favorably of their version of the Burrito Bowl (sans tortilla that is).

Freebirds actually has its roots in California, but relocated to College Station when a store manager from Texas A&M bought out the rights.Things have come full circle now, as the chain has gone corporate and is now located in the East Bay region of California. As such, they are rapidly growing. Texas and California remain their base customer areas, but they've expanded to Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Utah since - and no doubt will eventually cover the map.

Other locations visited: Freebird's growth strategy has been interesting to watch. They continue to circle around the RJG pasture like vultures awaiting a cow tipping. Our first visit goes back to when the (at the time) College Station based chain first broke into the DFW market with the Greenville Ave. location all the way over in that other galaxy known as Dallas (2003). Then they opened up a store in Addison, just as the RJG was packing up his satellite office in Far North Dallas and heading to Las Colinas (late 2004). Years later, while patiently waiting for them to go through our rusty gates in Northeast Tarrant, they finally made an appearance, but at the far end of the ranch in Alliance. Dutifully I went again. Each location received precisely one visit. And then they opened in Grapevine, then Hurst, and now finally in Ft. Worth just west of US 377. Each location almost precisely 6 feet closer to us than the last. And they're still not close. Close - as in 5 to 10 minute drive and take it back home close. It's just funny. C'mon guys - get it over with and come to Southlake/NRH/Keller would ya? There's not even any competition beyond Chipotle (maybe Costa Vida), and even they aren't less than 10 minutes away.

10/29/04; 9/29/13 (new entry); 1/6/18

Roscoe's Smokehouse ~

Last visit: Jan 2018 (Keller - closed)

First visit: Feb 2017 (Keller - closed)

They're still open in Burleson.

Time to ring in the new year. And what better way with some meaty barbecue! As mentioned in the 2017 recap, Roscoe's is a place we visited once earlier in the year, but didn't get any notes down. So it was first on my list to revisit.

Many old time Keller residents will most certainly remember Up-N-Smoke, a very good BBQ place, but sat in a dilapidated old building that was in much need of repair. The original owner decided to retire and the place sat vacant for a short while. Southlake's Feedstore stepped in, spruced it up, but they didn't last too long in that location. It was probably too close to their flagship restaurant, and likely ate into the same client base (so to speak). This was followed by Roscoe's from Burleson - now we're talking a new client base! They expanded even further the original building, adding a full bar area, with flat screens and the whole nine yards. Roscoe's feels like a Texas barbecue place - lots of wood, beer signs, and the smell of smoked meat. And for our money, better barbecue than both of its previous tenants (who we also enjoy/ed as you see from the links above).

On this visit, I was determined to try all of their meats, and they offer a sampler platter called Moo-Oink-En platter, that includes sliced brisket, pulled pork, chicken breast, ribs, and sausage. The latter we had a choice between jalepeno cheddar and "regular" sausage, and I chose the former. It retrospect I should have asked for a split of both. And that's because you get a LOT of meat on this sampler. Combine that with 2 sides and Texas toast for $15, and it's a heck of a deal honestly. Mrs. RJG helped split the meal with me, while enjoying one "Brisket Street" taco. We both most enjoyed their sliced brisket, tender and very flavorful. The chicken breast (sliced) were also a hit with great smoked flavor, and the sausage was spicier than normal, another plus. Nothing wrong with the ribs or pulled pork mind you, just excellent verse superior. Mrs. RJG also thoroughly enjoyed her taco, loaded with sliced brisket and "burnt ends". As for the sides, we tried the mac&cheese as well as the "street corn". As for the latter, the cooked kernels come in small cup, and I have to say it's some of the best corn I've ever had, with a great smoked flavor and some Mexican spices. And the mac& cheese is super cheesy, which we have down as a plus, though not everyone likes it that way. So all in all, a very good experience. Word on the street says to try their hamburgers as well.

As mentioned, Roscoe's has a full bar. They have a decent set of taps, with a handful of craft beers. Nothing too exotic or unusual, so I settled on Keller's own Shannon Red, and the Mrs. grabbed a Deep Ellum IPA. You wouldn't come here just for the beer, but it's a better than average selection. And the place is usually lively, so I can imagine it being a good hangout place during the weekends / evenings.

Of note, you have two choices of how you would like to be served. One - you can order at the counter, or two - if you sit in the bar area, there is full service. You can also order at the counter, and then start a tab in the bar area.

Going forward, I'm going to add in the the type of music they played while there. On this visit they had an early 80s pop rock theme going (think early MTV here), with a smattering of 70s rock, reminding me all too much of my high school years. Haha.

Roscoe's sits in Old Town Keller on the west side of US 377, just south of Keller Parkway. You can't miss it. Plenty of parking in the back provided by the city, so don't sweat that too much if it appears full on arrival

2/25/17; 1/1/18 (new entry)