First, let me just say that if you were following me on Twitter you would have had a play by play of this meal last night. I twittered live from Perry’s and my followers didn’t miss one drop of drool or moan of delight…or sigh of pleasure. It was slightly risque but we WERE talking about food.

Good food.

Dang.

I was invited to the opening of the new location of Perry’s Steak House and Grille, located at 2000 McKinney in Dallas. After reading the online menu and a little about the restaurant I was really looking forward to it…and how cool that it happened just a few days after my birthday? Yeah.

Just want to say that the images are from the Perry’s Official site. The images I got were with my phone and just not that good. I didn’t think I could get good images in the dark and I did not want to haul a light box… capiche? I did take some of the images with my camera. You will be able to tell the difference.

I chose to wear my “little red dress” and I was glad I did. The atmosphere was elegant and pampering and somehow I don’t think my boot cut jeans and comfy shoes would have been appropriate. This area of Dallas at night is really lovely, even for me - the die hard “I hate cities” person. This evening was classic Texas in April, a little chilly with a light breeze, clear skies and just the right amount of stars sparkling above to make it romantic. We pulled in and handed the keys over for valet parking. If you go you will either need to walk a ways or you will use the valet parking. There is no parking at the restaurant. This is good to keep in mind, if you have a family car and an impressive car you may want to drive the one without the crayon marks on the dashboard.

The parking staff was friendly and genuine. They did not shudder when they saw the van, nor did they roll their eyes when told it wasn’t running well. For this they are to be commended.

We walked into the building. The interior is beautiful - romantically lit, but not so dark you can’t see what you’re eating. We were seated at a great table with a good view of the room, again far enough away from the other tables to feel private but close enough so that we did not feel isolated.  Several of the staff was on hand to see to our every need from the moment we walked in the door and yet they were carefully invisible. They did not give us the feeling of hovering, nor were they at all intrusive. This is a difficult balance to find, and I am picky about it.  I want my needs to be anticipated but I hate feeling like I have a fly buzzing around my plate, you know? Well last night was perfect balance. Every restaurant should spend time observing here!

Ismael Aza was most helpful and answered my every question with graciousness, knowledge, and patience. I asked a lot of questions, and intentionally bordered on being irritating (who me?) and he was fantastic.

I don’t normally drink things other than wine but I was intrigued by the signature drinks. I began the evening with a Cherry Lavendar Kiss. This is an infusion of cherry vodka, lavendar, cranberry and a double shot of amazing. I had to hold back in order not to swig it down, wipe my mouth with my arm and order another. It is that good.

I declined appetizers although the appetizer menu was quite intriguing with items like crab cakes. I did order the field green, pear, and candied pecan salad because I make one as well and I wanted to compare. I like mine better but this was very good, with a delicate Italian dressing. I think that was what I liked the least about it… the flavors did not quite mesh for me. I think that some goat cheese or brie, and a more citrus based dressing (grapefruit and champagne, for example) might have been more appealing to me.

Bread was served. This is made in house, and is the soft, fluffy white bread that grandma made. The slices are thick and the portions are generous. The butter is also made (did you catch that? MADE) in house; fresh daily. It tasted like fresh butter because it was fresh butter. Delicious.

Then they sprinkled my table with rose petals. Le sigh… I almost hoped for a perfumed bath to be prepared for me in the bathroom…

During this time Chef brought out an appetizer. It was thinly slice beef filet with goat cheese, golden beets, and a demi-glace drizzeled around the plate. The meat was buttery, the sauce rich, and the cheese and golden beets set it off beautifully. It was difficult to get a little of all of the flavors in each bite but I prevailed.

I asked Ismael for his recommendation on the wine to go with the entree I ordered.

Didn’t I tell you that part? Kobe filet mignon. Wait. I think I drooled a little just now…

The wine was the perfect accompaniment. I can’t remember what it was, honestly, but I think that you can feel safe asking for recommendations based on your entree selection here unless they have something you just want to try. Again, I think it is important to be able to get a good recommendation when you go to a restaurant. Not everyone is educated on wine.

The side dishes are separate from the entree and come family style. We chose roasted creamed corn as a side. It was good but would have been better local and in season. The corn had lost some of the natural sugar and was a bit starchy. The seasoning was perfect.

The real star of the show, for me, was the Kobe Filet Mignon. I ordered mine medium and it was excellent. The caramelization on the outer surface was fantastic and gave a crispy texture to the meltingly tender beef. The flavor was incredible - no need for salt or pepper.

People have asked me if Kobe is worth the money. Yes. It is absolutely worth setting aside the money to have this amazing entree at Perry’s. There is almost no way to describe it. When I sliced the meat with the knife it was almost like the meat parted ahead of the knife. I can honestly say that this was absolutely the best steak I had ever eaten in my lifetime.

I finished with the Monte Blanc a la Frise.

It is vanilla ice cream covered with a flaming sauce that is created table-side. The ice cream is atop a spongecake then covered (drowned) in a white chocolate and Bailey’s Irish Cream sauce. Several sliced strawberries are arranged around the plate. It was delicious. I finished with a perfectly done espresso. Marc, my finace, had the chocolate cake.

So…. that was the good stuff. Should you go? Yes,  you should. If you are in North Texas Perry’s Steak House and Grille is absolutely the place to go right now. There are private rooms, private alcoves, and a wall of wine that I would love to taste my way through. The staff is five star. I would take my biggest client to this restaurant with confidence.

My only disappointments (besides the lack of a bathtub, and having to leave) was the dessert menu. The desserts were delicious but average. I’d like to see a more adventurous dessert or two sprinkled in between the creme brulee and the Valhrona Chocolate Cake.

So. I expect you all to flock there in droves and tell them I sent you. Maybe they will invite me back. (fingers crossed) Perry’s Steak House and Grille is located at 2000 McKinney,Dallas, Tx. I would suggest calling ahead for reservations.

You can also friend Perry’s  Facebook to keep up with their happenings.

Perry’s Steak House and Grille
2000 McKinney Ave., Suite 100
Dallas, Texas 75201
214-855-5151
214-855-9858 Fax

Disclaimer:

I can’t say that no animal was harmed in the making of this post because I ate a cow. It was a truly pampered cow and recieved daily massages until it’s death. However, yes, a cow sacrificed her/his life for my pleasure. Do I feel guilty? Not at all. Thanks cow!

My dinner at Perry’s was gratis. The amount the bill would have been is not enough to buy my blog or my opinion. No money exchanged hands, nor were there any promises of  a good review. I don’t have to give the dinner back. Thank God.

Images: Via Perry’s Steak House and Grille

A few weeks ago my friend, Jim, at Muddy Dog Coffee Roasters asked if I would be interested in trying a new item he had come up with. Roasted Cornmeal. I am the adventurous sort so I agreed.

What is roasted cornmeal you ask? Well it is made from corn that is grown locally in Jim’s neck of the woods and then roasted. The roasted kernels are ground to a flavorful cornmeal that just has the most unique flavor I have tried. Slightly smokey and more intense than regular cornmeal, this roasted type is going to totally rock your cornmeal world. I think this would be awesomeness used in a tamale pie recipe and I can’t wait to try a few more recipes with it.

Jim is very eco-conscious and I appreciate the careful consideration he gives to promoting and buying local ingredients. His roasting method for coffee and cornmeal turns out high quality products every time. At least every time I have tried them!

Remember I reviewed the Southern Living Glorious Grits book? Well Jim also has roasted grits that he sent and I will be reviewing them as well. I will also be sharing the recipe I made with the smoked cornmeal as well as the grits.

Disclaimer: Muddy Dog Roasters sent me the cornmeal. No money exchanged hands. They are not asking for the product back.Not that I would send it back anyway. My opinions are based solely on the quality of the product and the fact that Jim has kidnapped my manatee and is holding it hostage even as we speak. Please buy this product. I miss Barbara Manatee.

Image:marye audet

I was sort of confused when I received the IDOX for review. I mean, it is a techie gadget and I am a foodie person. What does the IDOX have to do with the kitchen?

Well, O.k. I love my iphone. I do. I have the coolest aps on it ever…and a couple of those are cooking aps…Like Epicurious. So, sometimes I have a recipe up on the phone. Being the sloppy person I am I keep the phone on the other side of the room; yep, lots of travel back and forth. The IDOX keeps this from happening because it is a hard case that stands up either vertically (my preference for recipe reading) or horizontally (movies anyone?). It keeps my phone safe from spills and splashes AND allows me to read the recipe as I cook…and because it is a hard case it doesn’t get mashed up in my purse or camera case. Because of the design you can easily get to the screen and access everything.

Cool huh?

The phone comes in three colors: black, silver, and pink. It will run you around $35 for the case. If you are looking for a new phone case check this one out. My only complaint is that it does not come in red.

Oh, it comes in a version for the itouch, too.

Disclaimer: This phone case appeared in my mailbox. I did not pay for it, nor do I have to return it. No animals were harmed in the making of  this blog post. No money exchanged hands, and no one is holding my children hostage to force me to give a good review.

image:marye audet

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it also had a lot to do with the human race learning to control electricity and other cool stuff.  I try to encourage curiosity around here but sometimes a sacrifice gets made.  Yep, sometimes curiosity mocks us with evil laughter as we writhe in the backlash of  our actions.

So was the case with edible Easter grass.  Don’t open that Pandora’s box, people.   Really.

For our experiment we chose green apple.  It seemed innocent enough, harmlessly curled in the plastic bag.  There was an unusual absence of aroma when the bag was opened, followed by a total absence of flavor when the edible Easter grass was consumed.

Want to try this stuff? Chew cornstarch box filler.  It is cheaper.