Gemma

One of my favorite things about going home is going to new places with my family (partly because I like my family, partly because they pay). This time, we went to Gemma, one of DFW’s newest and most-raved about restaurants. Let me tell you, it lived up to, and maybe surpassed, the hype.

Food: Excellent. The menu is a great mix of traditional dishes (pork chops, pasta) with new takes. The result is deliciousness that you won’t find anywhere else. The quail was so great!

Dietary markings: None. Ask your server.

Accessibility: Overall, wonderful. The only issue (if you can call it that) was that the valet station is not by a sidewalk ramp. However, if you ask, you can park in the handicap spots by the door. The restaurant is on one floor, so no problems inside. Some of the tables/chairs make it difficult to maneuver, but the staff is more than willing to help.

Bathrooms: The doors are really heavy. But once inside, no problems. Everything can be easily reached.

Service: Great! Everyone from the valet to the manager was pleasant and accommodating. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and could answer all our questions.

Put this gem on your Yelp list!

 

 

The Mansion Restaurant Dallas

The Mansion is probably the closest thing Dallas has to a Michelin-star restaurant. It has long been a staple in Dallas’s dining scene and has produced great alumni. It’s not particularly avant-garde or anything, but for good food in a beautiful setting, you can’t do better.

Food: The menu is billed as “new American cuisine thoughtfully prepared with French influences and exceptional regionally-sourced ingredients.” They also claim to be on the cutting-edge of food. Personally, I didn’t see anything super innovative. That’s not to say it wasn’t delicious. I got the cheese plate and tasting menu. See below for picture.

Dietary markings: Vegetarian menu.

Accessibility: Originally built as a private residence, this is a truly exquisite venue. I spent much of the meal admiring the ceiling. That being said, the building is not very wheelchair-friendly. The handicap parking isn’t too far and the doors have automatic buttons. However, the main dining room is up two stairs from the first floor.

Bathrooms: These are tricky to access. There are two options: go through the bar (which involves going down stairs and then up stairs) or take the elevator to the second floor (go down stairs then onto a teeny tiny elevator). I only visited the latter. It was fine. Grab bars and everything around the sink was easy to reach. Still, it was an ordeal to get there.

Service: This right here was the best part. Though the building was not designed for accessibility, the staff went out of its way to accommodate me. They had ramps for the stairs at the ready and were incredibly helpful in getting me up to the bathroom. They knew how to handle my situation; it wasn’t a big deal.

Overall, great. Not the best or most avant-garde food, but the attentive and helpful staff made this a wonderful dining experience.  Perfect birthday meal!

Tasting menu: Amuse, watermelon gazpacho, foie gras mousse/pheasant, scallop, gulf red snapper, quail, wagyu beef, chocolate & cherries, peach & almond torte

Gorgeous plates, cheese plate, cheese listings, dark chocolate truffles

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Loeb Boathouse

There is probably nothing as cliche or beautiful as admiring Central Park as the sun sets. The Boathouse provides that view! However, there were a lot of problems that made this experience not as great as I imagined.

Food: Great selection of wines/drinks. Not surprisingly, most of the options are seafood. I had the cedar-plank salmon with quinoa and it was glorious. My side of carrots was great as well. The creme brûlée ended the meal on a high note.

Dietary markings: None. Ask your server.

Service: Serving staff was great. I just wish the other staff had been more apologetic.

Accessibility: Here is where the trouble was. The dining room is not on one level, and there is not a ramp to get down (according to staff, a ramp is being built, but that doesn’t really help now). The staff offered to carry me down the stairs Cleopatra-style, but I opted to go down the three stairs on my own and have my chair brought down separately. Once on the main floor, there were no issues. Another issue: car access. Cars cannot get to the Boathouse, and the distance to the restaurant from the nearest drop-off point is far.

Bathrooms: If you can make it back up the stairs, you’re good. They are easy to find and use. Standard handicap stall. No problems.

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Alinea

I don’t know if it’s because this was my first foray into fine dining, but my experience (and it truly was an experience) at Alinea ranks as one of the best memories of my life. I also saw Hamilton that day, so that may have contributed to the magic. I was on chemo/going through radiation when I went, but that didn’t stop me from loving every minute of it.

Alinea is the brain child of Grant Achatz. It is ranked as the #21 restaurant (though I’d put it higher). I highly recommend watching this.

Food: Amazing. Unique. I mean, where else are you going to get liquified Butterfinger? And let’s not forget the famous sugar balloons. And golden chocolate. There is a set 18-course tasting menu that changes seasonally.

Dietary markings: None. Ask your server.

Service: Efficient and friendly. They knew what they were doing.

Accessibility: Alinea has been the most accommodating restaurant I’ve ever been to. There are only stairs to the second floor, where I had originally made the reservation. However, the staff was more than willing to allow me to change the reservation to be on the first floor. When you make the reservation, they’ll ask if you have accessibility needs.

Bathrooms: Did not visit.

Other:

• Part of the performance aspect is the use of aromas. Let the staff know if this may be a problem.
• One thing that is often touted here is that few courses use plates or silverware. Let the staff know if this may be a problem.
• I was lucky enough to get a tour of the kitchen. No issues with my chair!

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Also, in the Alinea cookbook, there is a recipe for PB & J. I kid you not.

Eleven Madison Park

Coming to 11MP has been my dream for a long time. According to this, 11MP is the best culinary experience in the world. I know most ranking lists are BS, but even if it’s not truly #1 in the world it’s certainly in the top ten.

11MP has been around for a while (since 1998) although it really appeared on the culinary map in 2006 with the arrival of Daniel Humm  (pronounced like “whom”). The restaurant underwent renovations in 2007.

Food: Arrived at the restaurant a little early, so I got a cocktail to sip during the wait. The Honey intrigued me: Bee pollen? My skepticism became love; it was great and primed my pallet for the upcoming deliciousness. There is a set tasting menu. My favorite course was the duck!

Dietary markings: None. Ask your server.

Accessibility: There is a door next to the revolving door. The automatic button wasn’t working when I went, but the staff took care of opening the door/making sure I made it in. The dining room is all on one floor. Don’t be scared by the stairs you see upon entering; there is a ramp in the bar area.

Bathrooms: Did not visit.

Service: Great servers and front-of-house staff!

Other:

• You get a lovely gift bag with a jar of granola.
• If you ask nicely, they’ll take you on a tour of the kitchen.

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