Dallas Dining: Lucia

My most recent Dallas Dining excursion was to Lucia, also tucked in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff.  It is completely unassuming from the outside (I am not kidding when I say it's on the edge of the ghetto- there was a police car with flashing lights at the house across the street when we arrived, and the hostess specifically made sure we were headed in the opposite direction of the neighborhood when we left!), but the inside is cozy and inviting, and the food is what makes this place truly worthy of all my praise!

I first heard about Lucia last spring from a woman at a baby shower, who raved about the food but warned that it was a tiny restaurant and you had to call at midnight on the first day of the month and leave a message to get a reservation for that month. She wasn't exaggerating! Marissa, my Dallas dining partner in crime, called the morning of December 1 to snag our January 7 reservation! It was completely worth the wait, but this dining destination requires advanced planning!

As I mentioned in my post about Tillman's, allow extra time for parking if you go to the Bishop Arts District on a Saturday night. It took us a few extra minutes to search for parking, wait to park our car in the valet lot (I won't go into it, but we didn't have the best experience with the valet company that evening!), and then walk to the edge of the district to Lucia.

Outside of Lucia-- totally unassuming!

Lucia only seats 36 people at a time (hence the advanced reservations!), so it feels cozy and inviting right when you walk in.  I have never been to Italy, but the decor makes me think of the Italian countryside. There are antique mirrors and bookshelves with cookbooks on the walls and a dresser for the hostess stand when you walk in the door.  The kitchen is open so you can see everything being prepared.  It feels like a home and does not give off any vibe of a stuffy restaurant.  The same is true of the waitstaff.  I wasn't sure what to expect since I knew it was such a small restaurant, but our waitress was very down-to-earth, helpful, and explained everything on the menu.

Interior

We started off with an assortment of olives (not my thing, but I still tried one) and some delicious bread. To drink, I ordered my usual favorite, prosecco.   

Delicious bread

The menu is in four sections-antipasti (starter), primi (pasta), secondi (entree), and dolci (dessert). One of the interesting things about this restaurant is that the menu changes often- perfect for frequent visitors to always taste something new, but difficult to recommend items because they may not stick around for long! You can check out their January sampler menu, http://luciadallas.com/menu.php, to get an idea of what we were given to choose from.  Apparently their salumi is a must-have, so Marissa and I will have to try it during our next visit.

Salumi, which I will try on my next visit!

Rather than stuff ourselves and be miserable, we decided to split our selections and be able to sample more dishes! The first two courses come in small or large sizes, which is very helpful for those with smaller appetites or who are sharing.  Marissa had heard that their pasta was amazing, so we selected the potato gnocchi with a Niman pork ragu.  It was delicious! There was one element that was especially unique to my taste buds, but before I could point it out, Marissa confirmed that she was also tasting it- cinnamon! Splitting it as a first course was definitely a wise decision. We then moved on to our main entree- the veal chop with escarole, sunchokes, and bagna cauda.  The man at the table next to us proclaimed it "beautiful!" when the waitress set it down.  Although I normally don't refer to my food as beautiful, it was very good! I like to think of myself as an adventurous eater, so veal was definitely out of my usual diet! It was a little on the salty side, which I didn't mind but did notice myself drinking more water in response, but very tender and had a great flavor, along with the sunchokes and sauce it was served in. Other than navigating around the large bone, it was fairly easy to split as well. 

Since we paced ourselves, we went for dessert- spice cake with caramel gelato and red wine stewed prunes. I was skeptical about the prunes, but should have known that the whole dessert would be excellent. We polished it off and could have gone for more!  

My rating for Lucia: Delicious food, inviting atmosphere, and friendly staff? Sounds like five out of five to me!

Tips: Make a reservation at the beginning of the month (must plan ahead!), allow extra time for parking, check out the sampler menu for that month online, share plates or come hungry so that you can experience all courses, and be ready for a cozy and delicious dining experience at a little Bishop Arts District treasure!

Lucia
408 West Eighth Street, Suite 101
Dallas, TX 75208

(214)-948-4998

Dallas Dining: Tillman's Roadhouse

My good friend Marissa and I share a love for trying new food and exploring new restuarants, so early this year we decided to pick a different Dallas restaurant each month to visit. Most of these restaurants are higher-end and therefore a little pricey, so once a month is easy on our wallets and also gives us something to look forward to! It's fun to get a little dressed up and have a girls' night out with a delicious meal!

I am by no means a food critic, but I want to start posting about my Dallas Dining experiences and let you in on all of my favorite spots! My favorite thus far is still the very first restaurant we went to, Nosh, but for my first post in this series I will start with our most recent adventure-- Tillman's Roadhouse.

There is also a Tillman's in Fort Worth, but Marissa and I went to the one in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff. The Bishop Arts District itself is adorable, and even though you have to go through a slightly unsavory area when you exit the highway, it wasn't too bad. I definitely want to explore more of the Bishop Arts District during future visits!

We made a reservation for a Saturday night and only had to wait a few minutes. One thing to keep in mind if you visit Tillman's--there's a little shortage of convenient parking. If you want to keep it simple, pay the $5 for valet. Otherwise, there is a lot at the end of the street and a few smaller lots around the area. After losing the battle for a spot in the big lot, Marissa and I got lucky and found a spot near the restaurant.

Tillman's decor was very unique. The best way I can describe it is "rustic meets elegant." I've posted a few pictures below from their website, but the inside basically included fake animal heads and other items that made it live up to its roadhouse name, combined with huge chandeliers in the center to up the elegance of the restaurant. They had a movie projected on the wall of the bar area, which was neat. The whole restaurant is very open, and we were seated close to the couple next to us. They also had Christmas music blasting so it was almost difficult to maintain conversation at some points. This restaurant wouldn't be ideal for an intimate, private dinner experience, but if you are looking for an upbeat atmosphere or an energetic group dinner setting, Tillman's is the place for you!




Now, the most important part...the food. Tillman's serves Southern comfort food that fills you up and satisifies you, but it is taken up a notch from what you expect of your traditional chicken fried steak. They start you off with a little bowl of kettle-cooked popcorn, which was the perfect pre-dinner snack. With many restaurants that serve a basket of bread, you fill up before you even order your dinner, so little bite-sized popcorn pieces were an excellent snack to take the edge off of our hunger. Marissa and I ordered our classic favorite cocktail, prosecco, and debated about our entree selections. Tillman's has many delicious-sounding options, so I would love to go back and sample something else!


I went with the coffee-crusted prime rib and my only regret was that I didn't have more room in my stomach! The prime rib itself was delicious, just a huge slab of meat that I had no chance of finishing! The wild mushroom ragout and asparagus it came with were also tender and delicious. Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, so I am a tough critic! Horseradish cream was served on the side and made a cool, flavorful dipping sauce for the meat. They don't have a picture of my entree on their website, so here is one I took on my phone.


Marissa ordered the chicken fried steak, served with garlic roasted mashed potatoes and poblano cream gravy. I sampled a bite of hers and it was also delicious and a more manageable portion!


Although they charge a small fee for splitting plates, I recommend it so that you can save room for dessert! We were too full to try any, but the couple next to us had the huge slab of red velvet cake, and they also have tableside s'more that I would love to try!


My rating system-- I will rate each restaurant on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being a terrible experience and 5 being an excellent experience that I recommend to all of you.


My rating for Tillman's Roadhouse: 4 out of 5

I definitely recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a satisfying meal in a unique area--great for groups of friends or an energetic date night!

Tips to remember if you dine at Tillman's: Come with cash for valet or be prepared to walk a little, share entrees or come very hungry, and don't plan on an intimate dining atmosphere!

Tillman's Roadhouse – Dallas
Bishop Arts District
324 West 7th Street
Dallas, Texas 75208
214-942-0988