I’m aware that some of you jumped on the Foodie Friday train late in the game and may not have seen some of our earlier restaurant reviews. So, I’d love to recap the restaurants we’ve visited so far this year and encourage you to go try at least one of them this weekend if you haven’t already!
And I just want to say thank you to all of you who read my blog on a regular basis. Foodie Friday is a lot more fun when we get to hear about all the great experiences you have at these local restaurants as well. And it’s great to talk to the owners of these establishments to find out all the positive feedback they’re getting. So, keep it up! Let’s continue to work together to support these local businesses.
And be sure to let us know which one (or two or three) of these places you decide to try this weekend.
Dolce Italian Cafe & Bakery
1913 Justin Road #101
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Dolce opened in 2013 and has been offering quality Italian cuisine, pastries and desserts since it began. If you’re looking for a great lunch spot where you can grab a delicious salad or sandwich or if you need some fresh-baked bread for dinner, Dolce is the perfect spot for you to try. And of course, we can’t leave out the delicious desserts. Your mouth will immediately start watering the moment you walk in and see the beautifully crafted creations in the display cases.
Jay Recommends: “The Little Drummer” if you want dessert. It’s a vanilla cremeux with a brownie base and fresh strawberries. I’ve also heard the paninis are to die for.
Seven Mile Cafe
2300 Highland Village Rd Ste 1100
Highland Village, TX 75077
If you love brunch, Seven Mile Cafe is the perfect place for you to try this weekend. Its original location is in Denton near Historic Downtown Square and they recently opened up a second location in Highland Village. With huge portions and a modern yet cozy environment, this place is a great spot to grab brunch with family and friends. They also offer several healthy and vegetarian options which is great for people like me who are conscious of what we’re eating.
Jay Recommends: The Belgian Waffle decked out with bananas or strawberries, Nutella drizzle, whipped cream and walnuts or the Pancake Sampler plate (you can choose between chocolate chip, pineapple upside down, red velvet, cinnamon roll, etc). If you want something healthier, you can’t go wrong with the custom egg white omelet. I got mine loaded with spinach and vegetables.
Swirl Bakery
3634 Long Prairie Rd
Flower Mound, TX 75022
Swirl Bakery has been an institution in Flower Mound since 2007 when owner Chris Norwood opened shop on the corner of FM 1171 and FM 2499. Swirl Bakery takes great pride in the variety of original recipes on their menu and in the fact that so many of their menu items are made from scratch – including the chicken salad, soups, cakes and brownies. If you need someone to cater a delicious dinner for you or need a cake to celebrate a special event this weekend, give Swirl Bakery a try. Their breakfast menu is also delicious if you want a great place to take the kids Saturday or Sunday morning.
Jay Recommends: Hands down the tomato basil soup and the eggs benedict. I’ve had both at a lot of places and Swirl Bakery makes the best in town.
Twelve Stones
1221 Flower Mound Rd #100
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Flower Mound finally has another local option for fine dining. I was so pleased to spend my birthday/anniversary dinner at Twelve Stones with my wife this year. The atmosphere at Twelve Stones is so wonderful – you can spend time enjoying your dinner without feeling rushed or cramped and the staff always works hard to give you a great dining experience. With local and fresh ingredients, Chef David’s menu offers so many great options and he works to change his menu around which ingredients are in season. In fact, they just premiered a new menu on March 31, so if you haven’t been to try it, check it out this weekend!
Jay Recommends: The Braised Beet salad which includes Texas Baby beets, herbed goat cheese (local), candied pistachios, baby arugula and is dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. And for dessert, I either recommend creme brulee or Chef David’s special cheesecake that includes black pepper and comes topped with candied jalapenos.
B.F.D (Bar.Fun.Dining.)
5801 Long Prairie Rd Ste 600
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Owner Cory Haynes spent 27 years at Dave & Busters before he decided to open his own restaurant here in Flower Mound. B.F.D has an atmosphere similar to a Dave & Buster’s while offering menu items made from scratch right there in the restaurant. This is a great place to bring families – it’s not just a bar. Kids can play video games while you sit in the booths drinking a Coke, glass of wine, etc. But just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you can’t play too.
Jay Recommends: The goat cheese crostini off the appetizer menu and the best bread pudding I’ve ever had.
Noodle Swing Thai Cafe
2713 Cross Timbers Rd
Flower Mound, TX 75028
I had my first real experience with Thai food at Noodle Swing Thai Cafe after I heard from several people that this was a must-try in Flower Mound. And I’m so glad I listened to everyone. Dalton, our waiter, has worked there for 4 years and knows the menu intimately. He was able to make some great recommendations to us. If you’ve been searching for some great Thai food in the area, or if you’re like me and you’ve wanted to try Thai food but haven’t yet, go check Noodle Swing out this weekend. They have some great lunch specials!
Jay Recommends: The Swing Dumplings made with ground pork, shrimp and herbs wrapped in a wonton wrapper and served with a chili soy sauce. If you get a salad, be sure to try the house-made peanut dressing – it really enhances the freshness of the salad!
Bistecca (Formerly The Grotto)
2300 Highland Village Rd
Highland Village, TX 75077
The Grotto has brought quality food and fine dining to Flower Mound since 1994 and has been developing a loyal local following over the last 20 years. Recently, owner Morris Salerno, decided to open up a finer dining side to the Grotto named Bistecca. With the change, existing customers will be able to enjoy some wonderful enhancements to their current menu – including dishes that offer fresh and seasonal ingredients with a fine-dining experience. However, you should know that the Steak Salerno is staying. Have no fear.
Jay Recommends: The Lamb Osso Bucco which is the Chef’s Pick served over polenta with root vegetables in a Lamb Juliet. Crazy good. And just prepare yourself for dessert – you have to order the Chocolate Explosion. When they serve this dessert, they pour hot chocolate over the centerpiece, which cracks open revealing a hot, fresh chocolate cake and strawberries.
Peter’s Pizzeria
2250 Justin Road
Highland Village, TX 75077
I know people are very particular about their pizza, whether you’re a Chicago fan or New York. If you want some great Italian home cooking made by a couple of New Jersey-ians, you need to try out Peter’s Pizzeria this weekend. I’ve had several people visit here since we published our blog and absolutely love it. Peter Pigano and his wife Liz opened in Highland Village about 9
months ago but have been cooking up family recipes for the public for about 35 years. And they deliver a great pie.
Jay Recommends: Start out with the Eggplant Rollatini. If you’re a fan of eggplant parmesan (or anything breaded, baked and covered in cheese), you’ll love this appetizer. And of course, you have to order a pizza. The crust has a perfect doughy quality to it while still remaining fluffy and light. And the fresh toppings just help to enhance the homemade taste of the dough.
Z Grill & Tap
2321 Cross Timbers Rd
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Z Grill & Tap has been around for years, but I’ll admit that I’ve never tried it until last week. I’m so glad I did. This was my favorite Foodie Friday thus far and I had some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had. If you were a lover of Sonoma Grill that was over in Parker Square and miss their menu, I found it at Z Grill! Owner Al Abbood decided to combine the two restaurants in one – offering the exquisite menu of Sonoma Grill with the great environment of Z Grill. If you want some great food with awesome live music this weekend, head to Z Grill & Tap.
Jay Recommends: There were two menu items that just rocked my world. First was the Crab Stuffed Chilean Sea Bass which was horseradish crusted sea bass seared and topped with a grape relish, served with a Chardonnay citrus sauce on ginger-chive risotto. Then for dessert we had the chocolate ganache cake which was one of the most incredible eating experiences I’ve ever had. You need to go try both. Now.
Click here more for photos and restaurant reviews from Jay Marks.
 GIF.gif)
