Category Archives: Restaurant Reviews

RESTAURANT REVIEW….IN ODESSA

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My bestie sans baby and I like to venture out and about in Midland to find the most edible restaurants in the Tall City. Since neither of us have littlens attached to our teet, we are able to travel for food, so we decided to revisit a favorite from a year ago.

When I called my family and told them I was finally going to do another restaurant review in Midland, the first thing they asked was where?! It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of non-Mexican restaurants in West Texas, so they are always curious. I told them that I was going to make the LONG TREK (12 miles) to Odessa, to go to Odessa Donuts. All I could hear was judgmental silence, and I could picture them thinking of me with wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, with an overgrown fupa and yesterday’s makeup. RELAX mom, Odessa Donuts serves delicious Vietnamese food, namely Pho. And I wasn’t wearing sweatpants, I was in Lululemon. With an XL hoodie…

When you pull up to Odessa donuts, they have an incredible display of advertisements for literally everything. There is a weight loss pill add next to the same poster that ice cream trucks have displaying the popsicles for sale. A donut sign next to a picture of soup. It is the most ADD storefront I’ve seen, and it makes me happy.

Here’s what you order: No. 8 Beef Pho, No. 11 Chicken Lok Lak, and an order of spring rolls. Get your own soup (because people who share soup also probably share needles), and share the chicken and spring rolls. Warning: When you order, they will as “Is dis all FO YOU?”. Yes, a**hole, it’s all for me, so zip it, and enough with that judgmental look. Phok you, alright?

The Pho is served with two types of questionable beef, but that isn’t an issue for me, since I’ll pretty much eat anything.  Add in plenty of life, sriracha and a small amount of hoisin (that they bring you), and you’re set. Did I mention that this is a sit down restaurant? Yes, we sit down at donut shops in West Texas. I think some of the tables even had tablecloths. FANCY. The chicken is served with tons of grilled jalapeños and a fried egg, and it rocks. The egg rolls are crunchy and legit but so is everything else that is fried-they are more like fried spring rolls than egg rolls, and I’m pretty sure they are vegetarian. Which means they are healthy. I was tempted to get a donut for the ride home, but decided against it, since my lulu’s were getting a little tight, and I don’t want to have to buy a double XL hoodie.

Chicken Lok Lak

Chicken Lok Lak

You can’t go wrong, and it’s worth the trip across the tracks to get it.

PS- They also are a deli and serve sandwiches. Because why wouldn’t your traditional donut shop/Vietnamese restaurant not serve a club?

PPS- I HIGHLY recommend checking out their facebook page. They have better pics, but it’s also incredibly entertaining.

Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls

Cafe Pacific Review-Dallas

Café Pacific

So Café Pacific has been a Dallas staple for forever, and we used to go all the time for family birthdays/special occasions, etc. Well, one time they turned me away because I was wearing shorts (they were dressy shorts, and I had heels on), but regardless, I had boycotted them until last weekend. We landed in Dallas for the TX-OU game around 11, and my father in law wanted to grab lunch. I suggested Mia’s because I wanted to grub down, but he countered me with Café Pacific. I wasn’t going to tell him I wasn’t fond of their dress code, after all, he was picking up the tab, so I made a call and made sure that we wouldn’t be turned away for wearing jeans. Jeans are apparently ok at lunchtime. Whatever.  So we got there and got a few awkward stares  from the ever annoying “ladies who lunch in three piece suits—but who don’t work—so why are you in a three piece power lady suit”. I hate them. Anyways, we sat down and I assumed we would all be drinking so I ordered my usual noon-time bevvy some Sav-B. When Craw and his dad didn’t order drinks, I considered retracting my order-but hey, I just wanted to look cool, so I held strong. And didn’t hesitate to order another…

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sav-b and sweet potato strings

 

We ordered and neither of them ordered an app, so naturally I had a minor fatty panic attack and ordered mussels for the table. They were cooked with coconut milk and Thai spices with garlic and were incredible. I thought I hated all things coconut, but after tasting the mussels at Malai, which I think are cooked with coconut milk, I decided it isn’t too strong of a flavor.

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At lunch, Café Pacific has a pick two special, and I chose the Chinese Chicken Salad and a cup of black bean soup. Both were delish, and shit, managed to combine a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with Thai flavored mussels, Mexican flavored soup, and a Chinese salad. I went around the world in less than an hour, and never had to leave my seat. The other two got fish tacos and another combo, but I won. I reverse my ill feelings towards Café P, but think I’ll stick to lunch there. Order the Chinese Chicken Salad—it really is delish.

dark photo-but black bean soup and chicken salad

dark photo-but black bean soup and chicken salad

That time UT beat OU….oh, and fair food

Well, shit. Last weekend (TX/OU) kicked my ass, almost as hard as we kicked OU’s ass. BOOM. Anyways, it was a great weekend full of blackouts, bad decisions, and quite a bit of airbrushed t-shirts. I’ll recap my weekend quickly, and fill you in on the fat deets as I go….

Thursday night—Abacus. My favorite fancy restaurant in Dallas. The bread basket will give you the biggest bread boner of your life, and be sure not to miss out on the sushi. Get the VIP Roll and the pressed sushi-and don’t forget extra wasabi. Abacus also makes a mean martini, so get a little liquid base going with one of these before you stuff your fat face with the bread basket. Just to review, the contents of the bread basket are as follows: Lavosh (this girl lives for a crispy Jewish cracker—it’ my fave of the bunch), corn muffins, regular bread, and a tomato topped focaccia. I bet you just had to change your pants—it’s ok, clearly I don’t judge. I got the duck special, minus the five spiced sweet potatoes (because ew), and it was incredible. Crawford got venison that came with grits, bacon and some sort of caramel popcorn—it was unbelievable, and by the end of the dinner, I had consumed enough wine, that I finished my plate and his. Had I been sober, maybe I’d be ashamed, but shit, we’ve been together for 6 years and the man watched me eat two pizzas in one sitting on our honeymoon, so whatever. Friday was awful, I actually had to go into an office for work, so I ended up picking up Qdoba tortilla soup for lunch, which is delightful every time.

 

Chopin martini, splash of grapefruit

Chopin martini, splash of grapefruit

 

No caption necessary.

No caption necessary.

 

pressed sushi and vip roll

pressed sushi and vip roll

 

Seared Duck Breast

Seared Duck Breast

 

Venison

Venison

 

Saturday= the fair. I went big and bold at the start and had the Fried Cuban and one seventeen miller lights. The Cuban was delish, but so rich that I only had a bite. By 10:30am, I thought it was 3pm, so I mosyed up to the shortest line and got a hot dog. I watched some of the game, but snuck out a little before half time, because it was imperative that I chow down on a sausage on a stick and get an airbrushed shirt. Missions Accoplished. After that, I think I was done with food, but this b*tch really wanted a funnel cake. I didn’t get one, but next year….next year.

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I’ll work on recipes tonight, but just wanted to make sure all 4 people that read this blog got an update.

 

MAZEL

PS-How does one go from pic 1 to pic 2 in less than 24 hours?

YIKES

YIKES