good eatin'

This article is a place to write about some area restaurants that I have visited. There are no "advertisement" deals here, just a place to share information so that you may also enjoy! I have devised my own rating scale of "Yums", as follows: 

For a more "objective" perspective, you may want to check out the most recent restaurant health inspection grades on the City of Plano website:

Mimi's Cafe, 810 W. McDermott, Allen Tx 972.547.1440  http://www.mimiscafe.com  review

Terrific!

We walked in, and - hello! - it was clear to me that we were late to figure out what a hot spot this is.  A lot of people have discovered this great restaurant, even though it is less than a year old.  To drive by, you'd think it looks nice, but what do they offer?  Spouse and I ventured in on an early March Saturday at 5:20 pm and there was already a crowd waiting on the list!  Looking around, it had a warm, comfortable decor - like French country.  But there is a hint of a New Orleans flavor.  If you enjoy a hearty helping of stick-to-your-ribs food, you will become one of Mimi's numerous fans.  This comes close to filling the void that was left when Black-Eyed Pea went upscale "grille" several years ago after being bought out.  We enjoyed the Chicken Fried Steak, with red-skin mashed potatoes and steamed mixed veggies.  The CF Steak was excellent, not greasy at all, just beautifully battered and tender.  The entree was served with a basket of delicious slices of carrot bread and french bread.  A choice of green or caesar salad  OR soup is also included.  Although the desserts looked tempting in an evil way, we sufficed with the carrot bread.  I enjoyed some Raspberry Iced Tea with the meal - all beverages are constantly refilled.  There is a good variety of dishes offered on the menu.  I didn't see any kids' meals on the menu, so just plan to split or share an entree.  The price range begins at $5.50 for a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, up to $13.95 for a 14 oz. rib eye.  Most are priced between $7 and $11.  Appetizers, soups, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, pasta, chicken, meats/roasts, fish, espresso and desserts comprise the lunch and dinner fare.  But wait!  Mimi's is open at 7 am every day for Brunch or standard breakfasts, including bakery items, cereal, eggs, omelettes and griddle goodies.

Blue Goose, 4757 W Park Blvd. near Preston (next to Target), Plano Tx 972-596-8882 review

Terrific!

Blue Goose is "new" to Plano, but has been comfortable at its original location on lower Greenville in Dallas for several years.  Well, I'm glad they decided to invade the 'burbs, because it is currently my very favorite place for Tex-Mex.  How do I love thee, Blue Goose?  Let me count the ways: 1) Flour tortillas freshly-made on the premises - in fact, over in the corner while you watch.  There is an elaborate tortilla-makin' contraption that resembles a vintage wringer-washer up front by the door.  Oh, mama!  It churns out some great tortillas, which the wait staff brings warm to your table with little butter cups.  This alone could be a meal.  2) Here is a warning - the servings are enormous.  Spouse and I always share an entree, and there is no skimping at the Blue Goose.  Our favorite entree at this writing is the El Presidente, which features one taco al carbon, two enchiladas, two tacos and accompanying rice and beans.  Believe me, it is more than plenty, even when shared.  I TRY to have just one tortilla with the meal - ha.  We have also had the Chicken Flautas.  Not your ordinary flautas - the plate includes three, but each flauta is about 8 inches long.  Don't have a big lunch before you go to Blue Goose for dinner!  Entrees are generally between $7 and $15 - a little less at lunchtime.  The El Presidente, for instance is $11.50.  

Mama Emilia's Italian Restaurant, 119 W. Virginia, McKinney Tx 972.562.1102 review

Terrific!

I stumbled into this restaurant during the recent Mayfair in historic downtown McKinney. We were simply looking for an air-conditioned place to have lunch, and made this very pleasant find. As you may guess, the restaurant is in a remodeled older building off the main square of McKinney. It is beautifully decorated with wood ceiling beams and etched glass windows - and wood chairs! The familiar paper tablecloth with crayons are there, but this is easily a great place for the family adults to go for a "date" night dinner. Wine is available - and they offer a complimentary membership with the private club, which is required for all alcoholic beverage purchases in this area. Families with small children were in the restaurant the day of our visit - "Bambini" meals are on the menu ($3.50-4.50). In addition, this is a place to try if you are looking for a nice Sunday brunch. The food is very good and priced as a "nice" restaurant (entrees $8-12).

Other terrific Italian restaurants: In Plano, we are blessed with several "terrific" Italian eateries: Romano's Macaroni Grill on Preston @ Park AND on US75 @ Legacy in front of Cinemark Legacy, Compari's on Preston between Park & Parker or on Plano Parkway south of Collin Creek Mall, Patrizio's on Park east of Preston. All of these I would give the same rating as Mama Emilia's, and they are all good for a "date" or with the entire family.

Campisi's, 3115 W. Parker Road , Suite 400, NW corner of Independence and Parker. 972-612-1177 review

Good

Campisi's is a good restaurant to try for a more casual atmosphere. This is a small place where you order at the counter and your food is brought to your table. The food is traditional Italian lasagna, spaghetti, manicotti - but they also have a unique, rectangular pizza with thin crust. Pricing is "moderate", which means that most entrees are in the $6-12 range. Campisi's is a family off-shoot of the original Campisi's "Egyptian" restaurant that has been on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas for several decades.

Jason's Deli, on 75 in front of Collin Creek Mall or Parker @ Preston; new location in Allen in shopping center at NW corner of McDermott and 75.   http://www.jasonsdeli.com

Good

Jason's is nearly terrific, but sometimes the service is amiss and the atmosphere is chaotic casual. The food choices, quality and prices are great. Upon arrival, you order at the counter, pay and then wait for your order to be brought to your table. This is where they can be amiss sometimes, either not bussing the tables adequately so that you can have a clean table or maybe not bringing your food out in a timely way. That said, the range of food choices can satisfy most appetites: salad bar, baked potatoes, deli sandwiches, soups. Jason's Deli is very, very popular these days with families, as the kid's menu items are 99 cents each!! Yes, you read right...99 cents! I'm not talking skimpy burger with a ton of fries here...the kid's menu items are unique and plentiful. The "Kid's Jane" (basic baked potato with cheddar cheese, sour cream and butter) is really a large potato, nothing kid-size about it. The Mini-Muffaletta sandwiches are accompanied by fruit and a good chocolate-chip cookie (parents may want to barter with their kids for the cookie!).

And, yes, the kids can have a healthy meal: a single trip to the salad bar is also only 99 cents. Jason's does not find humor in adults that try to order kid's meals for themselves - they are keen observers of whether adults have kids with them. Generally, if you are buying an entree for yourself, all of your kids can eat for 99 cents per kid's entree. They do not limit one kid's meal per kid. Usually I get a salad and an entree for each of my kids, and that is still about $2 each child. GGGGGRRRRRRRRREAT!!! It gets better - Kids' Meals are FREE with adult entrees on Wednesday nights! Oh, yeah - the kids' meals are for dining-in ONLY, not take-out.

For my last several visits, I have chosen the "Turkey Wrap", which features deli turkey, alfalfa sprouts, diced tomato and ranch dressing rolled up in a delicious, flavored tortilla. This is accompanied by strawberries and chunks of cantaloupe. My beef-loving spouse has the "Sgt. Pepper", which is sliced beef with sauteed onions and green peppers on a roll, served "au jus" and with chips. Both sandwiches are around $5.

Did I mention that they have a soft-serve ice cream machine and that this is free with any meal? They just had to add one more feature to keep the families coming in and it succeeds! I don't advise going there for lunch on Sundays, when everyone hits hard after worship services.

Culver's on the east service road of Hwy. 75 in McKinney. Take the El Dorado Parkway exit from 75, follow up past car dealership. Culver's will be up on the right. 972.548.7500 review

Good

Their menu features "butter" burgers (buns are buttered and toasted), hot dogs, chili dogs, onion rings, cheddar cheese fries and other miscellaneous items. Chicken meals available. It appears that the true highlight is their offering of frozen custard, malteds, shakes, floats and sundaes. ButterBurgers are priced from $1.99 to $3.39 (and I can dig that). They offer a range of order sizes (yay!) so you don't overeat or overspend. The most expensive item I find on the menu is $3.49. Let's go now!!!! It is cash or check only, so stop by the ATM on your way there. You order at the counter and then seat yourself - atmosphere is like a smaller version of Denney's - nicer and bigger than a fast-food restaurant.

Genghis Khan Mongolian Barbeque, 1915 Greenville Ave., Dallas Tx 214-841-9990 review

Good

I think I put this restaurant in here just to get off the "only-around-Plano-very-suburban" rut that we can all get in sometimes, especially with young kids. My spouse and I visited this restaurant (coupon from Passbook in hand) one Saturday afternoon without kids around 1:30 pm. It is a small restaurant, narrow and long, in a row of restaurants/bars/shops that line this section of Greenville Avenue, south of Mockingbird Lane. It is one of the hot spots these days in Dallas, a nice alternative to Deep Ellum - but I digress...

This is a cool place to try sometime if you like stir-fry food. Basically, it is a "buffet meets Benihana" concept. For one price ($9 lunch, $12 dinner) you visit the ingredient bar, take a small metal bowl and begin to fill it with the ingredients for your customized stir-fry. Offered are strips of raw beef, chicken, onions & peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, cilantro, others I forget and about 15 different flavors of sauces. A rack of many spices is also available. Once filled, you hand your bowl to the stir-fry crew, who spill the contents on a large, open grill before your eyes. After cooking the food, they put your meal in a new, clean bowl and hand it to you. You may also ask for a bowl of steamed rice and/or tortillas to accompany your meal. You can visit the stir-fry bar as often as you choose! With the variety of ingredient and sauce choices, you will be sure to visit at least twice to try different combinations. They do offer tasting spoons by the sauces so that you may choose wisely. The secret that I found was to douse a liberal ladle of sauce on the stir-fry AFTER it was cooked. Yummies...

Visit this restaurant if you are looking to be somewhat adventurous. Can be fun for kids who enjoy this food - if you don't mind splurging economically. Parking is in front of the restaurant and nearby at no cost. This area has character, but not the sort that you would find threatening to your family. It does turn into a bar-hopping crowd at night, so I would advise visiting on a weekend during the day - unless, of course, you and spouse are without kids and want to do some bar-hopping yourself. This will be a far less crowded time, also. Visit the English boutique a couple of shops down the sidewalk (avert your children's eyes from the tattoo parlor on the way!). Remember - I said this was an alternative to the suburban scene! Oh yeah, casual dress is fine.