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A colorful palate of flavors and tastes at Red'sBy Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
Creating Red's Patio Grill was a true labor of love from the start. It meant visiting tequila factories in Guadalajara; traveling to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Fe to research great sandwiches and the ultimate rotisserie chicken. And then there was Montana---to find the best beef available for Red's signature burgers. Tough job, but somebody had to do it. Larry Lavine took on that task with the same gusto be brought to creating
Chili's and Tia's and Charley's Seafood. Great tasting, freshly prepared foods served in a casual, relaxed atmosphere was Red's mantra from the start. Then Lavine added covered patio dining with industrial heaters to make for year-round fun and food.
Unique entree salads were a must for the menu. They compliment Red's Cowboy Meatloaf, a delicious combination of Angus beef, pork and veal.
MANY HAPPY HOURS Let's start with the drinks, as most people do
"A cool one in the shade, please" is what you will say when you are seated on Red's round patio drinking Red's Patio Chill. Made with El Tesoro 100% blue agave anejo tequila and Grand Marnier, this is one of Red's signature drinks. The most expensive thing on the Menu is "The Real Thing." This elite combination of tequila combines a shot of Deon Julio Real, a shot of Grand Marnier 100 year and a shot of fresh citrus for your sipping pleasure. It may be the real thing, but the price makes it a little unreal for many. So far only eight people have ordered it. BUT MAN CANNOT LIVE BY DRINK ALONE
For starters, enjoy the homemade fire-roasted onion guacamole and chips ($7). Light batter fried jalapeno slices ($4) or flash fried calamari ($8.5) If you like Homemade Tamales, you will want to be there on Tuesday, the only day they appear on the menu.
I dined with a group of food writers and the item we had to reorder was the Canbana Salad. ($9). It is a pleasing combination of butter lettuce, red and yellow tomatoes, eggs, French beans, red onions, green apples and prosciutto with spiced walnuts, hunky house croutons and blue cheese dressing. There are interesting salad dressings such as ginger lime vinaigrette and maple mustard. Next time I will try the Steak Salad ($12) with garlic and rosemary marinated steak, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, French beans with fried leeks and blue cheese dressing. SMART SANDWHICHES There are great combinations with interesting twists. The Veggie Sandwich ($8.5) has goat cheese, arugula, roasted peppers, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes and pesto. Red's Meatloaf Sandwich combines Red's Cowboy Meatloaf, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onion and caper mayo on a toasted Panini roll. There are three different kinds of chicken sandwiches-my favorite was the Jalisco($9) with guacamole, havarti cheese and lettuce and tomato on chili corn bread. But if you are there after 5:30 go for the wood fired rotisserie chicken ($12) BEST BURGERS
DISAPPOINTING DESSERT After all the great tastes, I had to make a real effort to save room for dessert. The Chocolate Heaven Walnut Brownie ($7) described at having fresh whipped cream, Godiva hot fudge and caramel sauce looked like someone had beat me to the sauce before it left the kitchen. I love Godiva hot fudge. I love caramel. I just wish there had been more of it on the plate. And my brownie was a little overcooked and dry so it NEEDED those sauces. Since I am co-owner of www.chocolateatlas.com, I do more than my share of tasting chocolate brownies. This one would be eliminated in the first round.
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TM
Red's has something for everyone. One of the best Tequila bars in Dallas
(well, actually it is in Plano) and a menu that will satisfy almost any food
craving. This is a bar that is also a family restaurant and gathering place.
The result is his newest concept,
Red's Patio Grill. Located at Preston Rd. and Spring Creek in Plano, the casual
dining spot features a tequila bar, serving over 100 tequilas and mescals. And
the best burgers on the planet.
Custom steak meat and buns----plus real red tomatoes and freshly sliced
Klausen pickles---came together for a burger that's in a class of its own . You
can request fire-roasted onions and jalapenos as well. Artisan breads are
custom-made for Red's, and all dressing, sauces, chili and desserts are made in
house.
Then, the wood fired rotisserie chicken. It's available only after
5:30 p.m. After painstaking research, Lavine created the perfect formula for a
moist, flavorful chicken. It's a three-day process to prepare it for the
800-degree rotisserie, but the end product is well worth it!
A popular drink at Red's is the Sangrita which is a colorful combination of
tomato juice and orange juice and spies served inside a cucumber. The best
bargain may be the tequila flights which are a bargain compared to many other
Dallas area bars.
This
is the perfect place to go when someone wants a salad, someone else wants a big
burger, and the vegetarian needs a Veggie sandwich. Make everyone happy with big
portions and fairly small prices.
I loved the Thai Salad, a generous serving of big chunks of
rotisserie chicken, Asian greens, Thai herbs, fennel, carrots, kiwi, mango with
tortilla crisps, peanut sauce and ginger lime vinaigrette. ($9.50)
Half pound burgers are made with Montana Legend natural beef. Best bet is
Red's Montana Burger ($9) is smothered with sautéed mushrooms, havarti cheese,
arugula, tomato, caper mayo and bacon caramelized onions.
A much better choice is Bread Pudding ($7) Made with croissants,
white chocolate, dried apricot, toasted almonds and bourbon caramel sauce, this
is a real palate-pleaser. After I tasted it, my disappointment with the
chocolate brownie melted away. But it also was a bit stingy with the sauce. To
me sauce is something that either coats the item, or is in a little sauce
pitcher. It is more than a drizzle on a plate. It must look like someone used
more than an eyedropper to serve it.