FT33

Reviews 4

ME

Meaghan Kuelbs

I have always wanted to dine at this restaurant, and saw my parents visit to Dallas for my birthday as a fitting opportunity. They live in Baltimore and have a taste for great food - my Dad especially, so I thought this would be a real treat. The food was mediocre at best, but the real disappointment was the service and treatment we received. I was asked when I made the reservations whether it was for a special occasion, and when I informed them it was my birthday I was told that there would be a nice message written out on a dessert for me. When we arrived, we were given a thorough explanation of the menu and told by our waiter that the chef preferred for all courses to be ordered simultaneously, which we did. After we finished our mediocre appetizers (and please, dont believe them when they tell you that they only feed one person - the $15-$20 portions easily feed two), our waiter disappeared for at least 10 minutes, leaving me with an empty wine glass and requiring us to call over another staff member to put in a drink order. Another 10-15 minutes elapsed with no sign of our entrees, which required us to again flag someone down to ask about the now 25 minute delay between appetizer and main course. Magically, we were then delivered three room temperature/cold orders of gnocchi, and a piece of duck with a tendon running straight through the center. My Dad couldnt get his knife through it, which the waiter acknowledged. Again, we can all excuse an "off" night at a restaurant - it happens. But what happened next is where this restaurant lost me, and is the reason I will tell everyone I know to stay away from this place. When the manager approached to talk to my Dad about his plate, and my Dad voiced his displeasure with the cut of the meat (specifically the fact that it was inedible), the manager had the audacity to tell him that all cuts of duck looked like this one and that tendons running through the center are common-place. My Mom also spoke up about her cold pasta, and the manager asked them both whether they would like anything else from the menu. They told him no, and we were promptly delivered the check - despite the fact that we all had outstanding dessert orders and the restaurant knew we were celebrating a birthday. When I asked the manager why hed had the check sent over, he told me in a very arrogant and cold way that my Dad had asked for the check, which led him to believe that we wanted the meal to end. Blame the customer? Really? Did he ask me whether I wanted something brought out? Nope. Just walked away and left us with a bill for $190 - and that was without the duck and my Moms gnocchi, which they did comp. Bad food or an off night in the kitchen can be forgiven. The arrogance of the management and the treatment we received on my birthday cannot.

JA

Jason Stallings

Ive eaten here twice, both times for my birthday. Overall, great experience. My first time eating left me with a great impression. Finally here was a restaurant in Dallas that was willing to take a risk and not cop out with a stupid burger on the menu. The menu was challenging and an exciting adventure. Thats not to say that on a certain level, the food isnt accessible. Theres plenty on the menu for a lot of people. However, that wasnt why I chose this place for a special occasion. It was a rare, once in a life time experience. Both times the service was beyond exceptional. You get the feeling the people working here really have a passion for their craft and creating an experience. Passion isnt a word I use lightly either. In too many professions people claim they have a passion for something to seem authentic, when in reality it can be a shallow expression. Not here, this is the real thing. The cocktails are excellent. The second time the food wasnt quite as exciting, but still very enjoyable. It may have simply been our choice of meal. While the portions seemed slightly on the small side, I cannot say I didnt go home satisfied, because I definitely did. I cannot fault the restaurant for the second experience since the whole point of going here, to me, is taking a dive and seeing what they come up with. To me experimentation is all about seeing what works and what doesnt. Hopefully this place maintains a high standard and really pushes their staff to innovate and create a interesting dining experience. Keep the ideas fresh. I think they set a real standard that other restaurants in the city/state should aspire to.

AL

Alexis D

I just moved to Dallas and read about this in the Wall Street Journal. I knew I had to try this hot new foodie place; I havent been able to find too much in the Dallas area that has new and exciting cuisine but this was exactly what I wanted. We arrived early and went to the bar, which was really the only thing that dinged a star for me. The bartender was somewhat dour and I was not wowed by the drinks we ordered. The service was somewhat slow at the bar. The restaurant itself deserves five stars. We sat at table 33, the namesake of the restaurant (Fire Table 33). At this table (which we shared with another couple), the seats are all facing the kitchen and we sat side by side. There was a camera crew there interviewing the executive chef Matt McCallister for some special but they were unobtrustive so it was no problem. I just appreciated getting to watch the chef at work! Portions are meant for individuals. Three courses are recommended. I started with the pappaperdelle and duck confit, while my husband ordered the charred octopus and pork jowl. We decided it was a tie because we each loved both dishes. For the second course I went with the ricotta gnocchi and my husband ordered the dry aged duck. Both were excellent. We both loved our desserts as well. I had the peaches and blackberries while my husband had the chocolate malt concoction. The wine list was good and prices were reasonable. Service was excellent. We will definitely be back.

ST

Stavros Macrakis

Food was excellent. Tortellini soffrito had an amazing aroma. Filling was elk, which was dark and a bit dry. Pork three ways -- belly was fantastic, beans and broth were a great complement. The largest chunk of meat (dont remember exactly what it was) was beautifully cooked on the inside and outside, but tasted a bit like reheated meat -- not sure what that means, truthfully. The sausage was dry -- seems like a bad place to go low-fat. The breads were good, though a bit too cake-like in texture for me, but the butter, wow, the butter was fantastic. Apparently made in-house. I had a glass of the Au Bon Climat pinot noir -- probably the first California pinot noir Ive really really enjoyed. I had asked for a taste of the Rasteau, which was good, but the waitron kindly offered me two other tastes before I decided on the A.B.C. A glass was priced at $19, which is high for a wine that retails for that much per bottle, but I guess that pays for the 3 tastes before the glass. The worst thing about my experience was being seated about 50 minutes after I got there, although I had a confirmed reservation. Of course, things like this will happen from time to time, and the staff was apologetic, but I was standing the whole time, and wasnt even offered some sort of token, like a glass of wine.