A heaping helping of news & reviews from DFW’s dining scene.
Even on the day after Valentine's Day, folks couldn't get enough of the dining-out action! Restaurant partners Vance Martin and Martin Thompson scarcely had the doors open at Cat City Grill on Magnolia Monday evening, and the place was packed. Both Martins admitted that that much attention on opening night made them jittery, but things went fairly well, nonetheless.
Two of us stopped by for a late lunch today and were pleasantly surprised at how well the system seems to be flowing. The kitchen turned out dishes at an even pace, the servers had good answers for our questions about the menu and the owners didn't look destined for a loony bin. So far, so good.
Things we liked on the first look: the simple storefront feels appropriately casual and inviting. A mix of black-and-white and color art photos add break up the mustard-colored walls, and we particularly like the series of doorways photographed in Mexico. In the private dining room, there's a nice arrangement of cactus photos.
We found lots to love in the appetizer we tried, tempura asparagus ($8). The feather-light crust bore a scattering of sesame seed but let the spears speak for themselves. The wasabi cream dipping sauce proved rather addictive.
An entree I'll be back for time and again is the layered spinach salad ($8 plus $6 for grilled salmon filet). Mandarin oranges, dried cherries, pine nuts, mushrooms, bacon and crumbles of Gorgonzola played nicely together, with crisp squares of fried wantons adding texture to the mound of green. On top, a fruity-glazed plank of salmon added almost a bit too much sweetness; a tart element might break up the sweet factor a tad.
From a long list of sandwiches that includes a classic Reuben, patty melt and a lobster po-boy comes one of my all-time favorites, the bahn mi ($10). This Vietnamese staple comes on a buttery sourdough roll (instead of the traditional crunchy French baguette), holding pulled pork and a mix of shredded carrots, onion, Asian radish, cilantro, jalapeno and a spicy mayo. Me, I always crave more spice, so a little Rooster sauce might make a good side offering.
As soon as the liquor license is in place, Cat City Grill stands to be the go-to place on Magnolia for cocktails, appetizers and a steak. We think the Martins could wind up with a hit on their hands.
