Dallas Dining

Here is a quick review of the restaurants that I ate at in Dallas this week.

The Hofbrau- Known for great steaks, this place didn't disappoint. I had the 14oz. prime rb and it was very tender nd juicy and reasonably priced at about $19. The atmosphere is great and if you aren't into steaks they have plenty of other food to suit your palette.

Spaghetti Warehouse- A nationwide chain, but this was my first experience at this restaurant. I had the lasagne and chicken parm combo and it was okay. The food is reasonably priced, especially the spaghetti which I hope is better than the food I ate.

Atomic Sushi- What can I say? This restaurant must have been a diner in a previous life. There is some indication inside that it actually serves Japanese food, but tht is mainly madeup of whatever the owner could get his hands on from Japanese beer companies. There is also a King Kong poster, and some other assorted out of place decorations for a sushi joint.

Another oddity is that there aren't any Asians working in the restaurant which to me isn't a sign of confidence. The food was mediocre at best. My colleague and I decided to skip the sushi and went for tempura and chicken teriyaki. I'm not sure that was such a good idea. My chicken was tasteless except for the teriyaki sauce and the rice tasted like it had come from the bottom of a rice cooker with a very uneven texture. Also unlike most Japanese restaurants they didn'ts serve miso or a small salad with the entree. Those were extra and would have set me back another $8.

My advice is that if you see this restaurant and are intrigued by the name stay away. Maybe the sushi is decent, but based on my experience with their menu I wouldn't bet on it. Then again, based on the low quality it may not be around much longer anyway.

SpringHill Suites West End

The SpringHill Suites in the Dallas Downtown West End is one of the best hotels I have stayed at recently.

The hotel as the address states is in the historical West End section of Dallas. The rooms are large and spacious and the amenities are some of the best in the businesss. Each room is equipped with a refrigerator and microwave and comes with free wi-fi internet access. There is a complimentary breakfast buffet featuring a wafflemaker that produces waffles in the shape of the state of Texas. Very clever indeed!

If you didn't bring your computer, the 2nd floor lounge has computers and printers available as well as one in the lobby.

One of the nicest features was the complimentary shuttle to and from the Dallas Convention Center which is some 10-12 blocksaway by my estimate. Also compared to many of the higher priced properties in Dallas this one is very conveniently located to shops and restaurants. Just one block away is Market Street where you can eat and shop 'til your hearts content.

For a AAA rate of $152.10 plus an onerus $22.82 in taxes it was still the best deal in Dallas this week.

There is no doubt that my next stay in the downtown Dallas area will be here.