by Steven Doyle
You worked very hard all year long and deserve a quiet respite at one of Dallas’ premiere hotels. And for good measure, you also could use a fantastic and romantic dinner for two from one of the best chefs in Dallas. This is why for today’s gift we plan on sending you and a loved one to the Westin Dallas Galleria for two nights over New Year’s Eve, and include a special dinner created just for you by Chef Joel Harloff at the Second Floor.
The Westin Galleria features many beautiful appointments, including first class room service, concierge service and in-room spa treatments. The Westin is located in the Dallas Galleria where you may also find world class shopping at your fingertips. Enjoy Saks Fifth Avenue. Louis Vuitton. Gucci. Tiffany & Co. Michael Kors. Coach. Nordstrom, and H&M.
The Second Floor is owned by Scott and Gina Gottlich who also own the French Bistro Bijoux located at Lovers and Inwood. The Second Floor boasts the largest Scotch collection in the state, and you are able to enjoy tastings from different regions of Scotland. The fare is Euro-American, and sure to please the most discriminating palate.
To win this wonderful gift go to the Second Floor website and tell us what you might enjoy off the menu. A winner will be chosen Monday morning December 17, 2012 at random. All the holiday gifting rules apply, and we wish each of you the very best holiday season.
Very hard decision, as it all looks so good! I believe I’d have the artisan cheese course for starters. Then I’d go with the seared salmon, if choosing from the dinner menu…or maybe the ribeye with the cremini mushrooms-blue cheese gratin – yum!
I Love Joel, he is a great Guy from Wisconsin. I would let him prepare anything his heart desires. He’s a great Chef, miss him from the Dali Wine bar days!!!!! glad he is in a great place again, The Second Floor is awesome !
I want to have another burger
The seared scallops!
so how does one register??????????
I’ll start with the Ginger does Manhattan cocktail then moving right along to the artisan cheese course followed by the wilted spinach salad. For my entree I’ll have the roasted Alaskan Halibut. Oh and did I save room for dessert? Yes, please. I’ll have the chocolate caramel bomb! WOW am I stuffed!
I’d start with the grilled flatbreads. For main I think the potato gnocci. and lemon marigold cake for dessert!
Oh, I would engorge myself on Foie Gras and then treat myself to the Rack of Lamb, because I never have ordered it for myself in my life! And then order a Treetini, to give back to nature.
Who could resist the sea scallops?
I’ve got a big crush on the Argula, Endive & Raspberry Salad as a starter. Followed by the Hand-Rolled Fettuccini Pasta to fulfill my addiction with mushrooms. Then to meet my long love affair, I’m finishing with the Texas Peach & Apple Cobbler!
After celebrating the New Year with whoever my lucky date is, I would order the Eggs Benedict because it would remind me of my mother because she used to make an egg dish similar to this called Eggs Hussarde. I would have a cup of coffee with juice, too.
LOVE The Second Floor! I feel like it’s a hidden gem that most people don’t know about!
These are my top 2 picks in each category. 🙂
Appetizers:
Salmon Cake Sliders
Grilled Flatbread
Pastas:
Hand Rolled Fettuccini Pasta
House Made Potato Gnocchi
Mains:
Seared Salmon
Rhone Braised Veal Short Rib!!!
Desserts:
Chocolate Caramel Bomb
Vanilla Sea Salt Panna Cotta
Being the planner and food-appreciator that I am, I have a full day planned: BREAKFAST: Latte and the Big Biscuit if I’m really hungry or the French Breakfast; LUNCH: I’ll start with the Pan Seared Foie Gras, then the Citrus Crab/Cucumber Salad (with Prawns) for the second course, then I’m struggling between the Gnocchi or the Halibut, but I’ll definitly finish lunch with the Panna Cotta which is so hard to find in DFW; DINNER: I’d like to start with the Bar Snacks with the Skinny Segundo and good conversation with the Bartender, then have the Market Fish with either a muscato or a malbec, whichever is recommended, then end with the Marigold Cake and coffee. Ahhh. THAT will be a satisfying day!
Wow, what a menu! Since this seems like a pipe dream to win I would simply stick to imagining the chef created market fish selection. One great seduction in my mind is the Texas peach & apple cobbler…
No pipe dream. Our holiday gifts have terrific odds. Tell a friend and double your chances!
Regardless of the great contests you are having and my chances of wining, thank you for all the hard work and dedication to the Dallas food scene. BRAVO!
Sincerely appreciate that!
Congrats on the win, Joe!
Reviewing the menu is making my mouth water. I would start with either Calamari or the Grilled Flatbread. Halibut is one of my favorite fish, so I would definitely have to order the Roasted Halibut accompanied by the Tour of Scotland scotch flights. A perfect place to spend an evening with the one you love.
I think I’ll go for the Foie (a gotta have this festive time of year), the Wild Boar Gnocchi (two things that belong together!), and the Veal Short Ribs (I need more Porcini in my life). Thanks for doing this!
I will start with the “Scotch” egg, followed by the Texas melon and heirloom tomato gazpacho, Alaskan halibut for the main, and Texas peach and apple cobbler for dessert. I will have to try the Tree-tini. It says they plant a tree for every one of them ordered!
I’d tear up one of those ribeyes. Then finish it off with some cobbler.
I’ll have one of everything!
I would love to try the salmon sliders and the sea scallops! That cobbler doesn’t sound too bad either… mmmmm
I would have the sea scallops…..mainly to try the goat cheese polenta.
Good Luck to ME!
Cocktails: Old KY Yella and a Spring fizz for Stephen
Apps: Foie Gras, Wilted Spinach
Entree: Fire Roasted Chicken, Salmon for the lady… er um Stephen
Dessert: Chocolate Caramel Bomb
I’m not going to be picky, the idea of having a dinner for my husband and I alone while not having to entertain my daughter AND eating delicious food sounds like a dream!
I, of course, would start my meal with the scotch flight “tour of Scotland,” because every meal should begin with quality whiskey or scotch. It is only civilized. For the appetizer course, we would have the seared foie gras and the artisan cheese. The reason for two appetizers is that I will not let anyone – even my beloved husband – get between me and delicious fatty liver (take that California!). At this point – after arguing with my husband about sharing the foie gras – we will need another drink. After choosing more fine scotch or the Domaine Drouhin Pinot, marital harmony will be restored and we will canoodle while sharing a Caesar salad. The main courses will consist of the grilled sea scallops for my husband and the rack of lamb for me. Medium rare only please. We will then share the lemon marigold cake for dessert while gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes as we sympathize with my poor parents who will be waking up the next morning around 6:00 a.m. with our screaming two- and four-year old children. The sympathy session will be short-lived.
The Scallops sound pretty amazing!
For appetizer, seared foie gras will satisfy the fatty crave! Melon & tomato salad will help prep the mood just right, followed by potato gnocchi. For main the lamb sounds great. Vanilla sea salt pana cotta will end the meal nicely.
Hard call for the appetizer between the Scotch egg and the foie, though that crab & cucumber salad sounds pretty tasty, too (if aggressively contra-seasonal). I’d have to go for the lamb entree, though the scallops are pretty damn tempting.
For me, it’s a toss up between the Halibut or Scallops. The thing that amazes me about Joel is his memory. He did a cooking class at the DFM and was told that I have a bad reaction to mushrooms. Even though this was years ago, every time we see him now, he refers to me as “no mushrooms.” You have to respect a guy with a memory like that!!
Oh the pan seared fois gras is my absolute fave. Yum, yum, yum! Burgers are great too.
Oh to choose between the grilled sea scallops and the seared duck breast….YUM!
The Rhone braised veal short rib sounds quite delightful!
Mmmm… never been to the Second Floor, so this would be exciting! I’d try the cheese course and the Fire Roasted Chicken! My stomach is rumbling just reading the menu! 🙂
Foie gras – Citrus Crab and cucumber salad – Seared duck breast – Texas peach and apple cobbler. A nap…
I would start with the foie gras, then have the citrus and crab salad, and finish up with the lamb!
I’d start with Foie, then citrus crab salad, after that the veal short rib, and the vanilla sea salt panna cotta for desert. YUMMY!
Scotch eggs or the salmon sliders, followed by the market fish or seared duck breast. Vanilla sea salt panna cotta for dessert.
I’d start with the arugula salad, followed by the market fish (whatever it may be). No dessert because I’m on a diet. 🙂
I would start with the cheese course and then go for the spinach salad. My main course would probably be the risotto – it sounds teriffic! I would hopefully leave room for the chocolate caramel bomb.
I don’t think there’s anything I wouldn’t enjoy. And, a sampling of Speyside scotches would be fantastic.
All this sounds so wonderful. Several of you mention the foie, and it is really a wonderful dish at Second Floor. The winner today is Joe Biggs. We appreciate everyone entering, and we will have plenty more chances to win big here at craveDFW this holiday season.