B 21 - Frisco, TX

I'm a burger snob.  In my mind, burgers are split into two different categories:
1. The classic, greasy burger
2. The chef inspired burger
If the first one is done right, the paramedics will lose grip on your arm due to grease when they take you to the hospital for cardiac arrest.
If the second one is done right, you will marvel at the intricacies of the beef, the chew of the bread, the zany flavors of the sauce, and the texture of the toppings.  All flavors highlight the beef.
After finding out there was another burger place in Frisco, I raced there as quickly as possible only to wait in line behind another couple who were confused about the menu. I thought they were delightfully clear.  Points to them.   I looked over the menu at the wide array of flavors.  Some of them sounded good, like bacon burger, but the meat here is supposed to be healthy so I was pretty sure I could rule out burger type number 1.  I wasn't going to waste calories on a chef inspired bacon burger (please note subtle sarcasm... bacon burgers should be dripping with grease and cheese.  If you advertise lean beef, leave the bacon for others to cook with) so I went with a Mexican themed burger... which is just a normal burger with avocado and onion strings on it.  Take that, Mexico.  We have boiled your entire culture and cuisine down to one fruit.  It is a worthy fruit to be known for but in the end, it's the Aztec word for testicle so, again, you lose.
The fries are a-la-carte.  This annoys me and I'm taking points off. I paid 8 bucks for a burger.  Give me the dang fries.  They do offer sweet potato fries so I will soften my animosity slightly.
Once you order your food, you walk over to a completely separate counter and order your shake.  They advertise real ice cream but I used to work at Dairy Queen as a teen and I know a mix when I see one.  Plus, it's not Bluebell so points off.  I ordered a creme-brulee shake on a separate transaction (you're welcome, Bank of America) and sat down to wait for my food.
The manager brought me my food with a smile and asked if I needed any sauces for my fries.  The plurality of "sauce" caught my attention.  He took me to the condiment counter and there, like a glowing angel chorus, was the sauce selection.  This was actually my favorite part.  There was a marshmallow dip for the sweet potato fries, several different varieties of ketchup, BBQ sauces, hot sauces, and mustards.  I tried several and all were good for a condiment.  Points awarded.
The burger was ok.  Just that.  Ok.  It wasn't dripping.  The bread wasn't particularly interesting.  It was a buttered Brioche.  The menu told you that several times.  I was eating a buttered Brioche with flavors that overpowered the burger. At least the Brioche was buttered, though.  If I ever get an un-buttered Brioche, me and the chef will have words.
The fries were good: crunchy without being crispy, filling in tact so you actually believe you are eating an unprocessed sweet potato.  Slathered in marshmallow cream, you hardly remember that sweet potatoes are healthy.
The star of the show was the shake.  Even though it wasn't made with real ice-cream and was a bit on the sweet side, the flavor was very similar to a creme brulee.  It also came with a toasted sugar disc.  It was both inventive and pretty.  I will give them points.
In the end, I give B21 a 6 out of 10.  Good shake spot and good fries.  Ordering should be simpler with only one transaction.  The burger should commit to either a really creative grouping of flavors, or a sloppy mess of all things bad for you.  This is the main course and I feel like they spent more time on the sides. Lastly, DON'T MAKE ME PAY EXTRA FOR FRIES!

Happy eating, y'all.

Nola Grill - Frisco, TX

Nola Grill is a Cajun restaurant in downtown Frisco square.  Against the backdrop of multiple Tex-Mex places, Asian noodle chains, and every other national chain conceivable, Nola captures the attention like a giant cake wheeled out to the middle of the floor during a bachelor party.  However, after eating there, it's like that cake bursts open and out steps Liza Minelli... circa 2016.  I mean, it's cool 'cause it's Liza but you were kind of hoping for... something else.
Good signage:  You wait to be seated.  Exposed brick with wood decoration is a cool ambiance but except for the occasional Fleur de Lis, there is nothing to let you know this place is remotely connected with New Orleans.  Points off for that.
Then, there was country music playing.  C'mon!  There are a few things that N.O. is known for: Gumbo, beignets, voodoo, remorse, and JAZZ! I'm not saying you should have a witch with a chicken's foot greet the customers but Jazz is an easy fix.  I'm sure you could find a CD in a bargain bin or even a New Orlean's jazz playlist on youtube... this hurt my heart.. my achy, breaky heart. points off.
I ordered a shrimp po-boy and a bowl of duck and andouille sausage gumbo.
Po-boys, while usually a cheap meal, should never taste that way.  A good crusty bread, heaps of meat, simple veggies, and a light mayo all combine to make this classic sandwich an un-forgettable treat.  No gourmet treatment needed.  Toast the bread, don't cover the flavor of the meat.  That's about all you need to know... oh, and don't get all fancy with the vegetables.  They are mainly there for looks and to use up whatever is going to go bad, I'm guessing.
A good gumbo should be the color of chocolate, have several layers of flavor, and be illegal in most democrat controlled states due to heat level.
My po-boy was like "grocery store bolo roll - hunt for the piece of breaded shrimp hiding among the jungle of iceberg lettuce."  The only similarities this had to a real po-boy was that it was filling... that's like saying your 8th grade math teacher looks like Scarlett Johansson because they both wore shoes.
The gumbo was even more disappointing.  The color was right but the taste was wrong.  It tasted so strongly of salty beef stock that there was no  hope for the lighter, more oily taste of duck to shine through.  There were strands of some type of meat in there but it could have been pot roast for all I knew.  Instead of chunks of smoky sausage, I was treated to the occasional zap of a few pieces of graduated hot dog.  This gumbo had all the excitement of Bill and Hillary Clinton's honeymoon.

The only reason I'm giving this place a 3 out of 10 is because they had signage and I didn't get food poisoning.  It's expensive and mis-leading in almost every way.  Somewhere, a real New Orleans' chef is having chest pains... and I bet he knows a voodoo guy with a doll... and that's not something you want to tangle with.

Happy eating, y'all.

Saravanna Bhavan - Frisco, TX

I have to be honest about this one.  I'm new to Indian food not served on a buffet.  And since I typically hate buffets, I am not extremely knowledgeable about Indian food.  After my experience at Saravanna, I am definitely going to get more acquainted.
Saravanna is a Southern Indian, all vegan restaurant.  Don't let this scare you.  There are plenty of other things to scare you but this shouldn't be one of them.
Upon entering, signage is clear:  The wait staff will seat you.  Everyone I met was very nice... this is quite different from other Indian restaurants I'd been to but I was later told that's more of a northern Indian thing. It's like the USA only less fried and definitely less meat.   The decorations are clean, open, airy, and tasteful. The kitchen is in the room behind a glass and you can watch your food get prepared without hearing the sizzles and smelling the smells.  I like sizzles and smells most of the time but in a restaurant that has multiple curries, I can see the benefit of this.  I'll give them a point.
There was a water pitcher on the table in a shiny pitcher.  Points for shiny and points for self serve water.  This saves the waitress from having to stand there while you deliberate about getting a beverage that is going to cost money and then decide to be "healthy" and get water.  This also saves me from getting fruit in my water... I hate fruit in my water unless it's Lemon and sugar all mixed together.
The waitress gave us a menu.  I was with my good friend CT who is a vegetarian and was really excited to finally have options.  The waitress turned my menu to page 3 and said, "Americans usually order from this section."  I was amazed she knew I was an American.  I've always thought I looked British... except my teeth are straight.
CT and I are both experienced travelers, and decided to order from the Indian portion of the menu.  It was sort of a sampler and since I'm not up on my Hindi, Indie, or Sanscrit, I'll just say that I ordered food that had names like "Poodie" "Padi" "Soodi" "Sadie" and "Satan's pickle"... but more on that.  The couple next to CT and I overheard us say that it was our first visit.  We struck up a conversation and they ended up really helping out.
Our food arrived in a large, round tray.  A giant bowl of rice in the middle and several small containers of dips encircling the rice.  On top of the rice was a giant piece of puffed bread.  Sort of like naan but puffy.  The texture of the surrounding dips moved sequentially from soup all the way to porridge and a smaller dish at the end with a little pickle sitting in a red sauce.
I tasted a little of the soup... Pootie, I think it was called.  The pootie was good but our friendly neighbors began shouting, "no no no! You aren't eating it right." Great, now I'm self conscious.  Self conscious and gun shy.  I guess I'll have to add Indian food to my list of gun shy activities.  Truth or dare, Open stalled urinals, and Indian food.
Luckily, the friendly neighbor man walked over to our table and began instructing us how to properly eat the food of his people.  He was soon joined by our waiter and they would converse in non-American then instruct us on how to eat the Rooti, Tootie, and Tadi.  They began telling us of the health benefits of each dish.  Lots of fiber...
I got hung up on the flavors.  So light yet vibrant.  Each texture and taste hitting the tongue differently so as not to completely annihilate the previous dish.  Then I realized they were going in levels of heat too.  The waiter asked if the spice level was ok (points off for timing) and I assured him it was fine and that I have a condition that makes my upper lip drip like that. I was able to tame the heat by dumping it over a bit of rice on the banana leaf provided on the tray.
CT was not as lucky.  She doesn't eat much rice and made it around the circle before I did.  Poor thing popped that pickle right in her mouth.  The place got quiet and I saw one of the wait staff cross themselves (do Hindus do that?).  Her eyes popped open and she explained, in between expletives, that the pickle was actually a small piece of Satan's nipple and under no condition should I eat it.  I dipped the tip of my fork in the sauce and concluded she was right.
We rounded out the meal trying to learn the Indian translation for some of CT's words and with a cup of Indian coffee.  The coffee was heavy with a chai spice and the cream used in it was light, sweet, and didn't overpower the drink.  I need to learn what was in this.  My ears were ringing by this point and I think some sweat had blocked my right ear canal so I'll get the ingredients on my next visit.
A healthy meal, friendly staff, clean environment:  I give this place a 9.5.  If they would have warned us about Satan's pickle, it would have been a perfect 10.
Even a few hours later, as I sit here in the john with "Chocolate Rain" on repeat, I am eagerly awaiting my next trip.

Happy Eating, Y'all.

Last Chance Grille - Frisco, TX

Imagine my surprise when I happened upon a restaurant in Frisco that I hadn't been to.  I was giddy with excitement when I walked in the door.  The giddyness turned to apprehension when I saw the bar nearly full and the restaurant floor empty.  Cheap beer and good food rarely go together. Not easily dissuaded, I followed the bar tender's direction to find a seat.
The room looked like a spiffy country club (points off my blog for using the word spiffy) except for the pinball machine and electronic poker machine. Those definitely detracted from the spiffyness.
My waitress was a heavily eye-lined college grad whose enthusiasm for serving was very much like my enthusiasm for root canals.  I asked her what was good.  She said she had only been there a couple weeks and had only eaten a couple things.
Waiters, you HAVE to test the product.  Restaurant owners, let them test it.  Give them free food 'till they've had everything.  That way, I, the customer, don't have to listen to the fake apologies of an uninformed wait staff.
After a titillating conversation about my waitresses' eating habits, I ordered the chicken salad sandwich.
A good chicken salad has several layers.  Chicken taking the primary flavor punctuated by salty, sweet, crunchy, and creamy. The bread also plays a part.  A good chewy bread that adds another dimension of flavor is always great.  My favorite is sourdough.
The sandwich, when it arrived, was beautifully browned.  The toasting color was beautiful.  Both sides of the bread, even.  I really wanted to frame the sexy slab of gluten, but I ate it instead.
I should have framed it.
The chicken salad had pecans, celery, chicken, and some kind of cayenne pepper (which I felt, not tasted) but because the bread was toasted in butter.  Lots of butter.  I'm a fan of butter but I think there was so much on it, it coated my tongue and I couldn't taste the food.  It looked fantastic but had the culinary excitement of french kissing an Elmer's glue stick.
On top of that, the waffle fries were cold and soggy. *sigh. If you have a cold sandwich, I feel like hot fries shouldn't be too hard.  If any readers have a really good reason why this isn't so, I'd like to hear it.  (fourth wall broken)

On the plus side, the menu was laid out well and the prices are very good.  It looked like they had a really great beer selection.  I'm a bit sad for the people drinking it at 11:30am o'clock in the morning.  For all I know they could be going through a really rough patch or a high school math teacher.

Fast service, good menu.  Cold fries and chicken salad a la oatmeal... I give Last Chance Grille a 4 out of 10.  I may try it again and give the burger a go.

Happy Eating, Y'all.