Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! August Issue!

August was Rachael’s choice of dining spots. We headed for dinner to Mary’s Vine, located in a refurbished church in Rankin. They did a fabulous makeover of the space, top to bottom, adding a modern vibe and an outdoor dining area. The tables and chairs are formal, the original altar space is the wine area, and the bathrooms are well appointed and clean. Service is gracious and attentive. Mary’s Vine has a great offering on Wednesday evenings for a 12-seat wine tasting table. One pays $28 for a flight of wines and a host explains the various profiles and history. It is a nice social gathering if you are interested in learning more about wine. They also have a cigar bar that we did not visit.

Our starter was a spiced Asian pear dish. The pears were poached in mulled wine, served with burrata, house made crostini, and balsamic reduction drizzle. ($22) Plentiful, beautiful presentation and tasty.

The dinners were plated well with a pleasing decorative presentation but small servings for the price, lacking in flavor. I chose the roasted airline chicken with a sweet potato puree. Odd flavor with crispy baby vegetables and a bourbon glaze. ($34) Rachael’s entree was jumbo sea scallops with a beet puree and crispy baby vegetables served with a fresh blue purple orchid, nice touch. ($43) Next time we both said we would order a couple of appetizers and a salad to share.

We continued on to Shelly Pie Pizza in Turtle Creek, the former VFW. As we approached the building looked uninhabited but then we realized parking was in the rear and the parking lot was quite full.

We ordered a slice of the chocolate layer cake, moist and fudgy and Spanish coffee. The coffee was good but it does not replace the fabulous Spanish coffee that was our indulgence for many years at the Mallorca on the Southside. Standard order was 2 Spanish coffee and a piece of almond cake to share!

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!