Happy New Year! I hope however you chose to ring in 2009 - whether it was a quiet stay-at-home evening or a loud and raucous 'party till you drop' gathering that it was a happy and memorable one for you and yours.
Our Eve was quiet but our New Year's Day was full of celebration. One fun thing we did was explore the recently revamped Stoneleigh Hotel. If you haven't revisited this historic Dallas landmark since its re-do, you need to put it high on your list of "must sees" this year.
I'm a longtime fan of the Stoneleigh, and must admit that over the years I spent many an evening in the lobby's Lion's Den bar. Wow, are those days long gone and the dark, almost cave-like Lion's Den a thing of the past!
Entering the Stoneleigh we were greeted by a sparkling-sleek new lobby bar and a light-filled gallery of a restaurant. Maybe it was the time of day, but the sun was streaming into the lobby and everything dazzled and glimmered to the point that I barely felt like I was in the Stoneleigh.
We made our way to Bolla, the hotel's signature restaurant where we were warmly welcomed and immediately seated side-by-side at a cozy banquette. We were presented our menus, water glasses were filled, and a cup of coffee was brought for Robert. We reviewed the menu, and reviewed the menu, and reviewed the menu and reviewed the menu some more. The restaurant was not busy; maybe only six or seven tables were occupied. There was a whirlwind of wait staff activity all around us, just not on us.
There were dedicated coffee pourers, water glass attendants, and champagne servers in addition to wait staff. All the other tables were being waited on hand and foot, and there we sat. And sat, and sat, and sat. At one point, I told Robert to look at his watch so we could time how long it took for us to be waited on. Eventually, a waiter approached our table. He said, "Madam, I cannot help but admire your beautiful necklace. I used to live in Santa Fe, and your necklace looks like it was purchased there. It is simply stunning." To which I replied, "Thank you very much!" Then he said, "And how, may I ask, are you enjoying your visit to Bolla?" I said, "Well, quite honestly, no one will wait on us and we're trying to figure out why not."
At that point, he profusely apologized and summoned the host who had seated us. Long story short, there had been a miscommunication between the host and the wait staff and each waiter thought the other waiter was taking care of us. Once all that got sorted out, and more apologies offered, we were treated like a king and queen. We were immediately offered our choice of unlimited champagne, mimosas or prosecco 'on the house'. Since Bolla touts itself as "modern Italian", prosecco was the obvious choice, and they kept it flowing freely.
When I announced that I was a vegetarian, the waiter told me that the chef would happily accommodate whatever I wanted. I thought that would be the case because I was well aware that Bolla is helmed by Chef David Bull. Bull came to the Stoneleigh from the Driskill in Austin. Since I have experienced one of my "Top 5 Most Memorable Meals" at the Driskill several years ago, I knew I was in capable hands.
We were presented with two breads - a chewy black olive loaf and ciabatta, the ever popular Italian white bread. With the bread came garlic butter. The butter, which is a rare indulgence for me, was obviously freshly whipped with tiny slivers of garlic folded in. The garlic was subtle enough that it did not compete with the olives in the olive loaf and when spread on the blank canvas of the ciabatta bread, it was the perfect match.
We were then presented with a bowl of lentils, aptly prepared without meat, and perfectly cooked 'al dente'. Lentils are the traditional legume that rings in the New Year in Italy. So when it Rome, do as the Romans - we eagerly devoured our lentils and used the convenient ciabatta to soak up every drop.
For our first course, we shared the Roasted Beet Salad with Warm Camembert and Amaretto Creme Fraiche. The beets were carved into cylinders and the salad was built vertically. A trendy, but still viable, presentation, especially for a salad of this nature. In a word - YUM.
For our main course we opted for Panini's, instead of traditional brunch fare although we were equally tempted by the Steel Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Grapes and Brown Sugar and Hash Brown Potato Pancakes with Cream Fraiche and Fresh Chives.
Robert ordered a Panini from the menu with roasted turkey, fontina, bacon, sprouts and lemon aioli. The waiter had Chef Bull prepare a special vegetarian Panini for me with roasted vegetables complete with a slightly spicy avocado spread. Robert's Panini came with pommes frites and mine with roasted tomato slices. How Chef Bull knew that roasted tomatoes are one of my favorite sides is beyond me, but they were a perfect and healthy accompaniment to my perfectly toasted Panini sandwich. I'd be lying, however, if I said I didn't steal my share of frites from Robert's plate!
All in all, our visit to Bolla was a very nice one. The ambiance is superb and the staff, once they realized they needed to wait on us, went above and beyond ensuring our meal was tailored to our dietary needs.
After brunch our bellies were full so we took our time strolling through the lobby and down to the spa area where we were given separate tours of the women's and men's facilities. On our way out, we were given a 25% off coupon for any spa service. I guess I know where I'll book our next massages!
I hope 2009 is all you wish it to be and I encourage you to revisit the Stoneleigh ,and Bolla, in the New Year!
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