Graze Restaurant

Wow, not my monkeys not my circus. I still highly recommend the restaurant because the food was really good. The restaurant needs to improve the waitstaff — seemed like they were more hotel service than incredibly experienced waitstaff.
Graze has good food but they did not have their act together. We went on Saturday night the day before Valentine’s Day. They were serving a Valentine’s Day three course dinner with a glass of champagne. We did not want it so we asked if they were having a regular menu. They were still offering the regular menu but I was surprised the wait staff did not ask us which we prefer. When the reservation was made, they did not mention any special menu. The restaurant was not packed.
The remodel of the Renaissance is gorgeous and the restaurant area has a nice ambience. Some modern mixed with some of their old history. Very nice but my fiancé and I were blinded by how bright the restaurant was lit. The lighting took away from the ambience. Incredibly I was next to the light switch which had a dimmer! I dimmed the lights ever so slightly. It helped remove the solar flare that had erupted in my eyes and I was able to appreciate the room much more. We were at a table but my fiancé wanted one of the booth seats and they were gracious enough to clean the table and move us quickly.
Although we were now holding the regular menus, a waitstaff person was about to give us the complimentary champagne for the Valentine’s Day menu. I asked him if that was the case and he realizes his mistake in offering the champagne to us. However he went to the next table who also was ordering off the regular menu and the woman took a sip. The waiter then asked which meal they were getting and when he realized his mistake, took the champagne away! I can only hope he did not give it to someone else and how amateurish when he made the mistake.
My fiancé ordered a grey goose dirty martini and I only wanted water. The waitress asked what kind of vodka and my fiancé kindly told her «grey goose» with a smile. The bartender brought the martini to her and it was perfectly dirty. The waitstaff kept the water from ever running out — a very positive point to me.
For starters, we ordered an iceberg wedge salad. The restaurant has two types of dressing for the wedge, a deviled egg dressing and a red vinaigrette. The waitress did not ask us which one but that ended up okay since the deviled egg dressing was excellent. Funny though that the dressing was not drizzled on top of the salad but was at the bottom of the plate. A very good salad nonetheless once the dressing was discovered like buried treasure.
The entrees we ordered were the pork shank and a medium rare ribeye. When I asked about the sauces offered with the steaks, the waiter admitted that he did not know the menu as normally he works the breakfast shift.
The pork shank was excellent. It must have cooked sauna like for hours on end until it was fall off the bone delicious. The outside had a nice crusting of the meat. Unfortunately the ribeye did not meet the initial eye test when I cut into it. I took a couple of bites but realized I would not be happy with it since it already tasted a bit like Saharan sand and I had not yet attempted to eat any of the outer portions of the steak. I told the waiter who said he would need to check with the chef. Ok… but what is the chef going to do about it. Unless he is the worlds best magician with the ability to turn back time, that steak was not going to get any rarer.
Apparently the chef approved the return of my overcooked steak for a new steak. We were gambling but based off the pork shank, I assumed they would be able to get it right. Bam! The second ribeye was spot on perfect! The ribeye had a herb butter on top and the steak was excellent. Good recovery.
We also tried two desserts, a bread pudding donut and a chocolate waffle with ice cream. He chocolate waffle tasted like a brownie so not bad but not that special. The bread pudding was extremely satisfying. It had a moist middle with a good crust on the outside. They also give you the donut hole and that was more about the crust versus the moist interior. Both were right in their own ways. A delectable dessert option that I recommend.
I will reiterate that I recommend even though I have my reservations about service.

I went here for breakfast because I was staying in the hotel. If you other options I’d take them.
Food was expensive and service was weak. I had to ask for water, wait for more coffee, request creamer, wave my hand for the check after waiting awhile. Never asked if everything was OK or if I needed anything else. I’ve had better service at a waffle house.

We just all shared lots of things on the menu and split it family style. The pork shank with apple bourbon sauce was really good. Crab cakes, tuna tartare tacos, creamed spinach, salads… All fabulous!!! Erik is a GREAT waiter!

This was not a good breakfast experience. Oatmeal was bland. Fruit was not sweet. Orange juice had an off taste. Service was extremely slow. The exception was Andrew, who was a very helpful server. Better off leaving the hotel next time.

Beautiful restaurant… I love the fresh flowers, artwork and chandeliers. I stopped in for lunch recently and had a great experience. I don’t understand why the restaurant was so quiet. I enjoyed the turkey burger — full of flavor and just darn good!

Saturday night we (party of 3 adults) walked into Graze at about 7:15 and were the only diners there. Chris was a charming and attentive waiter. We ordered drinks and appetizers (Tuna Tartar Taco and Iced Shrimp Cocktail). Another two people came in, things slowed down. I think Chris was Host, Waiter, Bartender (and I suspect he cooked our dinners). Our coffee arrived after the dessert was eaten and poor Christ was really running around.
Steaks…$ 49 for a New York Strip, $ 41 for an 8 oz filet. But these were PRIME and they were delicious. The menu is ala carte, so budget about $ 7 per vegetable.
The drinks were confusing. My husband had Crown Royal on the rocks. I had Crown Royal and water. One was $ 10 and the other was $ 14. Did I get charged $ 4 for water?
(we had two drinks each, so I don’ think it was a mistake because the receipt showed the same charges twice.)
By the time we left there were 5 tables seated with 2 to 3 people each.
Chris said they had only been open for about a month. This would be a great place to propose or celebrate something big. We won’t go back ($ 294.90 for 3 people w/​o tip). Just a bit much for steak and potatoes.

I have only been for breakfast, so that is all I can comment on. I was there 2 days in a row. I had the caramelized grapefruit both days and while it came out looking different the 2^nd day from the 1^st it was delicious both days. The second days I had a side of eggs over medium and they were cooked perfectly. Coffee is my new favorite — love me some Illy. I will be back in a couple of weeks when back in Dallas, even though I will not be staying in the Stoneleigh Hotel.

Stopped in for a sit-​down lunch on the nicer end. I thought about ordering the chicken avocado sandwich but decided against it when I learned it was ‘cold’. That shouldn’t have deterred me because a couple of my dining compats did and I regretted the unweildy meatloaf sandwich I was dealing with instead…
Plating on a small butcher’s block is a nice idea, but this sandwich would not be contained. It proceeded to crumble apart into meaty, mustardy crumbles. I eventually ditched the bread and tried to just eat the meatloaf, but it was more like a sloppy joe and hard to rangle even with a fork.
The corn chowder was tasty, and had a nice hint of spice to it. The ‘Dr. Pepper’ chocolate cake was a little of a letdown.
If I were staying in this hotel I’d probably give T/​X another try.

I am only writing this review to save others from wasting their time and money. I am not going to bother with all of the details but evidentially they recently changed ownership and don’t have some of the same offerings as they did the day before. The food was tasteless, management was invisible, half price wine wednesdays advertised on the website they don’t want to honor and they are out of almost every wine on the wine list — I could go on for several pages of why I wouldn’t eat here again — take my advice.

Stay away!!! Went here on a travelzoo voucher w my husband. Service slow and really not attentive at all. Corn chowder was the highlight of the night. My ribeye took me back to memory lane when in thought Golden Corral was gourmet. Yuck! Worst of all they didn’t even acknowledge the fact i had not eat my steak! Dessert wasn’t anything to rave about either. All in all, I felt ripped off having a voucher, couldn’t even imagine paying full price. Never again!

I got sick! My friend got sick! And the poor soul who ate my leftovers got sick as well! Not going back! ever!
But here’s a run down of the place/​our meal:
First of all, I think it’s retarded for restaurants to give you a special menu for «voucher» dining. Think about it — the point of doing a promo is so you can get people in the door — to allow you the opportunity to prove you have amazing food and outstanding service. Immediately, we were given the «special» menu and didn’t even get to see the regular menu. So of course, left me wondering…
Anyways, the story continues. Came here on a Thursday night with a girlfriend around 7pm. The place was about ¹⁄₃ full. Fancy atmosphere but was a little too bright to be romantic.
We got the Calamari salad, Pork Chop, the Red snapper, and the banana dessert.
— The Calamari salad was the highlight– huge plate of fried calimari atop a bed of arugula and other greens. Dressing tasted like an asian vinegarette. Only complaint was a bit too much arugula (but that’s personal preference)
— Pork came out huuuuuge and very presentable. Two big pieces, with mashed potatoes, green beans, and some weird sauce. I tried to eat 2 bites, but there was a super bizarre smell. I asked the guy and he said it was just the pork/​smokey taste… «fine dining» I suppose.
— Red Snapper was ok. Nothing special, pretty tasteless
— dessert was underwhelming as well. Hard sugar cookie shell tower with banana and whip cream filling. The shell was so hard and sweet you couldn’t break it. It hurt my mouth chewing!
Hope the regular menu is much better!

Thanksgiving Day brunch was Perfect. This restaurant is beautiful. One of the nicest dining rooms. Service is spot on! The real hit though was the food! every single thing we tried was absolutely Delicious! The turkey and ham was cooked perfectly and was served with warm bread on the side. my favorite was the short rib, simply best thing i have tasted. The biggest hit for our party though was the pumpkin cheesecake, we all loved it! Cant forget to mention the bloody mary bar it was a great setup! Recommend this place for any occasion but this brunch was perfect!

Located in the Stoneleigh Hotel, T/​X Restaurant & Bar was the perfect place for brunch at the end of a wedding weekend in Dallas. Although the bf and I didn’t stay at the Stoneleigh, most of my family did so it only made sense for our group of 11 to rendez-​vous at T/​X Sunday morning. Since this was an impromptu brunch, we hadn’t made reservations nor had we given the restaurant a heads up that our large group would be convening upon the restaurant. That said, they were more than accommodating and set up a large table in the back for us.
The staff was friendly and professional, and did a pretty good job of handling our group. I must say that although we were a large group, I don’t think we were too difficult. No one had any crazy orders nor was anyone demanding, as can sometimes happen when you have a lot of dining companions.
There were a few small service issues, but nothing too bad. For one, my uncle ordered a waffle, in part because he was excited about the bananas that supposedly topped it. So when we was served a waffle sans naners, he was confused. The waitress then told him that they were out of bananas so it only came topped with berries instead. But a redeeming factor, in my mind, was the fact that the waffle was made into the shape of Texas. How cool is that? Additionally, both of my aunts ordered bagels with sides of eggs, and only one serving of eggs came out with everyone else’s orders. I think the bagel and second egg orders got lost in the shuffle. Again, I understand that they weren’t expecting a large party so I’m not going to hold it against them but it is worth mentioning since my aunts had to watch everyone else eat while they waited for their food.
Despite the small issues, the food was delicious and the staff was totally on top of keeping our coffee filled. I ordered the smoked salmon bagel and it came topped with the largest capers I have ever seen. Seriously, those things were insanely large. I guess it’s true what they say about everything being bigger in Texas. The bagel was also piled high with more smoked salmon than I’ve ever had on a bagel before. And this is a good thing. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when I order a bagel with lox or smoked salmon, only to be served a few small pieces that I then have to ration throughout the meal. If I’m ordering lox, I want enough to generously spread across every bite of bagel. So thank you, T/​X, for successfully serving a smoked salmon bagel! Oh, and it’s served open-​faced — another plus in my book.
I don’t know when or if I’ll be back in Dallas, but I definitely see the Stoneleigh and T/​X in my future if I ever make it down again.

It’s been a couple weeks since I visited Bolla, and my memories of the experience are still floating through my brain. During a busy convention elsewhere in Dallas, I was invited to stop by Bolla to have some wine and cheese with a dear friend that I hadn’t seen in ages. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I knew this was levels above the hotel I was staying at. Nestled inside the Stoneleigh Hotel, this beautiful restaurant has high ceilings, big chairs, giant tables and super friendly service. Our hostess Autumn was super friendly and patient as we looked over the menu.
Our little group ordered a cheese plate that turned out to be about four times larger than I thought it would be! In addition we were given some complimentary plantain chips and wine. The cheese plate had a wonderful combination of hard and soft cheeses along with fruit, honey and crackers (and we’re not talking Saltines). The wine (which I cannot remember the name of, but it was a white from California) was absolutely stunning. Literally one of the best wines I’ve tasted in months! The plantain chips were thin, crispy and tasty. All this worked together to create an amazing table of food for a great evening of chat amongst friends.
If you’re looking for a relaxing, elegant atmosphere to have a good time with friends check out Bolla. If I ever go back to the area, you bet I’m making a visit!

Went here for a private event last night, that a friend asked me to come with.
Happy hour specials are comparable to other places I’ve been to the area, especially on a week night. The bartender appears to make the drinks nicely proportioned with liquor and little mixer, if that’s your preference. Get that bang for your buck! I enjoyed the house wine they offered, Alice White Chardonnay. Great, smooth taste. Definitely one of the better house wine offerings I’ve had a bar!
I must say with there being a private event here, I was taken back that there was only one person working the bar for the early shift, which is technically happy hour. Bolla also had one person working the tables, but she was not assisting by any means with those ordering their drinks straight from the bar. Hence, the wait for a drink was a while. 10 people waiting on a drink or drinks from one person, smh.
Based on the reviews I read before going here, I had already made up in my mind that I wasn’t going to eat here, and potentially be disappointed. However, I was hungry. A couple we were sitting next to, informed us that Bolla’s «food was good for bar food.» What exactly does that mean? The reviews say no. I’ve had horrible bar food, and I’ve had REALLY, REALLY good bar food. That was relative enough for me to pass. So check out my review on The Common Table, that is where we ended up eating afterwards. It just a block down and turn the corner.
The décor is nice, plush and intimate. I will say this seems to be a bar where you could meet anybody, from hotel guests and professional locals. I would possibly recommend this place if you just want to get out, meet up with people without the pressure of any challenges. The relaxed, quaint environment is very welcoming. «No Pressure», as they say.
I give it a 2 because there just wasn’t anything extraordinary or memorable about Bolla.

If you’re looking for a fine dining experience for a very reasonable price then you’re going to love this place.
It has a very modern look and feel to it and its inside the Stoneleigh Hotel. Its dimly lit and very cozy, perfect place for a date. The servers are very friendly and pretty fast, we weren’t waiting very long for anything.
Here is what we got and my general thoughts on everything
Petite Plates:
Stoneleigh Prawn Cocktail — Very very good, the flavors meshed together very well.
Seared Sea Scallop — Also very well done and cooked perfectly. The smoked cheddar grits were a nice complement to the scallop.
Entrees:
Sous Vide Tenderloin — Can I cuss on here? Because holy effin sh*t that was good. Cooked perfectly and comes with lobster mac and cheese? Absolutely fantastic, it was the best thing we had all night.
Prime Ribeye — Again very well done and everything tasted great. I think it may have lost its luster compared to the tenderloin but still it was very good.
Overall this place is fantastic. Its certainly not bargain dining but if you look at it from a value perspective its more than fair. The price you pay for the quality of food you recieve is phenomenal. I would definitely eat here again and you should definitely give it a try.
UPDATE:
The review above was at the time the restaurant was Bolla. I did dine again when it made the switch over the T/​X and to be honest, it was a major step down. Not that their food is bad because it certainly is not. But it is absolutely nothing special compared to what it used to be.

This place was a nice surprise! The food was amazing…
Pros:
Great Food
Cool atmosphere
Modern décor
Cons:
Pricey
Service was a tad slow
Not a good place for large parties
Things we ordered:
Caesar Salad — one of the better caesar’s I’ve had
Scallop small place — DELICIOUS
Tenderloin — highly recommend! The lobster mac and cheese is awesome and the tenderloin was cooked to perfection.
This is a good place to go with a date. but it’s not really ideal for parties. the party room was a tad awkward. I would definitely recommend trying this place though.
One caveat. the dining room clears out pretty early… we had a reservation at 7:30 and by the time we left, it felt like no one was there.

This review is long overdue as I dined here about 9 months ago during the 2010 holiday season with the hubster. Bolla is fantastic. It is one of the very few fine dining experiences in Dallas that is up to the high caliber of foodie cities like Los Angeles or New York. For me, it is not uncommon to return home disappointed from the many «fine» restaurants in Dallas, however, Bolla was everything but that. I was impressed and enjoyed every bite of my food (all of the two cocktails, salad, two appetizers, and two entrees) through and through.
I am going to list everything we ate during our visit and please look at my pictures I uploaded for reference. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! I uploaded nine so that makes 9,000 words I have offered you in addition to this review about Bolla. Wow I am generous!!! :)
Anyway we started with the bread with strawberry butter (complimentary), and the amuse bouche. I ordered a cocktail which was delicious which had strawberry slices in it. Then we had the wedge salad. OMFG so good. The hubster and I got an appetizer each: beef tartare with fried oysters and sea scallops with grits. IT WAS EVEN BETTER! We then got our entrees, beef tenderloin with bleu cheese and lamb. Both were excellent. The lamb had NO gamey smell at all. Despite the offensive amount of food we ordered, at the end of the night we left with absolutely no leftovers.
Bollas offers (although with a hefty price tag) a unique experience in Dallas and it was all worth it. If you really want to find out what fine dining is like, go here.

This is a KRLD Restaurant Week Review.
We arrived at the Stoneleigh Hotel for this years Restaurant week at Bolla, The restaurant. The atmosphere was very classy. We were seated and were served the menus.
The waiter was the only questionable character all evening, He seemed robotic and wasn’t personal at all while i watched the other waiter engage his guests in stories and trivia about the hotel and the food.
We started out with appetizers which were very interesting. I had the Roasted Poblano Caesar Salad while my friend had the Braised Pork Belly. It was very delicious with bursts of flavor coming out of nowhere.
We opted for the Optional Side (Central Market) which was the Lobster Mac N Cheese. There was one ball of each. It had a lovely crust and was full of cheese and lobster bits. It was very tasty, i was just confused why it didn’t come with the main entrée.
Next, It was time for the main entrée, I had the Tortilla Crusted Red Snapper and she had the Boneless Bandera Quail. Now i can’t even say which one was better but they were both delicious and also had some grits with the snapper and white peaches with the Quail and it was also stuffed. The meal experience was Orgasmic i must say except for the frequent interruption by the mechanical waiter checking on us to see if we liked the meal. The Quail had a wine sauce and also came with wilted greens which was delicious. The Snapper had some Tequila Orange flavor in it and some Thyme Gnoochi .
After this, I didn’t even know if i could do dessert but still went ahead and ordered it. I had the Mango Brulee, Papaya Sorbet and coconut cake and they were all fresh and taste busters and the other dessert happened to be Cheesecake three ways, with Chocolate (so rich), Raspberry and white chocolate.
After this experience, i must say i am excited about coming back to the new and improved Bolla restaurant.

I went here with some girlfriends for a single girls’ Valentine’s Day dinner. The hotel was easy to find. And we were seated right away after they took our coats. We ordered drinks. I got the White Vodka martini which was really yummy! I would have ordered another one had it not been for all the food I’d soon be consuming. They started us off with some bread and delicious butter. And also with a square of butternut squash to cleanse our palettes or something like that. My palette is not used to being cleansed.
We had to order from the prix fixe V-​Day menu which had two 4 course options. I ordered the Lobster and Champagne option. First course was an arugula salad with lobster which was really good. Also had some fruit and a champagne slush on the side. Second course was two large scallops with risotto and asparagus. The scallops were really salty. The risotto and asparagus weren’t enough to offset all the saltiness. Third course was a lobster tail with some scallop-​y thing and some other bread like thing. I’m not really sure about what came with the lobster tail. The scallop-​y thing and lobster were good. But the bread thing was bland. Lastly, dessert consisted of 3 mini cups of a champagne sorbet, crème brûlée, and a square of angel cake. Loved the crème brûlée and angel cake, but wasn’t feeling the sorbet.
Our waiter was great. Explained what each course was when he brought them out. And the ambiance was nice. Sheer curtains were used as room dividers. I would have to say the food I ordered was good, not great, but I still had a lovely time.

Went there December of last year and hands down– it is the best restaurant that we went to in Dallas. Whoever wrote that Dallas might not be ready for this type of food just may be correct. This food lit up taste buds with food combinations that is just spectacular.
A must try is the beef tartare with the fried oyster. Another is the salad with a fried egg and a strip of bacon. Best salad I have ever had. And this was just the first course. We had scallops and 24 hour short ribs as the second course. We were already full but were waiting for our entrees. The tenderloin with mash potatoes and grapefruit and the lamb chops were again, nothing less than great. We were full in the middle of the meal, but left with no leftovers.

We stayed in the Stoneleigh Hotel the night before the Children’s Chirstmas Parade. Since it was right in the lobby — and it has so many good reviews on Unilocal — we decided to take the easy route and eat downstairs. The dinner experience was so good, we also ate breakfast the next day.
I made a reservation for 7pm (on a Friday) and had not problem getting right in. I am not sure why, but the place never filled up; in fact, we had a «room» all to ourselves. Décor is chic and wonderful. Service was excellent throughout.
Oh and I should mention that we took our 2.5 year old daughter with us and the restaurant could not have been anymore accomodating (maybe THIS is why we had the room to ourselves?! ;) She mostly eats anything/​everything off our plates, but our server was happy to bring more bread just for her. Also, I don’t think they get many kids eating here as the high-​chair looked brand-​new, or maybe it was just cleaner than most!
This is one of those restaurants that I could go back several times are try more things on the menu. Sadly, I don’t think the menu is ever the same. The server told us that they had tried something (pumpkin bisque) for Thanksgiving and everyone raved about it that it is now part of the menu, but only for the month.
I had a special called «Four for forty», which was four courses for $ 40 — what a bargain as a typical entrée is about $ 30. The first course was one of the most unique caesar salads I have ever had: three thinly sliced anchovies baked into Parmesan cheese on a piece of grilled french bread. It was still warm when it was delivered. I normally don’t like anchovies, but these were FRESH and not as salty as those from a can. The second course was a squash risotto that my wife ate most of. My entrée was a piece of salmon that was yummy. The desert was a canoli.
My wife the salad with red-​raspberry dressing, pumpkin bisque soup (the best), a cappuccino-​encrusted tenderloin that she did not like the coffee outsides, and the donuts with cinnamon and nuts syrup.
The wine list was not huge, nor horribly expensive. They also has some good drinks — my wife had vanilla vodka martini thing and I had their white sangria.
Breakfast the next day was a repeat of the previous good service and unique meal, albeit a lot cheaper. My ham and cheese omelet had pommes frittes, which my daughter corrected me by calling them french fries as she ate all of them.

As you all might have figured out by now… I heart fine dining.
So you can prolly guess I was REALLY excited about trying the new restaurant at the Stoneliegh Hotel.
Also, each time I go someplace they all start out with 5 stars. Gotta be optimistic right???
Now…onto the show! We made reservations for Restaurant Week (if you don’t know about it, check it out, proceeds go to charity). Upon arriving, the restaurant is beautiful. High class decoration let me tell you and very elegant! The table was intimate and the chairs über comfy! (I like to be comfy when I eat, I mean… partial leaning is sometimes a necessity on a full stomach!).
3 out of 4 of us decided to order off the regular menu since it looked better than what they were offering for RW. Not to mention a $ 5 difference. Note: They have a set course menu. You can do 3 courses for $ 40 or a 7 course Chef Tasting menu for $ 75 and wine pairings. I felt bad that we were ignoring RW, but… if you saw what they were offering you might have switched too…
Our reservs were at 8pm, we schmoozed for about 25 min before ordering. First course came out quickly. Then we waited, waited and waited. Finally around 9:45pm we realized we had only had 1 course. (Minus 1 star for enormous wait… my stomach was eating itself). The waiter apologizes for the long wait saying that the kitchen got all the entrée orders at the same and having a tough time getting everything out. (Minus 1 more point… I mean, this is fine dining… you dont have enough chefs in the kitchen? It’s also not as if, these portions are huge… its a tasting menu).
However, our waiter asks if he could bring us a glass of wine on the house, due to the long wait. 1 star ADDED BACK! (Obviously)
Food finally comes out…
1^st course: Potato Gnocchi (mmm)
2^nd course: Beef tenderloin with this potatoes, that were YUM! 3^rd course: Chocolate cheesecake canoli.
The food was VERY good. My steak was like butter. Really. The canoli was nothing like I had every tasted before, really original and delicious.
I know that food can’t come out in 5 seconds, but waiting 45 minutes for our main course, is crazy. BUT! The service was GREAT, the waiter was very nice and attentive and the bus boys were non-​intrusive and fast.
I would def recommend this place. I will go back, but maybe with some friends on a weeknight… when its not to crowded.
I wish I could give it 3 ½ stars, but I decided to round up… cause im feeling generous.