Thursday night  we were living in “high cotton”.  Would you believe?  We had dinner in The French Room at The Adolphus in downtown Dallas.  Be still my heart!  Of course it was a deal.  We bought a voucher from Travelzoo for a dinner for two, and our good friends Betty and Robert joined us.  

The grand Hotel Adolphus at the corner of Commerce and Akard streets in Dallas has been called “the most beautiful building west of Venice.”  Can you imagine the sophistication a hotel of this caliber brought to Dallas in 1912?  It is built in the Beaux-Arts style and filled with European elegance.  Of course it is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Just look at this!  This is no Little House on the Prairie, and we were there.

Wow, wrought bronze grills containing the monogram letter A (for Adolphus – duh).

The eagle chandelier literally takes my breath away.

Yes, even Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed here when they visited Dallas in 1991.

The ornately carved Victorian grand piano was once owned by the Guggenheimes.  Pinch me.  Did I really get to see and do this?

Pictures, autographs, and other memorabilia fill the display case on the left.  I was duly impressed.  Through the draped entrance we entered The French Room for dinner.

Let it be known that I know these pictures are not good.  Not wanting to appear like a total country bumpkin, I tried to discreetly use my phone to take pictures in The French Room.  It wasn’t quite as bad as the Clampetts from Beverly Hillbillies, but that reference did come to my mind.  I would have rather looked like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (in my dreams), but at least I felt her pain as I sat in this magnificent restaurant.  Yes, I had a few faux pas.  I used the fish knife to spread the steak tartar (that is steak tartar in the picture above) on bread.  I don’t think that is how you eat steak tartar, and why did I need a knife to cut a crab cake?  They gave me a new fish knife which I still didn’t use.

The scrumptious crab cake was very almost souffle in texture.  Loved, loved, loved the tomato jam that garnished the crab cake.

One of my favorite things of the evening was this champagne sorbet served in a glass flower.  It was to cleanse our pallets for the entrée.  Maybe I could do that.

The tenderloin was served on a bed of cheese polenta (grits if you ask me).  I’m here to tell you that the tenderloin  was so tender I could cut it with a fork, and was beyond good.  See that white baby carrot – so cute and delicious.

Then came the dessert.  Mine was a huge Grand Marnier souffle.  That little oval you see beside the souffle was banana whipped cream.  Faux pas number two.  I ask Ever-Lovin’ to pour me some more coffee.  When the waiter saw Ever-Lovin’s hand reach for the French press coffee pot, I thought he was going to leap tall buildings in a single bound to get to our table.  The look of horror on his face was something to behold.   It is nice to be served in such an elegant manner.

Betty’s strawberry something (I can’t remember the exact name) was delicious!  On top of the strawberry dessert was a balsamic reduction. Very yummy, but my souffle was wonderful also.

Surprise!  Then they brought us a plate of chocolates and macarons.  We had to share, but I did get a macaron and a chocolate.  Be still my heart!

And if all that food was not enough, they gave us a chocolate cake to take home.  Don’t you just love the bag imprinted with The French Room at the Adolphus?  That is going to be displayed at my home for a while.  (I can’t help but name drop just a little bit.)

What a night to remember.  Good friends, gorgeous surroundings, and wonderful food.  As my grandson Hot Rod says, “I could get use to this.”

Blessings to you and yours,