For years and years, dining at The Mansion on Turtle Creek has been on my bucket list.  I remember friend  BB celebrating an anniversary there many years ago, and I dreamed about how wonderful it must have been to eat at this Dallas icon.

Fast forward to Restaurant Week 2012, and guess who got to go to The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek?  Yes!  None other than yours truly, Ever-Lovin’, and dear wonderful friends Betty and Robert.  And it was good!

Restaurant Week is sponsored by KRLD radio each year.  Here is how it works.  You choose from one of the over 125 high cotton participating restaurants, and you get a three course prix fixe meal for thirty-five dollars.  Seven dollars of that goes either to the North Texas Food Bank or the Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth to aid families in need.  It is a win/win situation for all, and we had so much fun.  The much awarded Italian Renaissance style Mansion has been meticulously  restored, and recently updated. It is stunning – marble floors, hand carved mantles and doors, stained glass, and ornate ironwork filled the home.

This ornate iron coat of arms was gorgeous.

Then they began bringing our food.  (That was why we came wasn’t it?)

You get a choice of breads – wheat, tomato basil, flat bread, or baguettes. We loved to see the man with the bread tray coming to our table.  The salted butter was a nice touch.

Next they brought us a tasting cup of gazpacho.  Spicy but delicious.  It did not have chunks of vegetables, but rather was more like a cold almost clear liquid.  I am going to try to duplicate the gazpacho.

For starters, Betty and I had compressed watermelon salad.  It had a longer name, but that is the short version.  This might have been my favorite dish of the evening.  The watermelon was very dense (How do they do that?), and topped with goat cheese.  On the side was a green tomato sorbet.  Very innovative and delicious.

Bob and Ever-Lovin’ got pork belly – they assured me it was really bacon (or close to it), and they liked it.  i tasted it, and it really was good.  The sauces were wonderful.

 

For the entrees Robert got red snapper, and the rest of us got chicken.  Both were good, but didn’t knock our socks off.  I really liked the potato salad that came with the chicken.  It was a little tart and the dressing tasted similar to a Greek tzatziki sauce.  I think I will also try that.

For dessert Betty was the winner.  Be still my heart.  The Black Forest dessert with cherries, chocolate and cherry sorbet on the side was beautiful and delicious.  I wish I had order that.

 

The peach cobbler was served in canning jars (made me feel with it), and was more like stewed peaches.  That was the good news.  It was full of peaches with just a little crumbles of crust on the bottom and the top.  On the side was a small scoop of vanilla yogurt.

Ever-Lovin’ and I walked over to the hotel.  The staff was gracious and kind.  One sweet girl even offered to take our picture.

This is what greets you as you enter the Mansion Hotel.  Unbelievably beautiful flowers and so different.  They took my breath away!

The geometric carpet paired with neutral furniture and toile chairs managed to be modern and yet classic at the same time.  What a good look!

It was a wonderful evening.  Gorgeous setting, delicious food and dear friends.  I could get use to this.

Blessings to you and yours.

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