15 August 31 - september 6, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents We Prefer Wine for Chocolate Kate Weiser Chocolate has a new wine and dessert menu. Yes, please. BY HANK VAUGHN T he Trinity Groves location of Kate Weiser Chocolate now of- fers more than just snowman hot chocolate kits during the holidays and signature choco- late bonbons. The shop is now a dessert and wine bar, adding a new menu with several dessert options and a somewhat limited wine selection. After a mediocre dinner at a Trinity Groves restaurant with a somewhat offen- sive name that shall remain… nameless, we decided to drop in and check it out, partly out of curiosity and partly to escape the somewhat overpowering heat that was still engulfing us even as it approached 9 p.m. All the usual bonbons, chocolates, macar- ons and cookies are available, along with the new dessert menu: frozen treats and ooey- gooey desserts. The frozen fare includes a few ice pops such as café mocha cream and frozen cheesecake. The pops will run you $8, the cheesecake $12. The gooey stuff in- cludes various sundae-type dishes as well as fondue for two. We were focusing on the ooey-gooey stuff when a helpful staff member offered to help us decide. She raved about the epic ba- nana split, waxing poetic about the multiple textures of crunch and smooth, and was glowing in her recommendation of the sweet waffles. It’s hard to resist such sales- manship; we’re only human. We ordered both. Six wines by the glass are available, rang- ing from $8 to $15 a pour: three red (Meiomi blend, Erath pinot noir, Twenty Acres caber- net sauvignon), two white (Simi sauvignon blanc, Twenty Acres chardonnay) and a rosé (Ruffino prosecco), which is not extensive but perfectly adequate given the dessert menu. We wanted a red and a white, so went full 40 acres and got the cab and the char- donnay, both from Twenty Acres. While we waited the server brought us a couple of chocolate bonbons that were both complimentary and complementary, which is not easy to write because of spell- check but fun to say nonetheless. They were free; the strawberry basil bonbon was supposed to go with the chardonnay and the hazelnut latte bite with the cab. Or maybe it was the other way around — free stuff is always exciting and we kind of stopped listening. Both were good, al- though one of us doesn’t think basil belongs with chocolate. Everyone has their own cross to bear. The wine was fine and did in fact go well with the recommended gratis bonbons. It’s served in a plastic stemless glass making it easier to take the in-store signage’s advice to “sip anywhere in Trinity Groves.” Maybe we’ll take them up on it once temps dip be- low 110. The epic banana split really was a feast of taste and texture: dark chocolate, strawberry and cookie butter ice cream surrounded by caramelized bananas, al- monds, brownie bites, strawberries and whipped cream with a cherry on top, all served in a container about 8 inches long. Just enough. The sweet waffles were a mélange of pieces of Belgian liège waffles, fresh pineap- ples, bananas and strawberries, with salted caramel, cookie butter crémeux and Biscoff waffle ice cream. It was all very decadent and delightful, but the liège waffles were perhaps a bit wanting in the pearl sugar area. The Biscoff ice cream, on the other hand, perfectly captured the flavor of that cookie so popular on cross-continental air- plane trips as of late. This is not a bad spot to stop in after din- ner for a glass of wine and dessert. An ex- panded wine selection would make it even better. Maybe someday I’ll even stop calling it “Kate Winslet.” 3011 Gulden Lane, No. 115 (Trinity Groves); Dessert hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 1–9 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 1–10 p.m.; Sun- day, noon – 6 p.m. ▼ OPA-NINGS GREEKS BEARING GIFTS BAY AREA RESTAURANT, NICK THE GREEK, OPENS IN DALLAS. BY ANISHA HOLLA H ungry customers lined up eagerly outside Irving’s new Nick the Greek restaurant last week, their excite- ment undeterred by the baking sun. Maybe it was the anticipation of a Bay-area favorite finally opening its doors in Dallas. Or per- haps it was the chain’s hospitable Greek promise of a free lunch entree for its first few guests. Either way, it was a warm Dallas reception. Since its founding in 2012 by three cous- ins (all named Nick), Nick the Greek has grown to more than 60 locations across Cali- fornia, Arizona, Utah and neighboring states. The crave-worthy, loaded feta fries, pillowy pitas and swirls of frozen Greek yo- gurt are what pushed this spot into Texas territory. After establishing roots in College Station, Nick’s has made it grand entry into North Texas. Nick the Greek excels in traditional Greek street food. An order of the Greek fries — crowned with shovels of creamy tzatziki, green onion and feta cheese — is a good preview to flavorful main entrees. For their bowls, customers choose a protein (falafel, chicken or beef), which comes buried under a drizzle of tzatziki and spicy yogurt dressings, on a bed of turmeric- scented rice. Make it a plate by adding a side of fluffy pita bread. For a handheld experience, wraps are no less extravagant, offering a blend of protein and salad cradled in a toasted slice of pita bread. Meat and tzatziki sauce spill out, mingling well with a bed of crispy fries. Share with the table or dig into the high-cal- orie wonder of a plate on your own. Just bring a good Greek appetite. Round off a heavy meal with a light serving of Greek frozen yogurt, swirled into a clear glass. Topped with honey or baklava upon request, it offers a refreshing finish to the meal. Fried Greek doughnuts and prepackaged slices of honey-soaked baklava are also available. Friends and owners Alex Steck, Jimmy Zafiris, Peter Zafiris and Nick Taptelis (not one of the three original Nicks — we Hank Vaughn The Epic Banana Split, one of the scrumptious offerings on the new dessert and wine menu at the Trinity Groves Kate Weiser Chocolate location. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Anisha Holla Nick the Greek’s falafel wrap. >> p16
