Critic's Notebook: First look at the Meddlesome Moth

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So it REALLY begins...

Even BEFORE the restaurant doors were officially opened,  Dallas food bloggers have told us their opinions, shared their feelings and have given their suggestions about the new restaurant.  They spared no feelings and gave their critiques on the space, the beer and the food as well... but all this time there was one thing that Chad was anxiously awaiting.  An honest to goodness restaurant review.  Just four days after opening, the restaurant got a visit from one of Dallas most notable food critics, Leslie Brenner.  Notorious for "not so nice" reviews and harsh critiques right from the get go, Chad and the staff couldn't be more excited or RELIEVED that Ms. Brenner actually seemed to love the restaurant! Check out what she had to say!  :)
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Here's a look at Chad's first "non-review" review from Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Leslie Brenner.
Critic's Notebook:  First look at the Meddlesome Moth

I'm so proud of my husband!!  :)

Keeping up with the masses...

As if one really great blog about the restaurant wasn't enough, the internet has been buzzing like crazy with great feedback about the new restaurant!  I'll try to keep a running log of what gets posted as I see them.  Until then, check these out...(all from various dates...obviously)  :)

dallasnews.com - Eats Blog - "The Meddlesome Moth gets a website"
dallasnews.com - Eats Blog - "The Meddlesome Moth debuts tonight"
dallasnews.com - Eats Blog - "All aflutter over the Meddlesome Moth"

D Magazine's Food & Wine Blog - SideDish - "Shannon Wynne will open a new restaurant in Dallas- The Moth"
D Magazine's Food & Wine Blog - SideDish - "A look inside the new Meddlesome Moth"

Captain Keith's Beer Blog - The Moth Updates

Examiner.com - Weekend Pint: The Meddlesome Moth

The Thrillist - Dallas Food + Dining Blog - "The Meddlesome Moth - The saucer swami serves up a gastropub"

Lakewood Brewing Co. - A blogventure in brewing - "Restaurant/Bar Review: The Meddlesome Moth"

Dallas Observer - Blog - "Taking flight at the Meddlesome Moth"
And of course from my last post....

The Brad's Adventures in Food - "I'm a moth the the bright flame that is the Meddlesome Moth - Dallas"

And if in case you should be interested in checking out the actual restaurant's (WORKING/UNFINISHED) website... check it out here..

The Meddlesome Moth

The Meddlesome Moth Gets Blogged :)

For those of you who don’t know, Chad’s restaurant (The Meddlesome Moth or The Moth, for short, located in the Design District) FINALLY opened last Wednesday! (Insert HUGE sigh of relief here  ;)  After months and months... and yeah.. months of hard work, tastings and final preparations to the menu, Chad’s vision is finally coming together.  For being open for only a week, they’ve received RAVE reviews so far, with great feedback on the menu.  They have even seen their share of Dallas celebrities dining at the restaurant already, (i.e. Emmitt Smith, notable Dallas personalities and news people). I’m sooooooooo incredibly proud of my husband, it's almost undescribable..  he's a freakin' ROCK STAR...look out world, here comes Chef Chad Kelley!

Attached below is a blog post from one of Dallas’ biggest food bloggers/critics… telling us what he thought of the space, with a post about the menu coming soon. If you click on each picture, you can see an enlarged picture of the space… Enjoy!

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A blog entry courtesy of The Brad's Adventure's in Food...

So much for my scoop. I do this blog for fun, so my real job intervenes once in awhile.

We dropped by Shannon Wynne's four day old venture, The Meddlesome Moth , late Friday night to check it out.  Incendiary will soon be the appropriate descriptive for this joint. What a sexy space.  I'm into mood and detail, and felt like moving into this place immediately.

First of all, I love the taps - no clutter of branded pulls, they are uniform. But the handwritten chalkboard descriptions add a clever and personal touch.

The most stunning element of the room took a second glance to register:

^ Yes, these are the original (restored) stained glass windows from the stage of "The Supreme Court of Rock & Roll" - Dallas' first outpost of the Hard Rock Cafe .

Opened in 1986, our original branch of that eventually tired concept was once one of the most stunning in the country.

The now razed 102 year old building was at 2601 McKinney Ave - kinda across the street from the original Sfuzzi . Back in the day, we had quite a bit of fun down there.

A nice touch, and very Shannon.

My buddy Scott chatting up Moth chef Chad Kelley as we discuss plans to assault the menu for the next post; Meanwhile... there's pie!

The MENU get's me twitching with phrases like:

Shin of Beef - Vanilla Porter, Brie, Walnuts

Point Judith Squid - Braised Oxtail and Parsnip Purée

Veal Sweetbreads - Oyster Mushrooms, Bacon Jam

Five Spice Pork Belly - Pickled Carrot and Black Strap Glacé

Bone Marrow - Salsa Verde and Crispy Capers

Fried Hominy - Cayenne with Lime

Cajun Boudin Blanc - Buttered Leeks

Moth Balls - a nod to The Spotted Pig

(There's also, like, normal stuff for the less... adventurous.)

Moth GM Lon Goodwin (C) flanked by sommeliers D'Lynn Proctor and Scott Barber . We all agreed that in keeping with Lon's 'green' philosophy – he needs to knock down the wattage of the fixture over this corner power table.

As it was opening weekend and the throngs had yet to descend, Lon passed me the iPhone remote and I did the mix for awhile as we sampled the wares - including the exceptional Westmalle Trappist Ale .

A little Beer porn. ...then...

The 'green' restrooms feature Dyson Airblades , among other amenities.

The sweet patio.

Next up: a post on the food - it better match up to the space, Chad! Love this place so far. Stay tuned.

View article...

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And if that blog wasn't enough... the Dallas Examiner has one of their own... check it out HERE..  :)