2900 is a quaint little restaurant in the State-Thomas area of Uptown Dallas. So, what exactly is the deal with the name? It’s amusing to consider what it could mean (or stand for), but the actual answer is quite simple: It’s located at 2900 Thomas Ave. I realize that may be a bit anti-climactic and I apologize for that, but hey, at least I’m not lying to ya!

The interior is attractive, slightly reminded me of Cru, only with not as many candles all over the place. The dining room is small, probably seating 40-50 diners at most. This helps the setting feel a bit more romantic than it might t’were the dining room larger.

I started with a salad, and a spectacular one at that: Grilled Boston lettuce, tomatoes, warm stilton and apple smoked bacon dressing. This blew me away. Grilled lettuce? Get outta here - it was amazing. The dressing was creamy and savory and perfect. I can’t recall having a warm salad better than this.

For dinner I chose an Italian classic: Veal osso-bucco with portabella risotto and swiss chard. This was dining perfection. The rich flavor of the osso-bucco matches perfectly with the earthy risotto, both offset perfectly by the slightly bitter chard. The veal was so tender that I don’t think any of it was actually attached to the bone as it lay there on my plate. Speaking of that bone, in about 20 minutes it was the only evidence left that food ever existed on the dish in front of me. This was a fantastic preparation of this wonderful Italian classic.

One of my dinner companions ordered a special from that day - sting ray - which he let me try. What does sting ray taste like? Well, first let’s talk texture. It’s a strange mixture of a flaky whitefish, like tilapia, and something much more rubbery like calamari. I’m not so sure I can accurately describe the taste but I can tell you this: it was good. Damn good. This one’s for you, Steve! My other buddy ordered one of 2900’s signature dishes - a manchego-stuffed filet mignon. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure the concept of stuffing an awesome spanish cheese into a tender cut of cow is just about the best idea ever.

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve made no secret of my love for Pinot Noir, especially those vinted in Oregon. Tonight was another opportunity to imbibe of this lovely varietal. We chose a delicious Pinot Noir from Williamette Valley Vineyards, 2004 vintage. The best Pinot Noir I’ve had? No - but really darn good.

Dessert was simple - a godiva chocolate bombe topped with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream. But, after I finished, I considered it wasn’t simple enough for me that evening. A simple scoop of the pumpkin ice cream would have done me just fine.

After this first visit, the only thing I could immediately complain about was the service. While our waiter was knowledgeable and competent, he was rarely visible. Being a Thursday night, it wasn’t particularly busy so his infrequent visits to our table have no obvious explanation. Towards the end of the night we waited an absurdly long time between visits from him - including the dreaded “I’ll just drop off the check and make you wait until I come back to collect it” wait, which took a good 10 minutes. Repeat visits will prove if this is atypical service, or the modus operandi for the 2900 waitstaff.

After making Abacus the first restaurant I visited for KRLD’s Restaurant Week, I’m happy to report that great food is the answer - at least - the answer I’m concerned with today.

The decor of Abacus is breathtaking. Of all the places I’ve been to in Dallas so far, I would say this is the nicest. A well-established style is ever-present throughout the building, and dark woods rule the show.

I started at the bar. I’m not a huge cocktail drinker, or I don’t yet know what I like, so I stick with Vodka tonics to keep it simple. The bartender was friendly and gave us a little snack plate with some very tasty wasabe peas. In retrospect, I wished I had asked the bartender if they had a “house special” cocktail. Maybe next time.

Ok, enough blabbing about that, on to dinner! Since this is restaurant week, our menu choices were limited, and that may have been a good thing. Choosing dishes from even this smaller menu was challenging, as they all looked superb. But, in the end, I ordered with confidence and here’s what I got.

The Appetizer
I felt like trying some of their Asian cuisine that night, so I opted for the Buffalo - Shitake Mushroom “Potstickers” with Spicy Apricot Glaze. I don’t know if buffalo meat is a big Asian flavor, but man oh man were these delicious. I’ve had about ten different preparations of potstickers in my life, and these by far were the best. In fact, myself and my company at the table figured they were the best appetizer of the night. From the plates of my friends, I got to sample a wonderful diver scallop and a lobster-scallion shooter. Looking at their “small plates” menu, I must say I look forward to return trips to try the kobe carpaccio and the duck confit ravioli.

The Entree
Sticking with my evening’s preference for Asian cuisine, I ordered the Soy Seared Beef and Spicy Jumbo Prawns on Thai Flat Noodle Stir Fry and Pineapple - Sake Sauce. I admit, I have a relatively inexperienced palette for complex Asian cuisine, so while I can whole-heartedly say I loved this preparation, I’m having difficultly explaining why. Would this be my favorite item to order at Abacus? No. From trying morsels of the entrees my dinner companions ordered, I’m certain Abacus has many dishes I could love even more than I did my own. And as much as I enjoyed my choice, I don’t feel a strong urge to rave about it.

The Dessert
The dessert menu had one clear choice for me. I was so grasped by it’s allure I developed tunnel vision and I honestly don’t remember what else they even offered that evening. A chocoloate souffle. And boy did this sweet treat deliver. A perfect example of the paradox that is the souffle: extremely rich and delightfully airy. Yes, I doubt that a chocoloate souffle would appear on the dessert menu of an authentic asian restaurant, but I didn’t care. It was fantastic.

The Wine
For the evening I shared a bottle of Montecillo Crianza, a red from the Rioja region of Spain. This is not the first Rioja wine I’ve had the pleasure of imbibing in recent weeks, and I hope it’s not the last. They are spicy and fully bodied with a fantastic nose - I almost feel obligated to inhale their aroma before every swallow.