Destination Dining: Villa-O

I don't usually write about restaurants we operate since I don't want to compromise my enviable status as an amateur, unpaid, wannabe food blogger by expressing opinions that could be viewed as slightly less than impartial.  Although I pride myself on integrity and truthfulness, I also need to get paid at my real job so reviewing our own concepts could find me tiptoeing up a slippery slope of stifled snark--or worse, scribing an overly enthusiastic paean to the glorious creations whipped up by the dazzlingly talented Bronwen Weber at Frosted Art Bakery & Studio. (See?  I just Freudian slipped that one in out of sheer force of habit.  I love Bronwen, and if you haven't seen her work go to Facebook right now and like her page, then prepare yourself for amazing displays of pure-D genius.)

This week we had a group of managers travel to Dallas for a training class, and on Tuesday night we made a caravan down crowded McKinney Avenue, with its hip boutiques and millennial bars to the slightly more laid back Knox Henderson area of town and arrived at our newest acquisition in the Dallas dining scene, Villa-O.

I was not a fan of Villa-O when it opened several years ago.  We tried it a couple of times, and while it wasn't bad, it was just meh and we let it wander off our radar like a an old high school acquaintance we never had much in common with (and with whom I am still not confirming as a Facebook friend all these years later.)  But the company I work for bought the place late last year and we've tinkered with recipes and presentations and now there's only one word to describe the food there:  wowza.



You Can Tune A Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish

Able-bodied assistant manager Mark and his trusty sidekick Heather took great care of us.  They brought out several Fred Flintstone-sized heaping platters of appetizers for us all to share which included crispy portobello mushroom fries, spicy calamari, some aromatic wood-oven baked focaccia and ice cold tuna crudo with avocado that was as good as any I've ever had.  (I snuck a hunk off the platter and stuck it in my pocket for later.  That's probably a better ploy for tater tots than sushi-grade raw tuna.)

After we ordered entrees, I looked around the handsome

Mmmm, Chicken Lasagnette

room and noticed a plethora of UDYPs (Uptown Dallas Young Professionals.)  They all have the same overall appearance regardless of gender: blemish-free, sun-burnished skin, tousled hair, 6-days-a-week-at-the-gym bodies, designer labels, and really, really  smart phones.  Phones so smart they were texting each other without instructions from their owners, who were too busy gesturing "hashtag" before saying something to notice.

My entree was so good it made me want to develop an eating disorder.  It was Fennel Crusted Sea Scallops with Wild Arugula and Sweet Basil Vinaigrette, and I wanted to binge on it and then purge forever in an endless cycle of fulfillment and regret.  Another standout was the Chicken and Artichoke Lasagnette with Italian Cheeses, Pesto and Bechamel Tomato Sauce.  Decadently rich but you could sort of pretend you were eating healthily since there was chicken and vegetables in it (admittedly smothered in high fat dairy products.)  The only other dish I sampled was Beef Short Rib braised in Red Wine & Vegetables with White Polenta, Portobello and Porcini Mushrooms.  Mamma Mia!  Somebody kiss the chef for me pronto!

I skipped dessert but my tablemates shared a ridonculous platter that included a layered chocolate cake (so tall it had earned an honorary membership in the mile high club), an almond cheesecake and a tiramisu.  From the decibels of the audible moans around me, I finally understood why the restaurant was named Villa Big-O.

My Adventures with a Frosted Tart



Chef Bronwen Weber


Not many people know that Frosted Art, the nationally acclaimed bakery headed by Bronwen Weber, is part of our Culinaire family.  Bronwen is an artist whose medium is cake, and her crazy talent has made her the winningest champion on the Food Network's Cake Challenge series.

When Bronwen first came to our organization she was put under my wing because frankly, nobody here knew anything about running a bakery and I am pretty good at faking stuff.  B and I felt our way around each other at first, but soon discovered we shared the same offbeat sense of humor and a similar drive for success (world domination or bust!)

I learned to appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into building a luxury cake brand, and Bronwen picked up some pointers from me on managing costs, marketing and running the business successfully.  We decided to use her name and reputation as the building block for revenue growth and quickly established Bronwen Weber and Frosted Art as synonymous phrases.

Seven Layer, Rotating Circus Cake





Since 2008 Frosted Art has grown significantly, year over year, despite being mired in a recession and then an economic recovery as slow as well,  fondant in February.  How has she done this?  By producing mind-blowing, over-the-top, delicious creations like this circus-themed cake for a local real estate icon's 100th birthday.  Yes, that's a cake.

Frosted Art used to be all about wedding cakes--the showiest, prettiest, most in demand wedding cakes in Dallas.  But now nearly half our business is comprised of specialty cakes for birthdays, corporate milestones, anniversaries and galas.


Crazy Lamp Cake





The fun part for me has been working with a gifted celebrity chef and watching her grow into a shrewd business woman.  It's like she can decorate a wedding cake with one hand and write a strategic business plan with the other (occasionally I get to lick off the frosting.)  Bronwen is famous for making great cakes, but take it from me, she herself is one smart cookie.