Abacus in Dallas is a mainstay restaurant for those looking for amazing dishes and drinks that continue to push the boundaries. With quality ingredients, expert technique and a flair for including sometime unthought-of combinations, the restaurant wows every time. Now, they are rolling out a new weeknight happy hour. Every Tuesday through Friday from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. in the Abacus Lounge, guests can partake in $12 appetizers, including the famous lobster shooters. One of my favorite additional happy hour treats was the “Volcano” Crab Dip with shiitake mushrooms, scallions and house made potato chips. Don’t miss the poke tuna-avocado roll with spicy ponzu and cucumber either! The classic cocktails on the happy hour menu pair perfectly with specially priced food!
In pairing of the Happy Hour addition to the Abacus line up, a new fall menu has launched as well. Abacus was kind enough to invite me in to sample some of the new offerings that infuse the flavors of the season to their already amazing line up of plates. My favorite new small plate, Seared hudson valley foie gras with Oatmeal Cream Pie, Pomegranate Reduction, and Orange-fennel Marmalade was so differently delicious. Pairing the salty foie gras with a sweet and spicy cream pie was so unexpectedly good that it had me going back for bite after bite.
“Big plates” as they call them included a great new dish centered around Garam Masala Dusted Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast Grilled Leg Confit. The duck is plated alongside Saffron Rice and Tikka Masala Cream that really brings things together and fuses seasonality with technique. A heartier offering of Wood Fired Cervena Venison was warming and perfectly tender. The venison, when sampled with Vanilla-Parsnip Puree, juniper Spiced Romanesco Cauliflower and Sour Cherry Reduction, is a must-order dish on Chef Chris Patrick’s fall menu. Looking for something lighter? Have the Pan Seared Bronzini. Asian flavors meld well with the bold fish in the form of Baby Bok Choy, Snow Peas Scallions, Purple Sweet Potato and Blood Orange Ama-zu Ponzu.
Abacus brings a new Pastry Chef to the table as of late. Chef Cessy Mendoza comes to Dallas by way of Vegas. After a stint at Nobu at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Mendoza has joined the ranks at Abacus and we got a taste of her newest creations at our tasting. A light Apricot Gyoza with Lemon ginger sorbet, toffee lace tuile, black sesame granola and cinnamon icing showed a citrus forward, not too heavy side of fall sweets. On the more indulgent side, Mendoza created a Guanaja valrhona chocolate cake with cherry vanilla ice cream, pistachio fennel crumble and cherry fluid gel. It was a bit rich for a bite, but the fruit components balanced well with the crunch of pistachio.
A wonderful showing for the season overall from Abacus and the Happy Hour is a wonderful addition as well!
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