bolsa

fantasy vs. reality. the fantasy of bolsa is very appealing. the concept, the location, themenu. . . the slow food movement.

the reality was very disappointing . . . for all 4 in our party.

the lemon sole was almost too salty to eat. how can lemon sole be salty?

the veal schnitzel was forgettable. bland and small in portion size. apparently, the flavor was optional.

the potato & leek soup was barely warm. it did not taste like potato or leek. i'm really not sure what it tasted like.

the scallops were the surprise of the evening. very flavorful and correctly prepared. the lentils were ok.

we enjoyed the vibe, location and design of the restaurant.

the cost of 2 entrees & 2 soups, tax & tip came to $75+ for the meal. no alcohol and no desert. very disappointing.

the value for the product received is just not there. we will not be back.

a group of seven of us descended upon bolsa, choosing one of the patio's larger tables. a quick browse of the drinksmenuand we found the oak cliff hot spot puts as much thought and seasonal ingredients into their drinks as they do their menu.

we arrived earlier than our reservation but were seated promptly. our server was quite helpful explainingmenuchoices and very attentive. the “pitcher” of mimosas is really a carafe of fresh squeezed orange juice and a well-chilled champagne. i highly recommend this libation—great price, as well. our food was phenomenal!

my friend and i eat here every time we are in the area. we live in a small town a couple hours away now, but bolsa is always first on the list for us when we stay in the bishop arts district. we always start with the bruschetta appetizer. love it. we have tried various things on themenuand never been disappointed. last night i had the lamb sausage with risotto and my husband had schnitzel (on restaurant week menu). just so delicious. oh and my favorite drink is the mad hatter....not on the menu, but ask for it, yummy.

came for the cocktails, stayed for the food.. i came for the drinks (since this was voted top 6 cocktail bars in dfw by dallas observer) but i stayed for the food.
we started with the hummus which was impressive and the best i've had, it had a freshness that i could not quite put my finger on. next were the rabbit rillettes which was on good bread but oddly the rabbit tasted much like tuna fish, it was interesting and tasted good but not something i would recommend. almost every nice restaurant has a pork belly appetizer but bolsa had the best one i've had so far because it was accompanied with morel mushrooms and a puree of what i thought was potato and together it was near perfect, more like an entree. following was the calamari "ceviche like" dish which was very good and tender but more like a salad so not all that satisfying for us. lastly we had a lamb meatball in tomato sauce that was very good but for me still just a meatball and not worth ordering, not to mention it should be in an italian restaurant, not here. for desert was a creme brulee that was very floral and tasted great but it's basically pudding.
as far as the drinks; first i must note that i asked for a drink with fresh juice and the waiter said not a single drink there contained fresh juice aside from some purees.
at recommendation from the waiter we got a "jane doe" (orange blossom water, strawberry, sage, etc..) it was very good and floral but you can't make a refreshing cocktail perfect without fresh juice so i was very disappointed at this. the drink was good but you can't make something refreshing if there is nothing fresh in it aside from some muddled fruit which adds minimal flavor. so if you are coming here purely for the drinks i think it's a mistake because, for example, si lom makes a cucumber martini that blows away anything bolsa has on theirmenuand i don't normally drink martinis. i will be back, but not for the drinks, but rather for the pork belly.

let's do brunch. i'm a fan of anyplace that has a great brunch and that's bolsa to the "t:" they don't take reservations and that's fine most places don't for brunch so our group arrived early and didn't have to wait at all for a table on the patio. the service was average and the food well above average. there is nothing better on a sunday that bottomless mimosas except for food that compliments your drink which bolsa'smenudoes. the bruschetta was enjoyed by my friends along with the french toast, i had a wonderful quiche. i would recommend and will visit again. i would advise arriving early if possible. there were a lot of people waiting around 1pm and a few left because of the wait, but i think it's worth the wait.

this open restaurant seems to be in a converted auto shop. the former garage door has been turned into the coolest indoor/outdoor bar, with a great patio attached, as well. expect to wait for a table on the weekend, but it's fun to sit at the bar while you wait and have a drink and a bruschetta sampler (there are four varieties on the plate.) the cocktails are great, and for sunday brunch, they have $10 bottomless mimosas. (tip: these mimosas seem to be especially free flowing if you sit at the bar!) themenuchanges daily so that they can really showcase what's in season. we loved the portobello flatbread pizza, chilaquiles, french toast, brunch burger, blt, and portobello sandwich. it was all fresh and delicious. a good time was had by all.

excellent. bolsa always has a surprise or two on themenuwith assorted game meat etc... they also offer seafood and delicious flatbread pizza choices if your not feeling adventurous. we have never been disappointed. they try to buy organic and locally grown which is a nice touch too. the bar is excellent and the staff is familiar with the most obscure (but fun/enticing/unique) cocktails i have ever tried. the atmosphere is comfortable but you certainly feel like your "out" and involved in something special. i think that has a lot to do with the servers being incredibly sharp and knowledgeable. the ambiance is stylish and modern adding to the overall dining experience.

white chocolate rum tile. my vote for best dessert on menu


-----18 jun, 2011-----

this is how it's done. went on a very busy friday night, service was exellant andmenuwas quite impressive!! a party of seven and we all ordered a different dish, three deserts, three appitizers and passed plates. i have not been as satisfied or had such a mix of flavors at a meal in a very long time. we actually took our own wine with a $15 per bottle cork fee and had a great evening. i can't wait to return!!!!

delicious!!. themenuis simple and the food is not fancy, but it is absolutely delicious. i ordered the egg salad with a side of the butternut squash soup. the soup was hot and homemade - truly more delicious than i can make at home. the sandwich was on challah or brioche bread, which was fresh and composed of egg, arugula and bacon. it was so tasty. this place is a great find!!!

best restaurant in dallas. hands down.. ever changingmenubased on what's available locally.
imaginative cocktail list.
basically, if you took this restaurant and put it in ny or la, you'd pay double to triple what you pay here.
if you're looking for giant tx sized portions, you should go to whatever chain restaurant serves that as this is a place to dine, not gorge.
eat here nearly weekly and have not had one bad meal or experience to date.

food, service, atmosphere all a 10. the bruchetta flight is a must.menuchanges daily, so i'm certain i'll be back many more times. tuesday is half-price wine bottles!

my favorite :) highly recommended. i love bolsa! bolsa and r+d are my favorite restaurants of all time. bolsa's deliciousmenuhas made me a regular at this awesome place! i love the atmosphere along with the cocktail menu, paired with out of this world food, who wouldnt fall in love with bolsa!?

menu must haves (imo) bruchetta, spinach salad (drunken cherries, hellow!), the duck! (first time i have ever had duck, melts in your mouth!), any of the flat breads, and the scallops.

i also love their wine list! it is broken down by price so you can get a bottle starting at any budget (25 bucks!)

i loved it at first, even with the crappy service. themenugets boring with few selections. the bar is nice for an occasional glass of wine out.

wow! what an addition!. been to bolsa several times, probably 5-6, since they opened. in the beginning, i guess about a year ago, i saw some service issues and some food timing problems, but what fledgling restaurant doesn't go through growing pains?

being a local, i was so happy to have a place in oc that (seriously!) didn't close between lunch and dinner, and where we could go both for an app and drink, or for a full-fledged gourmet night out.

the place has only gotten better with its, albeit youthful, age. there's definitely been some staff turnover, but in a good way! rumor is that some of the guys there are super-pro's in the industry, and i've seen that first hand. last time i was in i was talking with my waiter -- outstanding by the way -- and found out that several of the guys had real-deal pedigrees... two worked at al biernat's for years, a couple others were from fearing's at the ritz. i was impressed not by the names but by the fact that, from my first visit to my latest, the service improved dramatically!

as far as the food, in a single word: impressive! themenuhas been different each time i've been there, which is so cool. a couple of times ago when i was there i ate at the bar and was sort of quizzing the barkeep about the menu, and where they sourced their product from, etc., and he got an a+. his name was julian and he knew his stuff, from where the meat came from to why the quail was called "bobwhite" -- apparently their screech sounds like the word "bobwhite." he told me about eggplant caponata ("caper-size") and tuscan salsa verde (3 different herbs, olive oil, chilies, mustard, ... tasty) in a very kind and informed matter.

which leads me to my next point: there have been some serious complaints about the bartenders being jerks, which i saw early on, but it seems like someone shook up the bar crew, and now they're all super cool. they pour banging drinks (one i had was a mango something, and he actually peeled and muddled a fresh mango to make it - that's something i've never seen at hattie's) and they're now really approachable and responsive. i'm cool with that change.

basically, being a local, i'm thrilled to have a joint like this in n.oc. try it and see for yourself. they get busy but it's worth the wait. i dig it and think others will too. cheers!