Breakfast and Lunch at Dai Due
You can read all about the awards and commendations that this little spot on Manor Rd has received. But once you dine at Dai Due you will want to write your own review: and if your experience was anything like ours it will probably be enthusiastic.
I’ve dined off the breakfast and lunch menu several times now and the food has been superlative. The Biscuit and Gravy with Venison (sourced from the Hill Country) is remarkable. Add the egg to round this one out. What deep, rich flavors!
Another favorite is the Dai Due Breakfast. This unexpected combination of brown rice, zucchini, bell peppers, green beans, onions, okra and yes, kimchi blended with an egg is comforting, engaging and tasty as hell. And I can’t help but think how healthy for you this dish must be.
Dai Due is known for its charcuterie and for good reason. Their Cold Meat Board is a fine example of this. The board holds Summer Sausage, City Ham, Roast Beef, Venison Salame Coto, along with Wild Boar Bierwurst and a variety of pickled relish (chow chow) and Fireman’s #4 mustard. I have tasted no finer platter in central Texas. The freshness is such that there is almost a palpable energy coursing through the meats. I could easily and enthusiastically polish off several of these!
And there is much more. The Wild Boar hot dogs are marvelous. The flavors are rich and and comfortable and the chef’s endless variety that manifests itself in touches like kimchi and dried mackerel simply elevate this American favorite.
I first tried the Sourdough Pancakes with macerated peach last year and was smitten with this marvelous presentation and almost perfect taste and texture. I always look forward to them when are back on the rotation. The cinnamon butter and bacon complete a dish that is vastly better than crowd favorite Kerby Lane’s blueberry version. Now that’s saying something.
Want more? How about the Centex Mezze?
Begin with a smooth and sultry Summer Bean Hummus and house cured Texas olives. Then an Antelope Sausage along with Baba Ganoush and substantive sprouted wheat tabouli. Actually one of the more moderate taboulis I’ve tried and it really works to round out this platter. The Red Pepper and Pecan Purée is another perfect element. The mouth feel of the purée is exceptional and it demands a fresh flatbread which of course Dai Due provides. Add some marinated cucumbers and a Mezze platter to crow about is complete.
So in case you’re wondering, this is the first of two reviews. Dinner and the famous Supper Club menus will follow. But for now, enjoy.
