If you’re back at SMU with money saved up from winter break and ready for the perfect Dallas night out, look no further than Victory Park. The perfect blend of ultra-hip hotspots full of trendsetters, pricy, over-the-top food and drinks, and loud, pulsating music, Victory Park restaurants will quench those Dallasite taste buds.
Victory Park has it all: a sleek, neon-lit skyline, upscale restaurants complete with glitzy bars and lounges, posh crowds in designer labels, big screen plasma TVs and more ways to quickly spend your money in one night than any other area in Dallas.
After deciding which outfit will make the oh-so-perfect statement, your next big decision will be where to eat. Victory Park offers a cauldron of flashy, culinary options. Whether you are in the mood for sushi, steak, hamburgers, fish, Italian or American food, you will find a restaurant for your craving.
Walk into Kenichi and take in the enormous chandelier of luminous fiber-optic tentacles casting seductive lighting, the beautiful crowd, the Zen-chic green and blue décor and get ready for a Victory experience.
Kenichi is a contemporary restaurant and lounge serving modern Asian cuisine to a chic crowd. You will not be let down by the innovative sushi, salads, entrees or extensive list of premium sake in case you get thirsty. Try the standout Hawaiian roll made from blackened tuna, pineapple and asparagus wrapped in edamame paper.
If you’re looking for some fun, try the ishiyaki. This interactive dish comes to the table with a hot rock at 1,000 degrees for cooking your choice of proteins including Kobe beef and three dipping sauces. But be aware that this dish comes at a stiff price of $40.
The service at Kenichi keeps a frisky energy level. The wait staff is impressively knowledgeable and eager to help answer any questions or offer insider suggestions.
If sushi isn’t what you are looking for, maybe steak is. A dramatic take on a traditional, old school steakhouse, N9ne Steakhouse may have you questioning whether it is a restaurant or a club.
N9ne defines “hip luxury.” The lavish Ultrasuede booths and silver-plated ceiling is balanced by glitzy mosaic mirrored-disco ball columns and hue-shifting luminance projected on the ceiling. This vibrant space is further transformed into a club atmosphere by the high-volume background music, but more on that later.
I suggest getting there early in order to sit in N9ne’s lounge and sip on an imaginative cocktail from the extensive list. The pomtini is a favorite but you may want to opt for the $69 margarita made with Herradura Selection tequila, depending on how you roll.
The service is above and beyond friendly. Although the inability to hear exactly how they are being so helpful and friendly presents a problem. By the end of the night, your voice may be raspy from asking the waiter to repeat himself and from shouting across the table so that your friends can hear you over the pounding music. But since we are all used to loud music, we can put up with it for a decadent night of delicious steak, right?
Dining at N9ne is set up like dining at a small-town steakhouse where you order your appetizer, salad, protein and sides. I followed the server’s advice and got the rock shrimp and sashimi appetizer which was fresh and excellent. The garbage salad, consisting of romaine lettuce, shrimp, salami, artichoke, hearts of palm and tomatoes topped off with fried onions, is a must have.
N9ne’s menu offers aged USDA prime steaks in any cut and choice of preparation. Not being a steak person, I was blown away by how tender, melt-in-your-mouth and perfectly cooked my filet mignon béarnaise was. The lobster smash and potato gnocchi sides made this meal beyond memorable.
The highlight of the night was dessert. Every table turned and stared when our waiter brought over the campfire s’mores. This desert is a do-it-yourself complete with a steno fire and fun all around.
Get a group, get dressed up and get your credit cards prepared for a night out, Dallas style.
