Addison, Texas

signage

bar area

When I first heard of this restaurant called “Ida Claire,” I knew instantly that this was for me! While growing up in Mississippi, I know I heard my grandmother exclaim, “Well, I declare!” hundreds – if not thousands – of times throughout her life. With this phrase meaning “I am surprised to hear that” or “my goodness!”, those words brought back memories.  This was definitely a restaurant calling me back well south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Airstream

upcycled lighting

Ida Claire is located in Addison off Beltline Road and the Tollway. The building itself is the warehouse style that is quite popular now. The interior is very open and welcoming. The noise level is energetic. The design and upcycled decor can be described as quirky and/or funky. There are beautiful hanging lamps, bird cages, decorative plates, blackboard signs, open books nailed to the wall, an Elvis bust and Buddha statues. Right outside the front door is an Airstream trailer used as a cozy “hippie-esque” dining space. There is also a well-lit outdoor dining area with tables and umbrellas. It is quite eclectic and very appealing.

Oh Beehave & Hurricane Punch

Margarita julep and fried green tomatoes

The two times we dined here the service has been really impressive. We had brunch the first visit and dinner the second time. The cocktails were very enjoyable. The Bloody Mary, Pear-fect Martini, Margarita Julep and Hurricane Punch were all cold, strong, and delicious. For appetizers, we sampled Ida’s Biscuits (with butter & jam and bacon gravy), Fried Green Tomatoes (with lemon herb dipping sauce) and the Low Country Chopped Salad (fresh butter lettuce, okra, pickled peppers, boiled egg, bacon and a honey mustard dressing). All were delicious, but this Southerner will readily return for the fried green tomatoes – perfection!

Low Country Salad

Muffuletta

We enjoyed sharing the Coffee Crumble Pancakes for brunch and did not leave one single bite. These pancakes were light & fluffy with a blueberry & cardamom topping, maple flavored butter, whipped cream and toffee crumbles. Delicious! The Muffuletta with sweet potato chips was very good. The Wild Isles Sea Trout was very similar to salmon and was served with yellow and red roasted beets. The Nashville Hot Fried Chicken was my favorite entree. The chicken was moist and very flavorful (think Buffalo style) and was served with pimento cheese toast, pickled cucumbers and onions. The smaller brunch portion was also served with a crunchy okra salad. The chicken was quite spicy…..thankfully I had plenty of ice cold rum punch to cool my mouth off. 🙂

brunch portion Nashville Hot Chicken

Dinner Nashville Hot Chicken

For dessert we ordered Ida Claire’s special Vice Cake. Wow! It consisted of a huge slice of stout cake, layers of coffee buttercream icing, and chocolate ganache topping. It was decorated with a piece of candied bacon (yep….I ate that too!).

Vice Cake

If you are looking for a new place to have brunch or dinner, I hope you will try Ida Claire’s. They do have a bit of a limited menu, but what we have tried so far has been delicious. The restaurant also serves burgers, shrimp & grits, sandwiches, turkey & biscuits, crawfish beignets, etc. They have definitely taken Southern food, updated it and added a twist. I think there is more of a Louisiana feel to their dishes – rather than just pure ole “Deep South” cuisine.

Both of our dining experiences here were quite enjoyable. More fried green tomatoes and okra, anyone?

If you have eaten at Ida Claire’s, please share your experiences in the comment section. I would love to hear from you! If you enjoy reading my dining and travel blogs, please subscribe in the upper right hand corner.  Thanks.