Nm Cafe

Here is the REAL TRUTH about the MYTH of the VERY OLD $250 cookie recipe. IT HAS BEEN CIRCULATING SINCE 1985 (OR BEFORE)!!! I know because I have one of the ORIGINAL print outs that everyone was passing around in 1985 when I was working downtown at the local Mercantile bank (across the street from Neiman's downtown Dallas). This was PURE SCAM! Get over it, it NEVER EXISTED!

First off, no Neiman Marcus nor any of their eateries sell cookie recipes. They never have and they never will. You CAN buy a cookie and several other baked goods at Mermaid Bar downstairs but they cost less than 5 bucks. The cookie recipe story has been going around the internet since the internet existed and it seems it WILL NOT DIE. Unlike most of these reviewers talking about the stupid nonexistent cookie recipe, I actually ATE at NM Cafe. As a Dallas blogger who often writes about food, I thought I should finally try the food named the most iconic in Dallas, the Neiman Marcus popover. The popover and accompanying strawberry butter are served complimentary to each guest here. They also bring you a complimentary cup of chicken consomme to sip on. It's warm and delicious and a perfect start to a great meal in an elegant setting. NM Cafe is a formal yet comfortable white-tablecloth cafe on the third floor of the department store. It was decorated for Christmas on the day I came. The service was outstanding. The hostess, servers, manager, and even the chef often come and have conversations with the diners. This courtesy is extended to people who eat there every week as well as to first-timers (like me.) The menu here is quite small and tends mostly towards salads and sandwiches that bring to mind "ladies who lunch." (Maybe that's why they serve the consomme - so the salad eaters can get filled up before tackling those salads.) In any case, there were several tempting options on the menu. I heard a nearby diner compliment the chef on the quinoa bowl and her companion (who apparently is a regular here) greatly enjoyed the salmon dish. They also loved the meringue tart they had for dessert. I am not a salad (or quinoa or salmon) kind of gal, so I ordered the Rosewood Wagyu burger. I don't make a habit of ordering $20 burgers, but I have eaten a few. I've also had many $12-15 burgers this one was better than any of them. If you add in the Neiman Marcus experience, this one was well worth it, and the best "pricey" burger I've ever eaten. The burger was very large - I couldn't eat it all. The meat was flavorful and had a perfect char on the edges of the thick patty. The plate presentation was lovely too. The brioche bun was glistening with a light butter glaze and the inside of the bun was buttered and toasted too. The burger was topped with mushrooms, caramelized onions and melted gruyere cheese. (I didn't know gruyere had such great "pull" - now I know that it's a perfect cheese to serve on a burger!) My burger was served with leaf lettuce on the side, so as not to wilt it from the piping hot burger patty. The burger also came with dijonnaise to dress it with and a huge serving of french fries. (The fries were just the right amount of crispy - much like McDonald's fries, and I mean that as a compliment. Everybody knows Mikky D's has the best fast food fries.) I truly loved this dining experience. It's definitely one I want to repeat. If you don't prefer the formal style, The Mermaid Bar on the first floor has a similar menu, but they don't serve the complimentary popover and consomme. So I say go for the full experience at NM Cafe. It's a splurge, but it's worth it.