Hibiscus. Finally.

Hibiscus, the Henderson Avenue mainstay that has witnessed an explosion in the number of eateries along the street over the past few years, has been on my list for a while, and I'm glad a friend's birthday finally gave me an excuse to drop some serious cash on a savory meal. It was everything I had hoped for and more.

I arrived a tad early - a few minutes ahead of my group -- so I bee-lined all two feet from the hostess stand to the bar for a glass of white wine. The space surrounding the small bar is tight, and with two large groups waiting for their table already parked with cocktail glasses in hand, I found it difficult to obtain the attention of the bartender. Thankfully, the hostess noticed my frustration and helped me grab his attention. Note to self: Next time, I should wedge myself between the burned-out Polo models to flash my credit card.

When my gaggle of girlfriends finally arrived, we had to wait only a few minutes before a server ushered us to our table, even offering to take my wine glass and my friend's birthday gift off of my hands. He disappeared once we were seated, indicating that the dining room service is well above par. This proved true throughout the meal.

Our server was attentive, charismatic and unobtrusive. Once drinks and refills arrived, we ordered appetizers and salads. I played it safe with a Caesar salad, which came drizzled with a smidge less dressing than I prefer. However it was just the right size and extremely fresh.

I chose the day boat scallops with "cream-less" creamed corn, heirloom tomatoes and braised bacon. How does one make cream-less creamed corn? I wondered the same thing until the plate arrived. This isn't your auntie's Thanksgiving side dish, my friends. However they create this corn crack in the kitchen is beyond me; all I know is it was delicious and perfectly complemented the scallops.

Ah yes, the scallops - the star of the show. They were cooked to perfection with a crusty seared outside and a buttery soft inside. These are the scallops I dream of cooking when I stand in front of my cast iron in my kitchen, yet they never come out this good.

Other tastes included sautéed wild mushrooms (of which I couldn't help but order a second round) and their infamous mac-and-cheese. Both were so tasty that I had to push them away to my fellow tablemates. I never felt rushed, yet the food took an appropriate amount of time and two hours disappeared as quickly as a piece of cake in front of Roseanne Barr. Speaking of cake, there was none. I was even too full to indulge in the complimentary dessert for the birthday girl. Next time I will, as I could hear the ice box pie calling my name from the walk-in.

-Nikki Bonds

Hibiscus

2927 N Henderson Ave

Dallas, TX 75206

(214) 827-2927

photo courtesy of Guidelive.com