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RESTAURANTS DINING OUT

Noodling around with homemade pasta.
By D Magazine |

TEN YEARS AGO, nobody even talked about pasta; there was spaghetti and there was lasagna, and that was that. But the homemade pasta explosion of the late Seventies has reached Dallas. Nowadays, any respectable Italian restaurant has a dozen or so pasta choices.

What you’ll get at most restaurants is the store-bought version – produced in a factory and made of semolina (hard durum wheat flour) and water. Factory-made pasta may or may not be good and may or may not be imported from Italy, but it is a separate food entirely from the homemade version.

Homemade pasta is made fresh from soft wheat flour and eggs. At its best, the homemade variety has a potential for sensual delight that no packaged pasta can approach. Its delicate fresh egg flavor and perfect degree of resistance to the teeth can’t be commercially duplicated.

Only the literal-minded will want to make their homemade pasta at home. There are two ways to do this: hard and harder. The hard way is with a pasta machine. The harder way is just you and a rolling pin. Both methods are clearly described in Marcella Hazan’s More Classic Italian Cooking. Her methods are foolproof, but arduous. Flour and eggs are kneaded, rolled out, and then cut either by hand or a machine.

Far better, we think, to pick up a copy of Elizabeth David’s Italian Food (to get a feeling for the soul of pasta), and put your energy into selecting a restaurant that serves homemade pasta. The following is our guide, albeit incomplete, since fresh pasta appears to be a growth stock and is turning up on more and more menus.

Bugatti, a North Dallas newcomer, is not the kind of place to impress a companion-unless the companion is a pasta fiend. We’ve described it as looking like somebody’s basement rec room, but with this kind of talent in the kitchen, who cares? The tab is noteworthy, too: Pasta runs about $4.50 at lunch, and $6 at dinner. (This includes soup or the fine house salad.) Happily, the same pasta options are available at lunch and dinner. First choice is the fettucine della casa, a delicate version of fettucine alfredo, bathed in a light, creamy sauce and flecked with bits of ham. It is perfection. True, we can’t recommend the pasta here across the board: We’ve had heavy lasagna and unsuccessful linguine pescatore (although the problem is the pasta-and-seafood concept, not the execution). But the tortellini, little round pockets stuffed with veal and cheese in cream sauce, is terrific. And the cannelloni and manicotti are quite good, although the thin pasta shells are almost incidental – the cheese and meat stuffings are the point.

Birraporetti’s is a bar/restaurant, which is usually a warning that you need to be anesthetized by several gin and tonics to tolerate the food. The place promotes itself as “a great Italian restaurant, a heck of an Irish bar.” Unlikely as it sounds, the concept works – at least when it comes to pasta dishes, which run about $5. The house specialty is spinach fettucine with alfredo sauce, available as an appetizer or an entrée, and it’s the ticket. The fettucine is cooked al dente, and the sauce is tasty. The tortellini and spaghetti are undistinguished, but entirely edible. Just avoid the veal (which tastes like Italian chicken-fried steak), and drink to the pleasures of fettucine.

La Tosca, with its stark black-and-white, avant-garde look, is light years removed from the stereotypical little mom-and-pop Italian restaurant. Fortunately, the pasta is better than mom and pop ever managed to produce. The homemade varieties run about $8 and are uniformly praiseworthy: paglia e fieno, green and white noodles in cream sauce; tagliolini La Tosca, thin noodles with salmon sauce; and tortellini.

DiPalma, a food specialty shop on lower Greenville, offers cold pasta salads to eat in the small seating area or to take home, and pasta and sauces to cook at home. Cold pasta salad is an unfamiliar concept, and it may sound unappetizing to the uninitiated. But the pasta is properly al dente, and the seasoning is skillful. Try these unusual salads: green pasta salad, our favorite; ziti salad, an Italian macaroni salad; chicken and cheese salad; heart of artichoke salad; and Nicoise salad, with olives and tuna. Take-home pasta comes in three varieties (egg, spinach, and tomato) and four sizes (fettucine, linguine, spaghetti, and spaghettini). Egg and spinach are fine, but don’t miss the tomato pasta. There are three sauce options: meat, vegetable (sweet and peppery with roasted green peppers), and pesto (the classic basil, olive oil, and pine nut accompaniment to fettucine).

Now for the bad news: Lombardi’s and Sergio’s, two old hands at fresh pasta, have apparently lost their touch.

La Trattoria Lombardi recently appeared on Hall Street, just a block from its former McKinney Avenue location. Prices have jumped (Mario’s is the only place more expensive for pasta), and the pasta has taken a definite dive. We’ve been disappointed with everything we’ve tried. Linguine with white clam sauce can be best described as tough, with rubbery clams and overcooked linguine. Fettucine al pesto was downright mushy, and lacked the requisite aroma of basil in its green sauce. Paglia e fieno looked pretty, with its green and white ribbons of pasta sauced with cream and prosciutto ham, but tasted gluey. Tortellini filled with ground veal and cheese and sautéed with cream was leaden. At dinner, you can order any pasta on the menu in an appetizer portion for $4.50. This is a relative bargain, when a fettucine entree runs $9.95. Until things improve on the pasta front, that’s our recommendation: Taste if you must, but don’t commit yourself to anything with pasta. Opt instead for the soup and veal dishes, which are still fine. La Trattoria has been open less than six months, so perhaps there’s still hope for improvement.

Sergio’s has remodeled its location in The Quadrangle, eliminating the feeling of dining in an abandoned card shop. (Unfortunately, the noxious loud Muzak has not been eliminated.) The new celadon-colored surroundings are a visual pleasure, but we can only guess that the strain of remodeling is the explanation for the precipitous drop in the quality of the pasta here. What we remember from preremod-eling visits as delicate and tasty is now heavy and graceless. Only about half the pasta choices on the menu are available at lunch, and all are in the $5 range. Fet-tucine della casa is a big disappointment. This used to be addictive: tender fettucine in cream sauce, studded with mushroom slices and pieces of ham. But when we last tried it, the fettucine was sodden and the sauce sticky. At dinner, prices shift to the $8 range, and there’s more to choose from. Ravioli -which used to be delightful, stuffed with spinach and topped with sausage and delicate tomato sauce -has metamorphosed into another dish entirely, one that we’d just as soon not order again. And tortellini is equally as bad here as at Lombardi’s.

Mario’s gets mixed reviews: some good dishes and some musts to avoid. The place is plush, and the pasta is priced accordingly: from $9 to $11 for entrées. Pasta asan appetizer is the way to go here: cannelloni, rotina alla veneziana (stuffedgreen pasta), and manicotti are all tasty.It’s in the realm of entrées that things gettrickier. (It’s not on the menu, but you canorder any pasta entrée in a half-portion asan appetizer for $5.) Linguine allamarinara, with a fresh-tasting tomatosauce, is respectable, although unexciting.And lasagna verdi pavarotti, an unusualspinach and ricotta version, is the bestwe’ve had. But fettucine alfredo wasmushy and unctuous; and fettucine allacarbonara (with ham, onion, and creamsauce) was distressingly heavy. Stick withthe superb veal dishes here, and check outthe pasta as an appetizer, and you’ll leavehappy.

RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS



These restaurants represent the best in Dallas and Fort Worth dining.

These listings are revised and supplemented periodically. Visits by our critics are made anonymously to avoid preferential treatment. Inclusion in this directory has nothing whatever to do with paid advertising.

The pricing symbols used are categorical, not precise. They indicate only a general price range.

$ Generally inexpensive. Usually indicates a good value.

$$ Middle ground and very general. Usually indicates a menu with a wide price range.

$$$ Expensive. You can expect to spend more than $15 lor a complete meal excluding wine and cocktails.

$$$$ Very expensive.

Unless otherwise noted, all restaurants have full bar facilities.

Credit card notations: MC/MasterCard, V/Visa, AE/American Express, DC/Diners Club, CB/Carte Blanche. “All credit cards” indicates that all five are accepted.



DISCOVERIES



(Serendipitous Experiences From Off the Beaten Path) C’est Si Bon. This small downtown bakery/lunch spot serves a spinach salad that is not only one of the best in town, but also is probably the cheapest. For $1, you get a small bowl of perfectly fresh spinach leaves topped with mushrooms, sunflower seeds, crumbled hard-boiled egg, and marinated mushroom dressing. The classic complement to spinach salad-quiche-is also available in a tasty version. The chicken salad sandwich manages to be delicious and healthy at the same time: The bun is cracked wheat; the lettuce is leaf-not iceberg-and crisp; and the chicken salad is light. For dessert, the choices are all good: fragrant walnut-topped apple strudel, fruit turnovers, cookies (butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip), and cream cheese brownies. (709 Elm in Austin Alley. 742-7509. Mon-Fri 7:30 am-5:30 pm. No credit cards. $)



CONTINENTAL



Café Royal. The surroundings are as exquisite as the Mozart played by the pianist on duty during dinner. As for the food, scallops in pepper sauce are a fine opener, and a better choice than the thin, too briny lobster soup. Classic entrees like sirloin with béarnaise sauce are safe bets; but the more adventurous nouvelle cuisine-inspired choices are the point here: among them, flavorful duckling supreme with mustard cream sauce and tender, piquant veal steak with lime butter. Minor shortcomings are dull salads, limp vegetables (which, at $3.50 a la carte should taste as good as they look), and occasionally burnt coffee. Service can be very slow. But all is forgiven with the extraordinarily refreshing strawberry bavaroise. (Plaza of the Americas, 650 N Pearl. 747-7222. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-3: Dinner: Mon-Sat 6:30-10:30. All credit cards. $$$$)

Calluaud’s. Calluaud’s is open for lunch, and that’s good news for connoisseurs of class, since the place effectively defines class for Dallas restaurants. The lovely terra-cotta and cream-colored surroundings and the service are as quietly elegant as always. And the food continues to hold its own. While the entrees are never less than good, it is in the areas of appetizers and desserts that Calluaud’s truly shines. Two equally fine openers are scallops in white wine and cream sauce and mellow tomato soup that banishes all memories of the Campbell’s version. To finish, you can’t go wrong with any of the souffles or fruit tarts. (2619 McKinney. 823-5380. Lunch: Tue-Fri 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Mon-Thur 6-10:30, Fri & Sat seatings from 6-7 and at 9:30. Closed Sun. Reservations only. MC, V,. AE. $$$$)

The Chimney. We found we’d been underestimating this understated place While the service was slow and the appetizers unappetizing, the entrees were, in a word, wonderful. We began with the appetizer of the house-a mélange of crab, scallops, and white fish in a crépe topped with hollan-daise-and found it heavy and dull. Our escargot é la bourguigonne arrived overcooked to the point of being almost burned. These were followed by salads in the pungent dressing of the house-a light and clear Italian that was very good. After a considerable wait, the main course arrived and we were humbled. Since 10 of the 18 listed entrées are veal dishes, we expected the veal forestiere to be good; it was better than that. The brandy, white wine, and cream sauce enhanced with real morels seemed the perfect companion to the buttery slivers of meat underneath. And the Rehsteak Chimney-tournedos from Montana venison-was breathtakingly tender and the kind of thing you find yourself talking about for days afterward. At lunch. The Chimney seems to become a ladies’ place where bridge-clubish meals are prepared as though the chef is distracted by the prepa-ration of evening offerings. We enjoyed the chicken Marco Polo and New England scrod. but the light broth laced with sherry that appeared unannounced beforehand was our favorite touch. (Willow Creek Center, 9739 N Central at Walnut Hill. 369-6466. Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30-2; Dinner: Tue-Sat 6-10:30, Sun 6-10. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)



D Revisits The Grape. Everyone loves The Grape, but the people who seem to love it most are lovers. This is a great place to propose marriage by candlelight. The atmosphere is also conducive to conversations about bad poetry or good dance. You’ll overhear people confessing that their fathers have intimidated them all their lives or that they’ve been painting in acrylics on smaller canvases for the past three years. In other words, this is the best of the “thinking people’s” places: it’s a mecca for hungry degree-carrying intellectuals and their emotional basket-case friends on their way out to New Mexico. The people waiting on tables are young, bright, and probably capable of living lives far more fascinating than your own. And the food is excellent. The menu varies with the season and the chef’s whims. Quiche Lorraine is a staple, as is homemade mushroom soup, and soft, buttery, Boston lettuce dinner salads. We’ve tried a variety of chicken, scallop, and pasta dishes recently, and all were well-proportioned and well-presented. The pates are consistently noteworthy. The only problem we’ve had is with the tape deck. The last time we were there we heard Pachelbel’s Canon in D three times. Ick. (2808 Greenville at Goodwin. 823-0133. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-2; Dinner: Sun-Thur 6-11, Fri&Sat6-1. AE, MC, V. $$)



Ewald’s. Less pretentious and flashy than most other continental restaurants in Dallas, Ewald’s ranks in the highest echelon when it comes to the quality of its food. Those willing to forgo the standard continental fixtures-tuxedo-clad French waiters and brass candelabra-will find treasures of tenderloin and veal awaiting them. One of the standouts on the menu is the tournedos St. Moritz (beef tenderloin with artichoke hearts, béarnaise, and tomato con-casse with sautéed mushrooms). We also found the veal steak “au moulin” (veal sautéed with mushrooms, cognac, and cream) to be up to its usual tasty excellence. But the star of the menu continues to be the veal Pagallo (veal stuffed with Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese, covered with a piquant sour cream sauce). Ewald’s has a credible pepper steak and a respectable Chateaubriand; but the beef takes a back seat to some of the house specialties like shrimp du chef (broiled shrimp in a delicious barbecue-like sauce), which is available in either appetizer portions or as an entree, or the snapper bonne femme (served in a white wine sauce with mushrooms). Desserts are superb, especially the Black Forest cake, strawberries Romanoff, or the cream caramel. (5415 W Lovers Ln. 357-1622. Mon-Fri 6-10:30, Sat till 11. Closed Sun. Reservations. MC, V, AE, $$$)

Jean Claude. The only bad thing about eating at Jean Claude is the demands it places on one’s short-term memory. There is no menu; instead, the waiter recites for you first the appetizers, then the entrees, and finally the desserts that are available. Given that there are often 10 or more entree choices, you may feel exhausted by the time coffee arrives. But once you’ve ordered, all is well, with Jean Claude himself chopping and sautéing in the open-air kitchen. For appetizers, we’ve enjoyed the scallops in cream and garlic sauce, the salmon mousse, and the warm crab meat and lobster salad. Only the pates have disappointed. Jean Claude is particularly successful-anc imaginative-with fish entrées, among them swordfish with grapefruit sauce and poached trout wrapped in lettuce. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the intensely chocolate mousse or the fruit tarts. (2404 Cedar Springs. 653-1823. Tue-Sat seatings at 6 and 9. Reservations only. MC, V, AE, $$$)



D Revisits Jennivine. Thank goodness Jenni-vine is only “a little bit of England,” or it would be without its lovely selection of French wines, cheese from various countries, and pates. A combination plate of cheese and pate makes a good lunch. Try the English Cheddar or double Gloucester, a Cheddar flavored with chives and spices. The cheeses are always served at the proper temperature and are never chilled into tastelessness. We had a good cold cucumber soup and a spinach salad that had too many sprouts for many people’s taste. The dinner menu varies according to the fresh seafood that is available and is written on a blackboard. We had tender sea scallops cooked with mush-rooms. olives, and onions. The crab meat imperial was too bland, but a filet of sole with fresh dill was just right A side dish of mashed potatoes flavored with nutmeg was also good. The house white burgundy was excellent and medestly priced by the glass or bottle. In the evening, a guitarist played softly, sometimes accompanied by a skillful penny whistle player. Service is friendly and casual and sometimes English-accented English bottled beer Is also available. (3605 McKinney. 528-6010. Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Mon-Thur 6-10. Fri & Sat 6-10:30. Closed Sun. Reservations MC. V. AE, DC, $$)



L’Ambiance. This may or may not be in the ranks of the best continental cuisine in town, but it is definitely the best you’ll ever eat in a converted gas station. Inside the uninspiring exterior is a first-rate restaurant that could well be characterized as “full-service.” The hosts greet patrons at the door as if welcoming house guests. And although the sur-roundings are standard cut-glass-and-starched-linen, the atmosphere is easy. Salads are impeccable, and soups are fresh and flavorful. Of the entrees we tried, we especially liked the tender medallions of veal with mushroom puree and the pepper-sauced filet mignon flamed with cognac (an exception to our rule of avoiding flamed dishes, which tend to be long on flash and short on flavor). The pastry selection is varied and gorgeous. (2408 Cedar Springs. 748-1291. Lunch; Mon-Fri 11:30-2; Dinner: Mon-Sat 6:30-10. All credit cards. $$$)

Le Rendez-Vous. The expansion and refurbishment of this once-small bistro is the best thing that could have happened to the place. Before, it was small and intimate. And even though the size has now doubled, the intimacy is still not lost. What’s new, in addition to more tables, is an air of formality that makes the place seem like exactly what it is-a first-class French restaurant. The kitchen delivers consistent quality with a number of veal dishes and one of the better pepper steaks around. The cold salmon platter is excellent, although on more than one occasion we’ve been baffled to find that the salmon with béarnaise was a bust because the salmon was too dry. The shrimp Pernod, which has long been excellent, still is. Le Rendezvous excels in service: waiters are efficient but not hovering. (3237 McKin-ney at Hall 745-1985. Lunch and dinner served daily 11:30 am- 1 am. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)



D Revisits the Mansion. One of the pleasures of the carefully calculated decor of the Mansion is its golden lighting, which enables the diner to see not only his perfect green salad, but also the contemporary nobility on the terrace-visiting movie stars and international financiers. Noble is the word for the Mansion’s peasant dish, tortilla soup. It should be exported to the restaurant’s parent company, New York’s 21 Club. But, we wouldn’t mind at all if the New Yorkers took back their bland chicken hash with Mornay sauce. In other sauces, the Mansion excels. The béarnaise sauce that came with the grilled red snapper was so light, smooth, and tasty you could put it on cardboard and swear you’d had a good meal. The lobster sauce with chicken and the wine sauce that dressed the shrimp saute appetizer called for mopping up with a piece of French bread. And the duck served with a brown, not-too-strong garlic sauce, was topped with a slice of duck liver paté that deserves a place of its own on the menu. A too-lemony veal sauce was disappointing, given the subtlety of the other sauces. Service is brisk, efficient, and French, without annoying theatrics. If only the desserts were as good as they look. The raspberry torte was a chaotic mixture of sour raspberries, brick-like chocolate, and bland whipped cream. The restaurant encourages the smoking of fine cigars from its “21” collection, a problem if you are inhaling the enticing aroma of a juicy breast of pheasant with chanterelles, and your neighbor lights up. (2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 526-2121. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-2; Brunch: Sat & Sun 11-2; Dinner: Sun-Thur 6-9:30, Fri-Sat 6-10:30. Reservations. MC, V, AE, DC, $$$$)



Les Saisons. Les Saisons is a study in contrast-the French country-inn decor of the window seating (with a splendid view of Turtle Creek and downtown) contrasts with the lush main eating area in the style of a Viennese boudoir. The menu also reflects this theme of contrasts. The shrimp Les Saisons and the leeks with crab meat are both succulent appetizers of seafood morsels served in a light piquant sauce, but the gamey-tasting escargots are to be avoided. The simple and superb cold smoked trout with horseradish sauce and cucumber salad is the best choice. Salads are ho-hum. but the hearty onion soup is good. Among the entrees, we liked the rack of lamb and the grilled swordfish. The veal chop with chanterelles, though, is a good concept done in by an overzealous hand with the salt jar. To finish the meal, we recommend the chocolate mousse, and the fresh strawberries marinated with just the right touch of Grand Marnier and topped with sour cream. Service is attentive, with a refreshing lack of haughtiness. (165 Turtle Creek Village, Oak Lawn at Blackburn. 528-1102. Sun-Thur 11:30-11, Fri & Sat 11:30 am till midnight. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

La Vieille Varsovie. The Old Warsaw is in danger of becoming a restaurant in which food no longer holds center stage. The waiters serve with flair and theatricality, and for the first time in many years, we heard Ma/aguena played on the piano. But something is wrong in the kitchen. In two visits, we had a tough duckling with kiwi fruit and raspberry vinegar, a mushy filet of sole stuffed with crab, salads swimming in dressing, fresh asparagus ruined by overcooking, and green beans with far too much garlic. The fish pate was graced with a delicate lobster sauce, but the mersault had not been properly incorporated into the other sauce, giving it an alcohol taste. The champagne sauce for the poached salmon was better, but the fish was dry. Nothing we ate merited the expense of the high-priced wine list, which began (with few exceptions) at $25, and averaged $65 a bottle, or half the price of a dinner for two. We had been advised to try the fresh lobster, the Dover sole with lemon butter, and the rack of lamb, dishes that are not the test of French cooking, but are probably more manageable. Twice, we were seated beside the huge cabinets on which the waiters perform their handiwork, emitting heat and causing claustrophobia. Surely more of this work could be done in the kitchen, where someone should be tasting and checking the food. (2610 Maple. 528-0032. Sun-Fri 6-10:30, Sat till 11:30. Reservations required. Jackets required for men. All credit cards. $$$$)

Patry’s. Your appreciation of this restaurant may ultimately depend on how much you believe in the axiom that good things come to those who wait. During one visit we spent half an hour waiting in the bar for a table-even though we had reservations-and then another 25 minutes anticipating the arrival of our waiter after we had been seated and given menus. That type of treatment is not totally extraordinary for Patry’s, which has a loyal following and a tendency to be cold and forboding to newcomers. But if you have a high tolerance for indifferent service, you can eventually dine in high style at Patry’s. The food is consistently good. The best entree on the menu is the leeks stuffed with milk sausage cooked in cream, and the pepper steak is among the best in the city. We also like the crab Nantua and the grilled lamb chops. Patry’s entrées are complemented by an excellent selection of fine desserts and one of the better wine lists in Dallas. (2504 McKinney. 748-3754. Tue-Sun 6-10:30. Closed Mon. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$$)

Pyramid Room. Five or six years ago, Dallas was buzzing over the fact that an evening for two at the Pyramid Room could easily cost $75 to $80. Now $100 to $150 is just as easy, but no one seems shocked anymore. Luckily, the Pyramid justifies the three-figure tab. A superb array of appetizers is led by the escargots en papillot chablisienne, six escar-gots nestled in tender chunks of chicken breast and sautéed with herbs and white wine. For a more subdued beginning, try smoked salmon accompanied by a glass of aquavit. Filet of sole, baked in a flaky pastry and served with lemon butter and bisque sauce, is a dependably delicious main course. Our beef tenderloin with bordeaux wine sauce was a quality cut, but was slightly undercooked. Veal sautéed in butter was, however, prepared to perfection. For a spectacular conclusion, you won’t regret selecting cherries flambees, if you can take your eyes off the silver cart laden with pastries. (Fairmont Hotel, Ross and Akard. 748-5454. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-2; Dinner: Daily 6-10. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$$)

Three Vikings. If Vikings could eat this well at home, why would Leif Ericsson want to go to America, anyway? At Three Vikings, the quality of the entrees is among the best in town, and it’s hard to go wrong: There is crispy roasted duck with almond slices, served with a slightly sweet, piquant sauce; grilled salmon, properly moist, glazed with an amber sauce and topped with a dollop of dilled sour cream; filets of veal Norway, stuffed with mushroom filling and covered with a savory brown sauce. Appetizers are almost as good, with shrimp Erika and shrimp chowder the standouts. One would think that such obvious talent in the kitchen could produce creditable salads and desserts, but one would be wrong: Three Vikings’ salads are feeble, and desserts disappointing. (2831 Greenville at Goodwin. 827-6770. Mon-Thur 6-10, Fri & Sal 6-11. Closed Sun. Reservations. MC, V, AE, DC, $$$)

Valeriane’s. If you walk into Valeriane’s and experience a sense of déjà vu, the feeling is understandable. The intimate restaurant used to be the home of Jean Claude. The new chef-proprietaire serves the same high-quality cuisine that characterized its predecessor. Everything is homemade, from the pate to the tart fresh fruit sorbets served as palate cleansers to the closing chestnut soufflé. The scallop mousse was a mound of creamy fish doused in champagne sauce. Shrimp showered with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic proved you don’t have to be Chinese to turn out an authentic Oriental dish. Rack of lamb racked up points, and fish lovers should reel in the Dover sole, piled to the gills with crab meat. Only the sweets struck a sour note. Although the chestnut souffle was so light it nearly floated, the cappuccino mousse lacked the sting of espresso, and meringue chantilly glacée tasted like it came from Ashburn’s. (2520 Cedar Springs between Routh and Fairmount. 741-1413. Mon-Sat 6:30-10:30. Closed Sun. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

INDIAN



India House. Let’s face it: Not that many Dallas diners know the difference between alu tikki and tan-doori chicken. Selections like these are not exactly part of the American culinary mainstream But even if you don’t know what you are eating at India House, you’ll ciscover one thing quickly: It’s very good. Both the tandoori chicken and beef, marinated delights served with a shovel-sized portion of fluffy rice, are tasty, if extremely filling. And the appetizers, such as chicken chat-chunks of chicken served with mint chutney-are superb. Abundant fresh-from-the-oven breads are excellent. India House also offers a lunch buffet, which sometimes gets a little unorga-nized when the crowd starts to outnumber the waiters by too large a ratio. Dinner service, how-ever, is extremely attentive. Save room for dessert; the cheese balls in sweet milk are delightful. (5422 E Mockingbird. 823-1000. Lunch: Daily 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Thur 5-10, Fri & Sat till 11. Reservations. MC, AE, V, DC, $$)

Sahib. You don’t have to wear a sari or own a Nehru jacket to like Indian food. If there is one place that curries our flavor, it is Sahib. The interior in shades of forest green and peach is striking in its simplicity. Canopies of airy gauze float over the window-side tables. In the back are tandoors, clay ovens where you can watch the two best dishes being prepared: naan (fresh bread) and tandoori chicken (lobster-colored marinated chicken of extraordinary succulence). Dinner begins with papads, spicy lentil wafers served with homemade chutney. Try the cold chicken chat as an appetizer. Fish masala is a tender filet served in a four-alarm hot tomato sauce. The puréed spinach was a perfect foil for the coriander and pink-to-perfection meat in lamb sagwala. The all-you-can-eat lunch is an untouchable bargain. (9100 Caruth Plaza. 987-2301. Lunch: Daily 11:30-3; Dinner: Daily 5:30-11. MC, V, AE, $$)



ITALIAN



Bugatti. Although the name sounds like a sports car, and the interior of this North Dallas pasta place looks like somebody’s basement rec room, the food at Bugatti is the real thing: excellent Italian cooking. If the menu looks like a Xerox of the old Lombardi’s bill of fare, that’s because it almost is. The chef at Bugatti, Setimio Carrelli, and the owner, Mario Peres, are both Lombardi’s veterans. Basically, what they are doing at their new Walnut Hill restaurant is serving up exactly what you would have found at the old Lombardi’s on McKinney. And if that constitutes culinary plagarism, so what? Bugatti has not just copied the old Lombardi’s cuisine, they’ve done a better job of it than has been accomplished by the new Lombardi’s (La Trattoria Lombardi on Hall Street). The tortellini alla crema (called tortellini alla panna at La Trattoria Lombardi) is tastier at Bugatti and also cheaper-$6 at dinner versus $9.50. Saltimbocca alla romana will cost $8 at dinner versus $13 25 at La Trattoria Lombardi, and eggplant parmigiana will run you $5.95 versus $11.95. Cost comparisons like this would be crass and useless were it not for the fact that both restaurants are of. fering dishes that over the broad range of the two menus taste practically identical. If you miss the crab cannelloni that seemed to disappear when the old Lombardi’s burned, rejoice, it’s back again and just as good as ever at Bugatti. (2574 Walnut Hill. 350-2470. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2, Dinner: Mon-Thur 5:30 10:30, Fri and Sat 5:30-11:00. Closed Sun, AE, V, MC, $$)

Campisi’s. This restaurant is a Dallas institution whose charm may be lost on the uninitiated. Count on standing in line to gain admission to the dark, dingy interior attended by harried waitresses. Most of the veal, pasta, and pizza entrees are in the ordinary-to-tasty range. (Avoid, however, the overpriced, sorry crab claws.) The best bet is the mos-taccioli (tube-shaped pasta) with outstanding homemade Italian sausage. Dessert is either Black Forest cake or cheesecake, two equally bad options. (5610 E Mockingbird. 827 0355, 827-7711. Mon-Fri 11 am-midnight. Sat till 1 am, Sun noon-midnight. Reservations lor 6 or more. No credit cards; personal checks accepted. $$)



D Revisits La Trattoria Lombardi. Sometimes success can ruin a good restaurant. Management, intoxicated by the size of the crowds in the waiting line, gets overconfident. Quality plummets. Prices climb beyond what is reasonable. Recent visits convince us that while it would be premature to conclude that La Trattoria Lombardi has been ruined by its past success, the undeniable fact is that the place is slipping. The signs of culinary complacency are beginning to manifest themselves in the pasta. It is frequently overcooked. It is universally overpriced. We recommend avoiding the maleficent manicotti and the languid linguini and go for the veal (the veal with lemon Putter, veal marsala, and saltim-bocca alla romana are all excellent), the homemade soups (the minestrone is some of the best in the city), or the frittatae (great little Italian omelets with ham, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, and a tangy tomato sauce). We also recommend the sole with lemon butter, although we’ve been disappointed in Gome of the other fish selections, like the mussels with marinara sauce, the clams with white wine sauce, and the linguini with clam sauce. Desserts can be superior, especially the homemade ice creams (there are five to choose from). And while the food has slipped a notch, the service definitely hasn’t. It’s among the most hospitable found in Dallas. (2916 Hall. 823-6040 Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2, Dinner: Mon-Thur 5:30-10:30, Fri-Sat 5:30-11. Closed Sunday. All credit cards. $$$)



La Tosca. It’s obvious that this relative newcomer to the Dallas restaurant community is quickly becoming a tradition. Reason: La Tosca offers one of the most reliable and extensive Italian menus in town. The appetizers, for instance, include selections like cozze gratinate (broiled mussels with bread crumbs and garlic) and crespelle fiorentina (small crepes with spinach, ricotta, and cream sauce). La Tosca is one of the only places in town to offer an octopus salad, although at this writing we’ve yet to sample it. We liked the zuppa di lu-mache (escargot soup) and found the minestrone to be perfectly suited to our taste once we added some of the extra Parmesan the waiter brought with it. The best pasta dish is the paglia e fieno aurora (so-called “hay and straw” spinach and regular noodles in a tomato and cream sauce). Other strong points include the high-quality veal dishes like saltimbocca alla romana. The dessert menu is also filled with delicious surprises, like the superb strawberry tarts. (7713 Inwood. 352-8373. Tue-Thur 5:30-10:30. Fri-Sun 5:30-11. Closed Mon. All credit cards. $$$)

Mario’s. About as far from the spaghetti-and-meatballs, red-checked-tablecloth stereotype as an Italian restaurant can be, Mario’s is elegant and, of course, expensive. Appetizers are somewhat disappointing: Minestrone is boring, escargots are heavy, and sautéed shrimp is bland. But the main dishes- especially the many variations on veal and the homemade green lasagna-are consistently excellent and served in generous portions. And the souffles equal those at any French restaurant in town. Service is friendly and efficient. (135 Turtle Creek Village, Oak Lawn at Blackburn. 521-1135. Daily 6-11, Sat till midnight. Reservations. Jackets required lor men. All credit cards. $$$)



D Revisits Sergio’s. The recently completed remodeling of Sergio’s has tranformed what was once little more than a hole in the wall in a corner of the Quadrangle to an elegant, formal dining establishment. And the management is to be complimented for resisting the urge to jack up the prices in order to pay for all that new carpet and wallpaper. But if the decoration is an architectural success, it was something of a culinary failure. The worst effect of the transformation of Sergio’s is that the once wonderful homemade pasta is now a bit on the doughy side. Most of the chicken and veal dishes-which have always been standouts-have survived the remodeling. And this restaurant still makes one of the better omelets available in Dallas. One of the better appetizers available in the city is Sergio’s version of marinated crab claws. (Even though they are obviously only marinated for the time it takes the waiter to walk to your table after the kitchen staff has covered them with a tangy sauce, the crab claws are still excellent.) Sergio’s fine track record over the past couple of years makes us confident that the restaurant will soon get its pasta problem in order. Until then, we recommend sticking with one of seven reliable veal selections on the menu, or opting for sole saffron or chicken Florentine.(Suite 165, The Quadrangle, 2800 Routh. 742-3872. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30-2, Dinner: Mon-Thur 6-10, Fri & Sat 6-10:30. Closed Sun. Reservations. All credit cards. $$)



MEXICAN



Café Cancun. We’re happy to report that Cafe Can-cun has tightened up its attention to culinary detail, and the food is once again the equal of its lovely tropical surroundings. Among the highlights of the imaginative menu are jicama (a crunchy apple-like appetizer), tacos filled with pork and cooked in chile ancho sauce (be sure to ask for the avocado and tomato salsas). and chicken enchiladas mole. Entrees are accompanied by the best rice and black- not pinto-beans in town. Two soups have been added to the menu, a wonderful chicken-vegetable soup and a corn soup that’s a bit too reminiscent of canned creamed corn for our tastes. Another innovation is the lunch specials now available-at $3-65, an ideal way to sample Café Cancun’s delights. (4131 Lomo Alto. 559-4011. Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri 11-11 Sat 5-11, Sun 5-10. MC, AE, V, CB, $$)

Chiquita. With its tablecloths, candles, and white-suited waiters. Chiquita is out of the ordinary compared to most Tex-Mex places in town. Therefore, it’s appropriate that Chiquita excels with its out of the ordinary specialties. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the standard combination dinner offerings; it’s just that you can do as well or better elsewhere. But when it comes to dishes like carne asada tampico style (filet mignon with sautéed green pepper and onions) or filete de la casa (filet mignon with garlic and hot peppers), you can’t match Chiquita’s combination of top-quality beef and skillful preparation. We’ve found that chicken and seafood specialties have not lived up to the standard of the beef dishes. But don’t miss the tortilla soup, a rich, oniony tomato broth with tortilla strips and melted white cheese. (3810 Congress off Oak Lawn. 521-0721. Mon-Thur 11:30-10:30, Fri & Sat till 11. Closed Sun. No reservations. MC, V, AE. $$)

Escondido. Although there is also an Escondido on Maple Avenue, it is kin in name only to the Butler Street location. What tastes fresh and spicy on Butler tastes tired and bland on Maple. True, the Butler location is so sleazy in appearance that Herrera and Guadalajara look plush in comparison. But the decicated Tex-Mex fan will happily overlook the surroundings in order to try the fiery picante sauce, fresh tostadas, sour cream beef enchiladas, and exemplary rice and beans. (2210 Butler. 631-9912. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-2; Dinner: Mon-Sat 5-9. Closed Sun. No credit cards. $)



D Revisits Guadalajara. If you believe in the sleaze postulate of the Tex-Mex dining theory (that the more hell hole-like a restaurant is. the better the food will be), then you’ll experience love at first sight when you enter this charming establishment. After midnight, Guadalajara can look like a cross between a biker bar and Dante’s Inferno. We can’t make judgments as to whether there is a corollary between the border town bordello ambience and the fact that the food is good at Guadalajara; but it is true that the food is memorable. Among the consistently good offerings are the enchiladas, tacos, tamales, chiles rellenos, and frijoles. We’ve also found a good version of chicken mole as well as some decent chalupas. If you prefer that your fellow diners be dressed in Hickey-Freeman suits instead of sleeveless blue jean jackets and chain belts, simply go at noon, when the downtown banker crowd packs the place in pursuit of good guacamole. Service can sometimes be a bit slow, since management obviously knows it has a good thing going and loyal customers are willing to wait. (3308 Ross. 823-9340. Tue-Sun 11 am-3:30 am. Closed Mon. No reservations. No credit cards. $)



Herrera. One can see the long lines waiting patiently outside Herrera’s Maple Avenue shack and only wonder what brings these Anglos back week after week to eat in this noisy, crowded restaurant. The answer, of course, is the food-enchiladas, tacos, and even soft tortillas that are head and sombrero above chain restaurant fare, The prices are nothing short of amazing. There are very few sit-down restaurants where three people can eat for under $12 and be bursting at the seams. After you get adjusted, the authentic Tex-Mex atmosphere adds to the dining experience. Avoid the fancy and more expensive specials. Stick to the basic Mexican dinners, numbered one through 16, especially the dinners featuring the enchiladas, although you really can’t go wrong here. Also load up on the flour tortillas. If you’re used to the cardboard-like corn tortillas of other establishments, you’ll savor Herrera’s thick, white flour tortillas like dessert. (3902 Maple. 526-9427. Mon, Wed, Thur 9 am-8 pm, Fri-Sun till 10. Closed Tue. No reservations. No credit cards. $)

Mario & Alberto. The dinner ritual at this place includes a 30-minute wait that is made somewhat more pleasant by the tangy goodness of the frozen margaritas that are purveyed by the pitcher in the waiting area. The secret to this place is that Mario Leal has taken a proven Mexican menu from his other restaurant (Chiquita) and transported it intact to Preston and LBJ. Leal is literally miles ahead of his competition. North Dallas diners obviously don’t mind queuing up in crowded quarters to wait for a sample of the reliable staples like enchiladas, guacamole, tacos al carbon, and carne asada. They are all essentially the same as the high-quality items you find at Chiquita. But in addition to the standard Tex-Mex, Mario & Alberto offers some more unusual delights like pescado marinero (fish filet filled with spinach and topped with oysters and shrimp), cala-bactias rellenas (zucchini stuffed with sirloin and covered with white cheese), and carnitas adobadas (thin pork strips marinated in a piquant sauce and skillet fried). (425 Preston Valley Shopping Center, LBJ at Preston. 980 7296. Mon-Thur 11:30-10:30, Fri & Sat till 11. Drinks with $5 membership charge. MC, V, AE, $$)

Raphael’s. It may be that Raphael’s has slipped somewhat from its longtime position as one of Dallas’ best Mexican restaurants, or it may be that the growing competition from ambitious upstarts has simply overtaken this established enchilada outpost. Regardless, nobody’s bothered to tell the hungry hordes constantly waiting for tables. When a second location opened on Greenville Avenue, we thought it might be the answer. So far there is no waiting at the Greenville Raphael’s, but perhaps that’s because it doesn’t live up to the somewhat slipped standards of the original Raphael’s. The Greenville menu is not identical- some items, like the superb strawberry or peach sopapillas, are missing, and some, like the dry, underseasoned soft pork tacos, are present that aren’t available at the original. Therefore, we still recommend the Raphael’s on McKinney, if you have the stomach to wait. Once seated, head for the specialty dishes, many accompanied by wonderful pico de gallo. Two sure bets are the “authentic combination plate,” an assortment of specialties, and the tacos al carbon. (3701 McKinney. 521-9640. Mon-Fri 11:30-10:30, Sat noon-10:30 Closed Sun. Reservations Mon-Thur only. All credit cards. $$)



MIDDLE EASTERN



Khalil’s Beirut. If you can negotiate the obstacle course that is Belt Line Road in the vicinity of Quorum Plaza, you will be well rewarded. Khalil’s Beirut is definitely the top of the line for fans of Middle Eastern food. Its competition, admittedly, is limited: The Pita Place is equally fine but has a more limited menu, and Hedary’s in Fort Worth, though good, is not up to Khalil’s quality. Khalil’s is a more formal place than either of its competitors. On Friday nights there is a belly dancer (in case you require entertainment to induce you to venture into the unfamiliar territory of mahshi warak areesh, malfouf mahshi, and baba ganouj). Order the “extra special” appetizer tray, and you will get the aforementioned and 10 or so more dishes; at $14.95, this is more than enough for an entire meal for two-and the best introduction we know of to Lebanese food. Other choices include Lebanese lamb and beef dishes and, for the unadventurous, standard steak and seafood entrees. (Quorum Plaza, Bell Line west of Dallas Parkway. 934-3100. Mon-Thur 5:30-10:30, Fri & Sat 5:30-11. Closed Sun. All credit cards. $$$)

The Pita Place. After a hiatus following its former downtown tenancy, the Pita Place has reopened in North Dallas. The food is still fresh, tasty, and inexpensive, and now the surroundings are pleasant and bright. (Its previous incarnation could be charitably described as dingy.) We can think of no better lunch for a dreary day than a falafel sandwich (fresh pocket bread stuffed with deep-fried ground chickpeas and fava beans with lettuce and tomato), perhaps accompanied by a cool tabouli salad (chopped cracked wheat, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, and mint, all marinated in lemon juice and olive oil) and hummus (a dip of chickpeas and sesame-seed paste seasoned with lemon and garlic). The pita burger of ground sirloin with chopped onions and parsley is, however, not unlike munching on a charcoal briquet. Steering clear of the acrid chocolate mousse is also advisable. (The Corner Shopping Center, 9820 N Central Expy at Walnut Hill. 9873226. Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri & Sat 11-midnight, Sun 5-10. AE, MC, V, DC. $)



NATURAL FOODS



D Revisits Marvins Garden. The clientele-and the help-more closely resemble the denizens of Haight-Ashbury in the Sixties than any other place in town. A fair share of clean-cut preppies can be found here, too. But still, this East Dallas cafe is not the place for carnivores who think tofu and bean sprouts should be controlled substances. Both are found in abundance on the menu. Standouts are the house salad with creamy garlic dressing. Mr. Jim’s pizza, and enchiladas and quesadillas filled with white cheese and covered with ranchera sauce. Once, in the spirit of adventure, we ordered Malcolm’s “non-dairy” enchildas. We were sorry we did. Soups, though homemade, are also to be avoided. A welcome innovation here is Sunday brunch with quiche, homemade whole-grain muffins, huevos rancheros, lush fruit salads, and fine coffee. An unwelcome constant is the agonizingly slow service, which is even slower during Sunday brunch. You need to be very mellow not to mind waiting almost an hour to get your coffee. (6033 Oram at Skillman. 824-5841. Sun-Thur 11-10:30; Fri & Sat 11-11. MC, V, DC, CB, $$)



ORIENTAL



D Revisits Asuka. You may feel like you’ve waltzed into a tourist trap when the kimono-clad waitress shuffles over to your table and presents you with the menu: a photo album filled with 3 x 5-inch glossies of the food you’re about to consume. Nevertheless, eating at Asuka is a soothing experience that will transport you 1000 miles away from the construction and congestion 50 yards outside the door. For dinner, sit Japanese-style (the setup here is easy on American lower backs) and try any one of the Kaiseki dinners. If you order something large like the Asuka Kaiseki, there’s no need to order Sashimi or sushi (raw fish is included with the meal). We’ve also sampled the Ishiyaki Kaiseki -beef and vegetables served over sizzling stone pebbles-and found it delightful. At lunch the service is slow, but the food is just as palate-pleasing and pretty. (7/36 Greenville. 363-3537. Lunch: Tue-Sun 11-2; Dinner: Tue-Sun 6-11. Closed Mon. Reservations. AE, V, MC, $$$)

August Moon. As the lines at dinner time attest, North Dallas has an appetite for high-quality Chinese fare. Large and lavishly decorated, August Moon fills the bill with a vast menu featuring specialties of Taiwan, Young Chow, Shanghai, Peking, Szechuan, Hunan, and Canton. Soups are nothing special here, but the pu pu tray of assorted appetizers makes for a good start. Mongolian barbecue (marinated sirloin, pork, and lamb stir-fried with vegetables) and kung-po chicken are two of the best choices for main courses. Shredded pork in garlic sauce, diced chicken with almond, and Shanghai steak are less successful. Portions are generous, and service is extremely fast and accommodating. (15030 Preston at Belt Line. 385 7227. Mon-Thur 11-10:15; Fri 11-10:45; Sat 4-10:45; Sun noon-10:30. Reservations. Bar by membership. AE, MC, V, CB,. $$)

Bo Bo China. No matter that this place apparently had the same interior decorator as Don Carter’s All-Star Bowling Lanes; on food alone, this may be the best Chinese restaurant in Dallas. We’ve yet to find a disappointment on a rather massive menu. If you want haute cuisine, try the excellent Peking duck (which must be ordered a day in advance). If you want a fast but tasty lunch, try one of the half dozen lunch specials, which at $2 99 a plate, have to rank among the best buys in the city. Most of the main dishes include a superb wonton soup, although we suggest trying the sizzling rice soup, which is even better. Another standout is the “pot stickers,” Chinese-style dumplings filled with pork. Servings are large enough that you’re likely to need to take part of the meal home, which management is happy to facilitate. (10630 Church Rd at LBJ Fwy. 349-2411. Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri 11-11. Setups available, brown-bagging allowed. No reservations. AE, MC, V, $)

Hunan. Selecting from the large menu of this restaurant specializing in the spicy cuisine of the province of Hunan is like throwing darts: You may hit, and leave thinking you have dined splendidly, or you may miss, and leave feeling thoroughly dispirited. On one recent visit, our food wasn’t even on the dart board. Appetizers were among the worst we’ve ever had. (Entrée portions are extremely generous, so appetizers can easily be skipped.) Diced chicken with peanuts was tender, with crunchy peanuts, but the pieces of gristle were unforgivable. River Shang pork was blandly forgettable. On another visit, we were in luck. Shredded pork with garlic sauce was inspired, with black mushrooms, chopped scallions, and julienned water chestnuts in a delicious, garlicky sauce. Lake Tung-Tin shrimp was tasty, although we could have done without the limp, overcooked celery. (5214 Greenville at Lovers Ln. 369-4578. Mon-Thur 11:30-10:45, Fri & Sat till 11:45. MC, V, AE, $$)

Monkok. Monkok won’t change your life, but it offers reasonably priced Chinese food that, if you order wisely, can be very good. We tried the pu pu tray of assorted appetizers and found the butterfly shrimp and egg rolls to be the best components. Both can and should be ordered a la carte, in order to skip the overcooked rumaki, tough spare ribs, and too chewy cho cho beef also on the pu pu tray. Won-ton and hot and sour soups are respectable versions; skip the egg drop, which is exceptionally bland. Among the entrees, try Monkok Delight (juicy chicken, shrimp, and ham with mushrooms and vegetables). Chicken with peanuts (marked with a star as hot and spicy) is a more passable but pallid version than usual; it doesn’t earn its star. Cantonese roast duck is a tasty version. Only pork lo mein with vegetables and homemade noodles is irredeemable; it’s greasy and, worse, a strange orange color. (2150 N Collins Blvd. Richardson. 644-0404. Lunch daily 11:302:30: Dinner: Sun-Thur 5-10. Fri & Sat 5-11. MC,. V, AE,. DC, $$)

Sakura. What with the geisha dancing in the tatami room, the schmaltzy piano bar music downstairs battling the koto music playing in the rest of the place, and the slashing, clanging, and sizzling of the chefs upstairs, the diner at Sakura feels transported to a three-ring Japanese circus. The only trouble is if you want a table at a restaurant, not a seat in the big top. But for feats of skill and daring, the sushi chef didn’t disappoint us. With the deft hands of a master, he sliced perfect pieces of impeccably fresh raw seafood and served them atop rice. We were disappointed only by most of the more standard Japanese offerings, with the exception of chicken kara-aga, deep-fried sesame-coated morsels. The sushi bar is definitely the center ring at this circus; the side shows are best avoided. (7402 Greenville near Walnut Hill. 361-9282. Sun-Thur 6-10:30. Fri & Sal till 11:30. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

Sawatdee. Being second in a field of two can mean number one is too firmly entrenched to be overtaken. Or, in the case of Sawatdee, Dallas’ second Thai restaurant, it can mean you’re simply not in number one’s league. Comparisons with Siam may be unfair, but they are inevitable. Most of the news is discouraging: Although the skewered, broiled pork appetizer here is spicy, the accompanying sauce is floury. Deep-fried crab claws tasted frozen and resembled mutant corny dogs. Entrees tend to be pallid: We tasted shrimp with chili paste, roast duck country-style, chicken with hot sauce, and fried pineapple rice; while nothing was bad, nothing was memorable. There are some encouraging signs: fine, unusual calamari salad and lively hot and sour soup with shrimp. (4503 Greenville at Yale. 373-6138. Daily: 11:30-11:30, Lunch special: Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30. AE, MC, V. $$)

Siam. At its best, Siam offers the bright, clear tastes of Thai food at prices that afford extensive reconnaissance; even at less than its best, it offers more than passable versions of standard Oriental dishes. But it is foolish to eat anything other than the extraordinary Thai dishes available here. Since the help is Thai and the dinner menu is extensive and confusing, it is wise to order by number. Among the best choices are 103 (marinated and broiled skewered pork with peanut sauce and cucumber salad). 110 (hot and sour soup tangy with lemongrass), 127 (rice noodles sautéed with pork, shrimp, and a multitude of aromatic ingredients), 137 (a rosy chicken curry with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, and fresh mint), and 154 (perfectly juicy roast duck). The location and decor are funky, and service is often slow, but Siam’s food is well within the irresistible range. A lunch menu offers more limited choices. (1730 W Mockingbird near Harry Hines. 631-5482. Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri & Sat 11-11. Closed Sun. MC, V, AE, DC. $)

Szechuan. This oasis in the Lemmon Avenue fast-food strip offers reliably good, if never great, Szechuan and standard Chinese dishes. Lunch specials (served Monday through Saturday), at $2.50 to $3.75, are bargains, and there’s an unusually large number to choose from. Soups are not a strong point here; crab meat and corn rice soup is the best choice. Main dish standouts include shredded pork with garlic sauce, moo shi pork, chicken with cashew nuts, and the chicken and shrimp combination. Sliced beef with orange flavor, however, tastes too strongly of anise for most western tastes. (4117 Lemmon near Douglas. 521-6981. Sun-Thur 11:30-10:30, Fri & Sat till 11:30. MC, V, AE, DC. $$)

Yunnan Dynasty. By virtue of its illustrious pedigree, Yunnan Dynasty is an automatic contender for the title of Dallas’ Best Chinese Restaurant. As a sibling of the Austin restaurant of the same name, Yunnan Dynasty does its heritage proud. Unlike most Chinese restaurants in town, where you can get good soup, appetizers, or main dishes, here you can have an entire meal that is peerless. Egg rolls are delicate and fresh, and soups are a no-miss proposition, though the mellow crab meat and corn soup is particularly noteworthy. When it comes to the entrees, the only caveat is simple: Order the spicy dishes marked with a box on the menu. The standout is steamed whole fresh fish with garlic and black bean sauce, a low-cal dinner that Weight Watchers never dreamed of. The contemporary surroundings are a pleasant change from the standard Chinese restaurant decor. (9100 N. Central Expressway, Suite 191. 739-1110. Sun-Thur 11:30-11, Fri & Sat 11:30-midnight. AE, V, MC. $$)



D Revisits Taiwan. This restaurant is dressier and a bit more expensive than a lot of Chinese places in town, but it stands head and shoulders above most of them when it comes to food. Owner-manager Scott Sheu is said to have brought his staff to Dallas straight from San Francisco, and there is a certain sophistication and Californian vastness to the menu. The choices, particularly in terms of appetizers and soups, are more varied here. We tried the Kuo-Teh meat dumplings and found them well worth the 15-minute wait they take to prepare. Of the seven scups, we tried the hot and sour (which was a good interpretation of its namesake), and the sizzling rice soup for two. The flaming pu- pu platter is among the best we’ve tried in town, and the spare ribs are unusually large and lean. The kitchen is at its best with the hot and spicy Szechuan dishes. Even our tender-mouthed friends found the unspiced entrees rather bland. We liked the Peking beef and princess shrimp and chicken. We also tried the beef sizzling iron plate and a wonderful vegetable dish of crisp snow peas, water chestnuts, and peerless mushrooms. The service is sometimes absent-minded. Once we ordered steamed rice and got fried, another time we ordered sweet and sour fish slices and got a boney whole fish instead. (6111 Greenville. 369-8902. Sun-Thur 11:30-11, Fri & Sat 11:30 am-midnight.Reservations. MC, V, AE, $$$)



SEAFOOD



Charley’s Seafood Grill. Amazing, these Addison eateries. A year ago Charley’s was a vacant lot. Now it’s a first-class seafood emporium complete with everything from shrimp to swordfish on a skewer. And. as is the case with many of the new establishments along Belt Line Road, Charley’s has developed an instant following: throngs of Izod-clad diners eager to sample some of the 27 kinds of imported beer (served at arctic temperatures) and munch iced shrimp while waiting a customary 15 to 30 minutes for a table. In truth, the fish is not on quite as high a par as the ambience. Charley’s is smartly decorated in what the designers are doubtless calling “Old New England Lighthouse Contemporary.” And while we found the selection of charcoal-broiled fish (red snapper, swordfish steak, trout) to be excellent, some of the fried offerings like the shrimp and oysters were simply so-so. The one negative is Charley’s chowder, truly bland on numerous samplings. The overall dining experience, however. is definitely worth the minimal investment in time and money. (5348 Belt Line. 934-8501. Sun-Thur 11-10. Fri & Sat 11-11. MC, DC, V, AE, $$)

Crazy Crab. With appetizers like “Topless Oysters” and “Crackin ’Smackin’ Good,” and entrees called “The Big Cheese” and “The Livin’ Stoney End,” Crazy Crab isn’t serious when it bills itself as “a serious seafood restaurant.” This is the kind of place that seems franchised even though it isn’t yet. It’s a family place, a restaurant where you can find good Dungeness crab from the West Coast when it’s in season. The steamed Alaskan King crab legs are an old favorite of ours, but we’ve had some less satisfactory experiences with the other specialties. The stone crab claws we sampled had turned fibrous from the freezer, and the crab chowder was bland. The deviled crabs overstuffed with what they call’ ’a simply Satanic filling” were pretty hellish. But the things to avoid at all costs here are the lobster tails served broiled or breaded. (3211 Oak Lawn at Hall. 522-5310. Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri till 11, Sat 5-11, Sun 5-10. No reservations. All credit cards. $$)

Fausto’s. Fausto’s is a restaurant of nice touches: There’s marbled black and rye bread toasted with Parmesan cheese that arrives before the menu; homemade pear sorbet perched atop an orange half to clear your palate before the main course; and fresh strawberries stuffed with chocolate mousse come after dessert. In between, you can enjoy one of the finest meals in Dallas if you navigate the menu carefully. The best catch is the poached salmon steak topped with a luscious green peppercorn sauce. And be sure to sink your teeth into the shark gumbo. Frog legs were tender and sweet, swordfish steak juicy, and duckling with lingonberry sauce crisp and crackling. But the seas turned rough with the bago bago. a seafood potpourri in a cloying sauce, and we got mired down in the soufflés. (Hyatt Regency Hotel. 651-1234. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2;Din-ner: Sun-Thur 6-11; Fri & Sat till midnight; Sun brunch: 10:30-2:30 All credit cards. $$$$)

Jozef’s. Jozef’s is to Dallas seafood restaurants what Calvin Klein is to jeans-chic, expensive, and when it’s on, absolutely top of the line. It’s difficult to imagine a simpler yet more elegant meal than smoked freshwater trout with horseradish sauce, followed by charbroiled fish-perhaps scrod or swordfish-with fresh strawberries and cream for dessert. Jozef’s also serves an outstanding ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice and spices) and an even better boiled Maine lobster, seasoned only with lemon and butter. The fancier dishes, on the other hand, are less dependable. The sauce on our shrimp Pernod was bland and gluey, and our bouillabaisse (a fish stew) was unseasoned and overstocked with a peculiarly tasteless variety of sea scallop, an odd turn since Jozef’s serves excellent scallops proven-cale. Forget the turtle soup. The hosts are gracious and obviously run a tight ship because the service is quick and cordial. But the wine list is still too aristocratic, with the majority of bottles in the $15-$25 range. (2719 McKinney. 826-5560. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Thur 6-10, Fri & Sat 6-11. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

Oyster’s. A simple menu, reasonable waiting times, and an enthusiastic staff make Oyster’s an oasis in the fast-paced neon jungle that has sprouted in the Beltline/Dallas Parkway corridor. Oyster’s doesn’t rely on any menu or decor gimmicks to keep its regular customers, just promptly prepared seafood that lives up to the menu’s boast that the food is “served only when available fresh.” Interestingly, the filet of flounder and fresh Boston scrod filet are preferable to the restaurant’s namesake, although the fresh oysters on the half-shell are no slouches. Avoid the lackluster shrimp, but make sure you sample the eggplant or zucchini appetizers. The staff surprisingly takes as much care in preparing the hamburgers and sandwiches as they do in preparing the seafood. The hamburgers are big and juicy, and the bread is fresh-a rarity in a seafood restaurant. Unfortunately, the desserts taste like the Sara Lee variety, and the beer and wine options are uninspired. (4580 Belt Line. 3860122. Mon-Thur 11:30-10. Fri till 11, Sat 5-11. Sun 5-10. MC, V, AE, $$)

Ratcliffe’s. Although it’s relatively new to Dallas. Ratcliffe’s may well have earned the title of best seafood restaurant in Dallas. The menu is easily as impressive as the handsome surroundings. Shrimp remoulade, Dungeness crab, shrimp and crab in white wine sauce, scampi Mediterranean, lemon sole, salmon with hollandaise-all are unsurpassed. Only the tasteless fisherman’s stew and the laughable house salad (a vinegary quartered head of ro-maine lettuce) disappoint. Don’t miss the apple hazelnut tart for dessert. (1901 McKinney. 748-7480. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Thur 4:30-10, Fri-Sat 4:30-11. No reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

Seascape Inn. The owners of Old Warsaw. Les Saisons, Mario’s, and Arthur’s have accrued this admirable addition to the Dallas seafood scene housed in what used to be an unfortunate place: The Baked Potato. The best place to sit for lunch is by the geranium-garnished north windows. At night, the church pew booths with lace partitions are softly lit and romantic. We’ve yet to be disappointed by a meal hers, and the service is helpful to the point of being self-effacing. We did, on one occasion, find what seemed to be an excessive amount of crab “cartilage” in the crab ramequin, an appetizer made of lump crab meat and tiny mushrooms in a white sauce that otherwise seemed just fine. Other appetizers we’ve enjoyed include the seafood gumbo, New England clam chowder, baked oyster Seascape in a tomato sauce, and the ceviche. The remoulade served with a generous serving of lump crab meat seemed more like a tiresome Thousand Island than what it was supposed to be, but the other sauces were all quite nice. As entrees, we’ve sampled the salmon in puff pastry, sautéed sea trout with lemon and capers, cape scallops in lemon and butter, and a lovely fried flounder. The management is still snuffling entrees from the lunch menu to dinner, so you can expect to see some variation in the daily specials and listed selections. Everything is light enough here to find room for dessert, and the homemade pies are excellent. (6306 Greenville. 692-6920. Lunch: Tue-Fri 11:30-2, Dinner: Sun-Thur 5:30-10:30; Fri & Sat till 11:30. Reservations recommended. AE, V, MC. $$$)

S & D Oyster Company. The line is usually long: the dining room is noisy; the desserts are consistently bad. If these minor hitches will keep you away from S & D, that’s fine with its fans, who swelter, freeze, and get drenched, depending on the season, waiting in line You can find places where it costs more, you can find places that are more tony, but you can’t find a better plate of fresh fish. Even fried shrimp, the child’s greasy delight, was the best we have ever had. Boiled shrimp and red snapper are also good choices. And the oyster loaf sandwich, though too large to eat easily, was worth the battle, (Ask to have it cut in two.) The dining area is comfortable and charming, with waiters and a lone waitress bustling about in traditional black and white uniforms. These people give S & D class. However, nothing so complimentary can be said of the desserts. There was something fishy about the ice cream, and the cheesecake could have been retitled cheese and egg cake. (2701 McKinney. 823-6350. Mon-Thur 11-10. Fri & Sat till 11. Closed Sun. No reservations. MC, V. $$)

Turtle Cove. Here is a restaurant with a gimmick that is simple and valid: fresh Texas seafood cooked over mesquite wood (a roomful of which deliciously scents the air). Steak is also available, but coming here for steak is like going to elan for a deep philosophical discussion. Mesquite-grilled whole fresh fish is available daily; we sampled perfectly prepared salmon. The fried seafood platter, with fish, shrimp, and oysters in beer batter was also commendable. With entrées, you get two “extras” from the menu. The best one is the grilled vegetables (zucchini, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions). The fresh-cut fries and sautéed mushrooms are also tasty. Pass, however, on the iceberg lettuce salad and dull wild rice. Don’t miss the strawberry shortcake for dessert. Turtle Cove is a welcome addition to the growing ranks of seafood restaurants in town. (2731 W Northwest Hwy near European Crossroads. 350-9034. Daily: 11-11. MC, V, AE, $$)



SOUTHERN SPECIALTIES



Broussard’s. “No oil shortage here” should read the sign in front of Broussard’s, a backwoods Louisiana Cajun diner that just happens to be located in Irving. The specialties of the house are all fried: oysters, shrimp, catfish, frog legs, hush puppies, and potatoes with the crunchy skins left on. All attest to the expertise of chef “Frenchy.” They are very simply prepared with lightly spiced coatings and properly fried, complemented nicely by the tangy homemade red sauce. Broussard’s bats .500 with its rice dishes. The picante and jambalaya were pleasing versions, but the étouffée and gumbo were foul balls-one can get much better from a can. At all costs avoid the coleslaw. It is just an excuse for someone to abuse a defenseless head of cabbage. The food is served cafeteria-style, but the wait is shortened by the great jukebox featuring various Cajun bands and Willie Nelson. (707 N Belt Line in Irving, 1 mile S of Rte 183. 255-8024. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2, Dinner Mon-Fri 5-10, Sat 11-10. Closed Sun. No reservations. No credit cards. $$)



D Revisits Celebration. This is the closest thing to a home-cooked meal you’re going to find in a Dallas restaurant. Entrees include old standbys like meat loaf, pot roast, baked chicken, and fresh trout. And the vegetables are served family style, along with a massive bowl of tossed green salad. The food has been consistently reliable on numerous visits. The only problem, however, is that most of Dallas knows about Celebration. Consequently, the crowds can be hectic, especially if you have to undergo the ordeal of being asked to wait next door in the Celebration leather shop until your name is called over a loud speaker. If you don’t have the patience for a half-hour wait, we suggest you either get there shortly after the place opens or try some of your own home cooking. (4503 W Lovers Ln. 351-5681. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2; Dinner: Mon-Sat 5:30-11, Sun 5-10. No reservations. MC, V, AE, $$)



Crawdaddy’s. What with the rough-cut wood interior and the ever-present noxious cedar air freshener, eating at Crawdaddy’s can feel like being trapped in a cedar closet. But if you can ignore that and the uneven service (the help ranges from superb to incompetent), you can get a terrific whole catfish dinner here. The catfish is moist and tasty and accompanied by the best, lightest hush puppies you’ll ever have. The beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar make a perfect finish. Every time we go to Crawdaddy’s, we try to order some form of crawfish, the place’s namesake, but the vagueness of crawfish season being what it is, we’ve never had any luck. But with catfish this good, who needs mud-bugs, anyway? (2674 McKinney. 748-2008. Mon-Thur 11; Fri 11-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-11. No reservations. AE, V, MC. $$)

Highland Park Cafeteria. HPC is the great equalizer of Dallas society; here, anyone can obtain the satisfaction of knowing he possesses what others desire-in this case, a place in the front of the serving line. This is no small feat-the line can at times be monumental, inspiring whopper tales to rival those of the most braggadocious of fishermen. HPC has broken the number one tenet of cafeterias- that food must be rendered either bland or soggy, preferably both, before serving. Salads are fresh and varied (try the chopped spinach salad or tomato aspic with homemade mayonnaise). The chicken-fried steak and fried chicken are complemented by fresh biscuits and homemade gravy. Vegetables are properly cooked, not steamed into compliance. A warm buttered zucchini muffin finishes the meal nicely, but HPC also bakes up quite a respectable buttermilk pie and good brownies. HPC’s food is not memorable, but it is consistent and sets the standard for cafeteria food in Dallas. (4611 Cole. 526-3801. Mon-Sat 11-8. Closed Sun. No liquor. Reservations. MC, Vat buffet and to-go lines only. $)

Lucy’s. Located in Chelsea Square, a down-at-heel arts and crafts shopping center, Lucy’s offers “Texan and Mexican cooking.” What this translates into is good Southern home-style offerings and passable Mexican food. Lucy’s chicken-fried steak is tender and tasty, and the accompanying vegetables include good, skins-on mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Pot roast is also tasty, if a little on the greasy side. Good corn bread and yeast rolls accompany all daily specials. The dessert choices are pasty, sodden apple or pecan pie. (3136 Routh. 742-5517. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30-2; Dinner: Wed Sat 6:30-10:30. MC, V, AE, DC. $)

Sonny Bryan’s. At Sonny Bryan’s the entire interior is color-coordinated to remind you that the room is a giant flue. Everything is the color of smoke: the walls, the floors, the windows, and the flies. You either have to sit on a plank bench or in your own car after you give your order to a humorless person who responds with “What initial?” as her only spoken words, leaving you to stand with a gang of fellow barbecue zealots waiting to hear your name called. You want it? Suffer for it. Any Sonny Bryan freak will fight you to the grease-stained floor in its defense as the greatest barbecue joint in town. The beef is excellent, with a generous serving at $1.80 per sandwich. The place is grimy, the clientele strange, the staff surly. But the beer is cold and the barbecue is at its earthy best. Just like the good ol’ days-1910 to be exact-says the barely visible sign, when the first Bryan barbecue was served up. Probably the same year they washed the windows. (2202 Inwood. 357-7120. Mon-Fri 7 am-5 pm, Sat 7 am-3 pm, Sun 11 am-2 pm. No reservations. No credit cards. $)



STEAKS, BURGERS, ETC.



Newcomer: Dalt’s. Even though a new restaurant or bar seems to open in Addison every day. it’s safe to say that Dalt’s is the best new Belt Line eatery to open in months. This is a formula restaurant (it’s owned by the same people who own TGI Friday’s), but it doesn’t look or feel like a formula restaurant. The burgers are big and juicy, as are some of the concoctions that come from the bar. The steak sandwich, at $3.75, affords the diner a chance to have a full meal and a beer for under $5. Dalt’s has some excellent malt shop offerings like shakes, sundaes, and sodas. (5100 Belt Line. 385-8606. Daily 11 am-2 am. MC, V, AE. $)



Hoffbra . Nestled in the center of the fern-bar belt, Hoffbrau is a welcome haven for the carnivore. We notice, with some delight, the absence of any healthy green stuff: No bizarre presentations of fried zucchini or the infamous fresh spinach salad, The Hoffbrau sits directly across from Highland Park Cafeteria. The parking is the worst, the atmosphere one of the best. Smacking of Austin, the interior offers rough-cut wood beams, neon beer signs, and Texana to the tenth power including stacks of long-neck boxes full of return deposit bottles. The menu touts a top-end price of $9 95 for a 24-ounce cut of meat as big as a hubcap and goes down to a chopped sirloin for $3.95. These dishes come with giant-cut steak fries and a no-nonsense salad. The steaks are pan-broiled in a lemon butter sauce that evades detection until you dip your sliced white bread in it. (3205 Knox at Cole. 559-2680. Mon-Fri 11-11, Sat noon-11, Sun 5-11. All credit cards. $$)

Kobe Steaks. This plush Japanese steak house offers combinations of steak, seafood, and/or chicken Beef is the featured attraction, and it is of the highest quality. Dinners come with delicious beef broth, a piquant shrimp appetizer, and smooth green tea as well as salad and rice. But the seating arrangements, with groups of diners around the surface where the cook chops and sautes, offer all the privacy of a bus station. (15000 Quorum Drive at Belt Line oft Dallas Pkwy, Suite 600. 934-8150. Sun-Thur 5-11, Fri & Sat till midnight. All credit cards. $$$)

Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The stunned looks on the faces of your fellow diners mean that they’ve opened the menu. The unprepossessing no-frills steak house appearance of Ruth’s make the prices an unexpected shock. The entrees (sirloin strip, filet, rib eye, and porterhouse) are $17 (and no cheaper at lunch). With that, you get bread. Period. No salad, no potato, no vegetable. Those will run you from $2.25 to $3.75 each. One keeps finding new financial affronts: You want Roquefort dressing? That will be another dollar. And this is to dress a characterless iceberg lettuce salad. The steaks, pan-broiled in butter, are good, but not good enough to justify the dent that a meal at Ruth’s will put in your bank balance. (6940 Greenville. 691-6940. Daily: 11:30-11:30. All credit cards. $$$)



FORT WORTH RESTAURANTS



Angelo’s. If Chrysler could turn out autos the way Angelo’s assembles and delivers lunch-hour sandwiches, there would be no need for a bail-out. The coordinator takes your order, dabs sauce on a bun, and spins the bun onto a precise spot in front of the cutter. The cutter loads the bun with juicy tender meat, crowns it. and passes it back to the coordinator, who wraps it without looking. The counter help hands you your sandwich, takes your money, and yells “large.” A 12-ounce frozen mug of draft Budweiser costs 70¢; an 18-ounce mug of the same costs 80¢. That’s why the counter keeps yelling “large.” There is no better barbecued beef in Fort Worth than at Angelo’s. And there are a couple of sleepers here, too, known only to the regulars. There hasn’t been a bargain around like the $1.20 hot link sandwich with sauce, pickles, and onions since the demise of the nickel Coke. And the chili (steaming in temperature but not seasoning) is the best west of Tolbert’s. (2533 White Settlement Rd. (817) 332-0357. Mon-Sat 11-10. Closed Sun. No reserva tions. No credit cards. $)

The Carriage House. This old standby offers a refreshing retreat from area steak houses that are big enough to accommodate basketball tournaments. The atmosphere in the two small crystal-laden dining rooms is not quiet, but it is relaxed nevertheless. The steaks are still the safest selections, and ours were prepared exactly as ordered. The tenderloin won best of show. The South African lobster tail was indeed large, as advertised, as was the price ($21.95), which was not advertised. Asparagus and broccoli were fresh, crisp, and boring, the kind we used to eat to obtain permission to leave the table. The sautéed mushroom appetizer was delicious, but the entry on the menu should have included a warning label alerting hungry diners that consumption of the item would involve only two bites. The brandy ice. a successful blend of brandy and ice cream, is a nice winder-upper, especially for those who have difficulty choosing between dessert and after-dinner drinks. (5136 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 732-2873. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-2; Dinner: Daily 6-11. Sun 6-10: Sun brunch: 11-2. Reservations. MC, V, AE. $$$)

Edelweiss. Edelweiss is a big. joyous beer hall with food. It’s ersatz Texas German food, but who cares? It sounds German and comes in portions large enough to please any aspiring Burgermeister And always, on the tiny center stage, is Bernd Schner-zinger, with an Alp-sized voice and the proper oom-pah backup. Hokey, no doubt, but Bernd is a charmer-he kissed seven ladies during one song while we were there. Of course, there are German wines and beers, and a cheese soup as thick as we’ve ever tasted. For entrées, we tried sausages in mushroom sauce and cordon bleu Kartoffein (schnitzel stuffed with ham and cheese), which is reputed to be the house specialty; it wasn’t sensational, although the potato pancakes spiced with onion made a tasty side dish. (3801-A Southwest Blvd. (817) 738-5934. Mon-Thur 5-10:30. Fri & Sat 5-11. Closed Sun. Reservations lor 10 or more. MC, V, DC. $$)

Reflections. The new Americana Hotel is trying hard to live up to its self-proclaimed world-class status. In our meanderings around the establishment, we have happened upon such pleasurable indulgences as complimentary crab claws and boiled shrimp during happy hour, and mixed nuts (with no peanuts) in the lobby bar. To finance these delicacies, the hotel seems to be relying upon Reflections, its main restaurant, where entrées begin at $18 and all but two of the appetizers at $9. The coquille bonne auberge, a mixture of lobster, scallops, shrimp, and mushrooms was tasteful, but we found the sauce (which had the consistency of mashed potatoes), to be somewhat distracting. The roast duckling was about as exciting as leftover turkey, and the peppercorn sauce did little to enhance it. But the filet de boeuf au poivre was a delight; the generous portions of beef were prepared precisely as ordered and enlivened by a remarkably successful marriage of cognac and pepper sauce. The accompanying snow peas-fresh, crisp, and mixed with mushrooms-were equally satisfying. The cream of asparagus was clearly the cream of the crop among the soups. And when all is said and done, save room for desserts; don’t miss the fresh blueberries flown in from France and buried in whipped cream. The focal point of the dining room is a pool with glistening mosaic tiles covered by two inches of water. The waiters get a real charge out of the occasional “sophisticated” diner who mistakes it for a dance floor. (Americana Hotei. 200 Main. (817) 870-1000. Lunch: Daily 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Mon-Sat 6-11. Closed Sun. All credit cards. $$$)

Newcomer: River House. This welcome spot (even if it does rest irreverently on the grave of what was once Carlson’s) should considerably lessen the pain in a city aching for reasonably priced, yet digestible, seafood. But the pain may return in an hour, since the servings are less than heaping. Every kind of seafood served here can be purchased at the in-house fish market, but we dare you to fry it as lightly. The seafood platter was a delightful sampling of shrimp, oysters, fish, and deviled crab; and the assortment of Shore Dinners, which include an ap-

petizer, salad, entree, drink, and dessert (try the Key Lime Pie) are a worthy catch. But the fish filets bore a distinct resemblance to the kind of fish sticks you keep hidden in the back of your freezer, and the potatoes au gratin weren’t even that good. The service was friendly and efficient. (1660 University. (817)3360815. Mon-Sat 11-10. MC, V, AE. $$)



Szechuan. Some like it hot, but Szechuan likes it hotter. The local Hunan/Szechuan boom has led to some inevitable backsliding in seasoning, as some restaurants slip in a pinch of Lawry’s seasoning salt to appease the more delicate American palate. Not so at Szechuan, where “hot and spicy” means exactly what it says. Our chicken with garlic sauce and snredded beef Szechuan style arrived smoking and superbly prepared. The Szechuan lamb was equally good, and even the broccoli in oyster sauce, ordinarily a fairly bland dish, had a little extra zip. Even though Szechuan has a large menu, the chef is able to accommodate individual preferences without difficulty. If you want moo shi chicken rather than pork, or a bit more Szechuan pickle in your sautéed green beans, just ask. (5712 Locke Ave, oft Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 738-7300. Mon-Thur 11:30-10, Fri & Sat till 11, Sun 5-10. Reservations for 5 or more. MC, V, AE. $$)

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