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Restaurants & BARS

By D Magazine |

TASTING THE TOWN

Stellar Starters



Backed into a corner, any chef will tell you that there’s no such thing as a totally new culinary creation, only fresh twists on dishes devised and revised in various cuisines. Where creativity comes in is how well the revision plays off the original, via adaptations tempered with the chef’s own wit and signature style. For some reason, the most exciting examples of both are usually found in a menu’s appetizer listings, rather than its entrees. Some of the star stanters listed here are more adventurous than others, but all offer a departure from the commonplace.

Cayuse. Those same sophisticates who brought us Eduardo’s Aca y Alla are translating Bubba grub into Urban Cou boy fare in this new eatery Chow down, for example, on Mile High Cheddar Cheese biscuits-fluffy, golden splits topped with whiskey-smoked turkey strips under flaw ess cream gravy and a melt of Cheddar. $5.95. 3211 Oak Lawn, 521-0114.

The Chimney. Not an innovation for sure, but with every Italian food depot in town trotting out the air-cured ham prosciutto, why not try the beef version instead? Produced in the mountains of Switzerland, Bündnerfleisch is razored paper-thin and presented with melons, cornichons and toast points. $8.25. 9739 N. Central Expwy., 369-6466.

Going Gourmet. Everything that comes out of this kitchen bears a distinctively innovative stamp. The mussels, briefly steamed in a tomato-kissed sauce of olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme and basil and then heaped in a huge bowl, are but one delectable case in point. $4,95. 4345 W. Northwest Hwy., 351 -6773.

Juniper. You’ve no doubt had snails-in the shell, on puff pastry, in little dimpled plates. Introduce yourself now to chef Christian Gerber’s intriguing combination; he ladles the tender little morsels, sauced in red wine, on a crisp bed of oven-gilded Anna potatoes for a combination as interesting in texture as in taste. $8.50. 2917 Fairmount, 855-0700.

San Telmo. A recent arrival on the tapas scene, this Mediterranean enclave presents polenta in a guise as distant from the usual as can be imagined. Cooked to the consistency of a thick soup, the smooth, golden corn meal arrives in a fresh ring of tomato sauce to be spooned from its shallow soup bowl. $3.25. 5617 W. Lovers Lane, 351-4268.

Sfuzzi. You’re feeling ennui over too many encounters with eggplant, current darling of the vegetable world, smooth out your psyche with Sfuzzi’s healthy starter-a lateral slice of the mild veg, grilled, stacked with fresh tomato, ornamented with a basil leaf and garnished with pesto and smoked mozzarella on a sparkle of lively tomato sauce. $4.50. 2504 McKinney Ave., 871-2606. -Betty Cook

ON THE ROAD

A Banquet for the Senses

All through the gray days of winter, you promised yourself you’d find time to stop and smell the flowers-but where and when do you do it? How about the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, where The Gardens, a tearoom-style restaurant, has recently opened to satisfy bodily hunger as well as that of the spring-seeking soul? Tucked into a forested hillside. The Gardens occupies gracious quarters from which to witness the verdant explosion of spring. The most delicious aspect of lunching here is visiting the Fragrance Garden in the building’s adjoining tiled courtyard- and did we say smell the flowers? You’ve only to wave your hand to stir a symphony of scents ranging from blossoming shrubs and vines to herbal essences. The food side of this banquet for the senses ranges from soups and sandwiches to quiches, salads and a daily hot-dish special. Even with wine, coffee and dessert, you’d have trou ble spending a whole S10 bill. Catering is by Robert’s, a Southwestern restaurant near the park; aromas are by nature. Take 1-30 to University Drive, head north to the stone-pillared entrance on your left. The Gardens, 3220 Rock Springs Road in the Botanic Garden at 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., 1-817-731-2547. -B.C.

BARS Gone Fishin’

When we phoned Naomi’s Lounge to ask manager Cairo] Collyer about the annual spring catfish fry, he was out fishing. So, the next day. we called back. Would Naomi’s fish fry be in April, we asked, held out in back on the picnic tables, as always? Maybe, he said. It depends on whether we catch any fish. Naomi’s annual spring fish fry is a much anticipated event for regulars-it’s free, first of all, and comes with all the fixin’s. A live band usually plays, too. But even without the fish fry it’s easy to get hooked on Naomi’s, a small Texas oasis smack-dab in the middle of Deep Ellum. The beer’s cold. there’s a pool table and pinball machine. Palsy Cline’s on the jukebox, and maybe, just maybe, Carrol will have had some luck with the catfish. Naomi’s Lounge, 3001 Canton, 741-0666. -Ellise Pierce

New Restaurants

Northern Comfort

ST. MICHAEL’S ALLEY Like a lot of other new restaurants opening these days, this new North Dallas eat-and-drinkerie has trouble defining itself. An early publicity sheet pronounced the comfortable, laid-back place “not a neighborhood bar and grill,” then three paragraphs later quoted creator Mark Ludwig as saying, “North Dallas lacks a bar that patrons can call their own-H>ur plan is to create a genuine neighborhood feeling.”

All rightie. If memory serves, Ludwig’s former venue, Gershwin’s, started out slinging buzzwords around too but later found its identity. Where the press release finally get* down to reality, though, is in its mention of great food with value for the dollar spent. And mat, folks, is the honest truth-provided you sit down to dine before chef Abraham Castillo (formerly of City Cafe! goes home for the night (more about that later).

I’ve had $50 dinners that were less memorable than the one I had on my first visit here. A house salad sang with flavor in an eggless Caesar dressing. A day’s-special entree, two generous beef fillets, fork-tender in a garlicky scallion-kissed jus, was perfectly prepared, rare as ordered. Chocolate suicide, one of the menu’s two desserts, wasn’t as exciting as it sounded, but the several strata of different chocolate textures were satisfying enough.

That was solo. A return trip with a companion proved less thrilling; apparently thinking serious diners were unlikely to arrive after 8 or so, the chef had left at 9, and whoever remained in the kitchen was not equal to the task. Sauteed baby crab cakes were crisp-edged perfection in a creamy mustard sauce, and an order of house-made potato chips were top-notch, golden and crunchy. My companion’s day’s-special baby lamb chops would have been glorious if they had not been tragically overcooked and bathed in a dark, lusty sauce whose origins were lost in saltiness-apparently the sauce had been reduced since seasoning. My own entree was a total loser: Instead of the regular menu’s grilled Norwegian salmon fillet in cucumber dill sauce that I’d ordered, I was served a whole baby coho that was split, grilled and beautifully presented-and so full of tiny bone needles I only managed to rescue three or four succulent bites before tiring of the contest. The moral here, of course, is to make sure the chefs in-house at the same time you are. Service was terrific, warmly professional, and St. Michael’s split-level eclectic decor, with a nice little coin-op pool table and dart board in the lowest corner, does offer a suitable setting for neighborhood hanging out. Valley View Square, LBJ and Preston (northeast quadrant). 980-4567. Sun-Thur. 11lt; Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight. AE, MC, V, OS. Inexpensive. -Betty Cook

Wicket Wonderland

BOMBAY CRICKET CLUB The new best Indian restaurant in town is brought to us by the owners of India Palace, which previously held the title; its menu expands on the list of classic dishes that India Palace taught Dallas to love. At their new restaurant, the owners seem to want to teach us to love cricket as well.

The game of cricket is a mystery to those of us born and raised watching baseball and football, and frankly, the paragraphs on die front of the menu at the Bombay Cricket Club do nothing to clear it up. Since it’s practically un-American to understand cricket anyway. I flipped right past the explanation to the much more interesting menu.

The old house (which was previously Acapella restaurant) is charmingly bare, with gauze curtains at the windows, pale peach walls and polished wood floors. Fresh flowers adorn each of the starchy white-clothed tables, and Indian music provides a soothing background for conversation. “Cricketobilia” predictably provides most of the restaurant’s ornamentation.

Back to the menu–this has a much wider range of dishes than is offered at any other Indian restaurant in town, though the food on our assorted-appetizers plate was all familiar. Each little indentation in the round, wood tray held a morsel, and there was a Stemo grill in the middle so you could warm each item before you ate it, though most of the food was sufficiently hot already. Samosas, the triangular Indian pastry snack, were filled with coriander-seasoned peas and potatoes or ground lamb. Pakoras (vegetable fritters), onion bhaji (savory fried patties of chickpea and onion), and seekh kebab, little skewers of spicy house-made lamb sausage, were all superior.

A whole section of the menu is devoted to “Indian nouvelle” cuisine, an unfortunate term for food cooked (and served) in a kadhai. or Indian wok. Gosht bhuna, a fiery lamb stew with strips of soft onion, sweet red and green pepper and tomatoes in a thick chili curry gravy, was wonderful over the nearly sweet basmati rice. On another visit, the chicken tikka bhuna was equally searing and satisfying.

Cold chicken chat, a saladlike mixture of cubed chicken, potatoes and cucumbers seasoned with cumin and ordered as an appetizer, provided welcome relief from the chili heat, as did a salad of evenly chopped iceberg, tomato and shredded carrot with tangy raita (yogurt) dressing. We were tempted by the whole baby goat and the lamb leg cooked in the tandoor, but for the first dish the kitchen needs advance notice and for the second the table needs a larger appetite. We ordered a whole lamb shank marinated in yogurt that was roasted rosy-rare and was meltingly tender. We also ordered the tandoori mixed grill, a generous platter of succulent bright red shrimp, chicken and lamb. On another visit we tried the quartet of lamb chops, cooked medium rare and covered with a hot curry and tomato sauce, and the navratten biryani, a rice pilaf cooked with assorted vegetables and dried fruits and topped with nuts. Breads are always a high point of an Indian meal, and all the breads we tried over the course of several visits were excellent-whole-wheat paratha, onion kulcha, puffy fried puri and naan.

Confusing as it is, cricket is not half as mysterious to me as Indian desserts are, most of which seem to have been created with the toothless in mind. One dining companion did try the rice pudding and, though it tasted like flowers, he liked it after he reached the part with the raisins and almonds.

Service was friendly and meticulous, and we were told that, if you’re interested, you can watch cricket matches in the summer out on the grounds of The Hockaday School on Forest Lane. 2508 Maple. 871-1333. Lunch, Mon.-Fri. U-2, Sat. and Sun. 11:30-2:30; dinner, Mon.-Thur. 5:30-10, Fri. and Sat. 5:30-10:30. All credit cards. Moderate. -Mary Brown Malouj



Swimming Angels and Crispy Noodles

ROYAL THAI A host of small, mom-and-pop type restaurants have solidly established Thai food as a Dallas staple; Royal Thai takes this cuisine up a tier into the category of special-occasion places. Although it’s inexpensive enough to eat here fairly often, Royal Thai is by far the prettiest Thai restaurant in Dallas, with its aubergine walls, gilded carvings and Thai art. and the service and food are so impressive that a dinner is an exceptional treat.

The menu is not pages long, like some Thai and Chinese menus; it is select. There are the expected curries and the traditional mee grab, a sweet dish of crispy noodles. But there are also some dishes I hadn’t tried-who could resist anything with a name as lovely as “Royal Thai swimming angel”?

We couldn’t, but we started first with gai ho bai long, boneless chicken pieces marinated and quickly fried, then wrapped into triangular green banana leaf bundles. The tender chunks of meat were perfumed with lemon grass and had a hint of heat, offset by the sweet sauce offered with them. Satay of yellow marinated pork and chicken strips were really just vehicles for me peanut sauce that had a balance of richness, spice, sweet and salt that made you want to eat it on anything.

Thai soups are always extraordinary; The soup ce lied torn kha gai combined the scents and flavors of woodsy whole mushrooms, crisp green onions, sweet coconut milk and poached white chicken chunks with a lingering chili heat.

We ordered panang, a red curry with pork and chicken in a sauce made from green curry paste. It was fiery, though its spice was balanced by aromatic basil. Slices of bamboo shoot added crunch to the gaeng morakot (green curry). But phad kaprow, a chili stir-fry of beef with basil and garlic was almost too hot to eat (though 1 had been gently warned by our waitress), The “swimming angel” turned out to be tender sauteed chicken resting on a bed of spinach topped with hot peanut sauce. Goong op, a little clay pot packed with a gastronomic “dig”-layers of browned silver noodles, roasted mushrooms, vegetables and shrimp-had been baked before it was presented at the table.

Service was smoothly gracious, and food presentation was outstanding. The serene surroundings and superior food make Thai 3.oyaI a small, polished gem. .5500 Greer ville Ave., # 802 in Old Town. 691-3555. Lunch, Mon.-Fri. 11:30-2:30; dinner, Sun -Thurs. 5:30-10, Fri. and Sat. 5:30-11. Al ’ credit cards. Moderate.

-M.B.M.



All in the Family

BYBLOS The garish signs painted like a grocery promotion on the glass windows of the Main Street storefront make Byblos impossible to miss. When we heard that a brother of the Hedary clan (owners of one of the best restaurants in Fort Worth) had moved out to North Main and opened his own establishment, we could hardly wait to get to Fort Worth to check it out.

Beyond the bold exterior, the atmosphere is a little like a Deep Ellum restaurant, with high ceilings, exposed brick walls and, behind the long bar, an open kitchen with a wall oven where pita puffed and swelled.

A maza platter is always a good introduction to Lebanese basics-it’s not a platter at all, of course, but a dozen or so small dishes filled with Mediterranean tastes of all kinds: the garlicky puree of chickpeas called hummus; bulghur wheat and parsley tabbouleh; olives; and mashed eggplant are typical offerings. Byblos’ version of these were typical, too-fine, but without the vividness of the best Lebanese food.

Cabbage rolls, stuffed with ground meat and rice, are generally a comforting kind of food; these were also too bland to be really good. A better choice was the sandwich of tender roast lamb chunks wrapped in soft pita. The Lebanese “pizza,” a round of soft dough topped with ground lamb, tomatoes and pine nuts, had a good flavor, though die tomatoes were too watery and made die crust soggy. But the spinach pies were delicious little turnovers filled with a lemony mixture of spinach and onions.

Though the food was not as exciting as the food we’re used to at Hedary’s, I’m looking forward to returning to Byblos, because if I know anything about family rivalry I expect it will get better. 1406 North Main. (817) 625-9667. Lunch, Mon.- Sat. 11-2; dinner, Mon.-Thurs. 5-/0, Fri. and Sat. 5-7/. AH credit cards. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M.



More Kidstuff

SLIDER AND BLUES The original Slider and Blues on Hillcrest off Northwest Highway was started by Andy Stasio in 1990 and named, legend has it, for a pair of beloved hunting dogs. It was also among die first eateries to zero in on die boomers-with-children trade, offering a roomful of games to keep kids occupied while grownups relaxed.

Comes now a second Slider and Blues, this one run by Mardi Schma, whose City Cafe is a Park Cities pace-setter. Schma launched this one with her five sons and daughters; son Peter is manager.

The menu, identical to the original’s, is a broad spread of snacks, salads, sandwiches and burgers, as well as pizza, casual entrees, desserts and an extensive list of beers and wines-all modestly priced.

Unfortunately several dishes we tried struck us as not quite ready for prime time. A starter of curly fries, for instance, had evidently been cooked long before we ordered them-served room temperature, they had gone leathery, Jalapenos, stuffed with cream cheese, were crunchily battered and fried but each nugget held only half a jalapeno, a skimp that not only downplayed the pepper flavor but seemed unnecessarily stingy. Popcorn shrimp, in the same batter, were fresh, button-sized bites that went nicely with the provided ranch and marinara dips.

Entree-wise, the spread was extreme. A hamburger was flawless-a great, juicy patty on a sesame bun with a standard build of fresh fixings. Light pizza-billed with ricotta, mozzarella, breast of chicken and tomato-held the least possible visible amounts of all said toppings on the thinnest, crisp-cracker-like crust I’ve ever encountered, Lasagna, layered with Italian sausage, beef and me same cheeses and tomato sauce, was bland and rather sweet; a Philadelphia steak sandwich was thinly filled with very well-done roast beef, barely warm, with cheese and chopped peppers on a good torpedo roll.

To be fair, the food’s failings probably owed much to the way it was served: Appetizers and entrees arrived all at once, which was not the best way to enjoy them. Our server’s absent-mindedness may have been brought on by the fact that his attention was focused on another table of teenage friends. And with the TV above the bar tuned to a basketball game, sound and all, and the corner jukebox turned to full blast by the teens, it was obvious that the padded ceiling above the roof’s beams offered little protection from noise.

Meanwhile, our desserts were scrumptious. An ice cream sandwich was good vanilla between two crisp, homemade cookies, caramel-sauced; a hot fudge sundae was liberally ladled with rich fudge under whipped cream, nuts and a cherry; peach cobbler was homey and thoroughly infused with fruity flavor. 18110 Midway at Frankford (southeast corner). 732-6363. Sun. 11-10, Mon.-Thur. 11-11, Fri-Sat. 11-midnight. DS, MC, V, DC. Inexpensive.

-B.C.



Captain Ahab, I Presume?

MOBY GREAT SEAFOOD & GRILLE If something’s missing from this restaurant’s title, certainly nothing is from its decor-the vast, not unattractive space that formerly housed Forbidden City in Travis Walk is accented with everything from Fishing rods and nets to tongue-in-cheek traffic signs; there’s even one while wall on which a succession of paintings (impressionist, cubist, you name it) is projected from a tireless, ceiling-hung slide projector.

Ah, well, the overall effect is as cheerful as the service; and if the setting offers a little something for everybody, so does the menu, which features steaks and chicken dishes, as well as the emphasized seafood, at extremely modest prices.

Highlight of our first visit was seafood gumbo that was a medley of well-seasoned taste treasures-white and wild rice. shrimp, tender tuna chunks and many vegetables. Steamed mussels, however, were totally unseasoned, apparently having had nothing added to the plain water in which they were slightly overcooked.

The kitchen’s tendency to overcook showed itself in entrees, too. Grilled tuna salad mounted a splendid tuna steak on enough chopped lettuce to stuff a pillow; the salad was saved by sliced cucumber, carrot and plum tomatoes circling its rim, but the poor tuna was bone-dry. Ditto another visit’s order of lobster tails, twin curls broiled atop their own shells; only the bits tucked inside the shells held the moist succulence we anticipated, and drawn butter was not enough to mask their dryness,

Fish steaks and fillets can be ordered grilled, blackened or in the restaurant’s own style, lightly battered and sauteed in a spicy sauce. A fillet of swordfish done in the house fashion came liberally studded with those dangerous little red peppers Asian chefs use for special torture-our waitress warned us to scrape them off-but the sweet-sour sauce they seasoned was only pleasantly piquant. The batter was rather too thickly applied, but the fish itself was sweet, tenderly juicy and undeniably fresh. A salmon steak ordered on a second visit, with the request that the batter be kept thin as promised, was even better; the rosy fish flesh was delectable on its flavor-laden bones, the batter a mere breath of crispness.

A handful of by-the-glass wines are offered (Sebastiani is the house label), but the beverage emphasis is on beer-a dozen or so are available. 4514 Travis, Suite 201 (upstairs) in Travis Walk. 522-6797. Sun. 11:30-10, Mon.-Thur. 11-10, Fri. 11-11, Sat. 11:30-11, All credit cards. Inexpen sive. -B.C.



D Revisits



BARBECUE

D REVISITS- Peggy Sue Barbecue. There’s no ordinance that requires Park Cities restaurants to provide a non -smoking area-which nearly turned a recent night out into a takeout dinner. I’m not a militant anti-smoker, but 1 do want a choice and we happened to be seated in a booth with smokestacks on both sides!-the tobacco fumes nearly drowned out the aroma of wood smoke. After many apologies from our waitress and some debate, we decided to stick it out, and our neighbors finally snuffed out their cigs so we could enjoy the wonderful barbecue quesadillas, better-than-average chopped beef sandwich with thin McDonald-style french fries, and half a smoked chicken. The accompaniment- fresh spinach -and finale-fried pies-were the highlights of the meal, as they often are at Peggy Sue’s, which always brings up for debate the restaurant’s status as an authentic ’cue joint. 6600 Snider Plaza. 98 ’-9188. MC, V. Moderate. -M.B.M.



CHINESE

D REVISITS Central China. The big banner reading “Chinese Pizza” inspired this revisit to an eld Dallas standard. This used to be one of the mainstays for Chinese food before there was much of it in Dallas One of its draws, as I recall, was that the kitchen stayed open very late. (Those were the days.) I succumbed to nostalgia and ordered one of my favorite combination plates from old times- shrimp and pork Hunan-style. The strips of pork and tiny shrimp with different, but equally spicy sauces are mounded at opposite ends of the plate. 1 coupled this with an order of the Szechuan string beans-slightly blistered and tossed with bits of salty ground pork, they’re delicious and would make a good lunch by themselves. Don’t skip the special tea or filtered coffee after dinner. 330 Medallion Center. 363-7428. V, MC. AE. Moder ate. -M.B.M.



FRENCH

D REVISIT S L’Ancestral. Classic is the key word for everything here, from food to service. An appetizer of tender leeks in zippy vinaigrette was a rediscovery of subtle nuance; snails sauteed in garlic and cogna :, bathed in cream sauce, were held in a puff pastry light enough to have floated off the plate if the meaty little morsels hadn’t held it down. Asparagus S( up was the very essence of the vegetable, pureed in healthful seasoned stock rather than cream; i small house salad was all innocent elegance, immaculate baby lettuce bathed in herb-flecked vinaigrette. Crisped sweetbreads with mushrooms in cream sauce were superbly rich without being heavy: a day’s-special lamb tenderloin in mini s luce was meltingly tender and would have been perfection if the sauce hadn’t been over-salted (how such a careful kitchen could send the dish oui untasted remains a mystery). Flourless chocolate truffle cake was lovely, but star dessert billing had to go to a celestially simple floating island, the pillowy wedge of poached meringue lightly drizzled with dark caramel on mellow creme anglaise. 4514 Travis. 528-1081. All credit cards. Moderate. -B.C.



HOME COOKING

D REVISITS Gennie’s Bishop Grill. It hurts my face to shape my mouth around these words, but I’m afraid Gennie’s just isn’t quite Gennie’s any more. Not that the menu’s changed, but the vol ume has-at least doubling, I’d guess, since the move across North Bishop to larger, slicker quar ters. Inevitably, perhaps, the hands-on uniqueness that distinguished Bishop Grill dishes in its tiny for mer home was missing in those we tried on a recent visit. The chicken-fried steak and high-rise yeast rolls that used to summon the faithful, sirenlike, from all over Dallas lacked, respectively, the hand- breaded crispness and hand-kneaded substance I remembered; the steak was a thin, tenderized cut, not crisp at all under too-brown cream gravy, and the rolls were airy and ordinary. My plate’s mashed potatoes were almost as runny as the gravy, and boiled okra had a metallic, peppery taste. My com panion’s beef tips were better, nicely seasoned and tender-simmered, and his steamed kale and pinto beans were as fine as everything used to be. Desserts looked delectable, hut my blueberry cream pie, which possessed an indefinable hint of liqueur, must not have been the best choice, and a miniloaf of banana nut bread was rather dry. Cafeteria-style service was so brusquely hurried that one hardly had time to make choices before meat and vegeta bles were glopped untidily on the plates-this despite the fact that we arrived after the early lunch rush and had few people in line behind us. The slick-topped tables were mostly full, though, so maybe we just happened to pick the wrong day. I hope so. 321 N. Bishop. 946-1752. No credit cards. Inexpensive. -B.C.



ITALIAN

D REVISITS Osteria da Monro, The moral of this story is that small changes can make a world of difference. Following up on colleagues’ reports that service in this priciest of Monro’s restaurants was indifferent if not actually arrogant, we went braced for rebuff and found instead warm accom modation at every turn. No one had ever suggested that the food here was less than fine; gilded by an attentive wait staff’s skilled pacing and patient counsel, our review visit became a glowing dining experience. To be sure, Insalata di Mare came with a warm, spicy tomato sauce rather than the menu- mentioned olive oil, lemon and parsley, but the heady lot of seafoods it bathed-mussels, shrimp, octopus and calamari-took to it gracefully. Insala ta alia Momo mixed sweet lobster with tart palm hearts on tender Boston lettuce leaves, and threw in petals of incredibly silken smoked salmon for hap py good measure. Angel hair pasta was the soul of lightness in a pesto sauce of basil, garlic, pine nuts and grated Romano cheese. Riz in Cagnon was risotto to remember, sauteed in butter with nutty fontina cheese under a quartet of cigar-shaped rolls of thin-sliced roast pork. A day’s-special lamb dish held four baby chops, not as rare as we’d ordered, but beautifully flavored in a tangy, tomato-olive-ca per sauce. Chocolate ice cream and a house-made liqueur called VOV topped die meal nicely, as did just-made zabione (Marsalla wine custard), warm and frothy, a definitive version of die Italian classic. 2704 Elm 748-4222. MC, V. AE. DC. DS. Mod erate. -B.C.



MEXICAN

D REVISITS Primo’s. The entryway was jammed and the bar was three deep in customers,. so we were not optimistic about getting a quick table for four on a recent Thursday night. But the host waved us on through the crowd-evidently, this was a not-yet-ready-to-dine margarita mob. The main dining room would have been uncomfort ably loud, but the annex was quiet. Botanas at Primo’s have always been the best, and they didn’t disappoint this time. From the golden-fried jalapenos to the tiny fried tacos and creamy gua- camole, this is a sampler worth savoring-really a meal for two in itself. As always, the list of extra specials on the blackboard (numbers 6 through 10) was appealing-chicken enchiladas stuffed with big pieces of white meat, house-made tamales smothered under thick chili and fajita tacos were all good choices. 3309 McKinney. 520-3303. AE. MC, V, DC. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M.



NATURAL

D REVISITS Agnew’s Natural Grill. I made this review visit expecting nothing more than healthy food, competently prepared. What 1 didn’t expect was to be blown away by a dining experi ence I’d be happy to repeat at least once a week for a year or so-food, sunny service and relaxed ambiance were all that good. Agnew’s new chef. Christian Michael Ekiss, formerly sous chef at Hof- stetter’s. can claim much of the credit for dishes that transcended the restaurant’s minimum-fat-and- cholesterol rule to achieve near-ambrosial distinc tion. Even the herbed hummus served instead of butter with olive oil-brushed grilled bread was fla vorful, and starters were outstanding; crab cakes, smooth-textured and for once shell-free, were robustly sauced with tomato, garlic and capers; a quail, grilled to crisp succulence, came on a delectable bed of braised fresh spinach. The fat-free soup of the day, a garlic com chowder, held bits of carrot and other vegetables in delicate broth, and a mixed green salad with carrot curls, seeded cucum ber slices and tomato wedges shone in a garlicky Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Pork tenderloin-two super-lean slices, tender and juicy-came in a deep-flavored wine-dark sauce. Lovely as they were, they played second fiddle to a day’s-special creation involving two thick, pearly cuts of escolar (a deep-sea fish) bedded on braised mushrooms and leeks; the flavor combination was sheer poetry. Fat-free (you’d never know it) mocha cake with tart raspberry passion sauce shared dessert honors with pineapple-carrot cake, both under a berry-crowned whipped topping 1 thought broke the house no- cream rule, until 1 learned it was soy-based. You could have fooled me-it was terrific. 3011 Routh. 720-3900. V, MC. AE. Moderate. -B.C.

STEAK

D REVISITS The Palm. 1 always have lots of questions in my mind when I eat at The Palm. His tory and die menu tell us that the original Palm in New York was a favorite hangout for members of the press. So I wonder-why did those guys hang out at a restaurant that features $20 steaks? Did journalists used to make a whole lot more than they do now? Or what? Our waiter stares out at the wall of caricatures as he recites the specials, my gaze follows his and I wonder-who are all these people on the wall? I also wonder whether anyone has ever finished an order of fried onions at The Palm and why the waiter didn’t tell me it was enough to feed four when [ordered it and why they don’t just serve me a fourth the amount for a fourth the cost-that would be the correct amount of onions for 75 cents. Well. 1 did stop wondering enough to enjoy the New York strip, which is why 1 came here, anyway. Thick, rare, lightly salted, it’s as good as beef gets. The 2-inch thick lamb chops were great, too, and the chocolate mousse pie rounded out the retro menu. 701 Ross Ave. 698-0470. AE, CB. DC, MC. V. Expensive. -M.B.M.

FORT WORTH

D REVISITS Kincaid’s. A recent visit found Kincaid’s gussied up with fresh paint, expanded parking, even rows of sit-down tables added up front to mark the place as an out-and-out restaurant. Not to worry, though-the old magazine-strewn stand-up counters still stretch the length of grocery’ display shelves (which now appear to hold only restaurant-related supplies), the faithful still stand in line to place orders, pick up their own soft drinks and settle up at the cashier’s station. And the food, thank God, is as ambrosial as ever, the beefy burg ers huge, juicy and cooked to order, the potato salad a homespun triumph of crunchy pickles and onions complementing smooth diced potato, the banana pudding freshly made so that vanilla wafers and slices of the fruit hold their textures and tastes. 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fori Worth. (817) 732-2881. No credit cards. Inexpensive. -B.C.



D Recommends



BARBECUE

Arnold’s Texas Barbecue. 601 N. Haskell. 826-1234. Inexpensive.

Baker’s Ritas. 2724 Commerce. 748-5433. Inexpensive.

Billy Blues Barbecue & Grill. 2020 N. Lamar at McKinney. 871-0661. Inexpensive to moderate.

Riscky’s. 1701 N. Market. Suite 104. 742-7001. Inexpensive.

RJ.’S Sho-Nuf. 3910 Maple Ave. 528-5230. Inexpensive.

Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse. 2202 Inwood. 357-7120. 302 N. Market. 744-1610. Inexpensive.



BRITISH

Jennivine. 3605 McKinney Ave. 528-6010. Inexpensive to moderate.

Outback Pub. 1701 N. Market, Suite 105. 761-9355. Inexpensive.



BURGERS

Allen Street Bar & Grill. 2900 McKinney Ave. 871-0256. Inexpensive to moderate.

Balls Hamburgers. 3404 Rankin in Snider Plaza. 373-1717. 4343 W. Northwest Hwy. 352-2525. Inexpensive.

The Bis One. 4544 McKinney Ave. 528-4578. Inexpensive.

Chip’s. 4501 N. Central Expwy. 526-1092. Inexpensive.

Daytona’s Grill and Bar. 7402 Greenville Ave. 890-7588. Inexpensive.

ET’s. 6833 W. Northwest Hwy. 750-6677. Inexpensive.

8.0. 2800 Routh St. 979-0880. Inexpensive.

Gold Rush Cafe. 1913 Skillman Ave. 823-6923. Inexpensive.

The Green Elephant Bar and Grill. 5612 Yale. 750-6625. Inexpensive.

Hard Rock Cafe. 2601 McKinney Ave. 855-0007. Moderate.

Prince of Hamburgers. 5200 Lemmon Ave. 526-9081. Inexpensive.

Snuffers. 3526 Greenville Ave. 826-6850. 14910 Midway, Addison. 991-8811. Inexpensive.

Starlight Diner. 2715 Elm. 747-STAR. Inexpensive.

State. 3611 Parry Ave. 821-9246. Inexpensive.

Texas Hamburgers. 1606 Market Center Blvd. 747-2222. Inexpensive.



CAJUN

Atchafalaya River Cafe. 4440 Beit Line, Addison. 960-6878. Moderate.

Cafe Margaux. 4527 Travis. 520-1985. Moderate.

Crescent City Cafe. 2730 Commerce. 745-1900. Inexpensive.

Dodie’s Seafood Cafe. 2129 Greenville Ave. 821-8890. Inexpensive.

Louisiana Purchase. 2901 N. Central Expwy., Suite 101, Piano. 423-0533. Inexpensive to moderate.

Nate’s Seafood & Steakhouse. 14951 Mid way Road, Addison. 701-9622. Moderate.

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. 3520 Oak Lawn. 521 -4700. Moderate to expensive.

Tchoupitoulas. 3301 McKinney Ave. 953-3083. Moderate.



CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICAN

Gloria’s Restaurant. 600 W. Davis. 948-3672. 9386 LBJ Frwy, at Abrams. 690-0622. Inexpensive.



CHINESE

August Moon. 15030 Preston at Belt Line. 385-7227. 2300 N. Central Expwy.. Piano. 881-0071. Moderate.

Cafe Panda. 7979 Inwood, Suite 121. 902-9500. Moderate.

Canton Chinese Restaurant. 400 N. Greenville Ave.. Suite 25, Richardson. 238-1863. Inexpensive.

Cathy’s Wok. 40I0W. 15th, Piano. 964-0406. Inexpensive.

Chu’s Restaurant. 15080 Beltway, Addison. 387-1776. Moderate.

Crystal Pagoda. 4516 McKinney Ave. 526-3355. Moderate.

Far East. 4830 Greenville Ave. 373-6041. Inexpensive.

First Chinese Barbecue. Ill S.Greenville Ave.. Richardson. 680-8216. Inexpensive.

General China. 1920 Skillman. 827-3688. Inexpensive.

Henry Chen’s. 3701 W. Northwest Hwy. 956-9560. Mode rale.

Hong Kong Royale. 221 W. Polk. Suite 200 Richardson. 238-8888. Moderate to expensive.

Hunan Restaurant. 5214 Greenville Ave. 369-4578. Inexpensive to moderate.

Lovers Eggroll. 5360 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 205. 358-1318. Inexpensive.

May Dragon. 4848 Belt Line at Inwood. 392-9998. Moderate.

Restaurant Jasmine. 4002 Belt Line, Suite 200. Addison. 991-6867. Moderate.

Szechwan Pavilion. 8411 Preston. 368-4303. 1152 N. Buckner, Suite 128. Casa Linda Plaza. 321 -7599. Moderate.

Taiwan Restaurant. 4980 Belt Line, Addison. 387-2333. Inexpensive to moderate.

Tasty China. 3512 W. Walnut, Garland. 276-1999. Inexpensive.

Texas lade. 3227 McKinney Ave. 871-8898. Moderate.

Tong’s House. 1910 Promenade Center, Richardson. 231-8858. Moderate.

Uncle Tai’s. 13350 Dallas Pkwy., in the Galleria. 934-9998. Expensive.

Young Shing. 3701 W. Walnut St.. Garland. 487-1188. Inexpensive.

ETHIOPIAN Dal lui. 2515 Inwood. 353-0804. Inexpensive to moderate.

River Nile. 7001 Fair Oaks. 363-1128. Inexpensive to moderate.

FRENCH/CONTINENTAL

Addison Cafe. 5290 Bell Line, Suite 108.991-8824. Moderate to expensive.

Chez Gerard. 4444 McKinney Ave. 522-6865. Moderate to expensive.

Clair de Lune. 5934 Royal Lane, Suite 120. 987-2028. Moderate to expensive.

Ewald’s. Stoneleigh Hotel. 2927 Maple. 871-2523. Expensive.

The French Room. The Adolphus Hotel, 1321 Commerce. 742-8200. Very expensive.

The Grape. 2808 Greenville Ave. 828-1981. Moderate.

Highland Park Cafe. Highland Park Village, Preston at Mockingbird. 521-7300. Expensive.

Juniper. 2917 Fairmount. 855-0700. Expensive.

La Madeleine. 3072 W. Mockingbird. 696-0800. 3906 Lemmon Ave. 521-0183. 628 NorthPark Center. 696-2398. 11930 Preston (at Forest). 233-6448. Galleria. at ice rink level. 991-7790. Inexpensive.

Le Caviste. 5405 W. Lovers Lane. 352-6512. Moderate.

Monte Carlo. 15201 Dallas Pkwy., in the Grand Kempinski Dallas Hotel. 386-6000. Expensive.

The Old Warsaw. 2610 Maple. 528-0032. Very expensie.

Pierre’s By The Lake. 3430 Shorecrest. 358-2379. Moderate to expensive.

The Riviera. 7709 Inwood. 351-0094. Very expensive.

St. Martins. 3020 Greenville Ave. 826-0940. Moderate to expensive.

Sweet Temptations. 9090 Skillman. 503-6007. Inexpensive to moderate.

Tony’s Wine Warehouse and Bistro. 2904 Oak Lawn. 520-9463. Inexpensive.

Watel’s. 1923 McKinney Ave.. 720-0323. Moderate to expensive.

The Wine Press. 4217 Oak Lawn. 522-8720. Moderate to expensive.

York St. 6047 Lewis. 826-0968. Expensive.

GERMAN/EASTERN EUROPEAN

Belvedere. 4242 Lomo Alto, in the Crestpark Hotel. 528-6510. Expensive.

Cafe Athenee. 5365 Spring Valley. Suite 150. 239-8060. Moderate.

The Chimney. 9739 N. Central Expwy. 369-6466. Expensive.

Franki’s Li’l Europe. 362 Casa Linda Plaza. 320-0426. Moderate.

Hofstetter’s. Plaza at Bachman Creek, 3840 W. Northwest Hwy., Suite 400. 358-7660. Inexpensive to moderate.

Kuby’s Sausage House Inc. 6601 Snider Plaza. 363-2231. Inexpensive.

The Russian Room. 500 Crescent Court, upstairs. 922-3333. Expensive to very expensive.

GREEK

Cafe Greek. Preston Valley Shopping Center, Preston Road at LBJ. 934-9767. Moderate.

Cafe Nelu. 56 Arapaho Village (Arapaho and West-shore), Richardson. 235-5387. Inexpensive to moderate.

Goldfinger. 2905 Webb Chapel Extension. 350-6983. Moderate to expensive.

Kosta’s Cafe. 4914 Greenville Ave. 987-3225. Inexpensive.

The M Street Grill. 2014 Greenville Ave. 826-8989. Inexpensive to moderate.

Theodore’s Seafood Restaurant. The Corner Shopping Center, 8041 Walnut Hill, Suite 810. 361-1922. Moderate to expensive.

HOME COOKING

Backstreet. 212 N. Crowdus. 748-7191. Inexpensive.

Bishop Arts Cafe. 316 W. Seventh St. 943-3565. Inexpensive to moderate.

Brownie’s. 5519 East Grand. 824-2996. Inexpensive.

Celebration. 4503 W. Lovers Lane. 351-5681. Inexpensive to moderate.

Chubby’s. 11333 E. Northwest Hwy. 348-6065. Inexpensive.

Farmer’s Grill. 4015 Lemmon Ave. 521-2281. Inexpensive.

Good Eats Cafe. 3888 Oak Lawn. 522-3287.6950 Greenville Ave. 691-3287. 702 Ross. 744-3287. 14905 Midway, Addison. 392-3287. Inexpensive.

Highland Park Pharmacy. 3229 Knox. 521-2126. Inexpensive.

Jay’s Cafe. 2912 Elm St. 761-1811. Inexpensive. Lucky’s. 3531 Oak Lawn. 522-3500. Inexpensive.

Mama’s Daughters’ Diner. 2014 Irving Blvd. 742-8646. 2610 Royal Lane. 241-8646. Inexpensive.

The Mecca. 10422 Harry Hines. 352-0051. Inexpensive.

Original Market Diner. 4434 Harry Hines. 521-0992. Inexpensive.

Theo’s Diner. IMS. Hall. 747-6936. Inexpensive.

Tolbert’s. One Dallas Center, 350 N. St. Paul. 953-1353. 1800 N. Market. 969-0310. Inexpensive to moderate.



INDIAN

Akbar. 21 15 Promenade Center, Richardson. 235-0260. Inexpensive (lunch) to moderate (dinner).

Astioka Indian Cuisine. 5409 Belt Line. Pres-tonwood Creek Shopping Center. 960-0070. Moderate.

Curry in a Hurry. 4302 Bryan (at Peak). 821-4542. Inexpensive.

India Palace Restaurant. 12817 Preston. Suite 105.392-0190. Moderate to expensive.

Kebab-N-Kurry 401 N. Central Expwy., Suite 300, Richardson. 231-5556. Inexpensive to moderate.

Kebab-N-Kurry. 2620 Walnut Hill. 350-6466. Inexpensive,

Shalimar. 35 Richardson Heights Village, Central at Belt Line, Richardson. 437-2858. Inexpensive.

Shusmi. 859 N.E. Green Oaks, Arlington. (817) 860-8728. Moderate.

Taj Mahal. Caruth Plaza, 9100 N. Central Expwy., Suite 179.692-0535. Moderate.



ITALIAN

Alessio’s. 4117 Lomo Alto. 521-3585. Expensive.

Am ici Signature Italian. 1022 S. Broadway. Carrollton. 245-3191. Moderate to expensive.

Andiamo. 4151 Belt Line. 233-1515. Moderate to expensive.

Angelo’s. 6341 La Vista. 823-5566. Inexpensive to moderate.

Arcodoro. 2520 Cedar Springs. 871-1924. Inexpensive to moderate.

Caffe Paparazzi. 8989 Forest Lane, Suite 136. 644-1323. Moderate.

Capriccio. 2515 McKinney Ave. 871-2004. Expensive.

Chianti Restaurant and Pizzeria. 3505 W. Northwest Hwy. 350-7456. Inexpensive.

Fausto’s Oven. 300 Reunion Blvd., in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. 712-7144. Moderate.

Ferrari’s. 703 McKinney Ave., in The Brewery. 954-1112. Moderate to expensive.

Flip’s Wine Bar & Trattoria. 1520 Greenville Ave. 824-9944. Moderate.

II Nonno’s. Hyatt Regency D/FW. East Tower. 453-8400. Moderate to expensive.

Joey Tomato’s Atlantic City. 3232 McKinney Ave. 754-0380. Inexpensive to moderate.

La Tosca. 7713 Inwood. 352-8373. Expensive.

La Trattoria Lombardi’s. 2916 N. Hall. “954-0803. Moderate.

MI Piaci. 14854 Montfort. 934-8424. Moderate to expensive.

Mise En Place. 7011 Lomo Alio. 520-2424. Inexpensive to modéra le.

MoMo’s Italian Specialties. 9191 Forest Lane, Suite A2. 234-6800 3309 N. Central Expwy.. Suite 370. Piano. 423-1066. Moderate.

MoMo’s Pasta. 3312 Knox. 521-3009. Inexpensive.

Nero’s. 2104 Greenville Ave. 826-6376. Moderate.

Patrizio. 25 Highland Park Village. 522-7878. Inexpensive to moderate.

Piccola Cucina. 1030 NorthPark Center, Suite 330.691-0488. Moderate

Pizzeria Uno. 2811 McKinney Ave. 855-0011. 4002 Belt Line. Addison. 991-8181. Inexpensive to moderate.

Pomodoro. 2520 Cedar Springs. 871-1924. Inexpensive to moderate.

Ristorante Savino. 2929 N. Henderson. 826-7804. Moderate to expensive.

Rodoifo’s. 5956 Royal Lane. 368-5039. Inexpensive to moderate.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill. 4535 Belt Line, Addison. 386-3831. 5858 Northwest Hwy. 265-0770. Mod-

Ruffino’s. 11661 Preston, Suite 153. 890-7555. Moderate.

Ruggeri’s. 2911 Routh St. 871-7377. Moderate to expensive.

Scuro. 2713 Elm St. 741-0111. Moderate.

Sfuzzi. 2504 McKinney Ave. 871-2606. 15101 Addison Road. Addison. 960-2606. Moderate.

Sweet Basil. 17610 Midway. 733-1500. Moderate.

311 Lombardi’s. 311 Market. 747-0322. Moderate to expensive.



JAPANESE

Anzu. 4620 McKinney Ave. 526-7398. Moderate to expensive.

Fuji-Ya. 13050 Coit. 690-8396. Inexpensive to moderate.

Hana Japanese Restaurant. 14865 Inwood. 991-8322. Moderate.

Hibachi-Ya Japanese Steak House. 3850 W. Northwest Hwy,. Suite 510. 350-1110. Inexpensive.

Mr. Sushi. 4860 Belt Line. Addison. 385-0168. Moderate.

Nakamoto Japanese Cuisine. 3309 N. Central Expwy.. Suite 360. Piano. 881-0328. Moderate.

Shinano Japanese Restaurant. 8830 Spring Valley. 644-1436. Moderate.

Shogun of Japan. 5738 Cedar Springs. 351-2281. 3455 N. Belt Line. Irving. 594-6911. Moderate.

Sushi-Yama. 8989 Forest Lane, Suite 112. 234-3474. Inexpensive to moderate.



KOREAN

Kobawoo. 3109 Inwood. 351-6922. Moderate.

Korea Hometown. 10560 Walnut. 272-9909. Inexpensive to moderate.



MEDITERRANEAN

Adelmo’s. 4537 Cole. 559-0325. Moderate.

Blind Lemon. 2805 Main St. 939-0202, Inexpensive

L’Entrecote. Loews Anatole Hotel. 2201 Stemmons Frwy. 761-7410. Very expensive.

Main St. News. 2934 Main St. 746-2934. Inexpensive to moderate.

Sambuca. 2618 Elm St. 744-0820. Moderate.



MEXICAN

Avila’s. 4714 Maple. 520-2700. Inexpensive.

Balderas Tex Mex Restaurant. 3851 Cedar Springs, #A. 526-2180. Inexpensive to moderate.

Blue Goose Cantina. 2905 Greenville Ave. 823-6786. Moderate.

Cabo Grill. 3707 Greenville Ave, 824-9900. Inexpensive to mode rale.

Caliente. 6881 Greenville Ave- 369-8600- Moderate.

Cantina Laredo. 4546 Bell Line, Addison. 458-0962. 8121 Walnut Hill. 987-9192. Moderate.

Chuy’s. 211 N. Record. 747-2838. Moderate.

Cuquita’s. 2326 N. Henderson. 823-1057. Inexpensive to moderate.

Desperados. 4B18 Greenville Ave. 363-1850. Inexpensive to moderate.

Eduardo’s Aca y Alla. 2914 Main. 748-7140. Moderate.

El Arroyo. 7402 Greenville Ave., Suite 202. 363-4464. Inexpensive.

El Ranchito. 610 W. Jefferson. 946-4238. Inexpensive to moderate.

Flamingo Joe’s. 2712 Main. 748-6065. Inexpensive to moderate.

Javier’s. 4912 Cole. 52 J -4211. Expensive.

La Calle Dace. 415 W. 12th. 941^1304. Inexpensive to moderate.

Las Cazuelas. 4933 Columbia. 827-1889. Inexpensive.

La Chocita. 108 University Village, Piano Road at Belt Line, Richardson. 690-4445. Inexpensive to moderate.

La Suprema Tortilleria. 7630 Military Pkwy. (at Loop 12). 388-1244. Inexpensive.

Los Vaqueras. 6615 Snider Plaza. 361-9885. Inexpensive to moderate.

Mario & Alberto. S.W. corner of LBJ Frwy. and Preston. Suite 425. 980-7296. Moderate.

Mario’s Chiquita. 4514 Travis. Suite 105. 521-0721. 221 W. Parker. Suite 400, Piano. 423-2977. Moderate.

The Martinez Cafe. Preston Park Village, 1900 Preston, Piano. 964-7898. Inexpensive.

Mattito’s Cafe Mexicano. 4311 Oak Lawn Ave. 526-8181. Inexpensive to moderate.

Matt’s Rancho Martinez Mexican Restaurant. 6312 La Vista. 823-5517. Inexpensive to moderate.

Mercado Juarez. 1901 W. Northwest Hwy. 556-0796. 4050 Bell Line, Addison. 458-2145. Inexpensive to moderate.

Mia’s. 4322 Lemmon Ave. 526-1020. Inexpensive.

Ml Casa Tex Mex Restaurant. 8301 West-chester. 890-9939. Inexpensive to moderate.

Mi Cocina. 11661 Preston, Suite 138. 265-7704. Inexpensive.

Tijuana Johnny’s. 2621 McKinney Ave. 871-2281. Inexpensive to moderate.

Uncle Julio’s. 7557 Greenville Ave. 987-9900. 4125 Lemmon. 520-6620. Moderate.

MIDDLE EASTERN

Ali Baba. 1905 Greenville Ave. 823-8235. Inexpensive.

Barry’s Sandwich Shop. 6710 Snider Plaza. 750-0330. Inexpensive.

NATURAL

Bluebonnet Cafe & Dell. 2218 Greenville Ave. 828-0052. Inexpensive.

NEW AMERICAN

Actuelle. 500 Crescent Court, Suite 165. 855-0440.

Aristocrat Hotel Bar & Grill. 1933 Main. 741-7700. Moderate to expensive.

Avner’s. 2515 McKinney Ave. 953-0426. Moderate.

Beau Nash. 400 Crescent Conn in the Hotel Crescent Court. 871-3200. Moderate to expensive.

The Bronx. 3835 Cedar Springs. 521-5821. Inexpensive to moderate.

Buffalo Club. 2800 Routh St., Suite 125, in the Qu;idiv.ii;:Ji: 22(1-2465. Moderate to expensive.

By George! 2900 Greenville Ave. 821-1538. Moderate.

Cafe Brazil. 6340 Gaston. 826-9522. Inexpensive to moderate.

Cafe 4SO. 1802 Greenville Ave. 826-6229. Moderate.

Chaplin’s. 1928 Greenville Ave. 823-3300. Moderate to expensive.

City Cafe. 5757 Lovers Lane. 351-2233. Moderate.

The Conservatory. 400 Crescent Court in the Hotel Crescent Court. 871 -3242. Very expensive.

Crockett’s. Doubletree Hotel at Lincoln Center, 5410 LBJ Frwy. 701-5160. Expensive,

Dakota’s. 600 N. Akard. 740-4001. Moderate to expensive.

Deep Ellum Cafe. 2706 Elm St. 741-9012. Moderate to expensive.

Dover’s Grille. Doubletree Hotel at Park West, 1590 LBJ Frwy. 869-4300. Moderate to expensive.

Dream Cafe. 2800 Routh St., Suite 170, in the Quadrangle- 954-0486. Inexpensive.

Eighteen-O-One at the Dallas World Aquarium. 1801 North Griffin. 720-1801. Moderate to expensive.

Gershwin’s. 8442 Walnut Hill at Greenville Ave. 373-7171. Moderate to expensive.

Huntington’s. 13340 Dallas Pkwy. in the Westin. 851 -2882. Expensive to very expensive.

Kathleen’s Art Cafe. 4424 Lovers Lane. 691-2355. Moderate to expensive.

Landmark Cafe. Melrose Hotel, 3015 Oak Lawn. 521-5151. Expensive.

Laurels. Sheraton Park Central Hotel. 12720 Merit Drive, off Coit near LBJ Frwy. 851-2021. Expensive.

The Mansion on Turtle Creek. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 559-2100. Very expensive.

Nana Grill. Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Frwy. 761-7470. Expensive to very expensive.

Natchez. 2810 N. Henderson. 8214552. Moderate.

Parigi. 3311 Oak Lawn. 521-0295. Moderate to expensive.

The Pyramid Room. 1717 N. Akard in die Fairmont Hotel. 720-5249. Very expensive.

Quadrangle Grille. 2800 Routh St., Suite 180, in the Quadrangle. 979-9022. Moderate.

650 North. 650 N. Pearl. 855-1708. Expensive.

Tillman’s Corner. 324 W. Seventh. 942-0988. Moderate to expensive.



SEAFOOD

Atlantic Cafe. 14866 Montfort. Addison. 960-2233. Moderate let expensive.

Aw Shucks. 3601 Greenville Ave. 821-9449. Inexpensive.

Cafe Pacific. 24 Highland Park Village. 526-1170. Expensive.

Dinger’s Catfish Cafe. 8989 Forest Lane. 235-3251. Inexpensive.

Fishmonger’s Seafood Market and Cafe. 1915 N. Central Expwy., Suite 600. Piano. 423-3699. Moderate.

Hampton’s. Preston Center. 8411 Preston, Berkshire Court. 739-3474. Moderate.

Jaxx Cafe. 14925 Midway Road at Beltway in Addison. 458-7888. Moderate.

Jozef’s Seafood Restaurant. 2719 McKinney Ave. 954-0407. Moderate to expensive.

Newport’s Seafood. 703 McKinney Ave. in The Brewery. 954-0220. Expensive.

S&D Oyster Company. 2701 McKinney Ave. 880-0111. Inexpensive to moderate.

Yoli’s. 9220 Skillman, Suite 124. 341-3533. Inexpensive.

SOUTHWESTERN

Aransas Pass. 2912 Henderson. 827-8650. Moderate to expensive.

Baby Routh. 2708 Routh St. 871-2345. Moderate to expensive.

Blue Mesa Grill. 5100 Beit Line at Dallas Parkway in Sakowitz Village. Suite 500. 934-0165. Inexpensive to moderate.

Cafe Society. 45 14 Travis, Suite 133. 528-6543. Inexpensive to moderate.

Cisco Grill. 6630 Snider Plaza. 363-9506. Inexpensive

Loma Luna Cafe. 8201 Preston. Suite 100 (at Sherry Lane). 691-155Z Moderate.

The Promenade. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. in The Mansion on Turtle Creek. 559-2100. Moderate to expensive.

Sam’s Cafe. 100 Crescent Court, Suite 100. 855- 2233. Moderate to expensive.

Zuma. 2701 Stemmons Frwy. 631-3050. Moderate.



SPANISH

Cafe Madrid. 4501 Travis. 528-1731. Inexpensive to moderate.

White Swan Cafe. 2307 Abrams. 824-8122. Moderate.



STEAKS

Arthur’s. 8350 N. Central Expwy.. Campbell Centre, Suite M 1000. 361-8833. Expensive.

The Butcher Shop Steakhouse. 808Munger, off Lamar. 720-1032. Moderate.

Del Frisco’s. 4300 Lemmon Ave. 526-9811. Expensive.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib. 3008 Maple. 521-7777. Moderate to expensive.

Morton’s of Chicago. 501 Elm. 741-2277. Expensive.

Old San Francisco Steakhouse. 10965 Composite (off Walnut Hill, east of 1-35). 357-0484. Moderate to expensive.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House. 5922 Cedar Springs. 902-8080. Expensive.



TAKEOUT/DELI

Al’s New York Style Dell. 3301 Oak Lawn, Suite A {entrance on Hall). 522-3354. Inexpensive.

Bagel Emporium. 7522 Campbell. 248-0608. Inexpensive.

Bagelstein’s. 8104 Spring Valley. 234-3787. Inexpensive to moderate.

City Cafe To Go. 5757 W. Lovers Lane. 351-3366. Moderate.

City Market. 2001 Ross. Trammell Crow Center, Suite 200. 979-2696. Inexpensive.

Crescent Gourmet. 400 Crescent Court. 871-3223. Inexpensive to moderate.

Deli-News. 500 Crescent Court. 922-DELI. 15775 Hillcrest. 392-DELI. Inexpensive to moderate.

The Dell Planet. 4514 Travis. No. 122.520-0630. Inexpensive.

Gilbert’s New York Delicatessen. 127 Preston Forest Village. 373-3333. Inexpensive to moderate.

Henk’s European Deli. 5811 Blackwell Street. 987-9090. Inexpensive to moderate.

Marty’s. 3316 Oak Lawn. 526-4070. Moderate.

Pizza House. 4130 Gaston. 827-8808. Inexpensive.

Polio Bueno. 3438 Samuel! Blvd. 828-0645. Inexpensive.

Preizler’s Delicatessen. 116 Preston Valley Shopping Center at LBJ. 4iK-8896. Inexpensive to moderate.

Tommaso’s Fresh Pasta. 5365 Spring Valley. Suite 158, at Montfort. 991-4040. Inexpensive to moderate.



THAI

Bangkok City. 4301 Bryan at Peak. 824-6200. Inexpensive to moderate.

Sala Thai. 2415 W, Northwest Hwy., Suite 108. 350-8945. Moderate.

Thai Cuisine. 1915 Central Expwy. (off Park), Piano. 422-5219. Moderate.

Thai Lanna. 1490 W. Spring Valley. Richardson. 690-3637. Moderate.

Thai Lanna. 4315 Bryan. 827-6478. Moderate.

Thai Lotus. 3851 -D Cedar Springs. 520-9385. Inexpensive.

Thai Nipa. 4315 Lemmon Ave. 526-6179. Inexpensive.

Thai Siam. 9560 Skillman. 341 -5835. Inexpensive.

Thai Soon. 2018 Greenville Ave. B2I-7666. Inexpensive.

Thai Taste. 4501 Cole. 521-3513. Moderate.

Thai-Thai. 1731 Greenville Ave. 828-9795. Inexpensive.

Toy’s Cafe. 4422-B Lemmon Ave. 528-7233. Inexpensive to moderate.



VIETNAMSES

Are-en-Ciel. 3555 W. Walnut, Garland. 272-2188.Inexpensive to moderate.

East Wind. 2711 Elm St. 745-5554, Inexpensive tomoderate.

Pearl of the Orient. 500 Crescent Court, Suite 148. 220-9110. Expensive.

LAS COLINAS/MID CITIES

Bistro Bagatelle. (French) 406 W. Abrams. Arlington. Metro 817-261-0488. Moderate to expensive.

Cacharei. (French) Brookhollow Two, 2221 E. Lamar, Suite 910, Arlington. Metro 817-640-9981. Moderate .

China Terrace. (Chinese) 5435 N. MacArthur. Irving. 550-1113. Inexpensive to moderate.

Esparza’s. (Mexican) 124 E. Worth St., Grapevine. Metro 817-481 -4668. Inexpensive.

Gaspar’s. (New American) 150 S. Denton Tap Road. Coppell. 393-5152. Moderate.

Jinbeh. (Japanese) 301 E. Las Col mas Blvd., Suite 301, Irving. 869-4011. Moderate.

La Margarita. (Mexican) 3636 N. Bell Line. Irving. 570-1137. Inexpensive to moderate.

La Suprema. (Mexican) 6311 N. O’Connor, Irving. 506-0988. Moderate.

Via Real. (Mexican) 4020 N. MacArthur. Irving. 255-0064. Moderate to expensive.



FORT WORTH

Benito’s. (Mexican) 1450 W. Magnolia. (817) 332-8633. Inexpensive.

Cafe Aspen. (New American) 3416 W. Seventh. (817) 877-0838. Moderate to expensive.

Hedary’s. ( Lebanese) 3308 Fairfield off Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 731-6961. Moderate.

Jon’S Grille. (Burgers) 3009 S. University. (817) 923-1909. Inexpensive.

Juanita’s. (Mexican) 115 W. Second. (817) 335-1777. Moderate.

Le Chardonnay. (French) 2443 Forest Park Blvd. (817) 926-5622. Moderate to expensive.

Michaels. (New American) 3413 W. Seventh. (817) 877-3413. Moderate to expensive.

Reflections. (New American) The Worthington Hotel. 200 Main. (817) 870-1000. Expensive.

Ristorante La Piazza. (Italian) 3431 W. Seventh. (817) 334-0000. Moderate to expensive.

Saint Emilion. (French) 3617 W. Seventh. (817) 737-2781. Moderate to expensive.

Tejano Mexican Cuisine. (Mexican) 5716 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 737-7201. Inexpensive to moderate.

Tours Restaurant. (New American) 3500 W. Seventh. (817)870-1672. Moderate to expensive.

Water Street Seafood Co. (Seafood) 1540 S. University Drive. (817)877-3474. Moderate.

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At Parkland Health, the End of Subjective Surgery

Artificial intelligence is helping trauma surgery teams make data-based decisions about when to operate at Dallas County's safety net hospital.
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