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Restaurants & BARS

By D Magazine |

TASTING THE TOWN

Hand to Mouth



The child in all of us longs for permission to eat our food with our fingers. Do we get it? Rarely. So we look for w|iys to get around the rules-with sandwiches, on-a-stick sates, even with those gloppy Ethiopian stews we’re allowed to pick up with torn strips of damp bread.

But true joy is finding a delicious natural finger food-one it would be silly to eat any other way, such as those listed here.

Baby Routh puts a wicked twist on the innocent Mexican flauta with pencil-slim pickups spiced to the max. Served as occasional specials when the spirit moves chef Kevin Rath-bun, they come in pairs; the most recent variation we tried was chicken red jalapeno flau-tas with a\ocado and tequila cream for flipping. $4.50. 2708 Routh St. 871-2345.

Bangkok City on Bryan at Peak wraps a whole lunch’s worth of seafood and Thai salad in rire paper. Its plump imperial rolls are packed with the cool summer crunch of lettuce, cucumber, mint leaves, bean sprouts and shrimp, the plate prettily garnished with shredded cabbage anil tomato slices. Four to an order, $4.95. 4301 Bryan. 824-6200.

Billy Blues Barbecue Bar & Grill hits a hot spot on the universal palate with Lightnin’ Bolts. This West End place takes whole jalapenos, fills them with healing cream cheese, then batters and tries them, each a little mournful of painful pleasure. Served with queso sauce for dipping, they’re $3.95. 2020 N. Lamar at McKinney. 871-0661.

R.J.’s Sho-Nuf is best known for barbecue, but its Breathen Heathens Hollering chicken wings could teach Buffalo how the dish is done. Marinated in Cajun spices, the wings are served a dozen to an order with whatever sauce the owner feels like making that day. Might be Creole salsa, black oak swamp root salsa or something this independent establishment calls Mama Tuley’s kacklin’ poke salsa. $4.99. 3910 Maple. 528-5230.

Rodizio’s, the Brazilian steakhouse on lower McKinney, translates an authentic South American favorite for finger food lovers with pasteis-airy little fried-pie puffs filled with white cheese, beef, chicken or shrimp. Choose one or a combination of fillings. A half-dozen to an order, $4.95. 2621 McKinney. 740-9970.

Terilli’s not only invented Italchos, but gave the much-copied takeoff on nachos immortality with a host of pizza-esque variations. Have the crisp-fried, thin, pizza-dough chips plain with tomato sauce and cheese, $5.25, or lopped with anything from seafood to meats to chopped vegetables to pickled garnish es, nuts or pesto for an addi tional 75 cents to $2.50 per item. We liked red bell pepper and olives. Anchovies, any one? 2815 Greenville Ave. 827-3993. -Betty Cook

BARS

Up, Up

and Away

Resting atop the Lakewood Theatre, overlooking the twinkling lights in the trees beiow, sits one of the best-kept secrets of East Dallas: The Balcony Club. Make no mistake, with a shiny black baby grand at its entrance, this is a piano bar. But it’s also a neighborhood hangout, a “Cheers” kind of place, says owner Michael Solberg, whose regulars include media types like Karen Denard. With a row of cozy booths lit by flickering candlelight. The Balcony Club offers romance served straight-up, like its menu of cognacs and 25-year-old single malt scotches. On Tuesday through Saturday from 5-8 p.m., you’ll find a mixed bag of musicians, including Dallas’ own Sara Hickman, playing everything from folk to classic tunes. After 8:30 p.m., G.T. Reed croons hits from the ’30s and ’40s. The Balcony Club, 1825 Abrams, Suite. B. 826-8104.

-Ellise Pierce

ON THE ROAD

A River Runs Under It



Show of hands time: Is there anyone here who wouldn’t drive a few miles for a quick tranquillity fix? I nominate dining with a view of the slow-sliding Brazos River as just about the most serene scene imaginable, specifically on that bend of the Brazos that curves alongside Waco.

Put yourself on the breeze-swept deck of the River Front Cafe midafternoon of a summer Sunday, and it’s easy to forge! that 1-35 is less than a holler behind you. Downstream is an antique iron-trestled railway bridge; across the way, the old Brazos Queen paddle wheel rests against its dock; beneath your feet, the water slips by. The River Front’s big, polished-wood dining room and outside deck are built out from the bank of the river and anchored by vast, solid pilings.

The food here is solid, too, home-style, made from scratch and served generously-from Texas-fiery chili to charcoal-grilled steaks to cornmeal-crusted catfish fillets our server vowed had never seen a freezer. If it’s only a snack you want, the cafe’s star starter, white wings, are bite-sized packets of chicken. Jack cheese and jalapenos neatly wrapped in crisp bacon, if it’s dessert, it must be homemade strawberry pound cake or the cobbler of the day.

From Dallas, take the Lake Brazos Drive exit from 1-35 and try on some peace. River Front Cafe, 100 N. Jack Kultgen Expressway, Waco. 817-752-6443. Open Sun.-Thur. 11-10. Fri.-Sat. 11-11.

-B.C.

New Restaurants

Mai Kind of Cooking

MAI’S ORIENTAL CUISINE

Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I am a. Mai Pham fan. I’ve been J eating her food since she|8 opened her first Viet- namese restaurant, a tiny£> place off Bryan and Fitzhugh, nearly eight years ago. I then followed her around the corner and out to Greenville Avenue. So as soon is her name went up on the sign that used to say Hao’ s in Snider Plaza, I stopped in. Snider Plaa, I stoped in.

Right now, the place looks the same-though Mai has plans to expand the small dining room into what is now the bar-and the menu is much the same list of Chinese staples that Hao’s served (and still serves to-go only a few doors down). But at dinner there is also a selection of Vietnamese specialties. That’s what we ordered and what Mai (and I) hope will expand in time. I can’t pretend this was an anonymous visit; Mai is busy everywhere in the restaurant- resetting tables, adjusting bamboo shades against the western sun, and darting in and out of the kitchen. I can say that I’ve eaten her food when she didn’t know me. It’s not better now that she does; it was and is excellent.

Of coursp. we started with an order of fabulous spring rolls with hot sauce and cooling lettuce and lovely Imperial rolls of translucent rice paper with peanut sauce.

Vietnamese hot pots are a one-dish meal in a fat little clay pot. I think they’re fun to order: When the lid is lifted, a fragrant cloud of steam rushes out. We tried the chicken hot pot, a savory stew of rice, white meal of chicken, garlic and minced onion with banana flowers, which seemed to add a sweet note. Hot Chic was a fiery stir-fry of white chicken strips and big onion chunks with a strong scent of lemon grass. There is a lot of chicken on the menu, plus a couple of seafood and vegetarian dishes. The seafood in a “bird nest” of fried noodles was beautiful and the garlicky sauce delicious, but I have to protest the use of surimi instead of honest crab; the scallops and shrimp were sweet and nicely cooked, but the big pieces of processed fish were slimy and strange-textured.

We did sample some of the Chinese dishes. Beef with broccoli was prepared with bigger pieces of meat and vegetable than most Chinese food and had a fresh, clear flavor. Garlic chicken was not as hot as I like it. Unfortunately there are no pork dishes on the menu, although the spring rolls do have pork in them.

No beer or wine is served, but you may bring your own. 6912 Snider Plaza. 361-8220. Mon.-Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 5-10. p.m. AE, MC, V. Inexpensive.

-Mary Brown Malouf

When the Lights Go On in the City

OPUS In all that’s been written about the extravagantly handsome Morton H. Mey-erson Symphony Center, I recall no mention of the view from the other side-that is, how the city looks from inside the Mort itself. I can tell you now that you’ve never seen Dallas as stunningly beautiful as it is from a linen-spread table in the center’s restaurant. Opus. At night. Downtown’s skyscraper lights form a backdrop to the restaurant’s sweeping glass wall and ceiling. By day, the vista takes on detail: sleek city towers soaring protectively beyond wind-tossed young trees rooted in herb gardens, sunlight filtered gently through the glass roofs slender slats. The view alone would be reason to lunch or dine in this vast, sumptuous setting.

But other reasons are as compelling. Knowing that Opus serves dinner only on performance nights (but does offer lunch every week day), I’d feared both service and food would have that half-polished inconsistency so often encountered at special-occasion affairs. Au contraire– servers performed on both our visits with the smoothness of a well-rehearsed production, possibly influenced by the professionalism of maitre d’ Tito Azores, formerly captain at the Crescent Club and Laurels.

Our food was simply flawless. Working in what I’m told is a tiny kitchen, chef Tom Schroeder, also a Laurels ex, won our hearts with dishes that were symphonie in preparation and presentation.

The dinner menu offers three options per course, either a la carte or at a fixed price of $27.50, and since there were three of us, we were able to try them all. One salad’s Asian greens were tossed with bites of butter-tender pheasant confit in sprightly cranberry vinaigrette; another’s spinach leaves struck a deeper tone with dark kala-mata olive;. and crisped prosciutto strips dressed with lemon-garlic vinaigrette. Asparagus soup richly laced with pepper Jack cheese held just enough bite to excite die palate.

One companion’s roasted venison loin chop was meaty and moist on braised red cabbage, its juices spiked with whole-grain mustard, it; side offering a potato cake zipped with cracked black pepper authority. A free-range chicken breast, seared to crispness, jay with broad ribbons of chewy whole-wheat fettuccine on a glaze of apple-walr)ut; the plate’s three pureed vegetables, rutabaga, white turnip and carrot laid out like plump petals, were miracles of fresh delicacy. Since I had given my guests first choice:, I was left with my third, a grilled mahi mahi fillet that, to my delight, transcended that fish’s usual muscular dullness-it was perfectly cooked and seasoned, brought to life with pineapple chutney or. creamy sorrel sauce and sided with cilantro and lime-scented bulghur wheat pilaf.

Dessert; ranged in richness from a sinful white chocolate tart on dark chocolate rum sauce to a Cointreau and strawberry napoleon on wild berry coulis to a bouquet of fresh fruits with tart passion fruit glaze and peach champagne sorbet. All were delectable

My return visit’s solo lunch was equally rewarding, if more frustrating: the much larger noon menu offers a full à la carte list of starters, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. All looked intriguing; those I tried were superlative. Lemon-fennel cream soup was a satiny wonder floated with dried yellow and red tomato slices. Vanilla cannelloni were plumply filled with shrimp and crab, bathed in yellow tomato sauce that also brightened the plate’s crisp ribbons of radicchio salad. Butterscotch and white cho:olate bread pudding was a light, high wedj;e standing in bourbon sauce scrolled with butterscotch. I’d arrived without a reservation, but service could not have been more amiable. Lunching alone had never seemed so rewarding-that splendid view all mine to savor. Which, as I’ve said, is reason enough to make Opus a must-visit. Morion H. Meyerson Symphony-Center, 2301 Flora. 670-3721. Lunch, Mon.-Fri., 11-2; dinner, 6-10:30 performance nights only; Sunday brunch, 11-2. All credit cards. Moderate to expensive.

Betty Cook



Betting the Rancho

MATT’S NO PLACE The longer you have to wait for something, the greater the anticipation and the better the result has got to be.

So I was a little worried to hear that Matt Martinez, chef-owner of favorites Rancho Martinez and Mattito’s, had finally opened the place he’d been promising for well over a year-a restaurant that serves Texas, not Tex-Mex, food-the kind of cuisine Matt likes to cook for himself. We’d been peering in at the stacked tables and chairs in the former 7-Eleven every time we went to get chiles rellenos next door at Rancho Martinez and had wondered if he was ever going to get around to this project.

Well, here it is. Matt’s No Place was worth the wait. One thing about Martinez’s restaurants-you know right off whose they are. Painted with wildflowers and fences, adorned with truck plates and ranch equipment, this one has a real Hill Country feel. After you’ve been sipping on your beer awhile, you wouldn’t be surprised to walk outside and find a field of bluebon-nets instead of a Lakewood parking lot.

And the food is Matt’s own. Although he and his family have made themselves famous for their distinctive style of Tex-Mex, the food at No Place is more original.

This is also the most truly Texas food in Dallas. The menu features wild game, catfish, beef, beans, shrimp and hot peppers enhanced by hot smoke and the lick of the grill. The servings are bounteous and die emphasis is on meat. There’s plenty of seafood and chicken, too, but Matt’s is not for pure bean sprout-and-tofu types. The chalkboard special offers a choice of two meats with vegetable and salad or soup. We tried most everything: sweet, smoked lamb tenderloin, golden pan-fried rounds of pork tenderloin and grilled beef tenderloin steaks with chunks of crusty pan-fried potatoes.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. We started with assorted appetizers-strips of wild boar sausage, grilled portabello mushrooms, shrimp Martinez and tender smoked catfish, all served with big soft, sweet corncakes with whole kernels of corn. A bowl of bean soup held lots of other vegetables in a rich spicy broth.

A cup of queso was familiar: Rancho Martinez and Matt’s have connecting kitchens. Green salads were tossed with ranch dressing sparked with Romano or with vinaigrette and blue cheese. There’s a brief, very inexpensive wine list and a good selection of beers. The service was earnest and helpful. When Matt made the rounds later in the evening, most of the tables were filled with familiar faces.

We ate shrimp with hot peppers and milder shrimp Martinez served with wild-and white-rice pilaf and wonderful, bright green spinach griddled just until it wilted. A smoked baked potato with a melting scoop of goat cheese made a great side to a piece of steak and a tiny smoked quail.

Obviously, no one was craving dessert. But, like the mailman, I do my duty through all kinds of adversity. It was inspiring to hear that me kitchen produces all their desserts-so many places now purchase the sweet stuff. We tried chocolate crème brulée in a buttery crisp cookie cup, black bottom pecan pie and apple crisp pie-both pies would have been even better warmed-and killer vanilla cheesecake with raspberry sauce. It’s been a long time since I tasted such a string of winners.

No Place is open for lunch, but the complete lunch menu was not in place at press time. Noon-time visitors can expect barbecued beef brisket, pork and turkey on platters and sandwiches, along with soups, salads and the same mouthwatering home made desserts served at dinner. 6310 La Vista. 823-9077. Lunch, Mon.-Fri. 11-2; dinner, Tues.-Sat. 5-11 p.m. AE, MC, V. Moderate -M.B.M.



This Old House

J PINNELL’S Years ago, when Paul Pinnell was maitre d’ at the Old Warsaw on Maple, he used to look at the boarded-up antique house next door and fantasize about having a restaurant there someday.

Now he does, and rarely has a new eating place been as pleasantly anticipated by Dallas’ dining cognoscenti. With reason- Pinnell’s career path as maitre d’ in such other stellar establishments as Agnew’s, Cafe Royal and Laurel’s has been paralleled by his growth as a food and wine scholar. His association with businessman/restaurateur Johnny Walker (Judge Roy Bean, Orleans Pasta Kitchen) lends substance to the venture. And the selection of chef Russell Hodges (formerly executive sous-chef at Routh Street Cafe and Hotel Crescent Court) intrigued food aficionados.

All of which partially explains why I sped with near-indecent haste to review J Pinnell’s less than two weeks after it opened. I’ve loved the old house myself, before and during Capriccio’s tenancy in it, and if anything about its new incarnation had been disappointing, I think I’d have sat down and cried.

I needn’t have worried. The redone 1902-vintage building is a gracious unfolding of rooms wrapped in polished original woodwork, with wall prints, light fixtures and fireplaces as warm backdrop for comfortably upholstered chairs at double-linened tables.

The food is regional comfort food brought up to date. Hodges calls it Provincial American, and the dishes we ordered pretty well covered the country’s map, and reflected current avant American tastes. The menu changes weekly.

One companion, a cautious health-watcher, happily approved his starter of angel hair pasta gently flavored with house-cured yellow and red tomatoes and framed on the plate with crisp-fresh young asparagus stalks. Another diner, a native Virginian, pronounced a pan-fried crab cake authentic perfection-crisp-edged, studded with vegetable dice with both fresh basil and smoked tomato sauces. Roast com and rock shrimp chowder held tender chunks of shrimp and potato in depths scented almost too richly with applewood-smoked bacon. The house salad was a toss of mixed greens in balsamic-walnut vinaigrette.

Star entree for my money was a quartet of Colorado lamb chops glazed with spiced mint on tender, braised flageolet beans. Pan-roasted red snapper, its moistness sealed in by a delicate gild of crispness, was accompanied by earthy bean and tomato ragout that hinted of fresh herbs and garlic. A half-chicken, oven roasted, filled the plate with rosemary fragrance beside prettily scored garlic mashed potatoes and a garnish of wilted young spinach lopped with deep-flavored morel mushrooms. A side order of griddled polenta, though not crisp, delivered lively flavor via the fresh-chopped mélange of vegetables it lay beneath.

Presentations were striking, none more so than the desserts. A nearly transparent lemon-lime tart was ethereally beautiful; a crème br?lée made with crème fra?che was perhaps the most wonderful I’ve ever tasted, a whisper of tartness shading its mellow cream.

Predictably, Pinnell’s wine list spans the spectrum in style and price for by-the-glass pleasure. I wholeheartedly recommend a Calera red table wine, non-vintage but all Pinot Noir in character, as well as a light, cheerful Chardonnay wearing the Calera label. One quibble: Food and alcoholic beverages are presented on separate checks, a practice 1 find particularly tiresome. But the after-dinner drink cart is enticing-if you’ve never allowed yourself the extravagance of Louis XIII brandy after a fine dinner, you might do it here; a half-ounce taste is offered at $30.

Or you might content yourself with merely fondling the cognac’s Baccarat decanter, as we did. After all, Pinnell’s serves a fixed-price three-course dinner for $22.50, and ^ntree prices stop short of $20-although specials may run higher. Valet parking, by the way, is free. J. Pin nell’s hadn’t yet included lunch in its schedule when 1 visited, but they will by the time you read this. My guess is both noon and evening meals here will be a hot ticket. 2616 Maple Avenue. 871-1181. Lunch, Mon. Fri. 11:30-2; dinner, Mon.~ Thur. 6-10, Fri.-Sat. 6-10:30; bar Mon.-Sat. 5-midnight. AE, DC, MC, V. Expensive. -B. C.



Good Grief, It’s Daddy’s

DADDY JACK’S LOBSTER AND CHOWDER HOUSE 1 don’t know anything about the psychology of color except that pink is kind to agin^; skin and red makes you hungry- This is pure opinion, with no data to back it up. But from personal experience I can say that the lobster-red walls of Daddy Jack’s Lobster and Chowder House do excite the appetite. And that’s just as well, because Daddy Jack’s serves some of die best-prepare i seafood in Dallas.

What was once Little Gus’s and then Ruby’s is now chef Jack Chaplin’s most recent endeavor, with partner Kenny Bowers, who was formerly in the high-risk insurance business and is now in the high-risk restaurant business, You might look out the window next to your (red) booth and think sadly of Chaplin’s Stilton cheesecake when you see the sign on his namesake restaurant three doors down. Jack sold hi; former place lock, name and barrel, but li ce Edith Piaf, he regrets nothing.

So turn your attention to the menu at hand, which reads like that of every other fish house: raw oysters, crab claws, chowder, fish every way but fried. You’ll find that the details make it different. A basket of wonderful assorted breads from Empire Baking Company precedes me meal and accompanies the soups, both of which are outstanding. Jack has always been a broth-meister; the white chowder with big chunks of fish, scallops, shrimp and potato and the rosy-rich lobster bisque prove the rule. House salad was made with lots of garlic and balsamic vinegar over properly dried, cold greens, pale tomatoes, raw mushrooms and croutons. The list of appetizers is limited. Crab claws were standard issue, though I must admit they are never a favorite. Oysters came, disconcertingly, in a plastic container resting on ice. The waiter assured us the oysters were fresh from the Gulf that morning, and I don’t doubt it, but a little too much care had been taken to keep them cold: Ice crystals were beginning to form on the ones on the bottom. I haven’t tried the clams or mussels yet.

There are a couple of non-swimming entrees on the menu. The meat-eater among us was happy with the 8-ounce fillet of beef, dark on the outside, rosy within and tender as butter. But me rest of us stuck to seafood-which, simply and deli-ciously prepared, is still a rarity in Dallas. There are no pretensions at Daddy Jack’s: succulent snapper was topped with “stuffing” of crumbled Ritz crackers, shrimp and crab meat, and one combo plate is listed, ’60s-style, as “surf and turf.” Like the beef, the snapper was sided with a sweet, salt-rubbed baked potato and lovely, bright green asparagus spears. Paella Valencia was a bowl of saffron-scented rice generously topped with chunks of firm fish, mussels, clams and shrimp. Delicate baby coho salmon was smothered with chunks of tomato and mushroom. A lobster tail (whole ones are also available) was simply served with lemon and butter.

Chaplin uses available resources wisely. The wonderful desserts were all from Sweet Endings in Deep Ellum: tart, lemon-flecked cheesecake topped with a glaze of lemon curd, deep fudgey pecan pie and melting lemon buttermilk pie.

The wine list is not in place yet, though wine by the glass (Reserve St. Martin Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc) and beer were available. And there are plans to open for breakfast and lunch; both Jack’s predecessors were favorite morning spots and there’s something about the location that calls for it Maybe it’s the red. 1916 Greenville Ave. 826-4910. Tues.-Sun. 6-11 p.m. DC, DS, MC, V. Moderate.

-M.B.M.



San Teko’s Fire

CAFE SAN TELMO This recent entry on the restaurant scene owes as much to the Mediterranean as it does to the South American homeland of its owner-naturally enough, I reckon, since Argentina has offered refuge for centuries to European pilgrims of every sort.

Thus, at San Telmo, we have a tapas list made up of culinary samplings from France and Italy as well as Spain. The 10 mini-plates we tried from a list of 21 on our two visits ran the gamut from superb to ordinary. Polenta Espanola, the most terrific, was so good we tried it twice-the perfectly simple, almost soupy, boiled com meal came ringed with sparkling tomato sauce in a shallow bowl, floated with grated cheese; I could eat it with a spoon and call it a meal. Onion tart, a close runner-up, held a very French sweet-sour onion mélange in an airy puff pastry sandwich. Eggplant Provenzal presented strips of the roasted vegetable in a marinade of olive oil with sautéed garlic, tomato and onion. Tongue di Malta mixed chopped beef tongue, white beans and potato with capers-a grayish blend that tasted many times better than it looked. Empanadas and pie à la Pietro were disappointing, the former thick-crusted and afflicted with too much rosemary, the latter merely a thick filling of largely unseasoned fresh spinach between two nice pastry crusts. Sardines allicante, at the most ordinary end of the spectrum, had clearly undergone no more preparation than removal from a can, their pretty onion rings notwithstanding.

Entrees varied almost as widely. Pastas were outstanding, particularly a linguini misidentified on die menu as fettuccine Alfredo and sauced with a meltingly beautiful mélange of three cheeses. Grilled rabbit was dry and tough, as was trout sautéed to leather, unrescued by its lemon and capers. Paella de la casa, the menu’s most expensive dish at $14.95, was a huge, homey conglomeration of very moist spiced rice generously studded with chicken, salmon, squid and shrimp. Quail flambé, while not flamed in brandy as promised (at least not in our presence), was a lovely brace of nice little birds, sautéed to fall-apart tenderness and happily partnered with mushrooms and sweet blond and dark raisins.

The starring dessert was the crêpe de la casa, a liqueur-flavored, crisp-edged crêpe folded around ice cream and real whipped cream-rich, rich, rich. Flan was all purity, elegantly silken, in a luxurious burnt-sugar bath. Black Forest cake was least exciting, served on chocolate syrup with an unnecessary fillip of sprinkles.

San Telmo is not one of the city’s most polished restaurants. Service was so erratic on our first visit that we postponed the second for some weeks to see if it would improve. It did, although servers still seemed at a loss to explain some menu items. But there is about the place an air of hearty hospitality that makes dining there a homey, relaxing experience. The decor, an unobtrusive mix of drapery-hung walls and wine racks, underscores this amiable ambiance, which seems to be the aim of owner-hostess Graciela Saracho, whose Argentine roots do not preclude her from offering some fine, inexpensive Chilean wine on San Telmo’s wine list. 5617 W. Lovers Lane. 351-4268, Sun. and Tue.-Thur. II a.m.-10p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. to midnight. V, MC, AE. Moderate. -B.C.



D Revisits

BARBECUE

D REVISITS Baker’s Ribs. Having stirred Deep Ellum sophisticates to praise-singing fervor with its delectable ribs. Baker’s Ribs now carries the gospel to Greenville Avenue, where-surprise!-the trade seems to be mostly family. At least it was on our visit, when we were the only adults in the vast, baray place unaccompanied by children. Actually, the restaurant is ideal for casual family groups-service is cafeteria-style, the ambiance is permissive and the help-yourself barrel of in-the-shell roasted peanuts at the head of the line is an inspired device for providing lively bitties with inoffensive exercise. The ribs were fine, too. I prefer a less piquant sauce, but my companion found them addictive. Thin-sliced ham and turkey, generously served, were smoky-flavored and moist, and a condiments island stocked with sweet onion rings, dill pickle slices and peppers supplied the accents side dishes did not-pinto beans tasted mostly of raw chili powder, and potato salad had no character at all. The only dessert offered is fried pies, but they come from their Kilgore makers in a startling variety of flavors-the cherry one we tried was scantily filled, but a coconut version was as delicious as it was unusual. Tables and booths are comfortably spaced and promptly cleared, and the decor features natural wood and walls brightly painted with proud-to-be-Texan sentiments. 4844 Greenville Ave, 373-0082. All credit cards. Inex pensive. -B. C



D REVISITS SONNY BRYAN’S SMOKEHOUSE. Is this the tail that wags the dog? Much as I loved the primitive eat-on-your-carhood ambiance of die original Sonny’s. I confess the West End offshoot has its advantages. The layout suggests that self-service rules here, too, and perhaps it does during rush-hour lunches. But on our rather late dinner visit, we were welcomed and waited on as tenderly as if we’d been our server’s own guests. Quickly, too-perhaps too quickly in the case of the vaunted onion rings, which must have been cooked some time earlier; their batter crust had gone from crisp to concrete. Otherwise, though, the food lived up to fond memory: My chopped-to-order brisket sandwich was succulent, while my companion’s ribs-plus-three-meats plate was a carnivore’s dream, from tender ribs to real turkey breast (none of those boneless rolled deli affairs here, thank you), juicy pulled pork and spicy sausage. Was the sauce slightly pepperier than usual? Never mind. Brought warm, it was as irresistible as always, and potato salad and fried okra played mild counterpoint. There’s a full bar, by the way-you can label that a plus or not, as you choose. 302 N. Market. 744- !6I0. All credit cards. Inexpensive. -B.C.



BURGERS

D REVISITS Chip’s. This is a perennial favorite for its great old-fashioned burgers. While the low-key, hangout atmosphere is the same and the TV is still tuned to whatever game with a ball is currently in season, Chip’s is up to some new tricks. The new “burger-of-the-month” program features a different combo every month. When we paid our last profes;ional visit, it was a burger piled high with fried 0 lion rings (something I’ve always liked to do anyway and especially good with their skinny, sweet fried >nions, which are more like strings than rings, but m ver mind). Grilled chicken sandwiches are particularly good here, and I’ve also enjoyed an occasional pig sandwich. Chip’s really is old-fash ioned; you can have a soft drink or a beer with your sandwich, but I always indulge in a slow-sipping milkshake ( md no one here has ever said anything about frozen yogurt). Anyway, besides the burger. me fries were the same as usual, which is excellent. Word to me wise from a seasoned doggie-bagger: A basket of fries or onions is overflowing and could easily be enough for three people; leftover fried food is garbage. 4501 N. Central Expwy. 526-1092. AE, V, MC. Inexpertsive. -M.B.M.



D REVI5I1 S 8.O. Sometimes Shannon Wynne really has a good idea. This far into its reincarna tion, 8.0 is still the coolest place in town, hands- down. (Of course, that’s the opinion of one middle- aged reviewer.) Since I make a conscious effort not to go there hen the regulars do, I can really opine only about the setting and the food, not the “scene.” The murals, the menu art, the tilework in the rest- rooms and the jukebox still strike me as wonderful. And me food, though it is secondary, measures up. It’s not fait to classify 8.0 as a burger place- though me “8.0 burger” is a menu classic. The food now aspires to more and, in some cases, gets there, especially in the evening. Some offerings are real bar food-like the mean mess o’ nachos with whole black beans] chicken and lots of longhorn cheese glued together over Mercurochrome-colored chips. Others are more imaginative. For instance, the half- chicken coat< d with crumbles of the same chips and baked to a tamale-tasting end and the tricolor tortellini tossed with smoked chicken are evidence of a chef, not a cook, in the kitchen. We finished with a share* slice (how could anyone eat a whole one?) of really good chocolate cake from Spirited Cakes-a sir art chef knows when to buy, not bake. Service start ;d out uninterested, but halfway into our meal our waiter suddenly woke up and realized he was at work. 2800 Routh. 979-0880. All credit cards. Jnexpensive. -M.B.M.

ITALIAN

D REVISITS La Trattoria Lombardi. Alberto Lorrbardi is one of Dallas’ own. He was the first in town to serve really fine Italian food with hand-kit sing flair. Lombardi now owns restaurants all over the country. I can’t speak about the Las Vegas or Atlanta locations, but in my opinion, the (almost) original Trattoria Lombardi on Hall Street is still the most appealing one. In recent years Italian food Has overtaken French and American as the universal cuisine-everyone, it seems, bakes focaccia and makes their own mozzarella. So I am always curio is when 1 revisit the Trattoria to see how it holds up compared to its descendants and imitators. Tie answer last time was very well, thank you. Tie brick-walled restaurant is as attractive as ever. l’es, the maitre d’ did kiss my hand, and the food, if not consistent, hit some very high points. One appetizer we tried-roasted red peppers, glossed with pesto, chilled and piled on shavings of nutty cheese-was particularly wonderful. Although the) house salad was watery, the toss of arugula and Belgian endive with parmigiana and pine nuts was a winner. Entrees of mellow manicot-ti and sausagte baked with a stew of mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes were satisfying, if not inspired. Supposedly, their dessert specially is souffiés, but the insipid chocolate one we tasted was not exactly special. 2916 N. Hail. 954-0803. AE. DC. MC, V. Moderate. -M.B.M.

D REVISITS Ferrari’s. Ferrari’s latest loca tion in The Brewery is in a very vertical space that makes you feel as if you’re eating in a well. The restaurant is a couple of floors high, though it appears that (here is not a usable second story. It’s an entertaining atmosphere-an upside-down Christmas tree decorated with red hearts seems to function as a chandelier (an effect I can’t wail to try at home) and a wall stuck full of wine bottles sort of functions as a wine list. The first basket of soft focaccia bread is complimentary: if you want more (bet you can’t eat just one), it costs you. Salads were mediocre; pizza had a crispy thin crust; the pasta we ordered was somehow tough. Veal scal lops smothered with tomato sauce and melted cheese was one of those dishes that make veal taste like pizza, a pointless and expensive exercise-and probably as much the mistake of the diner who ordered it as the chef who prepared it. A gluey tiramisu was frankly terrible. 703 McKinney. 954- 1112. AU credit cards. Moderate. -M.B.M.



D REVISITS Henry Street Pizza Company. Pizza is the favorite food of the ’90s. Tucked away on one of Deep Ellum’s side streets this is a one- trick-pony place-they do only one thing here but they do it well. Piled with your choice of meat and vegetables, pizzas from Henry Street are stellar, though its business practice is a little flaky. It’s open for lunch and dinner, and closed for siesta from 2:30 to 5, but I dropped by recently at 5:30 to find nobody home. Call ahead. My favorite pies are the five-cheese pizza-Cheddar, ricotta, mozzarel- la, Parmesan and provolone welded together in a golden mantle-and the Masterpiece, a major mélange of ham, sausage, fresh tomato, onion. green pepper and who knows what all. Face it-the chewy bread crust is probably wonderful even without any toppings. Make your own salad, though, if you require greens with a meal. 208 Henry. 148-4455. AE. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



D REVISITS Alfonso’s. This Casa Linda favorite has moved to nicer digs a few blocks away. The new corner spot in a largely empty shopping center on Buckner has two glass walls and is alto gether spiffier than the old dark location. But any changes in the food are undetectable-good news for those of us who love that red sauce. In the face of focaccia, buffalo mozzarella and grilled every thing in balsamic vinegar, Alfonso’s is a bulwark of old-fashioned casserole Italian food. And a bulwark is what you feel tike after you finish eating. There is a selection of veal and seafood and some new chicken dishes, and the pizzas and tossed pastas are very good. But in my opinion, the dish to pick is one of the pastas constructed in its own little casse role-layers of Bolognese sauce, cheese and noo dles baked till they blend to become one rich mass of lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, eggplant parmigiana or cannelloni, You cat this accompanied by a basket of garlic rolls–pizza dough rolled into snails and baked with a lot of garlic and butter. I think there was some salad, too, crisp and tart, and I know there is a case displaying some desserts, but I’m afraid 1 can’t tell you much about them. Carbohy drates must have clouded my memory. 718 N. Buckner. Suite 222. 327-7777. AE. MC. V. Inexpen sive to moderate. -M.B.M.



MEDITERRANEAN

D REVISITS Adelmo’s. Quiet insouciance is a characteristic of this Park Cities favorite. But the place can afford an attitude-lively seasonings and a competent kitchen keep the fare exciting and the close-set tables filled, even on a rainy weekday evening. The space is tiny, but somehow serene: seamless service has that career-pride feeling that characterizes more European than American restaurants; and if you’re not offered a choice of salad dressings, who cares when the one that graces your snapping fresh dean greens is a perfect sunny vinaigrette? My soup of the day, potato leek, held tender potato nuggets among wisps of the mild leek in a subtly rich chicken broth. My companion’s lob ster ravioli wore a bracing vodka sauce and tasted fine, although no lobster flavor was discernible. His veal chop was a splendid affair, cleanly trimmed of fat and pan-cooked to moist tenderness. My angel hair came as a garlic-scented mound laid over with delicate strips of smoked salmon and milder than ordinary anchovy fillets. Desserts were lovely: a crème br?lée of uncommon richness and a wedge of chocolate walnut cake drizzled with dark choco late sauce. Grace-note accompaniments ranged from hotly spiced pickled vegetables, crusty rolls and sweet butter up front to a lagniappe assortment of biscotti and sugared cookies brought before the check. 4537 Cole. 559-0325. MI credit cards. Mod erate to expensive. -B.C.



D Recommends



BARBECUE



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

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

Peggy Sue BBQ. 6600 Snider Plaza. 987-9189. Inexpensive.

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

R.J.’S Sho-Nuf. 3910 Maple Ave. 528-5230. 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 P!a?,a. 373-1717. 4343 W. Northwest Hwy. 352-2525. Inexpensive

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

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

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

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

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. Inexpen-

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

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



CAJUN



Atchafalaya River Cafe. 4440 Belt 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 Midway 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. 4010 W. 15th. Piano. 964-0406. Inexpensive.

Central China. 330 Medallion Center. 363-7428. Moderate.

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. 111 S.Greenville Ave.. Richardson. 680-8216. Inexpensive.

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

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

Hone 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 Jade. 3232 McKinney Ave. 871-8898. Moderate.

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

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

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

ETHIOPIAN

Dallul. 2515 Inwood. 353-0804. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

FRENCH/CONTINENTAL

Addison Cafe. 5290 Belt 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. 69 Highland Park Village. Preston al Mockingbird. 521-7300. Expensive.

Juniper. 2917 Fairmount. B55-O7O0. Expensive.

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

L’Ancestral. 4514 Travis. 528-1081. Moderate.

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 expensive.

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

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

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 Alio, 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 al 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. In* expensive.

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.

Gennie’s Bishop Grille. 321 N. Bishop. 946-1752. Inexpensive

Highland Park Pharmacy. .1229 Knox. 521-2126. Inexpensive.

Jay’s Cafe. 2)12 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. 0422 Harry Hines. 352-0051. Inexpensive

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

Theo’s Diner. 111 S. Hall. 747-6936. Inexpensive.

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



INDIAN



Akbar. 2115 Vomenade Center, Richardson. 235-0260. Inexpensive (lunch) to moderate (dinner).

Ashoka Indian Cuisine. 5409 Belt Line, Près tonwood Creek SI lopping Center. 960-0070. Moderate.

Bombay Cricket Club. 2508 Maple. 871-1333. 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 W.E. Green Oaks, Arlington. (817) 860-8728. Moderate.

Taj Mahal. Caruth Plaza, 9100 N. Central Expwy., Suite 179. 692-0535. Moderate.



ITALIAN



Alessio’s. 417 Lomo Alto. 521-3585. Expensive.

Amici Signature Italian. 1022 S. Broadway.

Carrollton. 245-3191. Moderate to expensive.

Andiamo. 41:11 Belt Line. 233-1515. Moderate to expensive.

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

Arcodoro. 2J20 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 Restanrant and Pizzeria. 3505 W. Northwest Hwy. 850-7456. Inexpensive.

Fausto’s Oven. 300 Reunion Blvd., in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. 7U2-7144. Moderate.

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. 7113 Inwood. 352-8373. Expensive.

Massimo da Milano. 5519 W. Lovers Lane. 351-1426. 2121 San Jacinto. 871-0400. 901 Main Place, Suite C106 in the NCNB Building. 761-6350. Village on the Parkway, 5100 Belt Line, Addison. 661-5255. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Mise En Place. 7011 Lomo Alto. 520-2424. Inexpensive to moderate.

MoMo’s Italian Specialties. 9191 Forest Lane, Suite A2. 254-6800. 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.

Osteria da Momo. 2704 Elm. 748-4222. Moder-

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

Piccola Cucina. 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.

Popolos Cafe. Preston Royal Shopping Center. 692-5497, Moderate.

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

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

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

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

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

Scuro. 2713 Elm St. 741-01II. 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-Va. 13050 Coit, 690-8396. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Mibachi-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.

Shlnano 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

Blind Lemon. 2805 Main St. 939-0202. Inexpensive to moderate.

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.

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

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

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

Cuquita’s. 2326 N. Henderson. 823-1859. Inexpensive to moderate.

Desperados. 4818 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. 521-4211. Expensive.

La Calle Doce. 415 W. 12th. 941-4304. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

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

Los Vaqueros. 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. Moder-

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.

Mi Casa Tex Mex Restaurant. 8301 Westchester. 890-9939. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Primo’s. 3309 McKinney Ave. 520-3303. Inexpensive to moderate.

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



MIDDLE EASTERN

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

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



NATURAL

Agnew’s Natural Grill. 3011 Routh St. 720-3900. Moderate to expensive.

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



NEW AMERICAN

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

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

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

Beau Nash. 400 Crescent Court 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 Quadrangle. 220-2465. Moderate to expensive.

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

Cafe Brazil. 6340 Gaston. 826-9522. 6420 N. Centra] at Fondren. 691 -7791. Inexpensive to moderate.

Cafe 450. 1802 Greenville Ave. 826-6229. Moderate.

Chaplin’s. 928 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 Blum 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. 720-2224, 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. 821-4552. Moderate.

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

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

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

St. Michael’s Alley. Valley View Square, LBJ and Preston (northeast quadrant). 980-4567. Inexpensive.

S50 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 to expensive.

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

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

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 al Beltway in Addison. 458-7888. Moderate.

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

Moby Great Seafood & Grille. 4514 Travis, Suite 201 in Travis Walk. 522-6797. Inexpensive.

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

SAD Oyster Company. 2701 McKinney Ave. B80-0 111. 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 Belt Line at Dallas Parkway in Sakowitz Village, Suite 500. 934-0165. Inexpensive to moderate.

Cafe Society. 4514 Travis, Suite 133. 528-6543. Inexpensive to moderate.

Cayuse. 3211 Oak Lawn. 521-0114. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Loma Luna Cafe. 8201 Preston, Suite 100 (at Sherry Lane). 691-1552. 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. 808 Munger, 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.

The Palm. 701 Ross. 698-0470. Very 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-DEL1. 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.

Going Gourmet. 4345 W. Northwest Hwy. Suite 270.351-6773. Inexpensive.

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. 458-8896. 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.

Royal Thai. 5500 Greenville Ave., #802 in Old Town. 691-3555. Moderate.

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

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

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

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

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

Thai Soon. 2018 Greenville Ave. 821-7666. 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.



VIETNAMESE

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

East Wind. 2711 Elm Si. 745-5554. Inexpensive to modérate.

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

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.

Caspar’s. (New American) 150 S. Denton Tap Road, Coppell. 393-5152. Expensive.

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

La Margarita. (Mexican) 3636 N. Belt Line, Irving. 570-3137. 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.

Byblos. (Middle Eastern) 1406 North Main. (817) 625-9667. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Kincaid’s. (Burgers) 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 732-2881. Inexpensive.

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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