RESTAURANTS DINING OUT

TWENTY YEARS ago, eating well-prepared seafood was a regular ritual for most Dallas diners, with establishments like Jay’s Marine Grill and Dean’s Seafood on Inwood dispensing succulent morsels from the maritime. In recent years, however, the state of oceanic cuisine in Dallas has plunged to the depths, with the aging process turning the two aforementioned restaurants into essentially worthless pits. The vacuum created when the hometown fish restaurants faded was filled by fran-chised establishments like Red Lobster Inn, a culinary insult to anyone who has ever tasted anything better than Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks.

Two years ago, we listed only one restaurant (S & D Oyster Co.) under the “Seafood” heading in this magazine. The reason was simple: There were no decent seafood offerings in the city except for the lemon sole or red snaper found hidden on the menus of some of the continental restaurants of Dallas. But that was two years ago. Things have changed radically.

The introduction into the local dining market of some high-quality establishments like Ratcliffe’s and Fausto’s has created a whole new scenario for the discriminating diner who craves what comes from the sea. The recent rebirth of the seafood restaurant in Dallas has left in its wake half a dozen excellent dining establishments, with at least a dozen more that can be considered good.

Want fresh Maine or Australian lobster? Light and tender sea trout? Perhaps a fresh swordfish steak or a salmon filet? No problem. You can obtain any of those dishes, and much more, at any of the new restaurants that have burst into Dallas like a tidal wave.

Ratcliffe’s. 1901 McKinney Ave. Could this be the best seafood restaurant in Dallas? It’s too soon to tell. But one thing is certain: This handsomely refurbished new seafood emporium proves that the words “continental seafoods” printed on the Ratcliffe’s menu do not constitute a contradiction in terms. Ratcliffe’s is a beautiful place, and its menu offerings shine as brightly as the polished brass banisters on its staircase. We recommend the shrimp and crab in white wine sauce, which is served in a delicate pastry shell and covered with hollandaise. We’re also partial to the scampi Mediterranean, cooked in lemon butter with garlic, olives, and tomatoes. But there are a number of excellent entrees to choose from. The lemon sole is well up to par with the overall superiority of the restaurant, as is the salmon filet, broiled or poached and served with hollandaise. And the shrimp remoulade is some of the best this side of the Vieux Carré And the house white wine, Folonari Soave, is fine.

One of the secrets of Ratcliffe’s is the use of a stellar pastry chef. It shows up not only in the fish/pastry combinations, but also in the desserts. The apple hazelnut tart we sampled easily qualifies as one of the best desserts in Dallas. No restaurant is without its failures, of course. The fisherman’s stew, served in a hearty-looking iron pot -a good gimmick -was basically tasteless swill. And we never determined how to get the meat out of the lobster claw submerged in our steaming stew. Using a fork to combat the lobster claw in its own element – liquid – was a hopeless struggle. Don’t waste your time; the stringy lobster meat we gained from our labors was not worth it.

Fausto’s. Hyatt Regency Hotel. This is far and away the best restaurant in the Hyatt complex and easily a contender for the best seafood restaurant in Dallas. The giant New England lobster Fausto’s flies in is the best offered in the city, and the price is as reasonable as some of the frozen “fresh” lobster we’ve sampled in other quarters. There are no losers on the limited but excellent Fausto’s menu. The red snapper, baked in sour cream and dill, is simply great, as is the filet of salmon sau-teed with mushrooms and shallots. We also recommend the lemon sole (with pecans) and the scallops and shrimp sautéed in Chablis and covered with paprika sauce. And the broiled swordfish with oysters and Burgundy we sampled was on the same superior plane as the rest of the entrées.

One of the facets of Fausto’s that makes it a pleasant dining experience is the ambience, almost on a par with the stellar surroundings at Ratcliffe’s, even though the decor of the two is quite different. Fausto’s is like a dark grotto with ubiquitous waiters and finely starched linens. The catch at Fausto’s is that it is somewhat expensive; after all, you’re in a hotel, competing with all those credit-card-carrying conventioners.

Jozef’s. 2719 McKinney. Jozef’s is a shade below Ratcliffe’s or Fausto’s in terms of its overall quality, but still a superior restaurant in most respects. We’ve had excellent sole and trout there, as well as some very good crab and shrimp. We’ve been quite impressed with some of the appetizers, like smoked freshwater trout served with horseradish sauce, and the ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice and served with green olives, peppers, and tomatoes). But we can’t say good things for the crabmeat Remick (tasteless) or the lobster (tastlessly overpriced considering its stringy quality). Service at this friendly restaurant is quite good. The place is a keeper if you know your way around the menu.

Café Pacific. 24 Highland Park Shopping Village. This is another strong, albeit not perfect, entry into the maritime sweepstakes. You’ll find the seafood portion of this restaurant’s eclectic menu gets longer after the sun goes down. We suggest you sample the superior clam chowder or crab Louis as a first course and then follow it up with filet of sole in lemon butter, scallops sautéed in wine and cream with mushrooms, or pan-fried Pacific oysters. This is one of the few restaurants in town where you can find a correctly seasoned seafood bouillabaisse, garnished with just the right amount of garlic. This establishment is another one of the class acts of the seafood scene in terms of decor and service. Stay away from some of the non-fish items on the menu (where the restaurant can falter) and you’ll leave feeling this is one of the best eating establishments in the city.

S & D Oyster Co. 2701 McKinney. People line up outside this red brick seafood haven for the simple reason that the food is consistently fine. Try the gumbo, the broiled specialties like the trout or flounder, the peerless fried oysters and shrimp, or simply sit down in front of an ice-encased harvest of fresh oysters – they’re all quite good. The menu and the decor here are both much simpler than you’d find at some of S & D’s highbrow competitors, but no one serves better versions of the seafood staples offered here. This place is closer to the atmosphere of a New Orleans oyster bar than any other place in town.

Crazy Crab. 3211 Oak Lawn. We’d eat here for the Dungeness crab alone. No one offers it better. There’s no cheap thrill that quite equals smashing the formidable-looking crustacean with the mallets that Crazy’s provides for your eating/entertainment pleasure. Most other dishes are in the good-to-fair range as to quality. Stay away from the crab au gratin. We’ve found ourselves biting into crab shell every time we’ve tried it.

Broussard’s 707 N. Belt Line Rd., Irving. The best gumbo and étouffée offered in this part of the country can be found in this truck-stop chic palace. The fried oysters and boiled shrimp are also superior. Bring your own bottle; Irving’s still dry.

Oyster’s. 4580 Belt Line Rd., Addison. Nothing fancy here, just fresh seafood. The specialty of the house – guess what – is well prepared both in the fried and raw version. Other can’t-miss selections include the gumbo, red snapper, flounder, sole, and shrimp. Service is exceptionally attentive and efficient. The decor of this place is set up to look like New Orleans, but you have to squint your eyes to visualize it.

RECOMMENDPED RESTAURANTS



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



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



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



$ Generally inexpensive. Usually indicates a good value.



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



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



$$$$ Very expensive.



Unless otherwise noted, all restaurants have full bar facilities.



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



CONTINEWTAL/FRENCH



Antares. The term haute cuisine is inapplicable to the food at Antares, save perhaps in its purely literal sense: The restaurant is located 560 feet above ground in the revolving dome of Reunion Tower. Scampi lacked the garlicky, spicy zing that most restaurants are capable of delivering, and the Rock Cornish game hen, stuffed with wild rice and served atop a layer of paté de foie gras, was palatable but far less interesting than it might have been, had the chef been interested. Steer clear of the veal steak Oscar, which consists of an utterly unseasoned slice of veal, topped with a thimbleful of crab meat, canned asparagus, and a ladleful of “béarnaise sauce” that had never been in the same room with any tarragon. Antares’ redeeming feature, aside from the incomparable view, is its desserts. The standout, praline cheesecake topped with lots of hot, thick caramel-pecan sauce and whipped cream, is worth the trip in itself. (300 Reunion Blvdin Reunion Tower 651-1234, ex 7047. Lunch: MonSat 11-2, Sun 11-3; Dinner: Sun-Thur 6-11, Fri-Sat 5-midnight. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)



Arthur’s. Arthur’s is two, two restaurants in one. To the right is a swinging jazz bar with a parquet floor for dancing cheek to cheek. To the left is a quiet dining room of understated elegance. The filets are a cut above steaks served elsewhere. The meat is so buttery and soft you can slice it with a fork. The best entrée-mignons of beef Stanley-is also the most bizarre. Who would imagine a prime filet, topped with a dollop of creamy horseradish and a glazed banana, all in a béarnaise sauce, would taste good? Diners knead to sample the bread Baked fresh daily, the sourdough loaf has a crunchy crust and a chewy, yeasty interior. Watercress and endive salad looked like a Cezanne still life and tasted even better. But if the main courses put you in orbit, the desserts will send you crashing back to earth. The cheesecake was as dry as plasterboard and the chocolate velvet a turnoff. So large it needs an index, the wine list is a compendium of the finest California has to offer. So don’t forget to flag over the sommelier. (1000 Campbell Centre. 361-8833. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Fri 6-11, Sat till midnight. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)



Café Pacific. Dining at this classy Highland Park Shopping Village restaurant can be a good experience or a bad one, depending on how adroit you are at selecting the right entrees. We suggest you follow the cardinal rule for dealing with new restaurants: When dining in a fish place, order fish. It’s that simple We sampled the scallops in wine, butter, and garlic sauce and found the clam chowder to be some of the best we’ve had in quite a while. The good food/bad food dichotomy seemed to follow the fish vs. non-fish line. Our cheese soup tasted of Velveeta laden with too much flour, and the pepper steak we tried was too peppery and overcooked. On more than one occasion we’ve had veal Marsala that consisted of good veal covered with bad sauce -too sticky and heavy. The decor of this restaurant, with dark woods, lots of brass, and sparkling white tile floors, puts Cafe Pacific almost in a class by itself (24 Highland Park Shopping Village. 526-1170. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30-2:30, Sun 11-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Thur 5:30-10:30, Fri & Sat till 11: bar till 1 am. MC, V, AE $$$)



D Revisits CAfé Royal. The surroundings are as elegant and understated as the Mozart played by the pianist on duty during dinner As for the food, scallops in pepper sauce are a fine opener, and a much better choice than the thin, too briny lobster soup Classic entrees like sirloin with béarnaise sauce are safe bets; but the more adventurous nouvelle cuisine-inspired choices are the point here: among them, flavorful duckling supreme with mustard cream sauce and tender and piquant veal steak with lime butter. Minor shortcomings are dull salads, limp vegetables (which, at $3.50 à la carte should taste as good as they look), and occasionally burned coffee Service can be a major shortcoming, causing the unlucky diner to wonder if this is an Erie Stanley Gardner mystery-The Case of the Disappearing Waiter But all is forgiven with dessert. Skip the tarts (which look lovely but have asbestos-like crusts) and opt for the extraordinarily refreshing strawberry bava-roise (Plaza of the Americas, 605 N Ervay. 747 7222. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11 am-3 pm; Dinner: Mon-Thur 6 30-10:30 pm, Fri & Sat till 11. All credit cards. $$$$)



Calluaud. Never mind pronouncing the name; Cal-luaud (try Calley-oh) offers an understated elegance of setting and service unsurpassed for soothing the savage diner. Even on occasions when entrees are less than stellar-as in the case of the somewhat tough veal chop and oversalted stuffed chicken with morels-appetizers and desserts make it possible to dine well. To leave feeling happy, we recommend starting with scallops in white wine and cream sauce (a far better choice than the uninspired salads) and finishing with a souffle (chocolate and hazelnut are both winners) or, when available, fresh raspberries with whipped cream-a dessert that is the stuff of dreams (2619 McKinney. 823-5380. Lunch: Tue-Fri 11-2; Dinner: MonThur 6-11, Fri & Sat seatings at 6-7 and 9:30. Closed Sunday. Reservations only. All credit cards. $$$$)

Chateaubriand. This old-line Dallas restaurant is really two establishments, one consisting of a large and attractive main dining room and bar-the other a small, garish, and Fifties-looking side room. Actually, the main area is titled “Club” (it’s not one) and the smaller room is titled “Dining Room.” The difference is important at lunch, when Chateaubriand is most popular, because unless you are a regular, you are likely to end up in the side room, and this can mean very bad ambience and service. Chateaubriand’s food is uneven, ranging from veal, seafood, and Greek dishes which can be very well-prepared to gristly pepper steak and chicken Kiev that looks and tastes like a large corny dog. While lunch in the small dining room was a bad experience, dinner in the main restaurant was excellent, with good service and live musical entertainment. Dinner is expensive, with a lunch menu nearly as ambitious as the dinner menu, but with lower prices. (2515 McKinney. 741-1223. Mon-Sat 11:30 am-midnight. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

The Chimney. The dining atmosphere conjures up an Alpine ski lodge; we keep waiting for the von Trapp family singers to show up in après-ski boots. The undisputed pride of The Chimney is the veal- which forms the bulk of the menu and ranges from the simple Weiner Schnitzel, crisply pan-fried, to the complex forestière, a thin cutlet bathed in a woodsy mushroom and cream sauce. But the appetizers are overpriced and, although the seafood pancakes in hollandaise were tasty, the remainder were uninspired. Even though the desserts were homemade, they tasted as if they had been baked at home several weeks earlier. Both the Sachertorte and Schwartzwalderkirschtorte were so dry we wondered whether they were victims of a drought The wine list is spotty and has markups of up to 300 per cent Overall, if you don’t order veal, you’ll see your money go up in smoke. Service is lackluster-we waited one hour to be seated on one visit. (Willow Creek Center, 9739 N Central at Walnut Hill. 369-6466. Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30-2; Dinner: Tue-Sat 6-10:30, Sun 6-10:30. Reservations. MC, AE, V, DC. $$$)

Ewald’s. For years the food and ambience had made the dining experience here the closest most of us will come to having a home-cooked continental meal-served in the home of the chef. The food is still consistently good, and the service is still excellent. We’ve always been partial to the veal dishes: Veal Ibn-Saud (veal in curry sauce), veal papagallo (veal stuffed with Canadian bacon, Swiss cheese, and sour cream), and veal steak au moulin (veal sautéed with mushrooms, cognac, and cream) are all on a par with the simple veal with lemon butter, which ranks with the best in the city. Another dish which Ewald’s executes excellently is pepper steak, (lamed in cognac and served with crushed white pepper. The best out-of-the-mainstream dish you’ll find is the house shrimp du chef, a broiled shrimp dish served with a tangy barbecue-like sauce. Desserts are decadently delicious, especially the Black Forest cake and the strawberries Romanoff. (5415 W. Lovers Ln. 357-1622. Mon-Fri 6-10:30, Sat till 11. Closed Sun. Reservations. MC, V, AE. $$$)





D Revisits Jennivine. Jennivine is the ultimate wine bar, coupling fine wine with superior cuisine. The broad selection of wines is reasonably priced and the house wines are a bargain at $7 a bottle Patés, which can be ordered a capella or as a prelude to dinner, were uniformly excellent and ranged from a creamy salmon to a coarse poivre. Jennivine was one of the first Dallas restaurants to swim in the rough waters of fresh fish. Catch the New England halibut, a juicy, sweet fillet bathed in a garlic, dill, and butter sauce. And just when you thought it was safe to eat in a Dallas restaurant again, Jennivine has begun to feature shark. It was, well, chewy. Carnivores can devour the lamb curry, escorted by chunky mango chutney and fresh coconut and raisins. Chicken mirepoix. an Oriental-style sau-tée with vegetables, is, however, oddly flavorless. Desserts are the restaurant’s Dunkirk. The cheesecake was plastery, the trifle trifling, and the rhubarb cream tasted like the fuel for the V2 rocket. (3605 McKinney. 528-6010. Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Mon-Sat 6-10:30. Closed Sun. Reservations. MC, V, AE. $$)



Jean Claude. The “new” Jean Claude restaurant is really not much different from the old: a little more breathing room, a few more tables, and a slightly glossier finish. But the kitchen still reigns. With a simple dish like lamb chops, for example, Jean Claude slices the chops thinly from the rack, pan sautées them (instead of broiling), and serves them with a fantastic baked puree of lamb. The boneless quail stuffed with liver paté is the best treatment of this bird we’ve found in Dallas. The veal Calvados is thick-sliced (3/4 inch), unlike the usual thin version- and better Appetizers were flawless, including an unrivaled duck pate and scallops in garlic cream sauce that leave you licking the remaining sauce from your spoon. Vegetables are served generously but were unexceptional; desserts, too (including an uninspired Grand Marnier soufflé) were a bit of a disappointment But the service, as always, was impeccable. Cost remains price fixed at $25.50, which still has to be considered something of a bargain (2404 Cedar Springs. 653-1823 Dinner: Tue-Sat sealings at 6 and 9 Reservations only. MC. V, AE. $$$)



Le Boul’ Mich. Le Boul’ Mich makes a pleasant first impression that, unfortunately, fades from memory once the food arrives. It isn’t so much bad as boring, like a bowl of TopFrost vanilla ice cream The best dishes are usually the most conventional and straightforward-quiche, red snapper meunière, steak Parisien. But as a rule the chef has a dietitian’s contempt for seasoning, and complete indifference to stylish presentation. Imagine sitting down to a meal of cream of mushroom soup, scallops au gratin, haddock bonne femme (actually very tasty), and a glass of Chablis. The experience could easily be confused with snow blindness. But the bread is still good, the wine list is reasonably priced, if limited, and the atmosphere cheerful and intimate Le Boul’ Mich is at its best late at night, when all you really want is a light meal and a relaxing view. (2704 Worihington. 826-0660. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-5; Dinner: Mon-Thur 5-10. Fri & Sat till midnight. MC. V. AE $$)



La Rendaz-Vous. The expansion and refurbishment of this once-small bistro is the best thing that could have happened to the place Before, it was small and intimate Now that the size has doubled, the intimacy is still not lost What’s been added, in addition to more tables, is an air of formality that makes the place seem like exactly what it is-a first-class French restaurant The kitchen delivers consistent quality with a number of veal dishes and one of the better pepper steaks around. The cold salmon platter is excellent, although on more than one occasion we’ve been baffled to find that the salmon with béar-naise was a bust because the salmon was too dry. The shrimp Pernod, which has long been excellent, still is. Le Rendez-Vous excels in service; waiters are efficient but not hovering. (3237 McKinney at Hall. 745-1985. Lunch: daily 11-2; Dinner: daily 6-11, Fri & Sal till 1 am. Reservations MC, V. AE. $$$)

The Mansion. Like its parent, the 21 Club in New York, the Mansion is a place to see and be seen-no restaurant in Dallas can match the class and elegance of its decor After mastering the floor plan, one can order an excellent meal in this palace of haute cuisine. The soups and salads are high society; as for the entrees, while the breast of pheasant smothered with chanterelles was perfectly juicy and sweet, and the thick filet arrived charbroiled on the outside but pink on the inside as ordered, other entrees need some refurbishing. The “budget ” entry of chicken hash, a staple of the 21 Club, tasted disappointingly canned. As for the veal with goose livers, well, God probably never intended them to mingle on the same china. Desserts, though gorgeous, were a disaster. The chocolate souffle was chemical and pasty, the chocolate and tangerine mousse resembled unflavored gelatin, and the pot de chocolate came out ponderous and bitter The service is brusquely French but grows friendlier the more you frequent the place (2821 Turtle Creek. 526-2121. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-1:30: Brunch: Sun 11-2:30; Dinner: daily 6-10:30; Reservations. MC, V, AE. DC. $$$$)

Old Warsaw. A sense of quiet know-how accrued from three decades of experience pervades this restaurant. That’s not to say the place is without its eccentricities of character-it boasts pink flamingo paintings and is capable of serving a side dish of potato chips in a little basket sculpted of French fries. And how can a place create a Grand Marnier souffle that is unrivaled and still not be able to produce a decent vichyssoise? However, you can always get a meal of the traditional continental sort without a flaw; for example, start with the escargots, then a little steak tartare, followed by an entree of good ol’ duck a I’orange. There are a multitude of more exotic offerings, but a meal of old favorites somehow seems most fitting to this favorite old place. But don’t forget that you will pay the price, especially when you venture into the wine list which, despite some beautiful selections, ranks as one of the most absurdly overpriced in restaurantdom. (2610 Maple. 528-0032. Sun-Fri 6-10:45, Sat till 11:45. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$$)

Patry’s. Your appreciation of this restaurant may ultimately center on how much you believe in the axiom that good things come to those who wait. On a recent visit we spent half an hour waiting in the bar for a table-even though we had reservations-and then spent 25 minutes anticipating the arrival of our waiter after we had been seated and given menus. That type of treatment is not totally extraordinary for Patry’s, which has a loyal following and a tendency to be cold and forboding to newcomers. But if you have a high tolerance for indifferent service, you can eventually dine in high style at Patry’s. The food is consistently good. The best entree on the menu is the leeks stuffed with milk sausage cooked in cream, although the pepper steak is among the best in the city. We also like the crab Nantua and the grilled lamb chops. Patry’s entrees are complemented by an excellent selection of fine desserts and one of the better wine lists in Dallas (2504 McKinney. 748-3754. Tue-Thur & Sun 6-10:30. Fri & Sat till 11. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$$)



Three Vikings. If Vikings could eat this well at home, why would Leif Ericson want to go to America anyway? At Three Vikings, the quality of the entrees is among the best in town, and it’s hard to go wrong: There is crispy roasted duck with almond slices, served with a slightly sweet, piquant sauce; grilled salmon, properly moist, glazed with an amber sauce and topped with a dollop of dilled sour cream; filets of veal Norway, stuffed with mushroom filling and covered with a savory brown sauce. Appetizers are almost as good, with shrimp Erika and shrimp chowder the standouts. One would think that such obvious talent in the kitchen could produce creditable salads and desserts, but one would be wrong: Three Vikings’ salads are feeble, and desserts disappointing. Chocolate cheesecake combines two great ideas, but the sum is less than either of them alone; and pineapple nut cake brings back school cafeteria memories of whipped cream surprise. (2831 Greenville at Goodwin. 827-6770. Dinner: Mon-Thur 6-10, Fri & Sat 6-11, closed Sun. Reservations. MC, V, AE. $$$)



Valeriane’s. If you walk into Valeriane’s and experience a sense of déja vu, the feeling is understandable. The intimate restaurant used to be the home of Jean Claude. The new chef-proprietaire serves the same high-quality cuisine that characterized its predecessor. Everything is homemade, from the pate to the tart fresh fruit sorbets served as palate cleansers to the closing chestnut souffle. The scallop mousse was a mound of creamy fish doused in champagne sauce. Shrimp showered with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic showed you don’t have to be Chinese to turn out an authentic Oriental dish. Lobster bisque, though flavorful and briny, arrived in a demitasse cup, which was not enough quantity for its quality. Rack of lamb racked up points, and fish lovers should reel in the Dover sole, piled to the gills with crabmeat. Only the sweets struck a sour note. Although the chestnut souffle was so light it nearly floated, the cappuccino mousse lacked the sting of espresso, and meringue chantilly glacée tasted like it came from Ashburn’s And the bottomless cup of coffee was burnt. (2520 Cedar Springs between Routh and Fairmount. 741-1413. Mon-Sat 6-11. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)

INDIAN



India House. Let’s face it: Not that many Dallas diners know the difference between alu tikki and chicken tandoori. Selections like these are not exactly part of the American culinary mainstream. But even if you don’t know what you are eating at India House, you’ll discover one thing quickly: It’s very good Both the chicken and beef tandoori, marinated delights served with a shovel-sized portion of fluffy rice, are tremendously tasty, it extremely filling. And the appetizers, such as chicken chat-chunks of chicken served with mint chutney-are superb Abundant fresh-from-the-oven breads are excellent. India House even offers a surprisingly reasonable ($3.95) lunch buffet, which sometimes gets a little unorganized when the crowd starts to outnumber the waiters by too large a ratio Dinner service, however, is extremely attentive Save room for dessert; the cheese balls in sweet milk are delightful. (5422 E Mockingbird. 823-1000. Lunch: Daily 11:30-2:30: Dinner: SunThur 5-10, Fri & Sat till 11. Reservations. All credit cards $$)



Newcomer: Sahib. You don’t have to wear a sari or own a Nehru jacket to like Indian food. If there is one place that curries our flavor, it is Sahib. The interior in shades of forest green and peach is striking in its simplicity. Canopies of airy gauze float over the window-side tables In the back are tandoors, clay ovens where you can watch the two best dishes being prepared: nan (fresh bread) and tandoori chicken (lobster-colored marinated chicken of extraordinary succulence). Dinner begins with papads, spicy lentil wafers served with homemade chutney. Try the cold chicken chat, spicy fork-tender chunks, as an appetizer. Fish masala is a tender fillet served in a four-alarm hot tomato sauce. The puréed spinach was a perfect foil for the coriander and pink-to-perfection meat in lamb sag-wala The all-you-can-eat lunch, which features a dozen of the restaurant’s specialties, is an untouchable bargain. And there’s plenty of room to park your elephant out front (9100 Caruth Plaza. 987-2301. Lunch: daily 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Thur 5:30-10:30, Fri & Sat 6-11. MC, V, AE. $$)



ITALIAN



0 Revisits Campisi’s. A Dallas institution whose charm may be lost on the uninitiated. Count on standing in line to gain admission to the dark, dingy interior attended by harried waitresses Most of the veal, pasta, and pizza entrees are in the ordinary-to-tasty range. (Avoid, however, the overpriced, sorry crab claws.) The best bet is the mostaccioli (tube-shaped pasta) with outstanding homemade Italian sausage. Dessert is either Black Forest cake or cheesecake, two equally bad options. (5620 E Mockingbird. 827-0355. 827-7711. Mon-Fri & Sun 11 am-midnight, Sat till 1 am Reservations for 6 or more No credit cards: personal checks accepted. $$)

II Sorrento. There are better Italian restaurants in Dallas than II Sorrento, but none can match the overall dining experience. The setting is a Hollywood back lot version of Venice, complete with canals, fountains, and strolling violinists. Everything is so outrageously overdone that the only appropriate response is applause. The same kind of bravura is apparent in the menu, which offers a dozen dishes in each of a dozen categories, some excellent, others very ordinary. On recent visits we had superb scampi Giovanni (shallots, mushrooms, and bread crumbs) as well as excellent veal Sorrento and braciola. In the very ordinary category was a pro-volone marinara appetizer heavy enough to crack a plate, and a fettucine Alfredo that had a delicate sauce but rubbery noodles. Our hot antipasto was indeed hot, but only the stuffed eggplant merited more than a polite nibble. So, definitely an unpredictable restaurant for food, but a plus for fantasy. (8616 Turtle Creek, north of Northwest Highway. 352-8759. Daily 5:30-10:30, Sat till 11:30. Reservations except Fri & Sat. All credit cards. $$$)

La Tosca. This starkly appointed black and white restaurant has adventurous, almost avant-garde food. Like the cream of snail soup, a velvety broth brimming with meaty slivers (which actually tasted like mushrooms). The linguine and fettucine are homemade and pasta-tively perfect. Try the paglia e fino. green and white noodles intertwined in a creamy Parmesan and Cheddar sauce, or the meaty and mountainous lasagna. Other main courses could use some work, and a few should be given the boot Veal roll was fatty, and chicken forestière, a tender breast buried under a pile of al dente vegetables, was bland. As for desserts, the chocolatey profiterole was a dentist’s dream, while orange slices soaked in Grand Marnier needed some spike. The all-Italian wine list is reasonably priced; try the Bretani Soave. One major complaint: the blaring Italian arias that are piped through the restaurant. (7713 Inwood Rd. 352-8373. Lunch: Tue-Fri 11:30-2, Dinner: Tue-Thur 6-10:30, Fri & Sat 6-11, Sun 6-10:30. Closed Mon. MC, AE, V, DC. $$)

Mario’s. Elegantly orchestrated, dinner at Mario’s is magnificent. From the simple, spicy antipastos- succulent, fresh crabmeat, for example; or rich escargots; or shrimp Mario, perfectly seasoned sautéed shrimp-through dessert, a meal at Mario’s is an event to be savored. We’re convinced that Mario’s lasagna is the best we’ve ever had. with layers of ricotta wrapped in spinach pasta and sauced with bechamel. Then again, the sole with shrimp is delicate and light, bathed in a creamy sauce. Desserts are notable, in particular, the flaming strawberries over ice cream, and a selection of fluffy liqueur souffles. The service at Mario’s deserves special mention; it’s thoroughly attentive and helpful with no trace of the supercilious, patronizing air marring the service at some fine restaurants. (135 Turtle Creek Village, Oak Lawn at Blackburn. 521-1135. Daily 6-11, Sat till midnight. Reservations. Jackets required lor male customers. All credit cards. $$$)

Pietro’s. Bring a hearty appetite; you’ll be served at least double portions of everything. Our order of veal Parmigiana consisted of a hefty green salad, two large veal cutlets coated with a thick layer of melted cheese and lots of tomato sauce, and a side order of spaghetti. The smallest pizza available is the 10-inch gooey, thick crust, Sicilian-type-just the right size for a professional linebacker. Nothing we tasted was exceptional, but just about everything was good. The fettucine alla romana was a little too noodley, and the artichokes hearts vinaigrette were more leaves than hearts and more vinegar and garlic than either, but Pietro’s Sicilian home-style dishes rank with the best. Don’t bother with dessert, even if you still have room. The crème de caramel was heavy, the Italian cheesecake too spongy, and both were topped with too much spray-can whipped cream. Service is pleasant and attentive and the atmosphere quiet and unassuming (5722 Richmond. 824-9403. Tue-Thur 5:30-10, Fri & Sat till 11, closed Sun & Mon. No reservations. Beer and wine only. MC. V. $$)

Sergio’s. Having praised Sergio’s pasta before, we’ll praise it again; it’s the best around, especially the linguine, tortellini, and manicotti. We’ve had some reservations about the fettucine-a bit gluey -but none whatsoever about the veal dishes, which make up the bulk of the menu Whether it’s the veal Giorgio (in a vermouth and tarragon sauce), the sal-timbocca, or the standard veal Marsala, all are seasoned and pounded to perfection. The cannoli is overproduced, a dessert designed by Busby Berkeley, so we usually content ourselves with something basic like cappucino pie and espresso. Lunch is less inspired-so-so salads interspersed with an occasional outstanding special like veal Marengo, a spicy veal stew We also wish the interior looked less like an abandoned card shop and that Sergio would turn off the Muzak. (Suite 165, The Quadrangle. 742-3872. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30-2, Dinner: Mon-Thur 6/0, Fri & Sat 6-10:30. Reservations. MC. V. AE. DC. $$)

MEXICAN



Café Cancun. Cafe Cancun has so much going for it-attractive surroundings in peachy hues and a Mexico City-style cuisine that’s lighter and brighter than standard Tex-Mex-that we hesitate to cavil about its small failings. The main dishes, especially the unusual pork tacos. with or without chile ancho sauce, are reliably good, but the attention to detail that made the place such a joy when it opened seems to be waning. On our last few visits, the tortillas had lost their fresh chewiness. the salsa its cilantro, and the meat its succulence. Even so, nothing here is a bad bet (with the possible exception of the shaving cream-like coconut ice cream), and this variation on the theme of most Mexican restaurants in town is still a winner. (4131 Lomo Alto. 559-4011 Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri 11-11, Sat5-11. Sun 5-10. MC, AE, V, DC. $)

Chiquita. At this old favorite, the standard combination dinner offerings are fine (with the exception of the burritos, which are to be avoided). But what sets Chiquita apart from its competitors are the specialties. Nachos you can get anywhere. Here, you can get tortilla soup-rich, oniony tomato broth with tortilla strips and melted white cheese. After that, we’d advise ordering the beef, which is of unimpeachable quality: Filete de la casa. for instance, is a tender and flavorful filet mignon cooked with garlic and hot pepper Chicken and seafood specialties are less successful. to judge from the tough broiled breast of chicken with lemon butter and the pescado mari-nero (spinach-stuffed whitefish topped with oysters .and shrimp with a heavy cheese sauce blanketing all). Finish with Kahlua ice cream pie, which belongs in the Dessert Hall of Fame. (3810 Congress off Oak Lawn. 521-0721. Mon-Thur 11:30-10:30, Fri & Sat till 11. No reservations. MC. V, AE. $$)

El Taxco. A standing-room-only crowd at noon doesn’t always mean what you might think. If El Taxco were located near a superior restaurant it would probably dry up and blow away. Instead. El Taxco is only a couple of blocks from an El Fenix. so by comparison the food is tremendous. And El Taxco is the only good Mexican restaurant within walking distance of Thanks-Giving Square. Stick with the basics-enchiladas, tacos. tamales. chiles rellenos. guacamole-and you’ll be glad you came. Venture away from the standbys. and you’ll probably feel that you’ve been had Our chicken enchiladas, lor instance, were bland, the chicken was too stringy. Our carne asada was mediocre, even though its price wasn’t One specialty which succeeds is the tos-tadas a la McCaffrey, made with guacamole. ground beef, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and several other tasty ingredients. El Taxco has cleaned up its act on its once horrible margarita, and is now serving a creditable version. (2126 N St Paul at McKin-ney 7420747 Wed-Mon 11-10, closed Tue. No reservations. MC, V. $)

Guadalajara. If you’re into culinary hedonism, one level of nirvana has got to be to plant yourself in one of the red leatherette booths of this raunchy-chic palace and enchilada your way into oblivion This is truly great Tex-Mex: The staple items like tamales. enchiladas, guacamole, chiles rellenos, and frijoles are all superior, as are some of the semi-esoteric Mexican dishes like chicken with mole sauce. But we’ve had enough bad experiences with some of the more expensive dishes like carne asada that we discourage venturing too far from the mainstream of the menu. One of the best things about Guadalajara is its hours-the place is open till 3 am. And although after midnight it can look like a haven for Alcoholics Anonymous dropouts, Guadalajara is one of the only places in Dallas where you can get quality food after hours. (3308 Ross Ave. 823-9340. Tue-Sun 11 am-3:30 am, closed Mon. No reservations No credit cards. $)

Herrera. The waiting lines are long, the surroundings cramped, the decor tacky; and Herrera doesn’t take credit cards or serve liquor. What Herrera does serve is basic, down-to-earth Tex-Mex. In fact, some of the standard touches are the best-creamy guacamole, hot sauce guaranteed to raise your temperature a few notches, retried beans and rice that are spicy and satisfying. The tacos, burritos, loaded “crazy nachos,” and chicken enchiladas can’t be beat. Herrera does suffer from a few minor problems. The beef enchiladas, for example, are filled with a bland beef paste, and some dishes are accompanied by a floury, uninspired cheese sauce. Other dishes (including the nachos) are marred by a rubbery, latticed overlay of greasy, congealed ched-dar. With the closing of the somewhat Anglicized Herrera on Lemmon, the original cafe can perhaps concentrate on what it does best: satisfy diners’ taste for good, no-frills Tex-Mex. (3902 Maple Ave. 526-9427. Mon, Wed, Thur 9-8, Fri-Sun till 10, closed Tue. No reservations. No credit cards. $)



D Revisits La Eaqulna. Mexican food designed for the tourist. Although much is ordinary-from the soups (black bean and tortilla) to dessert (cottony sopapillas)-and all is expensive, La Es-puina is no tourist trap. The quality of ingredients is generally high, as evidenced by that rarity, a margarita stout enough to banish comparisons to a 7-Eleven lime Slurpee. The atrium-like surroundings of the Anatole are also the only place in town, as far as we know, to try taquitos, tasty fried tortillas stuffed with sweet and spicy beef. (Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Fwy. 748-1200. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-3; Dinner: Daily 6-10:30. Reservations for 10 or more. All credit cards. $$$)



Mario & Alberto. This place has the same type of offerings found at restaurateur Mario Leal’s home base, Chiquita. The staples like enchiladas, burritos, guacamole, and tacos are all well above the Dallas standard, as are the carne asada and the chile relleno. Ordering these old standby dishes from the menu is like investing your money in Exxon stocks; you know you can’t lose. As is the case at many restaurants, however, straying away from the well-worn path of entrees is a gamble that doesn’t always pay off. Try the calabacitas rellenas (zucchini stuffed with ground beef and covered with cheese) and you lose; it’s a good entree idea which the chef just can’t execute-our zucchini took a steak knife to cut. But the few negatives on the menu are well overshadowed by the overall high quality of the entrees and the warm and attentive service. (425 Preston Valley Shopping Center. LBJ at Preston. 980-7296. Mon-Thur 11:30-10, Fri & Sat till 10:30. No reservations on Fri & Sat. MC. V, AE. Drinks with $5 membership charge. $$)

Raphael’s. Granted, the chicken and sour cream nachos are divine, but on a Saturday night, we’d rather be bowling than sitting around Raphael’s back room sipping lime-green margaritas out of a mixer as big as a Maytag and listening to the names of the about-to-be-seated broadcast over a microphone. Better, we think, to hit Raphael’s on a weeknight, when the wait is a mere 15 minutes, not a grueling 90. and the service unhurried. After being disappointed by some of the more complicated specialties-among them, an inauspicious flaming cheese, dried-out shrimp enchiladas, and an unlikely polio Tampiqueno-we advise heading straight for the simple and/or Tex-Mex Our favorites include the assorted appetizers, featuring splendid nachos and tiny flautitos; a great guacamole loaded with cilan-tro; any of the chicken or beef enchiladas; and the enchiladas topped with a spirited mole sauce. (3701 McKinney. 521-9640. Mon-Fri 11:30-10:30, Sat noon-10, closed Sun. Reservations Mon-Thur only. MC, V, AE. $$)

NATURAL FOODS



Marvins Garden. If natural food restaurants bring Annie Hall visions of plates of mashed yeast to mind, take heart. Marvins Garden offers a variation on two common restaurant themes: pizza and Mexican food. Pizza, you say: That’s |unk food. Could Mr. Jim’s pizza, a garden of fresh vegetables and cheese on a whole wheat crust be considered junk food? Mexican food, however, is the real forte of this intimate cafe. Starting with outstanding creamy garlic dressing over a dinner salad, we had a most satisfying meal. Quesadillas filled with flavorful soft white cheese are covered with a ranchera sauce Cheese enchiladas come filled with the same cheese and are covered with bean chili sauce or ranchera sauce, which we prefer. Good Mexican food can usually be judged by the quality of the rice and beans it keeps. We weren’t disappointed here: The black beans, though short on garlic, are well prepared, and the brown rice is the best we’ve tasted (6033 Oram at Skillman. 824-5841. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-2:30; Dinner:Sun-Fri 5:30-11, Sat 11-11. No reserva-tions. MC, V, DC. $)

ORIENTAL



Asuka. If you prefer your Japanese food without culinary juggling acts and the clanging of steel blades. Asuka is a pleasant surprise with its atmosphere of traditional understated Japanese elegance. We suggest sharing a la carte items, since the quantity and variety of food in the dinners is overwhelming. Try the sashimi (raw fish) for an appetizer: The tuna and salmon tasted pure and satisfying; only the mackerel lacked the freshness essential to sashimi. In addition to offering typical dishes such as teriyaki. shabu shabu. and sukiyaki, Asuka does a fine job of preparing Japanese specialties such as roasted pompano. For those still desiring a show with their meal, the ami yaki provides a tasty pyrotechnic feast: Lean strips of beef are cooked at your table and then dipped into a garlic and soy barbecue sauce. The fish and vegetable tempura in crispy deep-fried batter is also a good choice. Dessert is fried ice cream, and ice cream was never meant to be fried. (7136 Greenville between Park Ln and Walnut Hill. 363-3537 Lunch: 11-2; Dinner: 6-11. closed Mon. Reservations. MC. AE, V. $$$)

Bo Bo China. No matter that this place apparently had the same interior decorator as Don Carter’s All-Star Bowling Lanes; on food alone, this may be the best Chinese restaurant in Dallas. We’ve yet to find a disappointment on a rather massive menu. If you want haute cuisine, try the excellent Peking duck (which must be ordered a day in advance). If you want a fast but tasty lunch, try one of the half dozen lunch specials, (like bell pepper beef), which at $2.75 a plate, have to rank among the best buys in the city. Most of the main dishes include a superb won ton soup, although we suggest trying the sizzling rice soup, which is even better. Another standout is the “pot stickers,” Chinese-style dumplings filled with pork. Servings are large enough that you’re likely to need to take part of the meal home, which management is happy to facilitate. (10630 Church Rd at LBJ Fwy. 349-2411. Lunch: Tue-Sat 11-2:30; Dinner: Sun. Tue-Thur 11-10, Fri & Sat till 11. No liquor license, brown-bagging allowed. No reservations. MC, V. $)

China Coast. China Coast has an the charm of a mini-warehouse, with bar, disco, TV screen, and dining rooms piled on top of one another, separated only by a row of fish tanks. And yet despite its chaotic appearance, China Coast delivers so consistently that it deserves to be ranked among Dallas’ top Oriental restaurants. We recommend the seafood dishes, especially the green jade scallops, whole fish in spicy sauce, and Lake Tung-Tin shrimp. Standard Hunan-Szechuan dishes such as lamb with green onions and diced chicken with peanuts are also well above average. As important as anything else is China Coast’s care about basics such as rice (moist but not gooey) and garlic sauce (with a trace of ginger) and shrimp toast. There’s also a smattering of standard Cantonese dishes; although not bad, they’re not nearly as interesting as the house specialties. (2920 W Northwest Hwy at Bach-man Blvd. 350-6282. Sun-Thur 11-11, Fri & Sat till 4 am. Reservations. MC, V, AE. $$)

Hunan. Selecting from the large menu of this restaurant specializing in the spicy cuisine of the province of Hunan is like throwing darts: You may hit, and leave thinking you have dined splendidly, or you may miss, and leave feeling thoroughly dispirited. On one recent visit, our food wasn’t even on the dart board. Appetizers were among the worst we’ve ever had. (Entree portions are extremely generous, so appetizers can easily be skipped.) Diced chicken with peanuts was tender, with crunchy peanuts, but the pieces of gristle were unforgivable. River Shang pork was blandly forgettable. On another visit, we were in luck. Shredded pork with garlic sauce was inspired, with black mushrooms, chopped scallions, and julienned water chestnuts in a delicious, garlicky sauce. Lake Tung-Tin shrimp was tasty, although we could have done without the limp, overcooked celery. (5274 Greenville at Lovers Ln. 369-4578. Sun-Thur 11:30-10:45, Fri & Sat till 11:45. MC. V, AE. $$)



Sakura. What with the geisha dancing in the tatami room, the schmaltzy piano bar music downstairs battling the koto music played in the rest of the place, and the slashing, clanging, and sizzling of the chefs upstairs, the diner at Sakura feels transported to a three-ring Japanese circus. The only trouble is if you want a table at a restaurant, not a seat in the big top. But for feats of skill and daring, the sushi chef didn’t disappoint us. With the deft hands of a master, he sliced perfect pieces of impeccably fresh raw seafood and served them atop rice. We were disappointed only by most of the more standard Japanese offerings, with the exception of chicken kara-aga, deep-fried sesame-coated morsels. The sushi bar is definitely the center ring at this circus; the side shows are best avoided. (7402 Greenville near Walnut Hill. 361-9282 Dinner: Sun-Thur 6-10:30, Fri 4 Sat till 11:30. Reservations. All credit cards. $$$)



Slam. If your forays into Oriental food have been confined to Chinese and Japanese restaurants, exploring Siam should be high on your list of priorities. At its best, Siam offers the bright, clear tastes of Thai food at prices that afford extensive reconnaissance; even at less than its best, it offers more than passable versions of standard Oriental dishes. But it is foolish to eat anything other than the extraordinary Thai dishes available here. Since the help is Thai and the dinner menu extensive and confusing, it is wise to order by number. Among the best choices are 103 (marinated and broiled skewered pork with peanut sauce and cucumber salad). 110 (hot and sour soup tangy with lemongrass), 127 (rice noodles sautéed with pork, shrimp, and a multitude of aromatic ingredients). 137 (a rosy chicken curry with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, and fresh mint), and 154 (perfectly Juicy roast duck). The location and decor are funky, and service is often slow, but Siam’s food is well in the irresistible range. A lunch menu offers more limited choices. (1730 W. Mockingbird near Harry Mines. 631-5482. Mon-Sat 11 am-11 pm. closed Sun. MC, V. $)

D Revitits Taiwan. After extensive recon-naisance of Taiwan’s menu, we discovered one landmark: hot bean curd sautéed with minced pork in a savory sauce. As for the rest, there were too many pitfalls. Bean curd with vegetable soup was enough to single-handedly give vegetarianism a bad name, and won ton soup was anemic. Only hot and sour soup passed muster. Entrees ranged from bland wok-fried scallops to insipid flaming chicken to egregiously bad Peking beef The gold-toned decor is definitely upscale for a Chinese restaurant, and the food is presented as beautifully as any French restaurant in town (although maraschino cherries are, mysteriously, a favorite garnish). 6111 Greenville Ave 369-8902. Daily: 11:30-11. Reservations. MC, V, AE. $$)



SEAFOOD

Crazy Crab. The standout of the menu is definitely the Dungeness crab, served with a tangy sauce and a large wooden mallet, which is the only instrument that will allow you to extract the tender and tasty white meat from the shell. Hammering your way through a course of Dungeness crab is more than just filling; it gives you a certain sense of accomplishment after you’ve smashed those formidable-looking crab claws into a pile of harmless shells. About the only unsuccessful medium for crabmeat here is the crab chowder, which is pasty and under-seasoned. A good choice is “Too Much,” an eclectic sampling of oysters, clams, shrimp, sole, and scallops in various states of fried, broiled, and boiled. No one could eat it all and still have room for the excellent Key lime pie. A staple with almost every order is the “seaweed,” a dumb name for some of the best thin-sliced onion rings you’ll find in Dallas. (3211 Oak Lawn at Hall. 522-5310. Mon-Thur 11 am-10 pm, Fritill 11, Sa15-11, Sun5-10. No reser-vations. MC, V. AE, DC. $$)



Fausto’s. Faustos is a restaurant of nice touches. There’s marbled black and rye bread toasted with Parmesan cheese that appears before the menu. Homemade pear sorbet perched atop an orange half to clear your palate before the main course. Fresh strawberries stuffed with chocolate mousse after dessert. In between, you can enjoy one of the finest meals in Dallas if you navigate the menu carefully. The best catch is the poached salmon steak topped with a luscious green peppercorn sauce. And be sure to sink your teeth into the shark gumbo. Frog legs were tender and sweet, swordfish steak juicy, and duckling with lingonberry sauce crisp and crackling. But the seas turned rough with the bago bago. a seafood potpourri in a cloying sauce, and we got mired down in the souffles. Every night a heavenly specialty from the pastry chef arrives in a cloud of dry ice with your bill. That helps hide the tab-dinner at Fausto’s is not for those who go to sea cabin class. (Hyatt Regency Hotel. 651-1234. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-2; Dinner: daily 6-11:30; Sun brunch 10:30-2:30. All credit cards. $$$$)



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

Oyster’s. Oyster’s remains successful by offering a limited but very adequate seafood menu. The interior is pleasant, and although no reservations are accepted, the wait is not long, even on a Friday or Saturday night. The fresh fish, which includes red snapper, scrod, flounder, and sole, is good, with flounder the best. The raw oysters and the fried shrimp are excellent, but the best part of the meal may be the appetizers, including outstanding fried zucchini and eggplant, as well as “spicy shrimp dip” and gumbo. The cole slaw, “natural” French fries, and hush puppies which accompanied the meal were very good, but desserts-lemon chess pie and carrot cake-were disappointing. A tip for those who don’t like seafood-the hamburgers are delicious. With friendly and efficient service. Oyster’s is a pleasure. (4580 Belt Line Rd. 386-0122. Mon-Thur 11:30am-10pm, Fri till 11 , Sat 5-11, Sun 5-10. MC, V, AE. $$)

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



SOUTHERN SPECIALTIES

Broussard’s. The name may sound fancy, but the place isn’t. Expect disposable dinnerware and a cafeteria-style line. Between the down-home service and the Cajun music on the jukebox (not to mention the excellent food), you can’t help feeling you’ve somehow stumbled into a transplanted Louisiana back-roads eatery. We especially relished the spicy étouffée and generous plates of boiled shrimp. The French fries, with their skins still on, were as good as French fries can get; the fried oysters, supreme. If you go early, about 5 or 6 pm, you can catch the line at its low point. Incidentally, this is a good place to stoke up before traveling the nether reaches of the turnpike between Hampton Bulk Mail Center and the first glimpse of the Fort Worth skyline. Bring your own liquor, in brown bag, of course. (707 N Belt Line Rd in Irving, 1 mile S of Rte 183. 255-8024. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-2; Dinner: Mon-Sat 5-10, closed Sun. No reservations. No credit cards. $$)

Celebration. Returning to Celebration is like visiting an old friend. The limited but dependable menu stresses home cooking: fresh trout, meat loaf, pot roast, baked chicken, and spaghetti. The meals are served family-style, with a large bowl of salad and side dishes of vegetables shared by each table. The best things about Celebration besides the food, which is predictably good, are the generous portions, backed by frequent offerings of second helpings, and the service, which is efficient and friendly, without being cute. With all this going for it, you might expect to wait at Celebration-and unless you come early, you will. Celebration is an excellent family restaurant, with reasonable prices for children It’s still too bad they’re not open for lunch. (4503 W Lovers Ln. 351-5681. Mon-Thur 5:30-10, Fri & Sat till 11. Sun 5-10. No reservations. MC. V. AE. $$)

Crawdaddy’s. Someone finally realized how noxious cedar air freshener can be to the palate, and told the busboy to quit spraying it around. The difference is delightful-we could actually taste the crawfish and catfish and shrimp we ordered. Crawdaddy’s gets points for being the only dependable source of mudbugs in town, and for having learned to cook beignets the right way. (Now, if they’d only cut them smaller than feather pillows.) The catfish we had, as well as the crustaceans, was moist, well-prepared, and worth the money. The dinner salad, with the house dressing, was generous and crisp, as well as being lovely to look at. The help, good-natured but lackadaisical, didn’t know the difference between coffee with chicory and coffee that is simply bitter We have never had any luck getting anything but the latter. (2614 McKinney. 748-2008. Mon-Thur 11-10, Fri &Sat noon-11, Sun noon-10. No reservations. MC. V, AE $$)

Newcomer: Dovie’s. If the food were up to the standards of the attractive, flatteringly lit surroundings, Dovie’s would be a winner Instead, the home-style Southern cooking is uneven at best. Of the blackboard menu entrées we sampled, only the chicken-fried steak, a pricey ($7.95) version of the down-home favorite, can be recommended. The prime rib was overcooked and indistinguishable from the pot roast; red snapper was also overcooked; and manicotti was bland. The dinner salad and yeast rolls are high points; the vegetables (overcooked in the finest Southern tradition) and desserts, including horrible, grainy banana pudding and oversweet chocolate buttermilk pie, are low points. (14671 Midway, S of Belt Line. 233-9846. Mon-Fri 6 am-9:30 pm, Sat & Sun 5:30-9. MC, AE. $$)



Highland Park Cafeteria. HPC is the great equalizer of Dallas society; here, anyone can obtain the satisfaction of knowing they possess what others desire-in this case, a place in the front of the serving line. No small feat this, as the line can at times be monumental, inspiring whopper tales to rival those of the most braggadocious of fishermen. HPC has broken the No. 1 tenant of cafeterias, that food must be rendered either bland or soggy, preferably both, before serving. Salads are fresh and varied (try the chopped spinach salad or tomato aspic with homemade mayonnaise). The chicken-fried steak and fried chicken are complemented by fresh biscuits and homemade gravy in the best Texas tradition. Vegetables are properly cooked, not steamed into compliance, with the squash casserole, the eggplant casserole, and pinto beans our favorites A warm buttered zucchini muffin finishes the meal nicely, but HPC bakes up quite a respectable buttermilk pie and good brownies. HPC’s food is not memorable, but it is consistent and sets the standard for cafeteria food in Dallas. (4611 Cole Ave. 526-3801. Mon-Sat 11 am-8 pm. Closed Sun. No liquor. No reservations. No credit cards $)

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



STEAKS, BUROERS, ETC.

Chill’s. The big tip-off to Chili’s atmosphere comes once you’re finally inside and find most of the hired help rushing around in tennies. Added to the loud and constant shouting from the kitchen, it requires a conscious effort to keep from joining the frenzy and gulping food and drink. The burgers, if you take the time to enjoy them, are consistently good. You’ll go through three or four napkins to finish a messy Muy Macho burger, which oozes mustard, lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles, cheese, and hickory sauce. The chili is just greasy enough to give crackers a raison d’ être, and it’s a perfect partner to an icy mug of beer. One disappointment: The soft tacos were stuffed with more lettuce than chili, and the cheese was all but missing. You can expect long lines almost any time of the day on weekends, but you can beat the crowd for an early lunch during the week (7567 Greenville at Meadow. 361-4371. 10835 Composite at Walnut Hill & Stemmons. 350-8890. 4291 Belt Line in Addison. 233-0380 Sun-Thur 11 am-11:30pm, Fri&Sattill 1:30am. No reservations, no carry-out. MC, V. AE. $)

Hoffbrau. Nestled in the center of the fern-bar belt, this salute to steak’n’taters is a welcome haven for the carnivore We notice, with some delight, the absence of any healthy green stuff: No bizarre presentations of fried mushrooms, zucchini, or the infamous fresh spinach salad. The Hoffbrau sits directly across from Highland Park Cafeteria: The parking is the worst, the atmosphere one of the best. Smacking of Austin, the interior offers rough-cut wood beams, neon beer signs, and Texana to the tenth power including stacks of longneck boxes full of return deposit bottles. The menu touts a top-end price of $9.95 for a 24 oz. cut of meat as big as a hubcap and goes down to a chopped sirloin for $3.95. These dishes come with giant-cut steak fries and a no-nonsense salad with house dressing which includes micro-olives. The steaks are pan-broiled in a lemon butter sauce that evades detection until you dip your sliced white bread in the tasty gravy. (3205 Knox at McKinney. 559-2680. Mon-Fri 11-11, Sat noon-11. Sun 5-10. MC, V, AE, DC. $$)

T.Q.I. Friday’s. There are originals and there are copies. Friday’s is an original. With the best glorified junk food in town, its mark has been made. A new menu in dictionary form will boggle the mind of any newcomer, although regulars usually know what they want long before they are seated. Among appetizers, potato skins with cheese and bacon are addictive, as is the fried zucchini. Sixteen varieties of burgers and nine other sandwich choices dominate the entree list. Remember to save room for dessert. The Outrageous (hot fudge nut pudding cake with ice cream, whipped cream, and nuts) is a favorite, as is the carrot cake. One small problem-Friday’s philosophy that any order should be completed in 12 minutes or less is an embarrassment to the establishment. We have never made it out of the place in less than an hour. Also, remember this isn’t McDonald’s, so it isn’t cheap. Expect to spend at least $10 for an average meal-the new menu brought new prices. (Old Town, 5500 Greenville. 363-5353. 5150 Belt Line. Addison 386-5824 Daily 11:30 am-1 am; Sun brunch 11 am-1 am. No reservations. MC, V. AE. $$)



PORT WORTH RESTAURANTS

London House. Time was. the London House was the place to take your wife or prom date for a big steak dinner. Times change, and so did this favorite, into a dumpy, dusty-cornered, old restaurant with unreasonably high-priced, tough steaks. However, fortune smiled upon London House and sent the former manager of Mac’s House (another fondly remembered Fort Worth steak restaurant) to help out. The improvement is enormous, from the spruced-up surroundings to the better cuts of meat. Prices have risen with the quality. The steaks and chicken we had were tender and flavorful. The crab, too, was tender and moist, unlike the dried-out lobster tails served with another diner’s steak. The soup and salad bar, always a strong point here, has gotten even better with the addition of items like watermelon chunks among the greens. Avoid the broccoli, served with what looks like microwave-melted Cheez Whiz over it. London House will probably never return to its former splendor, but the food has regained its former virtues. (4475 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 731-4141. Mon-Sun 5:30-12. Reservations. MC, V, AE, DC. $$$)

Massey’s. Warning: Don’t order the à la carte chicken-fried steak for lunch unless you have time for a siesta. The portions are huge, and it tastes too good to leave any behind. From the outside, Massey’s could easily be mistaken for a hardware store or a second-hand shop. You won’t be distracted by frills here. The menu advises that in the interest of conservation, water will be served upon request. There are no pepper shakers; tables are stocked with the original pepper cans. At lunchtime, you get chicken-fried steak, salad, two vegetables, and homemade biscuits. The tender meat is cooked with a heavenly breading and topped with yellow creamed gravy, just the way they do it on that great spread beyond the sunset. The French fries are the kind you eat and then begrudge the lost space. The assembly-line salad consists of wilted lettuce and bulk dressing. Massey’s offers a variety of foods, even seafood and Mexican dishes, but to go here for something other than chicken-fried steak would be like going to the Grand Canyon to see the chipmunks. (1805 Eighth Ave. (817) 924-8242. Daily 8 am-10pm.MC,V.$)



Newcomer: Japanese Palace. The initial impression is that this is a glorified apprenticeship program for undergraduate shrimp choppers who may or may not eventually make it to the big time at a cooking table at Benihana of Chicago. Accomplished veterans at this culinary art could have qualified for guest spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, casually hitting a plate from 40 paces with an airborne chunk of zucchini or sirloin. The sleight-of-hand stylists at Japanese Palace haven’t quite accomplished this degree of proficiency, so the diner must take it in stride when a freshly grilled cut of chicken breast lands dead center in his mai-tai. Fort Worth diners, however, seem inordinantly tolerant of lapses in marksmanship and overall service, since a 30-minute wait for a seat at one of the cooking tables in the Teppan Yaki room is customary. The Japanese Palace Special, an effective concoction of beef, shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, and eggplant, atones for shortcomings, though. The New York Sirloin dish offers more than adequate portions of high grade Kobe beef (8445 US 80W. (817) 244-0144. Sun & Mon 5:30-10, Tue-Thur 5:30-10:30, Fri & Sat, 5:30 till midnight. All credit cards. No reservations. $$$)