EATING AROUND KRISDA’S: THE TRIUMPH OF ANNIE WONG

Krisda’s



For fairness’ sake, restaurant critics do not visit new eating establishments on their opening day. But when Kris-da’s furtively opened one mid-January evening. I, just as furtively, was there. The simple truth is, having wondered for weeks exactly what “an Oriental-American cafe” might be. I couldn’t wait to find out. Needless to say, if that first dinner had been a wretched disappointment, it would have gone unmentioned and my sin would have remained my secret.

But also needless to say, neither that visit nor a second one three weeks later caused any such guilty trauma. Krisda’s kitchen is presided over by Annie Wong, whose fresh, zesty Thai cooking won converts first at tiny Thai Lanna on Bryan Street, then at its similarly humble Richardson spinoff. No one who sampled Wong’s fare at either low-budget location could fail to anticipate the prospect of her talent unleashed in a more upscale situation.

Krisda’s is certainly that. The little ex-church on Cole Avenue fin earlier incarnations the Old Church and Da Piccolo’s) has been expensively transformed, with smooth curves of polished new wood accented by antique pieces and paintings. Proprietor Paul Wong, not related to Annie except by admiration, has created a sumptuous setting for her cuisine.

Which has itself undergone a transformation. As creative chefs in Dallas and elsewhere have introduced Thai touches into their New American menus, Annie Wong now returns the compliment, mixing Southwestern and Oriental ingredients and techniques with sometimes confusing abandon. The confusion is heightened by the printed menu, half of which changes daily, and all of which is couched in the terms normally used in New American dish descriptions.

One had to think past the hyperbole, for instance, to see that a starter described as “crispy puff noodle with shrimp and sweet fried onion sauce” was actually MeeGrob. a classic Thai dish; and crab meat and asparagus bisque was not a bisque at all, but an excellent eggdrop-thick soup. Both dishes were more richly endowed with their costlier components (the shrimp, the asparagus) than early Thai Lanna versions, yet neither was identifiable from its menu listing.

Other dishes we tried were upscale departures from anything familiar to Thai food lovers or new initiates. Several were wonderful-a Thai taco turned out to be a delec-tably crisp frill filled with shrimp, tofu. and bean sprouts, its cucumber sauce fresh as sunrise. A deep-fried quartered quail was brown-crisped joy in cilantro-garlic sauce with pico de gallo-esque relish in an orange shell, its accompanying profusion of sprouts and greens topped with a garlicky little boiled quail egg. Salads were lavish compositions involving every kind of sprout and chic green (not to mention mushroom) known to mankind. One dressing, a musky mix of cilantro and anchovy, was superb; another, a peanut-studded vinaigrette, seemed rather bland.

Entrees run a showy gamut from pastas to seafoods to meats. Our best were one of skillet-fried beef tenderloin in peppery raisin sauce with angel hair pasta, another of delicate vermicelli laden with sautéed shrimp and green onions, richly sauced. Steamed mussels promised in curry-coconut tamale weren’t that at all: they were served on the half-shell, but tasted terrific anyhow. Krisda’s roll-rolls, actually-was twin cylinders of crab meat, shrimp, and pork wrapped in rice paper. They were fairly tasteless, but their tamarind sauce was fruity, and the rest of the plate was gorgeous, bias-cut slices of zucchini and meaty oyster mushrooms, all flung with al dente baby limas.

Several high-flown desserts were offered, but the only one worth mentioning is the only one made in-house: a Thai rice pudding topped with a sauce of taro root and something secret, served in a crystal glass.

Paul Wong has gone to a great deal of trouble to select a wine list that complements Krisda’s food (i( does, admirably) and to assemble a wait staff as polished and amiable as his lovely place (all were, on both our visits). If he can tone down his menu to the point that patrons can be sure what they’re ordering, Dallas diners will have no trouble embracing his Oriental-American concept.

Meanwhile, for Thai food aficionados, it is enough to know that Annie Wong’s most legendary dish is splendidly present and called what it always has been: chicken coconut soup. 450I Cole Avenue. 521-3513. Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30; dinner Sun-Thur 6-10:30, Fri-Sat 6-11:30. MC, V, AE. Mod erate to expensive. -Betty Cook



Al’s New York Style Deli



The words ’”New York deli” conjure up visions of bagels and pastrami-in other words, of Jewish fare. Al’s does have a few perfunctory bagels lying around (wrapped up in plastic), and you can buy pastrami here all right. But this is primarily an Italian New York deli. The airy, modern atmosphere is never going to con anyone into believing that he or she is in the kind of New York Italian neighborhood that Moonstruck depicted so lovingly. But there are some nice ethnic touches here all the same.

Al’s specialty is the hero-known in other climes than New York as the submarine, the grinder, or the poor boy. The sandwiches have special names, so you have to read the menu even if you are standing at the counter to order. Our favorite is the Philly-not quite an authentic Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich, but a wonderful variation, with thinly pounded beef, melted Swiss cheese, and grilled sliced green peppers and mushrooms. What makes this hero really heroic is the grilled bread it comes on-light and flavorful and ever so slightly crunchy. Another hero with an Italian twist is the sausage (available with mildly spicy or sweet sausage or even with meatballs), The one sandwich we sampled that wasn’t great was “Mein Reuben”-rather gross in its combination of meat and sauerkraut and sauce.

Al’s has daily specials that include spaghetti and meatballs and a chicken breast lightly dusted with Parmesan. The one we tried was the baked ziti in a very simple tomato sauce. The accompanying salad bar is minimal. Much better are the salads that come with the sandwiches, especially a potato salad made with barely tender boiling potatoes. The stuffed eggplant salad is a garlic-and-olive-oil-lover’s delight-tiny little eggplants, still green, marinated and split open and filled with parsley and garlic. The New York style cheesecake is the real thing, and there are cans of Brown’s soda available to drink (a real nostalgia trip for former denizens of the Big Apple). Others may prefer beer or wine cooler. 3301-A Oak Lawn (entrance on Hall). 522-3354. Mon-Thur 7 am-8 pm, Fri 7 am-10 pm, Sat 9 am-10 pm, Sun 10 am-6 pm. AE. Inexpensive.

–W.L. Taitte



Colombo’s



In these days of goat cheese pizza and squid-ink pasta, old-fashioned Italian comfort food is getting hard to find. So on a cold day, especially, Colombo’s (which replaced Cunze’s on Greenville Avenue) can seem like an oasis. Sibling of Alfonso’s in Casa Linda, famous for garlic rolls and pizza, the new restaurant offers the same basic kind of food: the menu and surroundings are expanded. Although the color scheme is mint green and pink-there are no red-checked tablecloths or wax-covered Chianti bottles- this is the kind of substantial, satisfying fare we used to expect at that kind of Italian restaurant.

We started with an excellent bowl of tortellini in brodo; the broth was flavorful and the cheese-stuffed pasta al dente. And though we knew we might regret it later, we couldn’t resist the hot, fragrant garlic rolls served with it. Neither could we resist ordering a small pizza, thick with cheese and sprinkled with whole cloves of sweet garlic on a chewy bread crust. Scampi were just cooked through, dripping with butter. lemon, and more garlic. The salad that followed was nothing more than shredded iceberg lettuce and some tomato wedges, but the oregano-spiked vinaigrette was so savory we ate every last leaf.

Pastas were standouts-especially the manicotti, the tubes plump with ricotta and covered with a red sauce slightly tinged with hot pepper, and melted mozzarella. Chicken cacciatore was slightly bland only by com parison: the tender boneless breast was also flavorless, as chicken tends to be these days. but the herbed wine and tomato sauce was full of braised pepper and onion strips. Veal picatta, pounded thin and lightly dressed with fresh lemon, was the most appropriate sequel to the “appetizers” we had indulged in, but at Colombo’s, our eyes were definite ly bigger than our stomachs. Desserts, if you can manage one, are all homemade. 6101 Greenville Ave. 373-7777. Sun-Thur 11-11, Fri 11 am-2 am. Sat 4 pm-2 am. AE, V, MC. Moderate. -Mary Brown Malouf



RESTAURANTS



BARBECUE & BURGERS



Cardinal Puffs. Cardinal Puffs does a creditable job with casual food-quesadillas on our visit were hot and crisp, oozing jack and cheddar. studded with black olives, diced tomatoes. onions, and bacon, and served with sour cream, mild salsa, and fine guacamole. A nicely seasoned chicken salad overflowed its avocado half, and its accompanying pasta salad was delicately dressed. But the real triumph was a hamburger that rivals any I’ve had in Dallas-a juicy half-pound of good beef, not overcooked, enthroned on a Kaiser roll with all the requisite fresh trimmings stacked in proper sequence-a touch less common than you’d think. 4615 Greenville Ave. 369-1969 Inexpensive.



Chips. Chips is the burger joint for me: I like its laid-back, not-too-loud atmosphere. I like the friendly and efficient service. I like the pig sandwich (shredded pork with relish), the chicken sandwich, and all the burgers I’ve tasted (chili. cheese, hickory, and plain). I like the skinny, sweet onion rings and the big basket of fries, and I love having to choose between cold beer and an honest-to-gosh, from-scratch milkshake. 4501 N Central Expwy: 526-1092. 2445 W North-west Hwy; Suite 101 350-8751- 731 Centerville (in Garland). 613-9119. Inexpensive.



D REVISITS



Chuck’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers. Chuck’s burgers are old-fashioned in some ways-they are not in the super-thick modern mold, though they are hefey enough. And they come with mustard and pickles and such. But the real secret to the great old-fashiond hamburger is a grilled bun, and they don’t go to that trouble here. Still, the burgers and chili are good. Avoid the unsatisfactory innovation called cheddar fries and order the onion rings instead. 502 Spanish Village, Arapaho at Coit. 386-7752. Inexpensive. -W.L.T.



Cisco Grill. Both soups we tried were terrific-the baked potato soup was full of skin-on potato chunks and generously topped with melted cheese, crumbled bacon, and scallions. The tortilla soup was a hearty, spicy version with big pieces of avocado and tomatoes and lots of cheese and tortillas. Both are available by the cup or bowl. Cisco’s burgers, served on well-toasted sesame buns, are big; the bacon-cheddar burger we tried had plenty of both. 6630 Snider Plaza. 363-9506. Inexpensive.



Ribby’s. This new neon, drive-throught barbecue shack has two, count ’em, two tables on the premises. First-timers will want the rib sampler, with small portions of three kinds: marinated, beef, and original. The cole slaw is exceptiona; the beans and bread are not. 6515 E Northwest Hwy. 361-5555. 14860 Preston Rd. 458-1111.N Inexpensive.



Riscky’s Barbeque. Riscky’s smoked catfish in an out-and-out Texas triumph. Our appetizer portions, a quartet of satiny fillet ribbons, were the stuff of which memories are made; if the whole-fish version offered as an entree is as good, I see no reason to order angthing else on the menu. Not that there’s anything wrong with Riscky’s beef, pork, or chicken-all were top-quality meats, nicely spiked with the spice mix the menu calls “Riscky dust” before being slow-smoked in the traditional manner. Honest red beans, bland creamy cole slaw, skins-on French fries were all fresh; onion ring were crisp-battered and almost greaseless. Potato salad was a textureless disappointment. 1701 N Market, Suite 104. 742-7001. Inexpensive to moderate.



Roscoe’s Easy Way. When the Esay Way moved from Lovers Lane to Lemmon Avenue, the faithful were worried. There was no need for consternation. Though the setting is now slicker, the rule of ordering still applies: stick to the barbecue and you’ll be happ. 5420 Lemmon. 528-8459. Inexpensive.



Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse. In Texas, a barbecue place is rated by the quality of its sliced beef on a bun, and beef on a bun is why Sonny Bryan’s stays on top of the barbecue heap. Yes, there are those who love the ribs and those who, inexplicably, love the inch-thick, hard-crusted onion rings. Still, the heart of the matter is the beef and Sonny’s bef is the best. Piled a couple of inches thick, the slices are a study in good barbecue-from the charred outside to the bringht red smoke band to the pink-brown interior; this beef is rich and tender and simple, all at once. 2202 Inwood, 357-7120. Inexpensive.



Spring Creek Barbecue. Good barbecue is surprisingly hard to find in Dallas, especialy north of Northwest Highway. One of the better spots is this one, which has been around a good while now. The beef is lean and tasty, the spareribs especially juicy and fine. Spring Creek also sells barbecued chicken (not all barbecue places do), and the birds are fall-apart tender. Side dishes are only average. There’s now a special station dishing out cobbler, but the results don’t seem worth all the commotion. 270 N Central Expwy, Richardson. 669-0505. Inexpensive.



BRITISH

Jennivine. This British-cum-French establishment is dependably creative in the daily specials listed on its blackboard menu. Alas, not everything we tried last visit was up to the restaurant’s standard: a potato-scallion soup tasted more of flour than either named element, and the venison paté seemed a bit long in the tooth, having gone dry and almost tasteless. But a warm English salad with Stilton was the stuff of which dreams are made-leaf lettuce and curly endive strewn with jicama sticks and red onion, the lusty cheese suffusing a vinaigrette dressing. Poached salmon with tomatillo relish was a happy marriage, as was duckling with watermelon sauce and a garnish of red chili jam. I’m a sucker for bread and butler pudding, but this one, warm and rich, struck me as superior. 3605 McKinney. 528-6010. Moderate to expensive.



CAJUN



Arcadia Bar & Grill. The Cajun dishes in this funky lit-Ik bar equal a lot of the best versions in Louisiana itself. The light-colored gumbo is unorthodox, but it and the red beans and rice are both terrific. The fried oysters are large and perfectly crisp, and the barbecued shrimp are better than those served these days at Pascal’s Man ate in New Orleans, the restaurant that invented this spicy, buttery dish. Even the garlic bread, dripping with pungently herbed butter, is outstanding here. 2114 Greenville Ave. 821-1300. Inexpensive.



Atchafalaya River Cafe. We started with a cup of creditable gumbo-the spice was right, though the raux lasted a bit floury, Our red beans and rice were rich and smoky; crawfish étouffée had the same roux problem as the gumbo, but was full of meal and came with good dirty rice. The best entree we sampled was chicken Tchoupitoulas, two breasts pounded thin and sautéed in butter, lemon, and Cajun spices-just the right amount. Desserts, except for beignets. were cloyingly sweet. 4440 Belt Line Rd. 960-6878. Moderate.



Crescent City Cafe. The menu here is limited, but what they serve is some of the best Cajun food in Dallas. The barbecued shrimp-served with bib and fingerbowl-are a fine, messy, spicy version of Manale’s original dish, great with an ice-cold Dixie beer The oyster loaf is stuffed with fat fried shellfish, and the muffaletta gets my vote for Dallas’s best sandw ich, a chewy loaf of fresh-baked Italian bread piled with olive salad, .salami, provolone, ham. and mozzarella. The beignets. served with honey, reminded me more of sopapillas than the fried wonders of Café du Monde, but they tasted fine with a big cup of café au lait. I just wish Crescent City were still open for breakfast. . .2730 Commerce. 745-1900. Inexpensive.



Louisiana Purchase. The crawfish étouffée (available in two portion sizes) was sufficiently authentic to cause our Louisiana relatives to want to come back. The fried shrimp. oysters, and catfish are as good as any place around. Lots of the dishes, though, as at other putative Cajun places, are simply too hot for most tastes-beware the gumbo and especially the barbecued shrimp. 2901 N Central Expwy at Parker Road. Piano. 422-2469. Moderate.



Pontchartrain. There are two kinds of gumbo, and we liked the delicate flavor of the filé gumbo better than the traditional heavier stock. The broiled stuffed snapper, halibut, and shrimp are specialties, though the fried entrees were just as good. We’re getting tired of blackened-everylhing Cajun, but the subtle and tasty preparations here, though heavy, were refreshing. 13444 N Preston Rd. 385-1522. Inexpensive.



CARIBBEAN



Bahama Bob’s. Crunchy sweet onion rings, conch fritters, and plantain chips, slices of the blandly sweet fruit in a spicy, crisp coating, were all good. Entrees were less pleasing: our friendly waitress warned us that the Jamaican jerk chicken was hot-very hot-but she didn’t say it was so heavily spiced you couldn’t actually finish it. which it was. On the other side of the coin, my companion’s coconut shrimp were so sweet he could only eat a lew of them; they might have been better as an appetizer. The black beans and rice that accompanied the meal were fine. 302 N Market. 655-2621 Moderate.



CHINESE



August Moon. Not quite the standout it used to be among area Chinese restaurants, August Moon is still mostly reliable and pleasing. The moo goo gai pan has the most carefully sliced pieces of white meat, touched with a hint of garlic. The three kinds of meat in Mongolian barbecue have a rich flavor and an attractively chewy texture. But one of our favorite dishes on earlier visits, Papa Tsay’s Magic Basket, suffered from a fried noodle basket that looked pretty but tasted stale, and the bits of lobster in the dish were not overly fresh-tasting, either. 15030 Preston at Belt Line. 385-7227. N 2300 N Central Expwy. 881-0071. Moderate.

Beijing Grill. Chef Steve Chiang’s menu for Beijing Grill includes traditional dishes such as mushi pork and beef with orange sauce along with a completely untraditional section of grilled items, some with Chinese touches, and some very forward Franco-American dishes, like the grilled sea bass with raspberries and tarragon sauce. From me grill we liked the Mongolian lamb chops, grilled to medium rare and served with a spicy brown bean sauce. Dragon and Phoenix wai an excellent rendition, with lots of lobster chunks: won-ton stuffed with cheese and crab meat was an experiment that didn’t quite work-the cheese in the fried wonton had a cloying effect. 2200 Cedar Springs in The Crescent, Suite 148 871-6868. Moderate to expensive.



Cafe Panda. The revamped Cafe Panda has become one of our favorite places for a Chinese fix-the Art Deco-ish interior is soothing, the service is smooth, and the food is reliably excellent. Don’t miss the shar-char prawns, delectable barbecued shrimp (better order two portions, since they only come two to an order); the firecracker beef, a spicy but well-rounded mix of beef strips, scall ions, and celery; or the mimosa chicken, chunks of chicken in a not-too-sweet orange sauce. End your meal with coffee instead of tea- it’s brewed at the table in a special Japanese pot. 7979 lnwood at Lovers Lane. 902-9500. Moderate.



Forbidden City. Forbidden City has opened in Joe Ku’s old space upstairs in Travis Walk-we always liked the room with its fine view of the western sky, and now we like the food, too. We especially enjoyed the minced chicken with pine nuts, and the beef and onion rolls, both for wrapping in crispy lettuce leaves. The starred-for-spicy dishes lacked real fire, and some of the portions were too small to provide for the usual Chinese breakfast after the night before-our only quibbles. 4514 Travis, Suite 201. 520-1888. Moderate.



D REVISITS



Henry Chen’s. When this pretty place opened late year before last, critics applauded its decor (suave, with a foyer wishing-well fountain) and its out-of-the-ordinary special dishes. Well, the fountain’s still there, but the dishes have been dropped, and nothing we tried struck me as special ex cept the house soup, a disconcerting amalgam of seafoods and greens suspended in a salty froth of chicken broth whipped with egg white. The texture was more that of an un cooked meringue than anything else, and we found it unplea sant. The pupu platter was standard stuff, but shrimp toast shaped like fat little shrimp, right down to green-pea eyes, was sodden with grease. Our entrees-sliced lamb. Hunan style, bean curd with minced pork, a nicely fresh vegetable fry-were all satisfactory, but hardly outstanding. Service ranged from perfunctory to downright evasive. Prices, though, seemed fair enough, and servings were ample. 3701 W Northwest Hwy. 956-9560. Moderate. -B.C.



D REVISITS



Jade Garden. It’s not the setting that attracts repeats to this unassuming eatery, which looks to have lived another life as a convenience store; it is the food, which is outstand ing, for the price, which is modest indeed. Fried dumplings were meaty and lusty with flavor in their half-crisped skins; hot and sour soup made up in flavor for what it lacked in authority. Moo Shu Pork was a slight disappointment-the crepes arrived already filled with their minced meai-and- vegetable mixture; both were dry, and lacking the plum sauce and fresh seal I ion accents that complete the dish. But Kung Poa Beef was rich-flavored and spicy, from its marinade as well as its piquam sauce glaze. This neighbor hood favorite appears to do as much takeout as sit-down business; nonetheless, all tables were filled on the early weeknight we were there. But the wait was short, and the people-watch ing a happy mix of young families and white- collar couples, both Oriental and Anglo. None seemed to mind brown-bagging their beer to a place where good food comes to less than twenty dollars, plus tip, for two. 4800 Bryan as Fitzhugh. 821-0675. Inexpensive. -B.C



May Dragon. The drive-in look of May Dragon, along the restaurant strip on Belt Line in Addison. doesn’t prepare you for the sophistication within. A small labyrinth of intimate dining spaces in subtle colors is the selling for some of the best-prepared Chinese food in town, served with the attention due the Last Emperor himself. The menu holds few surprises, but even a doddering standard like moo goo gai pan offers delicately cut meat and immaculately fresh vegetables. 4848 Belt Line at Inwood. 392-9998 Inexpensive to moderate.



Szeehwan Pavilion. This pretty Preston Center restaurant is as popular for lunch as for dinner, and it’s so dark in the back of the place that even noontime seems like dinnertime. The list of lunch specials is very long and varied. Although generally the food was not as good as we remembered, we enjoyed ihe twice-cooked pork accompanied by egg foo yung and fried rice, and the shrimp and chicken with cashew nuts was a good twist on an old Chinese chestnut. 8433 Preston. 368-4303. Inexpensive to moderate.



Taiwan Restaurant. The dim sum here is Mill one of the happiest weekend brunch experiences in town. Shrimp Folded in rice noodle petals was the star turn, served with a dipping sauce of heady pungency, Pork dumplings-marinated shreds of meat sniffed in paper-thin skin and steamed-were richly flavored, as was barbecued pork prepared the same way in a fat little snowy flour bun. Shrimp ball was our only ho-hum entry {the minced shrimp and vegetable mix were on the soggy side). The hot-and-sour soup, incidentally. rates a rave of its own. 6111 Greenville. 369-8902. Inexpen-siw to moderate.



Tong’s House. This offbeat shopping center restaurant has attracted a loyal following because of its seafood specials like clams and whole fish (available mostly on the weekends) and its esoteric offerings that appeal mostly to Chinese customers (such as cattle stomach). Among the more conventional dishes, we almost always opt for the lon po scallops-not made with peanuts, just lots of juicy scallops with garlic and pepper pods. The poultry selection is not outstanding; the diced chicken, snowpeas, and mushrooms combo is the best of a mediocre lot. More interesting is the stir-fried fresh asparagus when in season. 1910 Promenade Center, Richardson. 231-8858. Moderate.



FRENCH/CONTINENTAL



Brasserie Calluaud. At lunch there are sandwiches and other less expensive items, but in the evening this is pretty much a straight-out French restaurant. Of the main dishes, the bouillabaisse is an unusual version of this Mediterranean fish stew, thicker in texture and heavy with the flavor of fennel. The fish and shellfish are impeccably fresh. The rabbit Normandy-style is cooked with lots of onions and Calvados, the French apple brandy; unfortunately, the alcoholic taste was not thoroughly integrated into the sauce, and some chunks of the meat were more tender than others. From the rest of the menu, the roast chicken had a gorgeously browned skin but seemed a mite dry; the accompanying fried potatoes, however, were the definitive pommes frites. Perhaps the best dish we sampled was the salmon en croute-with perfectly fresh and perfectly cooked fish. On the whole, this is a fine addition to Dallas’s growing list of affordable fine restaurants. 4544 McKinney. 521-2277. Moderate to expensive.



Café Le Jardin. Crab-meat-stuffed mushrooms brimmed with texture and flavor, as did a quartet of shrimp sautéed with vegetables julienne. Molten brie bulged divinely from its fruit-garnished puff pastry. A sautéed veal chop was a lender monster, anointed with mushrooms in a rich cream sauce; filet mignon au poivre vert was fist-sized, broiled rare and bracingly bathed in an assertive sauce studded with green peppercorns. Crème brulée was an appropriately light version, but poached pear was overkill, the fruit lost beneath a deep spill of chocolate over ice cream. 4900 McKinney Are. 526-0570. Moderate to expensive.



Cassis Mediterranean Restaurant. For appetizers we chose Quenelles St. Tropez, a rolled seafood dumpling that was marvelous on its pink salmon side, a trifle fishy in its white half. An artichoke steamed and liberally stuffed with baby shrimp was provocative finger food, interestingly sauced. House salads, included with entèes, were minimal lettuce and tomato, blandly dressed. Entrées, though, took up the slack: a traditional Spanish paella was toothsome indeed, its saffroned rice moist and lovely, its mussels and shrimp fresh-flavored, its chicken flavorful albeit a little dry. A fresh trout, impeccably boned except for a flirting upfling of tailfin. was redeemed from being slightly overcooked by its scrumptious caper-kissed sauce. 3102 Oak Lawn as Cedar Springs, in the Centrum. 521-0229. Inexpensive to moderate.



Chez Gerard. Though my last visit here began and ended on a high note, the effect was marred by slightly lackluster entries. A duck liver and spinach Napoleon was flawless- stilt-rosy slices of liver layered with bright green spinach and flaky pastry-and the onion soup was everything onion soup can be. At the other end. crème caramel was a precise balance of bittersweet syrup and lightly sweet custard. But the grilled sword fish was slightly dry. and the fennel sauce bathing a fillet of taramia was so subtle it was almost bland. which the accompanying potato and vegetables frankly were. 4444 McKinney. 522-6865. Moderate id expensive.



D REVISITS



Cleo by Jean-Claude. With Jean-Claude Prevot back in the kitchen and the fixed price only S29.50 for four courses, Cleo is still a great bargain. The menu here is always changing, but on our last visit (he lobster bisque proved a better starter than the warm crab meat and scallop salad, which was too tart and didn’t provide much of a contrast with the regular salad that followed. Fresh lobster in a luscious lemon beurre blane is a good bet at these prices, even though the portion is only one-half a smallish crustacean. Even better was the rack of lamb Cleo-three rosy chops with a mustard coaling and a dark, rich sauce. The hazelnut soufflè is still the outstanding dessert. Why have Jean-Claude’s chocolate soufflès become so wimpy and tasteless-is he just using some cocoa instead of melted chocolate in the batter? The Centrum. 3102 Oak Law. Suite 110 520-9264, Expensive.

-W.L.T.



The French Room. On a recent visit, both a la carte selections and fixed-menu offerings were superb, from a pretty complimentary hors d’oeuvre of salmon rillettes to dessert, fresh raspberries in puff pastry with crème fraiche on warm caramel sauce. The degustation menu (four courses, with a wine for each. $56) was in no way outclassed by more expensive menu choices: a confit of guinea fowl legs with mildly dressed winter greens and petal-smooth duck foie gras was a showy first course, as was my companion’s fresh foie gras sautèed with apples in Calvados sauce. Sautèed medallions of beef tenderloin under a crisp potato fan were the equal of chicken breast rounds alternated with alabaster lobster in truffle sauce. The meal’s sole disappointment was negligible-a cognac sorbet that tasted only of sugar and water, far too sweet for palate-refreshing. Adolphus Hotel. 1321 Commerce. 742-8200. Expensive.



Frenchy Cafe. The menu is primarily a list of hot or cold sandwiches along with daily specials; we tried the beef bourguignon. a tender, flavorful stew served over buttered noodles, and a hot ham-and-cheese on croissant Don’t miss dessert-the son (who waited on us) makes the excellent chocolate mousse; his dad (who walked us to the door) makes the lovely apple tart. 5950-C Royal Ln. 369-1235. Inexpensive in moderate.



La Madeleline. Despite the dependably grumpy service, the good food and usual hustle and bustle make this bakery and café a pleasant place to eat alone-a rare thing to find for the first two meals of the day. nearly impossible for the evening. The favorite breakfast order is pastry and excellent coffee: for lunch and dinner, the lineup includes a variety of soups, salads, hot and cold sandwiches, and what we call “’real food’-that is. a hot meat, and vegetables. On my last visit this was winey beef bourguignon. accompanied by a mild Caesar salad and followed by (part of) a Napoleon. 3072 W Mockingbird. 696-6960. 3906 Lemmon. 521-0182. Inexpensive.



L’Amblance. On our last visit, the appetizers-a creamy tomato soup topped by a cheesy crouton, and a row of a dozen perfectly cooked asparagus spears-were especially good. Rack of lamb was traditional and well prepared: the duck breast, recommended as a house specialty, was nicely cooked, but its unidentifiable fruit sauce was overly sweet. The watercress salad with goat cheese, bacon, and hard-cooked egg was delicious, but desserts-a dry flourless chocolate cake and boringly sweet chocolate Concorde (layers of chocolate meringue and chocolate mousse)-were forgettable. 2408 Cedar Springs. 748-1291, Expensive.



L’Ancestral. First courses-an onion tart accented with pungent orange zest and a salad of tiny-diced ham. tomato. cheese, apple, and cabbage bound with homemade mayonnaise-were unusual and outstanding. Grilled sword fish and perfect pommes frites were followed by simple green salads and soothingly classic desserts-comforting caramel pot de crème and sumptuous chocolate truffle cake. 4514 Travis. 528-108!. Moderate to expensive.



Le Brussels. This little Belgian restaurant in Snider Plaza is a real discovery. We started with a cup of the commendable bouillabaisse accompanied by pungent aioli and garlic toasts, and smoked rainbow trout with zippy horseradish cream. From the entrees we ordered lamb chops in mustard crust, steak au poivre vert, and a mixed grill (ribeye. chicken breast, and a lamb chop). All the food was forthright, with no frills and lots of flavor. We splurged on several desserts to share along with our pot of Belgian coffee: the day’s special tarte tatin, with its pile of caramel apple chunks, and the luscious chocolate mousse took the prize. 6615 Snider Plaza. 739-1927. Moderate.



L’Entrecote. Don’t come here too hungry-L’Entrecote’s menu is ambitiously extensive: the two long pages describing the complicated and subtle dishes dreamed up by chef Michel Platz take some time to peruse. Then there are the specials to take into consideration, so that composing a dinner for two is a challenge tor the curious and easily tempted. In the end. everything we ordered was delicious, exquisite, and perfectly served, leaving us wondering about all the things we couldn’t try Endive, watercress, and tarragon salad was refreshing: a salad of asparagus, baby corn. and rose petals was good but slightly too precious. Veal in lime and sage was followed by an idea] dessert of meltingly light frozen raspberry tone. Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmoms Frwy. 748-1200. Expensive la very expensive.



Mr. Peppe. Even after the owner of many years sold out, Mr. Peppe remains much the same. The place is still a bargain if you don’t order an appetizer or a special soup, since a fine soup of the day (cream of cauliflower on our last visit) and a crisp salad are included in the cost of an entree, If you do decide to put out the money for an appetizer, try the scallops in a saffron sauce-you can actually see a bountiful quantity of the expensive spice in the sauce. Among the main courses, the beef dishes are among the best choices. The ribeye with a Bercy sauce was beyond cavil. Desserts include a very tasty Grand Marnier tone. 5617 W Lovrrs Lane. 352-5976. Moderate to expensive.



The Old Warsaw. Rumors and announcements have created expectations of a move for this oldest of Dallas’s super-deluxe restaurants. But as events have proved, things don’t change much at the Old Warsaw. Appetizers include garlicky escargots and bland crayfish in a winey sauce. Tender veal and crisply sauteed sweetbreads make good choices for entrees. Salads (like the signature watercress and Belgian endive) and desserts are among the best courses. 2610 Maple. 528-0032. Very expensive.



The Riviera. Smoked red bell pepper soup with bacon and sun-dried tomatoes was a perfect blend of salt, sweet, and smoke; the special yellow fin tuna salad played the meaty fish against smooth avocado and balanced the combination with nutty sesame vinaigrette. Delicate halibut was given depth with a rich, though slightly salty, lobster sauce, and the suc-culently sweet loin of lamb was sparked by a green peppercorn sauce. Desserts-orangey creme brulee and a chocolate cake with almond meringue-were only a little less memorable, and service was gracious throughout. 7709 Inwood. 351-0094. Expensive to very expensive.



St. Martin’s. A cup of gumbo on our visit was flavorful but loaded with more rice than fish or vegetables; a Caesar salad was properly zesty. but one of basil-dressed hearts of palm was bland and dreary: roast duck from the regular menu was admirably crisp-skinned in not-too-sweet frail sauce, on the whole a more rewarding dish than the pricier blackboard specials we tried-a mild-fleshed cut of grouper and a rather ordinary veal chop. Crème caramel, loo. was just passable. 3020 Greenville. 826-0940. Moderate to expensive.



D REVISITS



Three Vikings. We’ve never understood why Dallas’s only Scandinavian restaurant doesn’t try for a bit more authenti city in its menu. But Three Vikings has survived when many more adventuresome places have failed, so somebody must enjoy the rather heavy, homey foods with their occasional Continental touches. The standard beginners here are the thick shrimp chowder and the meal balls in sauce with ber ries on the side. Among the main courses, a perfectly grilled piece of salmon was much more to our taste than a com plicated Muffing and saucing of veal (a perfect example of what foodwriter/humorist Calvin Trillin calls -Stuff Stuff with Heavy”). There are always selections of equally weighty desserts to finish with here. 4537 Cole 559-0987. Moderate to expensive. -W.LT.



Watel’s. Our meal began with shrimp Provencal, perfectly cooked crustaceans in a sunny tomato sauce, and soothing leek soup Grilled baby salmon and pork chops with apples were better than the grilled ribeye. which was too chewy and overcooked. Chocolate fondant-layers of white and dark chocolate-was the best dessert choice, with the apple tart running a close second. 1923 McKinney. 720-0323. Moderate.



GERMAN/EASTERN EUROPE



Bohemia. This homey holdout against light-dining ssissiness is as solid and staid as the food it serves-on our last visit an admirably long-simmered sauerbraten. the vinegar-spiked beef slices fall-apart tender, and half a slow-niHStcd Long Island duck, its moist succulence barely held together by burnished skin. The duckling’s bread-like dumpling was airy, accompaniments of boiled potato and caraway-scented sauerkraut mild and. yes. filling Alas, we could hardly finish our flaky strudel and meringue-llourished strawberries-on-vanilla glace before waddling homeward. 2810 N Henderson. 826-6209. Moderate.



Franki’s Li’l Europe. Entrees offered on our lunch and dinner visits ranged from Italian to French to German and Austrian, with side trips to Hungary and Yugoslavia. Top stop for my money was segediner, a Hungarian dish involving succulent pork chunks simmered with mild sauerkraut and cream. Cevapcici, described as the Yugoslavian national dish, was a half-dozen hand-formed ovals of veal. lamb, and pork sausage on saffron-scented rice. Chicken Pavarotti crossed the Italian border with a tender sautèed breast lavished with fresh mushrooms in a fine, fresh tomato sauce. Desserts included admirably flaky apple strudel and a particularly light, lovely bread pudding. 362 Casa Undo Plaza (behind the fountain). Garland Road at Buckner. 320-0426. Inexpensive 10 moderate.



GREEK



D REVISITS



Augustus. This place with a supper-club feel and live music has proved itself one of the survivors in the wildly competitive Addison restaurant market. The food-a mix ture of Continental and Greek styles-is part of the reason. For those who want something slightly exotic, the crisply fried calamari and the Greek special of wonderfully herbed. thinly sliced leg of lamb are outstanding. Simple dishes are cooked with care, too: sautèed veal or fish, charbroiled chicken breast, even a pristine chicken and shell pasta soup all please the less adventurous. 15375 Addison Rd. 239-8105. Expensive. -W.LT.



Kostas Cafe. There is no great Greek food in Dallas: in fact, there’s still not much Greek food at all. Accompanied by a glass of retsina and preceded by an order of saganaki, a combination plate at Kostas is as close as you can get to Greece, gustatorily speaking. All the elements are there: the dolma (meat-stuffed vine leaves) were tasty, though [heir tenderness bordered on mushiness; the souvlaki (grilled lamb chunks) and grilled shrimp were authentically seasoned and nicely cooked; pastitsio, a slightly sweet, tomato-laced casserole of meat and macaroni, was delicious, and the square of spanokopita (layered spinach, filo pastry, and cheese) was savory and flaky. However, everything, even the saganaki. flamed several feel before our eyes, was too cool and the salad was short on feta, olives, and the aromatic oil that normall) make salad one of the glories that is Greece. 4914 Greenville. 987-3225. Inexpensive.



Little Gils’. By day a bare-bones breakfast and burger hangout, this little place spreads blue lable linens and adds flowers and candles at night to showcase its talents as a consistently topnotch Greek restaurant. The burgers are swell. but the night fare’s exemplary-a recent visit netted a day’s special of roast lamb slices cradled in deeply flavored wine sauce that could not have been more satisfying. A lofty cube of spinach-laden spanokopita was tighter than mountain air and lasted twice as fresh under papery puff pastry And the establishment’s trademark potato bails. I’m happy to say. were as delectably cheese-influenced as always. 1916 Greenville. 826-4910. Inexpensive.



INDIAN



Akbar. Usually one of our favorite local Indian restaurants; Akbar disappointed us recently. We don’t like out tandoori chicken overcooked and dried out. but surely no one likes it undercooked. and that was the way it was served to us this time around. The accompanying onion kulcha (bread stuffed with onions and also cooked in the tandoor. which is an Indian clay oven) was undercooked and gooey, loo. Even the shrimp cooked with large pieces of pepper were underdone to the point of translucence. 2115 Promenade Center. Rich-unison. 235-0260. Lunch inexpensive, dinner moderate.



India Palace. Pan of the excellence of this restaurant lies in ambition-India Palace has a somewhat larger, more adventuresome menu than its rivals, Pun lies in attention to detail: curried dishes like a superb beef punjabi or baigan bhuta (eggplant purèe) are garnished with a superfine julienne of ginger and red pepper. But finally the superiority lies in skill in the kitchen. A dessert like rasmalai (a kind of homemade cheese bathed in sweet cream) can be a heavy disaster elsewhere: here it is light and delicate and delicious. 13360 Preston Rd. 392 0190. Moderate to expensive.



Kebab & Kurry. This North Dallas spot continues to serve some of the best Indian food in the area: lately, the service has been more personable and less inscrutable than in the past. Any of the wonderful breads or selections from the tan-door make good choices for the novice (even my kids like it), while the slhahajani biryani-a complicated mix of rice, chicken, and vegetables-exhibits the balance of innumerable ingredients that makes Indian food so exciting. Chutncys and vegetable dishes are also outstanding, but I have to confess I don’t understand Indian desserts. 401 N Central Expwy. Suite 300. Richardson. 231-5556. Inexpensive to moderate.



ITALIAN



Acapella Cafe. Critics who fretted over the fading decor of Adriano’s in the Quadrangle wouldn’t know the place in its reincarnation as Acapella. They’d recognize the menu, though-with the exception of a handful of additions, it’s the same, with a creative catalogue of pizzas playing the lead, a supporting cast of pastas, and a couple of chicken dishes. A new Hawaiian pizza sounds bizarre-fresh pineapple, coconut, ginger, with whole macadamia nuts and optional cubed ham on great crust-bui the sum of the parts is splendid; trust me. and try it. Try. loo. one of the new filled pastas; 1 found the ravioli, fragile squares centered with mild cheese and spinach in rich cream sauce, near-ethereal. 2508. Maple Ave. 871-2262. Inexpensive to moderate.



Alessio’s. On the appetizer side, crab croquettes on a re-lie basil cream sauce, Minestrone was absolutely the best I’ve ever tasted-a sturdy studding of Iima beans, cabbage, zucchini, turnips, el al.. in tomato-based broth zinged with lemon Rack of lamb riblets were divinely rosy and toothsome in white wine sauce whispering of thyme, but highest marks have to go to the evening’s veal chop, a hal f-pound monster of exceptional tenderness and flavor, barely haunted with rosemary. Lemon ice was the perfect dessert, ringed with fresh blackberries, but a deep-flavored flan was a classic close second. 4117 Lumo Alto. 521-3385. Moderate to expensive.



Amore. This neighborhood Italian restaurant at the north, end of Snider Plaza is generally crowded: it’s unpretentious, the atmosphere is appropriately cozy. and the food is satisfying if not inspired. That strange hybrid, Italian rachos. are a featured appetizer-a slice of pepperoni and some moz-zarella on a toasted triangle of flour tortilla. We preferred the bruschetta: it’s not the simple classic here, but a souped-up version involving tomato sauce, cheese, and herbs. The-simpler pastas seem to be the best bet for entrèes-veal cardinale, strips of breaded veal and red peppers over fettuc-]cine, was a little bland and oily, but vegetable lasagna, full of checse and just-tender vegetables, was good. 6931 Snider Plaza. 739-0502. Inexpensive to moderate.



D REVISITS

Bugatti on The Creek. The old Bugatti’s an west Walnut Hill has been a Dallas Italian food mecca for years; the newlocation at Northwest Highway and Lemmon/Marsh is. more accessible but a little hard to find (it’s in the southeast quadrant). The food is comparable to the original’s-classic Italian with a special emphasis on veal dishes. The special. a sauteed veal scallop on marinara sauce, lopped with a thin slice ofprosciutto and melted mozzarella. was good, though a link salty: (he accompanying pasta was simply dressed with butter and Parmesan, The mrazarclla was fine and fresh on the mozzarella and tomato salad, but the tomatoes. supposedly “vine-ripened.” were the usual pallid wedges. Service was excellent. 3802 W. Northwest Hwy. 350-2470. Moderate. -M.B.M.



Cafe Italia. This informal ltitle place offers a deliciously crisp chicken limone. sautéed just right, and a veal Marsala with an intense taste of wine. In fact. intense flavors are the rule here- not always to the good, as the herbal strangeness of the tomatoi sauce show The signature dish of linguini pescatore. too. has a powerful taste of the sea-and of garlic, garlic. garlic Serv ice here also tends to be intense-harried but helpful. And the offering of nightly specials that combine small helpings of several dishes is fun for those who prize variety. 5000 Maple. 521-0700. Inexpensive to moderate.



Caffé Paparazzi. This is the best little Italian restaurant in Dallas since Sergio’s (while it was still in its first location) nearly a decade ago. The main dishes do not sound particularly inventive, but they are cooked with an authority that makes them seem like fresh inspirations. Veal scallops cooked with cheese is a cliche that usually disappoints grandly; here, though, the veal valdostana is sheer poetry. flavored with a leaf of” fresh sage. Of the pastas we tried, the penne all’arrabiata was the standout. Desserts at Caffé Paparazzi looked as good as they lasted, We especially enjoyed the amaretto custard and the sliced oranges marinated in liqueur and orange zest. 8989 Forest Lane, Suite 112. 644-1323. Moderate.



Campisi’s Egyptian Restaurant. My companion and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit, a trip back in time if ever there was one. right down id worn linoleum and booth-side jukeboxes. My crab claws, a house specialty, had undoubtedly started the evening frozen, but their lemon-butter bath was wonderful. and the platter held five dozen of the tiny things. Out all-the-way pizza and butter-drenched garlic bread were quite passable, too. 5610 E Mockingbird. 827-0355. Inexpensive moderate.



Capriccio. The appetizer of snails (lumache fantasia) in garlicky sauce under puff pastry proved a terrific opener, and the pastas included a fine fettuccine Carbonara as well as a decent but less convincing spaghetti Capriccio with chicken livers and tomatoes. Both main courses we sampled-veal topped with shrimp and sweetbreads Genovese with prosciutto-were cooked to perfection. The rum cake with meringue rounded out the meal magnificently. 2616 Maple Ave- 871-2004. Expensive.



Carrelli’s. Its a surprise to walk into this annex of the artsy craftsy Olla Podrida complex and discover an ornate setting that looks like a location for some Fellini fantasy. The service is welcoming and professional, the food tasty but as unsublle as the decor, Veal alla Carrelli’s is a mish-mash of prosciutto. mozzarella. artichokes, and \hnmps over the veal in a lemon, wine, and cream sauce. A special of the day can bring you even more tastes on one plate-lobster tail alla diavolo (sadly fishy tasting) next to a luscious breast of chicken in it lemon and cream sauce. Steak lovers who visit ’ Carrelli’s can order prime sirloin either plain or topped with a spicy tomato sauce. 12219 Coit Rd. 386-7931. Moderate to expensive.



D REVISITS



Ciao. This was one of Dallas’s first “gourmet” pizza places.and whatever problems you may have with the genre, it’s hard to argue with Ciao’s pies. The loppings are different (fresh spinach or chicken and goal cheese), but none of them are weird, and the ones we tried were all delicious. Pastas are not as well prepared: our chicken lasagna was served too hot. before it had set. and was drowning in sauce and cheese. But the salad, simply dressed Boston lettuce-was excep tional for a pirn joint, even a very hip one like this. Service is more cool than cooperative. 3921-B Cedar Springs. 521-0110. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M.

D REVISITS



Henry St. Pizza Co. Henry St. offers a rotating selection of entrees-spaghettì, manicottì, or lasagna-and subs as well as two styles of pizza. Our New York style vegetarian pie was substantial: a thick chewy crust loaded with cheese. green peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms. Lasagna wasn’t as good: the pasta was layered with bland ricotta and covered in a canned-tasting, herbless tomato sauce. The calzone, made from the same good piz za dough and stuffed with pizza toppings, was our favorite. Delivery only to downtown denizens. 208 Henry St. 748-4455. Inexpensive -M.B.M.



Lombardi’s at Travis Walk. If you can resist a pre-meal orgy of Parmesan-crusted. rosemary-scented focaccia loaves, the menu here offers a ft)!!-range Italian dining experience as fine as you’ll find in Dallas Start with flawless carpaccio, paper-thin and mustard-sauced, or delicate soft-shell crab sautèed with garlic and tomato in white wine. Proceed with succulent rabbit in Provencal sauce, or a sautè’ed veal chop strewn with vinaigrette-spiked arugula. If it’s your meatless day. rejoice in gnocchi. plump potato dumplings in mild tomato and bold Gorgonzola sauces. Leave room for a wicked wrap-up of double chocolate mousse cake if you can. or wind down with cappuccino or espresso-both are superior. Travis Walk. 4514 Travis. 521-1480 Moderate.



Lombardi’s Expresso. Smaller and more casual than the other outposts in the Lombardi restaurant empire, this one still offers commendable food and even careful service. A sampler of the cold salads makes a bountiful appetizer, so much so that you may not have room for the ravioli with marinara or the lasagna afterwards. The pizzas are certainly worth ordering for their crisp crusts and meaty toppings, (hough the same dough cooked up as focaccia came to the table soggy and limp. Specials like shell pasta with shrimp. snowpeas. and mushrooms and desserts can be excellent. too. 6135 Luther Lane. 361-6984. Inexpensive to moderate.



Mario’s One of the oldest of Dallas’s fancy restaurants seems better than it has in a long time. For appetizers, the cannelloni and the shrimp with mushrooms in a rich cream sauce are standouts. The veal Milanese is crisp and tender, the red snapper Mario perky in its sauce spiked with capers. For dessert, order one of the souffles-but do so early, because the wail can be long. 135 Turtle Creek Village, Oak Lawn at Blackburn. 521-1135. Expensive.



Massimo da Milano Al Teatro. The day’s entrées, listed on a separate menu, yielded a very small serving of excellent veal scallops, sautèed an]d brandy-flamed in cream sauce with plain and porcini mushrooms. A sautéed grouper fillet was laden with tiny bones, but the evening’s featured Tagliatelle alla Valdostana was positively ambrosial, the paper-thin pasta ribbons and sliced mushrooms bathed in cream and fontina cheese with a whispered accent of garlic, Steamed cauliflower and broccoli were adequate; a thick. gummy wedge of grilled polenta was severely disappointing. Desserts, however, gave absolute redemption, from demure plain cheesecake to chocolate-coconut mousse. The Quadrangle- 2800 Routh Street. Suite 180. 871-1900. Inexpensive 10 moderate.



MoMo’s. The original site of this expanding group still serves some of the best Italian food in Dallas. The wood-oven-baked pizzas ate a better bet than the homemade pastas, which can be overcooked and undersauced. Better still are the dishes like conchiglie al modo mio (seashell pasta baked with savory meats and cheeses) and scallopini à la Momo (veal sauced piquantly with a hint of anchovy). For dessert, try the zabaglione. if you like your custard strongly flavored with Marsala. 9191 Forest Lane. Suite A2. 234 6800. Moderate.



MoMo’s Italian Specialties. A new dish here is the maccheroni alla chitarra-fat. square-cut noodles in an intriguing sauce made with chopped lamb and bell peppers. Alas, the pasta was cooked past limpness into the depths of sogginess, But there arc some absolutely wonderful successes to be found here: a seafood salad with scallops and squid redolent of tomato and fruity olive oil. homemade tortelli stuffed with a mixture of four cheeses, and a veal alla pizzaiola bravely seasoned with anchovy and olive. 3309 N Central Expwy, Suite 370 (in the rear of Ruisseau Village), Plano. 423-1066. Moderate to expensive.



D REVISITS



Pietro’s Italian Restaurant. This old East Dallas dining favorite has stood the lest of time-it’s been here for thirty years or so, and still packs them in. This is what we used to expect when we went out for Italian food: the interior is properly cozy, t]he tables are covered in red-checked cloths. and the menu lists southern Italian red-sauced standards. But the food on our visit fell short of our nostalgic expectations. The gorgeous homemade garlic bread turned out to be soggy with butter, the salads were limp iceberg and pale tomato relics, Pasta was better: eggplant parmigiana was best. 5722 Richmond 824-9403. Moderate. -M.R.M



Ristorante Savino. An appetizer sampler of pastas, obligingly created when we could not choose among them, included a flawless swirl of angel hair in lobster sauce, as well as tortellini in deep-flavored demi-glace. the whole lavished with Reggiano Parmesan shredded over them at the table. Satin-fresh mozzarella rounds with tomato in basil dressing were flawless; red snapper sautèed with fresh tomato and basil was the same. My longtime favorite entrèe at Savino. roast veal slices served cold in rich tuna sauce, was not quite up to standard-the veal was a trifle dry-but Mill outstanding. 2929 N Henderson. 826-7S04. Moderate to expensive.



Ruggeri’s. I couldn’t help regretting that no one warned me the soft-shell crab on my appetizer plate had been Frozen, not fresh, before its sautèeing in garlic-spiked olive oil. but its texture and taste were acceptable if its rectangular shape was not, Otherwise, everything on our dinner visit touched happy chords, from al dente angel hair pasta with tomato, fresh basil, and garlic to veal scallops sautèed with artichoke hearts and mushrooms in butter. And if I had the chefs recipe for cioppino. I swear I’d open a restaurant myself- the fisherman’s slew of fresh seafoods in spicy marinara sauce was nothing less than sublime. Sweets-cravers can indulge sans sin on a silken crema caramela or extravagantly wicked chocolate mousse cake-all made in-house. 2911 Routh St. 871-7377. Moderate.



Sfuzzi. Pizzas here are exceptional, with a thick but somehow light crust: the grilled salmon pizza with yellow tomatoes ranks as one of the best pies in Dallas, but the veal version, with sun-dried tomatoes, is also a winner. From the selection of “primi plates.” the salads were terrific. Arugula and radicchio were sprinkled with crisp pancetta and crumbled Gorgonzola and dressed in balsamic vinaigrette; spinach salad was arranged with grilled chicken chunks, toasted pine nuts, and yellow tomatoes. Pastas aren’t handled as well-a serving of angel hair was overcooked and under-sauced. But fettuccine with pancetta. Parmesan, and cream was surprisingly lighter than a classic Alfredo. 2504 McKin-ney 871-2606 Moderate.



Spaghetti Inn-Mike’s Italian Restaurant. This is strictly Fifties “casserole Italian”-lots of cheese, lots of sauce-without the subtleties or the nonsense of nearly-1990-know-it-all-ltalian cuisine. The lasagna. inexplicably sided by spaghetti with red sauce, as always, is nothing more than a rich stack of pasta, cheese, sauce, and more cheese. Manicotti is filled with bland ricotta and smothered in more sauce; pizza is spread with sauce, cheese, and loppings.. you get the picture. This is great comfort food. 6465 E Mockingbird Lane in Hillside Village. 821-5800. Moderate.



JAPANESE/KOREAN



Fuji-Ya. This little storefront Japanese restaurant just north of LBJ Freeway has managed to stay in business tor a long time, though the crowds have always seemed sparse at dinnertime. The quality of the food is mixed. There is a small but impeccably fresh selection of sushi, the gyaza (pan-fried meat dumplings) are delicious, and the shrimp tempura stands out as among the lightest, crispiest, most delicate in town. But other dishes, like fatty, undercooked teriyaki chicken and overboiled, tasteless sukiyaki. can be most disappointing. 13050 Coit Rd. 690-8396. Inexpensive to modrate.



Hana Japanese Restaurant. As in most Japanese restaurants, the sushi bar here is the social center-a joyous stretch of immaculate revelry staffed by swift-bladed showmen who slice out the usual artistic raw-fish delicacies as well as a specialty or two all their own: their oyster shot, a chewable potion involving raw oyster, fresh quail egg. and spicy accents, is alone worth a visit. The kitchen excels, too. with shrimp tempura and fried oysters crisped to air-light, greaseless perfection, grilled salmon steak and beef teriyaki mostly tender. 14865 Inwood. 991-8322. Moderate.



D REVISITS



Kobe Steaks. This is Americanized Japanese dining- the enormous plush bar alone could contain several entire Tokyo-sized restaurants, while the big cookstove-tabletops are extravagant versions of their authentic counterparts, seating up to eighteen diners, family-style. Each table has a knife-toting chef who cuts, slices, dices, and cooks your dinner before your very eyes. The flashing knives make a good show, and the resulting meal is good. too. The pre-show salad is dressed with a zippy ginger vinaigrette; the shrimp appetizer is nicely cooked. In fact, everything-beef, chicken, and vegetables-was perfectly cooked-no mean trick. Quorum Plaza, Bell Line at Dallas Parkway. 934-8150, Moderate to expensive. -M.B.M.



Korea Home Town. You won’t find many non-Koreans here, and the proprietors don’t speak much English. But by pointing you can have an interesting meal. The set-tip of the Spartan tables shows that you are supposed to order one of the versions of Korean barbecue, spelled here pul koki (marinated beef) and pul kalpi (marinated short ribs). Both are grilled right on the table The adventurous will also enjoy the stir-fried squid and octopus and the wonderful Korean cold vegetables (barely cooked spinach, crisp bean sprouts in sesame oil. several kinds of radish salad). Take cash, because nocredit cards are accepted. 10560 Walnut, Suite 600. 272-9909. Inexpensive.



Mr. Sushi & Hibachi. Mr Sushi’s original location is one of (he favorite stops of local seekers of raw fish. This new establishment also includes a hibachi room for those in quest of Benihana-type slice-and-dice grilled thrills. On my visit I unintentionally ended up on the hibachi side, where the food was uninspired. However, my sushi scouts report that the sushi here is as terrific as at the original Mr. Sushi. 9220 Skillman. Suite 227. 349-6338. Moderate to expensive.



Nakamoto. This Piano restaurant (which used to be named Ishi-Sushi) may be the most decked-out Japanese restaurant in the Metroplex, with everything from Samurai armor to flocks of ikebuna birds figuring in the decor. The sushi bar offers a nice variety of fish of exemplary freshness. Among the cooked dishes, fish also stands out-the salmon butteryaki has a pleasantly charred exterior and moist meat. Less impressive are the slightly soggy shrimp tempura and tough pork tonkatsu. Don’t try desserts here unless you can fall in love with green tea or red bean ice creams. Ruisseau Village. Suite 360, 3309 N Central Expressway. Piano. 881-0328. Moderate.



Shinano. This cheerful little restaurant features most of the standard Japanese-American menu items, with a few offbeat features like crispy fried soft-shell crab. The shrimp tempura can be very good, and the sushi and sashimi can be most appetizing (though we thought we detected a vinegary taste to the raw tuna on one occasion-a sign that it might have been soaked to remove a tell-tale fishy taste). The gyoza (little fried dumplings) and the teriyaki salmon have been among other successful choices here. 8830 Spring Valley Rd. 644-1436. Moderate.



MEXICAN



Baja Louie’s. Often crowded-and. when crowded, almost unbearably noisy-Baja Louie’s has a certain energy and panache. Certainly a lot of the dishes have their own style, though that style may not appeal to those weaned on conventional Tex-Mcx. The appetizer plate includes two kinds of stuffed chili peppers: the deep-fried jalapenos filled with chicken will gel you one way or the other (either from the blistering temperature or the bite of the peppers). The best of the main courses we sampled is the beef chinitchanga- a large flour tortilla rolled around shredded meat, deep-fried, and topped with sauce. The fajitas have a distinctive and unidentifiable flavor, but the accompanying onions have the unappetizing color of orange grease. 17390 Preston Rd. 248-9130. Moderate.



Blue Mesa. Chips and dip are usually effective forecasters in Mexican restaurants; Blue Mesa serves mixed blue and yellow tostados with a smoky chipotle-black bean salsa and a cumin-flavored tomato salsa. The chile relleno with chicken, cheese, and mango salsa was beautifully presented, and the sweet-tan fruit accented the spice and cheese surprisingly. The counterpoint was repeated in the contrasting flavors of savory black beans and sweet corn pudding. Corn meal pasta was cooked al dente: it was sauced with tomatoes, corn, and cumin and topped with pieces of chicken breast rubbed with red chili. Village on the Parkway, 5100 Belt Line. 934-0165. Moderate.

Brazos. Ensalada paraiso. Brazos’s chefs salad, is a meal in itself and a good one. too. Grilled entrées come with black beans, rice, and red or green chili; we tried the chili-marinated red fish the first visit, the beef tampiquena the second, and were disappointed both times. The two special entrees were better: red chili-cheese enchiladas were very good, and King Ranch chicken was tasty too. with lots of chicken and tortillas under the gooey cheese and sour cream. 2100 Greenville at Prospect. 821-6501. Moderate.



Caliente Border Cantina. Tex-Mex standards are on the menu, but so are the trendy specialties. We began dinner, for instance, with a shrimp quesadilla laden with fresh pineapple dice and cilantro pesto as well as cheese; the combination was enjoyable. Rellenado de Res, a fine cut of beef stuffed with chile relleno rather than vice versa, was rewarding, the meat rare and tender, the pepper mild. Adobe pie, masa and chicken with chipotle cream sauce, turned out to be a huge dome that in any other shape would have been called a naked tamale-it was delicious, with a delayed pepper kick that saved it from first-taste blandness. Our one disaster was a flan that resembled honey-drenched mashed potatoes. 6881 Greenville Ave. 3(8-8600. Inexpensive.



Cantina Laredo. Despite the hectic atmosphere, our service was brisk and attentive. Tex-Mex here is good, but the specialties are better: cabrito barbacoa (barbecued goat) was rich and tender, and polio ranchera was a lender breast with a spicy sauce of tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Desserts are good here, too; apple pie is served on a sizzling cinnamon-sugar coated fritters-are freshly fried. 4546 Belt Line. 458-0962. Moderate.



Casa Rosa. Fried stuffed jalapenos and tortilla soup were good beginners, both more attractively presented than is usual in Mexican restaurants. The chile relleno that followed was breaded too heavily, but the filling and the ranchera sauce were flavorful. Polio en la concha was a rich dish of chicken chunks and slivered peppers smothered in thick cheese and sour cream in a fried Hour tortilla shell. 165 Inwood Village (Inwood at Lovers). 350-5227. Moderaie.



D REVSITS



Chito’s. Lots of Maple Avenue Mexican restaurants offer only fake local color. This one is the real thing-on our last visit there were cabbies dropping in for a break, a group that looked like they might have served with Pancho Villa in Mexican border raids, and a television blaring Mexican movies on videotape. The food is a genuine bargain. It usually tastes fine, although you can expect the dishes to skimp on meat at these prices. The tamales are plump and tender, the flautas fresh and crisp, the pico de gallo strong and fiery. One dish you find here but not at less authentic places is tacos of barbacoa-the tender, not-at-all spicy Mexican version of barbecue. 4447 Maple. 522-9166. Inexpensive.

-W.LT.



Gloria’s. The best way to sample Gloria’s fare is on the newly featured Salvadoran plate, which also includes fried plantains and sour cream, fried yucca, black beans, and rice blackened by steaming in liquor from the beans. The medley of flavors on the plate is rapturous indeed, enhanced as it is by a tamale wrapped, Salvadoran style, in banana leaf- anoint it with Gloria’s eye-watering salsa and add a Salvadoran beer, and you’ve a banquet; precede the plate with a serving of the restaurant’s catfish ceviche (one order will feed a foursome), and ordinary Tex-Mex will be an un-mourned memory. True. Gloria’s offers Mexican dishes, too. and a pork steak and several soups that are first-rate. But I’d have to cat at Gloria’s almost daily to get past the Salvadoran plate; it’s that good. 6001 W Davis. 948-3672. Inexpensive.



D REVISITS



Juanita’a, Most Mexican restaurants this far north in the Metroplex offer a more cosmopolitan menu and atmosphere, but Juanita’s. open about a year, would fit right into the Maple Avenue authentic Tex-Mex scene. Family operated and esconced in a former Maydie’s location. Juanita’s offers excellent flautas and just-right cheese enchiladas, property flavored with cumin. Ordering fancier dishes involves a cer tain risk-the carne asada, often an elegant thin steak at other places, is here chewy bits of grilled meal. If you warn to explore, stick with home-style recipes like the carne guisada, a flavorful Mexican beef stew. 1905 N Josey Lane. Carrollton. 242-0888. Inexpensive. -W.L.T.



La Botica Café. Closed now for lunch except for private parties, the place has broadened its menu to include several upscale-sounding entrées-quail, Cornish game hens, and ribeye steaks, for example-as well as the familiar Tex-Mex standards. Not to worry, though-prices are still in line, and such favorites as tortilla soup, green enchiladas, and cheese-heaned quesadillas are as fine as ever. A ribeye and quail combination plate was substantial and satisfying, both beef and bird grilled to perfection and served with good beans, lively pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, and adequate Spanish rice. 1900 N Haskell. 824-2005. Inexpensive to moderate.



L’Asadero Monterrey. The specialty here is cabrito- baby goat-but it’s not always available in forms popular with most gringos-on my last visit only the kidneys and heart were still on the menu. If you can’t get the goat, not to worry. The rest of the menu is tasty, too. Polio a la parilla was tender and juicy, its topping of grilled onions sweet and tender. Cheese enchiladas were properly gooey and spicy; only the steak Milanesa (Mexican fried steak) was a little dry. 112 N Collett. 826-0625. Inexpensive.

Loma Luna Cafe. Blue corn chicken enchiladas were stacked, not rolled, smothered with green chilies. and layered with lots of chicken and cheese Sandia Range chicken, from the list of grilled items on the menu, was smoked and grilled ever pecan wood. Served with Santa Fe-style beans and rice, the chicken was moist and lender even after its double treatment. For dessert, the flan was ex-cellent; the vanilla ice cream covered with cajeta, caramelized goat’s milk, was a delight. 4131 homo Alto. 559-4011. Moderate.



Mario & Alberto. Mario Leal manages to keep the quality of both food and sen ice high in all three of his operations, which are among the first places we take visitors when they want to see how the real Dallas eats. We can seldom resist the filete de la casa (a wide piece of beef tenderloin with lots of pepper and garlic) or the pipas (an appetizer of shrimp wrapped in a corn tortilla, deep fried, and served with avocado and sour cream sauces). Over the years, the Tex-Mcx side of the menu has received lots of condescending comments. But on our last visit we found that Mario & Alberto’s enchiladas, fried beans, and the rest were really among the best in town. too. LBJ Frwy Preston, Suite 425. 980-7296 Moderate.



Mia’s. Mia’s mystique eludes me. The Tex-Mex served here is good and dependable, the service is last and friendly, but the ambience is elbow-to-elbow and. forme. Mia’s success is its failure. The long lines make me think too hard about just how good those enchiladas are. Are they worth a forty-five-minute wait? Thirty minutes? Fifteen? Or shall we just go someplace else? If you’re a believer, it’s not too much trouble to call ahead and reserve your chile relleno on Tuesdays, and if you want one. that’s what you’ll have to do. 4322 Lemmon Ave. 526-1020. Inexpensive.



On The Border Cafe. This is Dallas’s original fajita factory, and the room has the appropriate Texas feel-lots of cactus and lots of Western memorabilia. We were introduced to a series of waiters before anyone decided to actually take our order, but once it got going, the service was fine and the food was good. Chicken fajita qucsadillas were a satisfying beginning: cheese enchiladas were a rich version, and beef fajitas were tender and smoky. The bonus was the Border’s burger; grilled to order and sided by jalapeno French fries, it was one of the best I’ve had. 3300 Knox St. 528-5900. Moderate.



Primo’s. The menu is Tex-Mex. with blackboard specials, and, except for bland margaritas and some overcooked shrimp, everything we sampled on a recent visit was as soul-satisfying as good Tex-Mex can get. Prime’s offers one of the best botanas platters around-two kinds of nuchos. midget flautas. and terrific quesadillas. lake note of the tiny, crispy meat tacos-fried after they’re filled, and available in the standard size, too. The chicken enchilada in ranchera sauce was also memorable. 3309 McKinney. 520-3303. Inexpensive.



Ricardo’s. Good food in the Metroplex doesn’t go much farther north than Ricardo’s original location-you stop making jokes about Oklahoma and wonder about the North Pole. The decor is sophisticated-though families are welcome-and the service is sharp even on the busiest of evenings. The food is reliable and often superior, with good Tex-Mex standards, smoky fajitas. and fine specialties like red snapper in a garlicky sauce and steak tampiquena. One caveat: the desserts are mostly a big disappointment Avoid especially the Han and the so-called Key lime pic (which consisted mostly of lime sherbel). 17610 Midway at Trinity Mills. 931-5073. N 802I Walnut Hill in the Corner Shopping Center. 691-3577. Moderate.



Tejas Cafe. Nearest thing to a standout on a recent visit was a qucsadilla filled with fresh spinach and other good things along with molten jack cheese. Tortilla soup was salty and soggy, and came asada, rather than the promised tenderloin filet, was a dry tenderized cut of the sort that goes into fejitas A Tex-Mex combination plate named for the place pretty well exemplified its culinary character- enchiladas, taco. and standard accompaniments were adequate but undistinguished and. on the whole, rather bland. But we did enjoy the honey-drizzled sopapillas. 2909 McKinney. 871-2050. Inexpensive to moderate.



D REVISITS



Villa Margarita. The food here, from the complimentary half-cup of black bean soup on. can be something special. The shrimp Margarita, with green peppers in a wine sauce, proved plump and delectable, Other more standard high-end Mexican specialties like the grilled chicken breast, the came asada. and the beef fajitas exceeded expectations, too. Even the Tex-Mex plates are rendered with care-the ’Laredo” brings a tasty burrito and fresh-tasting tamales along with the usual enchilada. The rather anonymous shopping-center space acquires all sorts of character when Mexican émigré society moves in for live music and dancing on Saturday nights. 362 Promenade Center, Coit & Belt Line. Richard son. 235-5447. Moderate. -W.L.T



NEW AMERICAN



Actuelle. Actuelle for dinner is predictably excellent; lunch can be an unexpected bargain. You can order soup and entrèe for under $20 and feel completely pampered. A hearty winter menu reflected Chef Victor Gielisse’s Dutch roots-our beef with barley soup was a sophisticated interpretation of a hearty classic; ragout of chicken came with a potato pancake. The Quadrangle. 2800Rouih St. 855-0440 Expensive.



Baby Routh. When a menu lists things like “pot roast” and “banana split,” I have certain expectations of home-style, trendless old favorites. But trendlessness is not the schtick of Baby Routh’s chef, Rex Hale. And on my last visit to this upwardly mobile temple, the food, thankfully, finally lived up to the social ambitions of the place. The pot roast with poblano gravy was good, although it cried out for potatoes, the seafood tamale was stunning to behold, and the smoked chicken and cacciotta empanada a success, as were all the desserts, including the above-mentioned split. 2708 Routh St. 871-2345. Moderate to expensive.



Beau Nash. With the new direction of executive chef Dan O’Leary and Russell Hodges, Beau Nash seems to have come into its own. Flavors are still California-style assertive, but not jarringly so. Smoked salmon carpaccio was ringed with translucent slices of sweet soaked onion; “Buffalo” (as in chicken wings) style shrimp was nicely set off by crunchy three-cabbage slaw. Sword fish was delicately crusted with lemon and sided with a creamy opal basil risotto. Only the Caesar salad with stale-tasting croutons disappointed. The gracious service and relaxed elegance of the room make dining here all it should be. Hotel Crescent Court, 400 Crescent Court, Maple at McKinney. 871-3240. Expensive.



City Cafe In a city of fast lanes, this quiet, understated restaurant is a good place to slow down. The lighting is soft, and so is the music; the service is gracious, and the room is easy to look at. That leaves the food to consider and it was well worth it- The menu, which changes every Wednesday, is gently, not jarringly, original: we were especially pleased with the tomato soup, crawfish cakes, and a version of Jamaican hummingbird cake. 5757 W Lovers Lane. 351-2233. Moderate to expensive.



Dakota’s. Dakota’s is to downtown lunch what Sam’s is to McKinney Avenue at dinner-the hot spot. Two differences-lunching takes less time than dining, so the wait at Dakota’s isn’t bad. and the women here wear suits and carry briefcases. Dakota’s is a businessman’s-person’s- favorite, but the place is good-looking enough and the food good-tasting enough to please anyone. The new Fall menu featured woodsy wild-mushroom-filled ravioli in rich Gorgonzola cream sauce and pecan-smoked tuna that were perfectly tuned to the season. 600 N Akard. 740-4001. Moderate to expensive.



Deep Ellutn Cafe. A daily special of red snapper sauced with thy me-scented beurre blanc under diced tomato was beautifully prepared and presented, and the hallmark chicken, a brace of peerlessly grilled boneless breast halves flanked by tender dill dumplings, proved itself yet again. Spinach and ricotta ravioli were rich and bland in too-smooth walnut sauce, but the cafe salad of fresh greens and vegetables with Parmesan in balsamic vinaigrette was freshness redefined. 2704 Elm Street. 741-9012. Moderate.



Elm Street Winery. The dinner menu at Elm Street Winery, which changes weekly, offers three first courses and a half-dozen or more main courses; a printed menu of staple, lighter rare is available any lime every day. Entrees balanced flavors and textures with uncommon harmony: veal tenders were lovely with Asian pears, the fruit’s sweetness cleanly cut with crumbles of Roquefort cheese: mag ret of duck wore a tart-sweet mango chutney and curried a bold punch of aromatic pepper heat. Tournedoes of beef were peppered, loo. and perfectly cooked; sadly, the confit of duck served with them verged on oversaltiness. The wine list, while extensive, is inconsistently priced: premium labels, for instance, seemed relatively reasonable, but some of the low-end entries were brazenly marked up from retail. By-the-glass offerings were scant and unremarkable when we were there, which seems curious indeed, particularly where the food is so deserving. 2704 Elm. 748-6565. Moderate to expensiv.



D REVISITS



Gershwin’s. For a place that’s made a career of trendiness (California-style pizzas, small plates during Dallass’s brief grazing vogue). this upper-Greenville haven holds surpris ing staying power. The perennial popularity that makes reservations a dinnertime must rests at least partly on a neat balance of money’s-worth value and freshness in the food. The menu’s some thing-for-everyone variety yields nothing spectacular, but almost anything one orders is dependably well prepared: a quesadilla with fresh poblano and onions, bacon, and cheeses was crisp and flavorful; a mixed-seafood starter held enough golden-fried shrimp, crab cakes, calamari, and batter-dipped mushrooms to feed a family. Seafood-studded linguine was bathed, as advertised, in sun ny fresh tomato sauce, and beef tournedos were satisfying- ly herbed-sauced. Romances could be built on Gershwin’s chocolate sack dessert. a paper bag-molded shell of milk chocolate filled with cake, whipped cream, strawberries. and. yes. calories. For two, of course. Service was warm despite big-crowd pressure; my by-the-glass wine had been too-long-opened, but a replacement was supplied with com mendable speed. 8442 Walnut Hill at Greenville. 373-7171. Moderate to expensive. -B.C.



The Mansion on Turtle Creek. Aside from an incoherent list of specials (I was tempted by an entrèe of Indian-inspired yogurt-marinated lamb with curry and chutney, but couldn’t find anything to complement it ). the kitchen’s work was up to par. Mansion standards-lobster tacos with yellow tomato salsa, tortilla soup, chicken baked with maple-pecan crust-and specials-soft-shell crab with barbecued crust and Cajun sausage with onion pasta-scaled the expected peak of perfection, which at these prices, they should. However, the front of the house didn’t measure up. Our reservation was lost and so was our waiter for much of the meal-errors that might be forgiven in a lesser establishment, but are inexcusable at the Mansion. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 526-2121. Expensive.



Nana Grill. The glittering view of downtown, the strolling violinists, and the deep decor make this restaurant on the Anatole’s twenty-seventh floor feel luxurious. Unfortunately, the food and service on our visit were less than luxe-an appetizer of oysters with cilaniro pesto was excellent, as were the grilled entrees (veal and lamb), while side dishes ranged from pretty good (fried onion rings) to poor (an uncooked lump of potatoes au gratin). Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Frwy. 748-1200. Expensive.



Parigi. On my last visit, a sage pesto pizza was the prize appetizer, followed by a terrific Caesar salad, lightened up with lemon juice and zest-the balance of rich and tart is so right you wonder why everyone doesn’t prepare it this way. Entrees, especially a veal chop with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken and spinach lasagna in spicy arrabiaia sauce, were excellent; unfortunately, desserts didn’t measure up. Peach cobbler was a mushy mass of soft fruit and softer dough. and the berry tart on passion fruit cream looked lovely, but lacked flavor Still, the wine list is nice, and all in all. there’s nothing in Dallas quite like Parigi. 3311 Oak Lawn. 521-0295. Moderate to expensive.



The Promenade at the Mansion. Lunch at ihe Prum-enade features some terrific examples of New Southwestern cuisine. The Southwest ancho pizza with smoked chicken, jalapeflo jack cheese, poblano peppers, and cilantro may be the best New Wave pizza in Dallas. Southwestern-style soups, especially the yellow-tomato gazpacho, are also outstanding. The pork loin scaloppini with a sauce of capers, tomato, smoked bacon, and parsley is yet another winner. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 559-2100. Moderate to expensive.



Raffles. It’s hard to buy a nice lunch for less than $10 these days, most of Raffles’ offerings came in at $7 or less. Grilled chicken rosmarino was a small double breast, nicely marked and juicy, with a rosemary-in fused butter sauce. The pizza margherita was a thin crust, spread with sweet tomato sauce, and overloaded with mozzarella. Dinner wasaconfused collection of pluses and minuses-the dressing on the Caesar salad was good, but had evidently been poured over, not tossed with the greens. My salmon steak was perfectly grilled; it came with the same vegetables as my lunchtime chicken and a rather stark baked potato. But my companion’s penne vodka came drowned in a sauce that looked and tasted a lot like cheese and Rotel dip. Desserts were better: the tiramtsu. a concoction of espresso-soaked lady fingers and sweetened ricotta, was delicious. 2200 Cedar Springs in The Crescent. 855-8889. Inexpensive to expensive.



Routh Street Cafe. A recent visit proved that the repuia-lion Routh Street has built in the last five years is deserved. This is not so much a see-and-be-seen spot as many Dallas dining rooms-the focus here is really on dining. A minor facelift last August restored luster to the classic modern interior and added necessary space; our service was perfect, and. with minor exceptions 4a too-oily salad dressing and an overpowering sorbet), so was the food: rabbit with red chili pasta and smoked corn; chili stuffed with almonds, apricots. and gout cheese; lamb loin with roast garlic sauce sided with serranos and papaya quesadillas; and all the desserts. 3005 Routh St. 871-7161. Very expensive.



San Simeon. This sleek-looking spot has the undeniable cachet of chic, as well as one of the mosi experienced teams of maitre d’ and waiters in town. But we are yet to be convinced that the food matches the ambience and the reputation. Attempts at the flashy eclecticism of New Southwestern cooking seem halfhearted; the crab in a Mandarin pancake in a spicy sauce, for instance, seemed awfully like an old-fashioned crìpe in a classic French sauce americaine (and the crab seemed limp, with an unacceptable number of shell bits). Fish is the strong suit of chef Richard Chamberlain, formerly of Ratcliffe’s: the swordfish with a black-bean citrus sauce was the highlight of our meal. 2515 McKinney at Fairmount in Chateau Plaza. 871-7373. Expensive.



SEAFOOD



Fishmonger’s Seafood Market and Café. Simple dishes like the boudin sausage appetizer and fried catfish or shrimp come off as well as expected (though the boiled peel-and-eat shrimp proved unappetizingly mealy in texture). The surprise is the excellence of the more elaborate dishes like the redfish Pontchartrain (grilled and topped with shrimp, crab, and mushrooms) and the scallops baked in lemon butter and topped with cheese. 1915 N Central at Chisholm, Suite 600, Plano. 423-3699. Moderate.



Harbor House. The peel-them-yourself shrimp have lots of briny flavor, and everything on the broiled seafood platter is impeccably fresh and delicately cooked. Conversely, the topping on the oysters “baked the Harbor way.” made up of onions, spinach, and mozzarella, doesn’t quite come together as a unified creation, and the salmon in puff pastry suffers from a soggy crust, though it is otherwise tasty. In between these extremes, there are lots of appetizing offerings at Harbor House. The fisherman’s stew (fish and shellfish in a tomato sauce) comes atop nicely firm pasta, for instance. And some of the restaurant’s best dishes are even available on the children’s plates-the fat, crurtchy fried shrimp and the chicken milanaise (breast pounded thin, breaded with cheese and crumbs, and tightly sautèed). 4884 Greenville Ave. 368-8911. Moderate.



Hard Shell Cafe. Both the New England clam chowder and the peel-and-eat shrimp make excellent beginnings here-neither of these standards is done better in Dallas. For the main course, we ordered the New England combo for two. At $33,95 this most expensive dish on the menu seemed quite a bargain, since it included two one-pound Maine lobsters, a pound each of cultured mussels and either Little neck or Ipswich steamer clams, and new potatoes and corn on the cob. All the shellfish was first-rate, but the potatoes and com didn’t add much to the meal. 6403 Green-wile Ave. 987-3477. Moderate.



Newport’s. Newport’s is at its best in its simplest dishes-grilled silver salmon, on our last visit, was perfectly plain and perfectly wonderful; a sampler appetizer tray of raw clams, shrimp, oysters, and ceviche could not have been fresher. Some of the trendier offerings are as delightful-a crab quesadilla, for instance, was to swoon over, tender flaked meat with cheese between crisp flour tortilla triangles-and some are not: a boned rainbow trout was eclipsed by its roasted tomatillo sauce, itself delicious but too heavy for the delicate fish. Desserts, ranging from a flawless crème me caramel to a chocolate truffle pie of surpassing richness, are exceptionally good. 703 McKinney in the Brewery, 954-0220. Expensive.



Scott’s-A Seafood House. This family-run seafood house replaced a series of good ideas gone bad in this quiet. end-of-McKinney location. Scon’s really is a good idea, and we hope it lasts longer than its predecessors. It’s set back slightly from the street, and the bushes and small trees on the front patio further screen out any traffic: inside, the seashell pink color and a wall of French windows make a graceful space out of a rectangle. Our service was rather perfunctory, but a waiter at the next table was much more informative, so we shamelessly eavesdropped. It seems there’s a new menu daily, according to what’s fresh, as everything we tasted certainly was. Raw oysters were plump and briny; crab cakes consisted of little more than sweet crab meat in a light breading. Both the sautèed fillet of sole and the grilled whole baby snapper were perfectly cooked and perfectly fresh. 4620 McKinney. 528-7777. Moderate.



SOUTHERN



The Blue Onion Restaurant. The food here is all honest and well prepared, even if a seldom excites. Probably the best is the pot roast, so tender it has fallen apart before it reaches the plate and rich with the sweet taste of carrots and slow-cooked beef. The fried shrimp are much better than average, and the chicken pot pie tastes homemade. though the biscuits on top are a flimsy substitute for a crust. Desserts arc supersweet and a bit bland-just like Momma used to make? 221 W Parker Rd at Central Expressway, Plano. 424-2U4. Inexpensive.



Celebration. This is food the way you wish your mother had fixed it-homemade biscuits, blueberry muffins, yeast rolls, tender baked chicken and pot roast, mashed potatoes with the skins. It’s not purely Southern-style: vegetables, served family-style, do retain their original color and flavor. The rambling interior looks nostalgically early Seventies-wood walls, copper-topped tables, very homey. 4503 W Lovers Lane. 351-5681. Moderate.



Highland Park Cafeteria -Casa Unda Plaza. On our last visit, I assembled a fine country vegetarian meal of macaroni and cheese (the latter probably processed, but palatable), collard greens long-simmered with cubed side pork, and sliced cucumbers marinated, by some happy miracle, in vinegar without sugar. My companion’s fried whole trout had gone dry from holding over heat, but his tomato-avocado aspic was firm. tart, and fresh, and his stewed com was from the-can but passable. 300 Case Linda Plaza, Buckner Blvd at Garland Rd. 327-3663. Inexpensive.



Mama’s Daughters’ Diner. The plate lunches we tried were generous models of no-nonsense nostalgia, the chicken-fried cutlet tender in crisp-browned batter with mashed potatoes under perfect cream gravy. all from scratch; the green vegetables-pork-seasoned turnip greens, cheese-whizzed broccoli-overcooked (weren’t they always, back then?); the cole slaw a fresh crunch, cream-dressed and Southern-sweet. Navy beans were actually big white Northerns, but their flavor was fine, and a pot roast’s rich juices almost made me forget 1 prefer my beef rare. Homemade rolls and cornnbread would have aced out any dessert less formidable than the lofty meringue pies baked here-coconut cream strewn with golden gratings was more than satisfactory. 2014 Irving Blvd (between Wycliff and Oak Lawn). 742-8646. Inexpensive.



Tolbert’s Chill Parlor. Most specialties we tried reflected some care in preparation, and ail ingredients seemed fresh and high-quality The chili labeled Frank’s Original Texas Red wouldn’t win this year’s award at Terlingua. but it’s a respectable, if underseasoned, long-simmered version studded with bite-sized beef cubes. Donkey tails, a pair of cheese-stuffed hot dogs wrapped in flour tortillas and deep-fried, are an inspired Tolben invention, and the onion-sparked mustard served with them is a robust accent. For my money, though, the burgers are the best bet-the Fredericks-burger, a two-handed stack of cooked-lo-order beef, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onions, is big enough to qualify as a for-two entree. 350 N St Paul, Suite 160. 953-1353. 1800 N Market 969-0310. The Corner Shopping Center. 8121 Walnut Hill 739-6700. Inexpensive.



SPANISH



Caramba! Alberto Lombardi has translated the Old World Spanish tapas concept into playful terms New World Dallas can embrace and enjoy, with modest prices and a tongue-in-cheek focus on fun. The menu’s thirty-two little dishes (half cold, half hot. priced from $2 50 to S4.50) offer a mouthwatering variery of samplers. On the cold side, the cheapest was one of the best-quinoa becomes a trendy tabouleh-like cold salad, zipped with the freshness of diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and lime juice. Lime also zings a ceviche that may be this city’s best yet, involving tender bay scallops and finely minced fresh chilies. Warm entries were laudable, too- sautèed sweetbreads with peppercorn butter were star quality, tender-crisp. Frankly, none of the entrees were as exciting us the sampler servings: marinated rabbit was overborne by its dark sauce of tomatoes, wine, and herbs: the paaella’s saffroned rice was nice, but the mussels were sandy and tough. Desserts were outstanding, particularly the Spanish version of crème brulèe, a silken wonder that equals any I’ve had anywhere. 3227 McKinney Ave. 720-9181. Inexpensive to moderate.



STEAKS



Del Friso’s Steakhouse. The best steak you can buy in Dallas-if you can stand beef so laden with cholesterol and if you have the money-is Del Frisco’s ribeye. It’s lush and perfectly aged and likely to be perfectly cooked. Another plus in Del Frisco’s favor is that the side dishes are much tastier than those usually found even in high-priced steakhouses. The shrimp remoulade, the au gratin potatoes, and the rich desserts are all worth ordering. The one drawback is that now Del Frisco’s is more expensive than ever. The prices of the steak haven’t gone up, but now you don’t get a potato unless you pay extra-only marvelously crusty French bread and a salad are included in the basic price. The Crescent. 2200 Cedar Springs. 720-4454. Expensive.



Huntington Grill. The seafood bisque was perfectly flavored, the fetiuccine with snails sautèed in a cream sauce extremely rich, and the Scottish smoked salmon pristine and satiny. The salad with goat cheese topped with raspberry dressing, though, turned out to be inferior to the dinner salad with a Louis dressing. Of the dishes offered “From Our Broiler,” the best was the large, perfectly broiled lobster tail on the steak and lobster tail combination. The tenderloin on that combination, like the hefty twenty-four-ounce T-bone, suffered from a too heavily charred crust. Westin Hotel. Galleria, 13340 Dallas Pkwy. 851-2882. Expensive to very expensive.



Morton’s of Chicago. The porterhouse steaks are magnificent chunks of beef, and they are likely to be served just as specified. Some of (he other dishes are fine. too. The lump crab meat is simplicity’ itself, perfectly fresh (though with a few too many flecks of shell). The Caesar salad is robust, and the chocolate soufflè for two a fine end to a meal. For those who don’t want beef, the lobsters here are plausibly priced and nicely prepared. Our only complaints on our most recent visit were tasteless hash-brown potatoes and the style of service that recites the menu in rote fashion. 501 Elm St. 741-2277. Expensive.



D REVISITS



The Palm Restaurant. Grand-scale excess is a fetish here, in portions as well as price. Filets the size of boxing gloves, lobsters large enough to saddle and ride, a la carte side dishes ample for whole femilies-of such stuff is The Palm legend made, on a menu that has not varied since it was brought down from the mount. Almost everything we tried was perfection in its class-roasted pimento halves stretched over chopped iceberg lettuce and laced with anchovy strips in vinaigrette were fine as ever, while fresh asparagus held audacious crunch. The lamed half-and-half fry of thread-thin potato and onion was shockingly grease-sogged and uncrisp, but a full-pound New York strip and three double lamb chops were absolutely prime, cooked precisely to order. Service was expert as always beneath its veneer of as sumed insouciance, and the flown-in New York cheesecake was a marvel as usual. As usual, too, was the crowd-a mix of locals and conventioneers come to check out the West End emporium’s sawdust-and-caricature ambience. You can al ways tell which is which, by the way-the locals are the ones who leave carrying doggy bags (unless, of course, they think they’ll be seen doing it). 701 Ross Avenue. 698-0470. Very expensive. -B.C.



TAKEOUT/DELI



Deli-News Restaurant & Bakery. Old World at- mosphere is in short supply in Far North Dallas, but- although this storefront operation isn’t much to look at-the Russian émigré proprietor and his help contribute lots of color and charm here. The delicatessen foods are top-notch. We found particular delight in three kinds of beef: meticulously rare roast beef, lean brisket, and richly flavored corned beef. The baked goods vary in quality, but the unusual onion rolls and the even more unusual poppy-seed roll (something like strudel) are worth investigating. 15775 Hillcrest Rd. Suite 502. 392-3354. Inexpensive.



Marty’s. The selection is enormous and eclectic-you can purchase all or part of any meal, to prepare at home or ready-to-heat. Everything is here, from chicken fingers to pàté caviar to potato salad. We took home supper: chicken breasts Marsala, lemon pasta, marinated vegetables, and Key lime pie. My immediate treat, a piece of orange marmalade cake, was the only disappointment-it was a little too moist to be pleasant. 3316 Oak Lawn 526-4070. Moderate.



Pacific Express. The smoked chicken salad with walnuts and the beef tenderloin and Jarlsberg cheese sandwich with jalapeno chutney were fine, but the tuna salad was overwhelmed by blue cheese, and the tortellini in the pasta-vegetable salad were scarce and overcooked to the point of disintegration. Tropical fruits cake was dry: peach cobbler was mushy. Perhaps the kitchen was having a bad day; 1 hope so. 1910 Pacific Ave at Elm. Suite 103, 969-7447. Inexpensive.



Pat’s Park Cities. Besides a same-priced menu of standard deli sandwiches and submarines, daily specials are offered: on the day of our visit, hot Vienna corned beet was on the board: the beef, thin-sliced, was also thin-piled, only two layers deep, with a skinny slice of white cheese, filled out with much chopped lettuce on a hearty bun. Potato salad and cole slaw, though, were both superior, full of crunch and fresh flavor. Garden tomato soup turned out to be a thin beef-tomato broth sparsely punctuated with chopped vegetables. Dessert emphasis is on nonfat frozen yogurt served every way yet devised. Stop in for lunch, and you’ll have trouble getting served in the clubby hubbub, but non-rush-hour trade gets tableside service from the owner himself; it’s that kind of place. 6617 Snider Plaza. 363-7797. Inexpensive.



Petaluma. This terrific takeout shop is pretty enough to eat in and the food’s good enough to take home to guests- not unexpectedly, since Petaluma shares a kitchen with San Simeon. Like so many spots with go-or-stay options, Petaluma suffer from confusing service procedures. It turns out that you place your order at the counter, but a waitress brings it to you if you take a table. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts were uniformly excellent on my last visit, standouts being Oriental chicken salad, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, potato salad with fresh dill dressing, and white chocolate “blondies.” 2515 McKinney 871-2253. Inexpensive.



THAI



Chao Wang. Though there are ethnic restaurants in most pans of Dallas. Thai restaurants are not so common yet that every neighborhood has one. That’s why Chao Wang seems a place to treasure, though its cooking can’t compete with the very best Siamese cuisine in the city. The moo satay- curried strips of pork grilled on a skewer-is especially flavorful here, and the Panang beef has a thick sauce in which lime leaves lurk. Sadly, the lunch buffet includes only Chinese dishes, which can be avoided on the dinner menu. Keystone Park Shopping Center, Suite 400, 13929 N Central Expwy. 437-3900. Moderate.



New Slam. This western outpost also lists Thai and Chinese specialties-an increasingly common combination. Our advice is stick to the Thai side and you’ll be happy. Volcano chicken was beautiful and delicious; gang ped (red curry with chicken, coconut milk, and mint leaves) was not as hot as we can stand, but the cashew chicken with fried red pepper and green onion compensated. 2415 W Northwest Hwy. far Harry Hines). 358-5679. Inexpensive to moderate.



VIETNAMESE



D REVISITS



Mai’s. This looks like a basic coffee shop, but you won’t find any hashed browns on this menu; we started with an order of fat pork-stuffed Vietnamese rolls, accompanied by a big plate of lettuce and cilantro leaves. You wrap the roll and some cilantro in a lettuce leaf for an Asian taco-the com bination of fresh and fried flavors, cool and hot. is addictive. The hot pot we tried was not the usual soupy dish, but a drier, deliciously earthy mix of rice, caramelized onions. stripsof tender chicken, and straw mushrooms. The garlic- sautèed pan-fried catfish was equally successful. We were warned about the bizarre-sounding pickled lemon drink, but had to try it any way-it was as strange as it sounded. The service, like the surroundings, was bright and cheerful. 4812 Bryan. 826-9887. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



LAS COLINAS/MID CITIES



Moretti’s. Somebody wised us up on this little Italian restaurant in Grapevine-we would certainly never have found it on our own. lucked into its little shopping strip in a country setting, sitting opposite a gargantuan trailer park. There are real Italians doing the cooking, and the food is as good as we had heard. The luncheon menu is dominated by standard dishes like like tortellini in a buttery broth, lasagna with a hearty tomato sauce, and veal Marsala with a delicious sauce (though the veal itself was a bit pasty from imprecise sau-téing). The dinner menu lists more intricate creations, like veal with prosciutto and fresh zucchini and capellini with scallops-we want to return to try them. 2709 Mustang Drive. Grapevine. (817)481-3230. Inexpensive to moderate.



Tandoor. Tandoor offers a superior assortment of appetizers: minced lamb patties, vegetables fried in chickpea batter, potato/chili patties, turnovers with potatoes and peas.

and cheese fritters stuffed with mint chutney. A tomato ant coconut milk soup provided a pleasurable interlude before our main dishes, which were a relative letdown: lough curried lamb, slightly overcooked tandoori chicken, and dull cheese and vegetable dumplings. 532 Fielder North Plaza, south of 1-30, Arlington, (817) 261-6604. Moderate.

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FORT WORTH



La Maree. A deli by day. La Maree turns bistro on Fridays and Saturdays, when it serves dinner from a New American menu as sophisticated as any in the Metroplex. Particularly seductive the night we were there were a crabcake appetizer that transcended the textureless regional cliche with a lively spiced lime remoulade: a house salad that mated mixed greens with grapes and chopped black olives and sesame seeds in avocado-lime dressing: and an entree of pork in three guises-smoked loin, homemade sausage, and ham-zinged with ancho-pepper sauce. Breast of duck in plum wine sauce was admirable tarted with cranberries beside a cinnamon baked apple-another departure from the too-sweet duck-and-fruit norm. Only a rather dry fried ravioli was less than we’d hoped, and desserts-notably a delectable moist orange pound cake-were pure delight. 3416 W Seventh. (817) 877-0838. Moderate.



La Chardonnay. Former Ceret chef Philip Lecoq is a co-owner of this bistro, and its combination of serious food and an informal atmosphere is reminiscent of that late, lamented establishment. The lamb chops topped with goat cheese. served with a rosemary sauce and accompanied by herbed French fries, are a standout. 2443 Forest Park Blvd. (817) 926-5622. Moderate.



Michael’s Oyster Bar and Seafood. For starters, the shrimp gumbo is good, if rather far from what a native Loui-sianian would recognize. The New England clam chowder is so thick and glutinous that a spoon will stand up in it. Plain boiled shrimp and the beer-battered onion rings are better choices. The standbys here seem to be the fried seafood- catfish fillets, oysters, shrimp, and the rest. The most innovative things on the menu are The blackened red snapper (one of the better versions around of this latter-day cliche) and a garlicky version of shrimp scampi. 5805 Camp Bowie. (817) 377-8021. Moderate.



Reflections. Fort Worth’s most beautiful and most serene dining room is the scene for some of its best food. The goat-cheese ravioli, served as an appetizer, sat in a creamy sauce and was dotted with caviar. Both me blackened red fish (accompanied by Maryland crabcakes) and the juicy, pink rack of lamb were perfectly cooked. And the dessert cart offered a raspberry tan with a firm, crisp crust and a chocolate cake with rich buttercream frosting. Our only reservations concerned some of the sauces-both the vinaigrette poured over the salads and the sauce accompanying the lamb had touches of sweetness that were not quite subtle enough. The Worthington Hotel, 200 Main. (817) 870-1000. Expensive.



St. Emilion. Considering the four-course fixed price of $20 per person, it’s surprising that more Dallasites don’t make the trek to St. Emilion. The last time I did, the results were impressive. A thoughtfully put together salad (leaf lettuce, radicchio, watercress, walnuts, and bits of bacon dressed with walnut oil), textbook lobster bisque, rich spinach cannelloni, and creditable snails in garlic butter made for a great start. Juicy sword fish Provencal and nicely roasted duck with cherry sauce were all one could ask for. For dessert, pass on the fluffy, lightweight chocolate mousse and opt for the extraordinary crème caramel. 3617 W Seventh. (817) 737-2781. Moderate.



Tejano Mexican Cuisine. Fort Worth Tex-Mex lovers wait in line to sample this West Side establishment’s not-your-normal-enchilada tare. One of the trendier touches that doesn’t work: an appetizer misleadingly called Arizona nachos and consisting of a lake of molten cheese on a single oversized flour tortilla, the whole hard-to-handle affair presented on a fiery fool-tall iron mini-grill. Forget it and order instead one that does: milk-fed cabrito (baby goat), roasted to a tender turn and lavished on a standard platter. If you must have Fire on your table, a for-two specialty called partita Tejano brings you the grill with a more manageable melange of sizzling chicken and beef fajita strips, grilled with onions and peppers, plus all the trimmings. Beware the salsa-it doesn’t sizzle, but you will. 5716 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 737-7201, Inexpensive to moderate.

Tuscany. Both the look of this place and the style of the cooking are meant to be reassuring-though not old-fash ioned. The food is not without original touches: the appe tizer of eggplant fried and stuffed with ricotta and spinach is hardly old hat. The veal Livornese comes with fresh- tasting shrimp, mussels, and clams still in their shells-and lots of garlic butter. 4255 Camp BowieBlvd. (817) 737-2971. Moderate to expensiw.