RESTAURANTS & BARS

DRINK OF THE MONTH

What else would it be but tha first wine of the season? Nouveau Beaujolais will arrive in Dallas on Nov. 17 and should be available on the 18th or 20th at a liquor store near you. This light-style red wine is medium-bodied and fairly high in alco-hol concentration. There aredozens of varieties, each with its own distinctive taste, ranging in price from $5-$10. One of the best, coming in around the $7 mark, is Georges DuBoeuf.

A WOK ON THE IRISH SIDE



PROFILE Sean Gunnell has three things nobody else this side of County Cork can claim. First, his double drive-thru, Wok ’N Go, is the only Chinese restaurant owned and operated by an Irishman. It’s also the only establishment run by non-Orientals, and the only Chinese restaurant carrying the stamp of approval from the American Heart Association.

Gunnell says none of this is mere Irishluck. After formal training at a chichiSwiss cooking school, he found Dallason the map and headed west to makehis fortune in fast food, Chinese style. After only two years in thebusiness, he’s already showing aprofit. -Lucie Nelka

An Herbal Harvest

HERBS Restaurant patios and spare strips of land are quietly being converted into herbal pastures at four restaurants around town. And the chefs say the customers are getting a kick out of watching their gardens grow.

Rows of basil, chives, dill, mint marigold, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage make up chef Andrew Thomson’s small patio garden at Cafe Pacific. This has been a bumper year for Thomson’s herbs, thanks to a certain English mum who came calling to show her son how a proper herb garden is planted and cared for.

At Jennivine’s Culinary Centre, most every available pot and plot is blooming with something. There are old barrels sitting in the parking lot overflowing with mint, and the seasonal herbs and assorted lettuces stretch all the way back on either side of the restaurant.

Over on Routh Street, executive sous chef Mark Murphy keeps a careful eye on the elaborate greenhouse used by both Routh Street Cafe and Baby Routh. Murphy plants only what he can use, which means twelve beds of basil, thyme, mint marigold, sage, rosemary, and chives.

But none of that unnatural nonsense when it comes to Joe Campisi’s garden. Campisi grows basil amid his big, red tomatoes. When the time is right, he gathers the goods and takes them over to his Egyptian Lounge. He says he trusts his basil to no one. -Lucie Nelka

From Sweden to Forney, Texas ON THE ROAD Aficionados who miss Anders Edman’s ancestral fare at Three Vikings (the recently closed Knox neighborhood fixture) may be surprised to know that Edman has staked a claim in Forney, 20 miles east of Dallas. Forney, an antique lovers’ haunt on I-20, lacked a restaurant to feed weekend salers. At the suggestion of a dealer friend, Edman opened an eclectic eatery in an antique mall there late last year.

This time, Edman’s restaurant is pure country. Called the Village Cafe, it features such down-home staples as chicken-fried steak, fried pork chops, and barbecued beef, turkey, ham, and pork sausage. A few Scandinavian specialties betray Edman’s origins; the potato salad is German, dark, and delicious;Bratwurst is offered on a bun. But mostof the menu reads like a sampler ofSouthwest favorites, from Tex-Mex tohome-style desserts. The few urbanitesthat creep in (onion chowder, a classicReuben sandwich, charcoaled strip steak)only heighten the contrast betweenEdman’s city cookery and his new, laid-back enterprise. At the Village Cafe,prices are country-light and theaccessibility of the place makes satisfyingyour curiosity-and appetite-a simplematter of driving east on Highway 80 tothe 740 exit and turning right. Sundaythrough Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8:30p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.(214) 552-2632. -Betty Cook

Hangout Of The Month

Men in suits. Cowboys in boots. Beers on every table and bowling alley ambience. Club Schmitz has served up the best and biggest burgers in town (six inches in diameter) since 1946. 9661 Denton Dr. 902-7990.

CHEAP EATS



EATING FOR TWO FOR $20

Forgo wine and frills and you can make this meal deal (not including tips) in a surprising number of Dallas eateries.

Acapella Cafe. Split a little pizza for starters, pick a pretty pasta for a main dish, and you may even have enough left for iced tea in this charmingly restored old mansion on Maple, a stone’s throw from the Crescent, light years from it in cost. 2508 Maple. B71-2262.

Gloria’s Best LatinAmerican buy intown is the Salvador-an plate for $5.50-aplatter of specialtiesranging from a banana leaf-wrappedtamale to pork-filledpapusa, fried yuccaand plantains, plusblack beans and rice.Add Salvadoran beerand flan for dessert,and you’ve gotchange for taxesfrom your twenty.600 W. Davis at Llewellyn, 948-3672;Econo-Lodge, 9386LBJ at Abrams, 690-0622.

Good Eats. Try really hard and you could bust your budget here, but you’ll waddle home if you do- this Texas home-cooking place is Austin-born and bred, serving huge portions for pennies. Chicken-fried steak,

fish, chicken pie, oh my. Three locations: 3531 Oak Lawn, 522-3287; 6950 Greenville, 691-3287; 702 Ross, 744-3287.

Jade Garden. Forget jazzy decor. Think good Chinese food that’s a neighborhood family favorite in Old East Dallas. Eat in or take out-you’ll eat well on classics or uncommon selections, all underpriced. 4800 Bryan. 821-0675. -Betty Cook

NEW RESTAURANTS

New Mediterranean Restaurant A Grand Departure For The Grand Kempinski



MONTE CARLO Give the Grand Kempinski Dallas an A for astuteness- instead of the ultra-upscale pomp one might have expected of a restaurant in a hotel with Grand for a first name, they’ve delivered a sunny surprise. Not that Monte Carlo isn’t splendid-it is. And, as its name suggests, it has a distinctly Riviera feel about it.

Service was insouciantly good-natured. While every move made was clearly intended to please, waits between courses were too long to be merely leisurely.

The food, when it came, was worth the wait, with few exceptions. Executive chef Patrick Callarec, with his executive sous chef Denis Depoitre, has put together a Mediterranean menu that is both simple and suave. Meals begin with a complimentary hors d’oeuvre, a palate-awakening tapenade of minced ripe olives and sun-dried tomato, laced with garlic and served with crisp toast rounds. Six appetizers are listed; two, at least, were superb: steamed sea scallops were silken joy, partnered with fresh chanterelle mushrooms in chervil butter sauce, and a warm terrine of herbed redfish was lovely with rich aioli sauce. Paper-thin salmon carpaccio lost its identity in its lime marinade; the delicate fish needed only a quick lime dewing at the table, rather than the acid bath it had received.

Our only other disappointment was a slightly oversalted crab bisque that tasted more of tomato than crab in its piquant broth, despite the presence of much shredded crab meat.

Entrees were thoughtfully conceived and presented. A pair of roast quail, boned and delectably stuffed with venison sausage, tasted as wonderful as they looked, with their rich accompaniment of wild mushroom ravioli. Barely cooked shrimp, scallops, crayfish, and tiny mussels met in triumph with a full-flavored risotto. Medallions of veal were a trifle overcooked but nicely complemented with potatoes, pearl onions, fennel, and bacon in a country-inspired sauce. Sliced loin of lamb was succulent on a bed of hearty ratatouille Nicoise.

As for desserts, the four-stack of pastry rounds sandwiched with fresh raspberries and whipped cream was delightful on its bed of tart rhubarb sauce, and a puff-pastry cornucopia’s spill of glazed fruits with black currant sherbet sparkled with flavor. A chocolate marquis, though pretty enough, was topped with a waxy layer I found off-putting, although its pistachio sauce was fine indeed.

As, in fact, I found the entire experienceof dining at Monte Carlo. It’s a significantaddition to the city’s dining scene. 15201Dallas Parkway, in the Grand KempinskiDallas Hotel. 386-6000. Sun-Thur 6-10:30pm, Fri & Sat 6-11 pm. All credit cards.Expensive. -Betty Cook

Seafood Served Up Family-Style



LOUIE’S BACKYARD Once upon a time in Lakewood, there lived a family-run seafood restaurant that served a particular dish with the power to bring tears to the eyes of strong men. The dish was coleslaw, fresh cabbage in a dressing so heavily infused with garlic that the tears were of two kinds: of joy over the incomparably lusty flavor, and of apprehension of the digestive punishment that would surely follow its ingestion. The restaurant, called Seven Seas, was for some years a neighborhood institution in the space today occupied by the Lake-wood Plaza Grill.

Segue now to a new Lakewood seafood eatery up the street, on Abrams at Belmont. This one is called Louie’s Backyard, but it took only one bite of coleslaw to tell me the place was a Seven Seas reincarnation. Sure “nuff, the Louie in question is Louis Stefanos, who still owns the North Dallas Seven Seas on Preston, but who has chosen to call the new Lakewood venture by another name.

Never mind. The new place is family-run, too, the ambience is as cheerfully casual as ever, and the staunchly untrendy menu’s offerings, while limited, seemed a cut above the vernacular on our two visits. Gumbo was the sole critical disappointment: the dark, savory broth held plenty of seafood flavor, but precious little actual seafood in its thick depths. Raw oysters, though, were plump and fine on the half-shell, and the half-dozen fried ones that came on a buttered bun were cornmeal-crisped. Fried catfish fillets wore the same crunch over juicy tenderness on a plate that came with excellent onion-laced cottage fries and rather sweet hush puppies, as well as the telltale slaw.

Other fish entrees can be had baked, broiled, or blackened; the two we tried-red snapper and flounder fillets-were flawlessly grilled and broiled, respectively, and both seemed irreproachably fresh.

Desserts are indulgent, if unimaginative.A hot fudge sundae would have been terrificif its whipped cream hadn’t been of thespray-can variety; a hot fudge brownie,similarly anointed, was at least made in-house. The beer’s ice cold, the service isfriendly, the price is right (only one dinnertops the ten-dollar mark, and the week isrife with all-you-can-eat specials), and evenif the airy blue-on-white space weren’tspick-and-span attractive, that damnedcoleslaw would be enough to draw long-deprived addicts to Louie’s Backyard. Myeyes are still watering. 2221 Abrams atBelmont. 823-2910. Sun-Thur 11 am-10 pm,Fri & Sat 11 am-midnight. MC, V, AE.Inexpensive. -B.C



Sitar Strums A Familiar Tune



SITAR I can remember when there was only one Indian restaurant in Dallas, and that one was awful. Now there are at least a dozen, and all of them are quite good. I hate to grumble about such good fortune, but there does seem to be a problem in being able to tell our Indian restaurants apart from one another. The menus, and apparently the recipes, might as well have come out of the same computer.

That is why it is hard to work up a lot of enthusiasm over Sitar, yet another very good Indian restaurant with yet another clone of a kitchen. The location (on Skillman about a half mile north of the big concentration of restaurants above LBJ Freeway) is far enough away from other similar ventures that it might be a draw for those in the neighborhood. The setting, with a real silar (a stringed musical instrument, for those whose memories do not stretch back to the Sixties), is nicer than most other Indian places, and the service is more communicative and cordial too. But the food is familiar. The vegetable pakoras (chunks of cauliflower and potato dipped in lentil batter and deep-fried), the tandoori chicken and lamb tikka (both cooked in the huge Indian clay oven), and the roghanjosh (boneless diced lamb in a dark curry sauce) are all above reproach. The chicken karahi-boneless pieces cooked with fresh mushrooms and lots of ginger root-doesn’t appear on all the other Indian menus in town, but is not unlike dishes many of the other places serve on their noontime buffets. We also found that the restaurant was not serving any of the fish or even shrimp dishes listed on the menu-the demand so far had not been great enough to keep a fresh supply on hand. The familiar desserts on the menu are fine. The one attempt at novelty was a flop; it was a mango sundae, ice cream drenched in syrup from the canned fruit, and nasty stuff.

It’s hard to tell whether there would be a market for some of the fine Indian dishes that do not turn up on Dallas menus. For now, probably the best chances for something new in Indian food in Dallas are the weekend and noontime buffets. In thefancier places, these meals often offersomething unusual and delicious inaddition to the standard favorites. 9560Skillman, #104. 343-2063. Lunch Mon-Fri11 am-2 pm. Sat & Sun 11:30 am-2:30 pm;dinner Sun-Thur 5:30-10 pm, Fri & Sat5:30-10:30 pm. All credit cards. Inexpensiveto moderate. -W.L.Taitte



A Cultural Exchange Of Flavors



SAFI’S AFGHAN CUISINE Dallas has never had an Afghan restaurant before, but political upheaval in a distant part of the world has once again provided an unlooked-for benefit by way of incorporating some wonderful new flavors into the melting pot of American culture. As served at Safi’s, at least, Afghan cooking turns out to be a series of delicious variations on mostly Indian themes.

But Safi’s isn’t just another Indian restaurant. In fact, I suspect that even if we had a number of Afghan restaurants, Safi’s wouldn’t be just another one of those, either. Chef Hamayun Safi’s new venture is very special both in the food it turns out and in the helpful and courteous service it offers to patrons who haven’t the foggiest idea of what it is they are ordering.

As at so many Dallas restaurants these days, including some of the trendiest, the appetizers at Sail’s are the most exciting things on the menu. Aushak are leek- and scallion-filled dumplings topped with a meat sauce (somewhere between Italian bolognese sauce and Texas chili), and bulanee katchalu are flat turnovers of the lightest, flakiest pastry filled with ground beef, mashed potatoes, and herbs. Less unusual for fans of Indian food are the sambosa (fried pastry filled with beef and chickpeas) and pakawra (batter-dipped, deep-fried potatoes). Many of these appetizers come with a fiery dipping sauce made from mint and yogurt.

Both of the kebabs-one of lamb and one of chicken-are tender and delicious, though the portions could be larger for the price. They are accompanied by a pilaf cooked with raisins, carrots, and almonds-light in texture and sweet enough to recollect the cooking of another neighbor of Afghanistan, Iran. The most unusual main course is the mantu, beef-filled dumplings again topped with meat sauce. But our favorite was the shish leek, chunks of beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and peppers. There are also vegetable dishes served either as main courses or as side dishes. Both the cauliflower (cooked soft with lots of ginger) and the eggplant are served with a tomato sauce a little reminiscent of Italian food.

The only dessert at Safi’s when we visited was firnee, a smooth cornstarch pudding garnished with pistachios. But the restaurant wants to hire a pastry chef to cook the elaborate Afghan desserts. 14848 Inwood Rd, Atldison. 991-9292, Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2 pm; dinner Mon-Sat 610 pm. All credit cards. Moderate. -W.L.T.



It’s Hip. It’s Hap’nin. Food’s Good Too

The buffalo Club The chicness of this trendy Deep Ellum restaurant may have peaked early. Once it is no longer de rigueur to be seen there, will the food be enough to keep the crowds coming in? For those who order carefully, the answer is a resounding yes. Several of the appetizers have a Thai inspiration (the kitchen tries to be as au courant as the customers, at least). The best of these is the grilled spicy beef with cracked wheat salad, sesame dressing, and toasted bread. Though this sounds more Lebanese than Thai in origin, the tastes are very like the Southeast Asian version of sate-except that the beef is thicker than in the original recipe, and it is cooked on the rare side. The stir-fried shrimp and salmon with Thai noodles and chili peanuts is obviously a version of the national snack of Siam, pud thai-only upscaled with the addition of larger shrimp and succulent pieces of salmon. The warm crab-meat turnover with basil caciotta and lime doesn’t sound Asian at all, but the telltale hint of curry in the sauce makes it taste of Thailand. Warning: several of these dishes of Asian inspiration, as well as the sauces served with the meats, can be too spicy for some tastes.

The restaurant turns out lots of tasty items cooked on the grill and the rotisserie-salmon coated with mustard, sirloin steaks, pork loin chops that come out mercifully tender and moister than one might expect for a slab of meat this size cooked on a grill. Gulf shrimp comes with a salad of curried crab meat, cabbage, and cucumber. The entrees are generally accompanied by orzo (the Greek pasta bits about the size of grains of rice) and by crunchy vegetables.

Desserts are one of the most interesting things about the food at The Buffalo Club. Finally there is a version of the ubiquitous fruit cobbler that is worth the effort and calories-the blackberry-apple biscuit version here, served with macadamia nut ice cream, is fabulous. The chocolate slices-a kind of fondant in stripes of light and dark chocolate-are rich and satisfying, too. The mocha brownie pie, with lots of pecans, is good enough, and the assorted fruit has lots of large, handsome slices of melon and berries, but doesn’t do anything for the forlorn, tasteless piece of gingerbread served with it.

The Buffalo Club feels more like Deep Ellum ought to feel than any other restaurant in the neighborhood. The torn-up streets and postered walls outside give the impression of some very hip Third-World country, and all the beautiful people dressed in black suggest a hip world far from mainstream Dallas, too. No doubt that yuppies seeking coolness will eventually desert the place, but even after the initial glamour passes, the food is good enough to hold their attention. 2723 Elm. 748-2400. Lunch Mon-Fri 11 am-2:30 pm; dinner Mon-Thur 6-11 pm, Fri & Sat 6-midnight. MC, V, AE. Moderate to expensive.

-W.L.T.

Great Tex-Mex (But Shhhh)



RANCHO MARTINEZ Sometimes a reviewer really does have to fight with her conscience about writing a review. Do I tell the world about my favorite new restaurant and risk spoiling my secret? (Judging from the mid-evening wait at Rancho Martinez, word of mouth has already done that.)

There’s every reason for Rancho Martinez to be good. If you’ve ever lived in, or visited Austin, you’ve probably eaten at Matt’s El Rancho. I’d never had a chile relleno to beat El Rancho’s until I ate at Rancho Martinez, but no wonder: Matt Martinez Jr. is the chef-owner, and he probably grew up making chile rellenos.

Rancho Martinez is tucked away off Ferguson Road behind a pizza place; the place is small, but light and bright, with white walls accented with Mexican terra cotta. This is a family enterprise: Estella, Martinez’s wife, is usually there to greet and seat you, while their children help out busing tables. The area is dry, but you can brown-bag it.

Chips and excellent salsa arrived promptly, and we lost no time in ordering a platter of nachos: though they are nothing more exotic than refritos, cheese, and jalapenos, they are state of the art-the beans creamy and rich, the cheese thick. Likewise the components of the “number one” dinner-the taco was light and crisp, filled with tangy piccadillo, the guacamole a generous, gently seasoned scoop, the enchiladas oozing cheese under the chili. And, as I said before, the chile relleno was platonic. A mild, piccadillo-stuffed chile poblano lightly breaded and fried, covered with a ranchera sauce, and sprinkled with nuts and raisins and a dollop of sour cream; the contrasting cool and crunch, sweet and hot, make an exotic and satisfying dish. An unexpected find on Martinez’s menu is chicken-fried steak, a stellar version. The plate-sized portion comes with traditional cream gravy or with chili and cheese, and it’s sided by excellent French fries.

I haven’t explored the seafood dishes on themenu, though I did snitch a peppery shrimpfrom a friend’s plate, which intrigued meenough to look forward to my next visit-even if the line is long. 7726 Ferguson Rd.328-5797. Tue-Thur & Sun 11 am-9 pm, Fri& Sat 11 am-10 pm. MC, V, AE. Inexpensiveto moderate. -Mary Brown Maiouf

D REVISITS

BARBECUE



D Revisits Bob Willy’s. This place is so fancy to lookat, you might not think it is a barbecue place at all. In fact,they seem to have taken the country out of Bob Willy’s completely. When it opened, this was ranch land. Now there arehigh-rises and huge shopping developments all around. Thekind of food people order here has kind of gone highfalutin,too. On a Saturday evening, we saw lots more people ordering the T-bone steaks than barbecue. And the side dishes justinclude tossed salads, a good slaw, baked potatoes, and curlicue French fries that seemed to have been lightly dipped inbatter before cooking-no beans, no potato salad, at least atdinnertime. The barbecue itself is tender, mealy, andtrimmed of fat. The platter with beef, ribs, and sausage istastier than the barbecued chicken. The prices for thebarbecue platters seem kind of high, too. 1933 Preston,Piano. 596-0903. Inexpensive to moderate. -W.L.T.



BURGERS



D Revisits The Bronx. This is the kind of cozy, unassuming restaurant everyone wishes was in their neighborhood-an informal, drop-in atmosphere with friendly service and unpretentious food at reasonable prices. Bronx burgers are a long-standing Favorite, but this is not just another burger and fries joint; the specials are not to be ignored. Cheesy-crisp potato skins, mushroom-smothered pan-fried steak, and hearty meatloaf were all satisfying on our last visit. 3835 Cedar Springs. 521-5821. Inexpensive. -M. B. M.



CHINESE



D Revisits Chu’s Restaurant. It’s too bad that the trends have passed Chu’s by. because the food continues to be some of the best Cantonese cooking around. Hackneyed appetizers take on a new life here. You won’t find meatier, more tender barbecued ribs than here, and we found ourselves fighting over the pieces of shrimp toast.

Stir-fried dishes with vegetables bring to the table all sons of green things-we found fresh zucchini and broccoli as well as fresh mushrooms and snow peas all in one chicken dish. Even better was beef with black bean sauce and a single vegetable, green peppers. One problem at Chu’s is that some of the stir-fried dishes tend towards sameness-try to focus on those with fewer ingredients to assure variety. It was probably a mistake for us not to order one of the sweet-and-sour dishes here, since Chu’s has always done particularly well by them. 15080 Beltway (off Belt Line between Addison and Midway Rds), Addison. 387-/776 Moderate. -W.L.T.



D Revisits Tong’s House. The recent redecoration makes this haven of authentic Chinese cooking look less utilitarian, but the cooking hasn’t changed much. A small blackboard offers specials of the day in Chinese characters-only some of which are translated into English. We sampled one we had never tried before-whole oysters in ginger garlic sauce. These turned out to be the largest mollusks this side of giant squid-oysters big as your fist, with lots of garlic.This dish is probably one most will find too assertive. Butthe shrimp with either European or Chinese broccoli, thenot-too-spicy orange beef, and the pork lo mein are suitablefor all audiences. 1910 Promenade Center. Richardson.231-8858. inexpensive to moderate. -W.L.T.



FRENCH



D Revisits La Madeleine. The service here is invariably Gallic-ly grumpy, but for a fast breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these cafés are hard to beat. Morning pastry and coffee breakfasts have been augmented and Americanized by the addition of bacon and eggs; lunch and dinner menus include a prepared dish, such as boeuf bourguignon. as well as salads (the pre-prepared Caesar is surprisingly good) and main-meal sandwiches (on our last visit we enjoyed the ham-and cheese-filled croque monsieur). For dessert, there’s the bakery case to choose from. . .3072 W Mockingbird. 696-6960. 3906 Lemmon. 521-0182. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



GREEK



D Revisits Kosta’s. This little Greek outpost is more charming on (he inside than it appears on the outside, especially once you’re sipping a glass of retsina and munching on some saganaki (flaming cheese). Unfortunately, there are some flaws-the bread that comes wilh dinner tastes like soft, grocery-store French, the dolmas. though nicely seasoned, are still too soft, and the oversized spanokopita (feta cheese and spinach in filo dough) was too obviously reheated . But the thinly sliced leg of lamb was wonderful, as was the souvlaki (grilled, skewered chunks of beef and onion). And the salad was terrific, as Greek salad should be. 4914 Greenville Ave. 987-3225. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M.



MEXICAN



D Revisits Blue Goose Cantina. Blue Goose’sbordertown interior, with the cement floor and beer signs onthe walls, is usually overflowing onto the Greenville Avenuepatio with SMU college types drinking beer and margaritas.Especially on weekends, it’s best to come early And alwayscome hungry. The plates are overflowing here, too-one ofthe most notable features of Blue Goose’s brand of Tex-Mexis its quantity. Servings here are enormous-mammothmounds of nachos and fajitas, quarter-pounder beef enchiladas, two-fisted tacos, and fat Dour tortillas turned outby the wonderful, funky, flour tortilla cooking machine, agreat Rube Goldberg-type invention that provides greatentertainment while you wait foryour order. 2905 GreenvilleAve. 823-6786. Moderate. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Mario’s Chiquita. Mario Leal’s Chiquitaremains one of the most civilized Mexican restaurants intown. In its present and prettiest location yet at Travis Walk,the softly lit interior looks out on the courtyard fountain, thewalls are hung with Mexican folk an, not kitsch, and theusual Mexican restaurant roar is held to a genteel bustle. Thefood, too, aims at sophistication. The Tex-Mex dishes are asgood as any, but it is the house specialties that stand out.Shrimp al ajillo, tender and garlicky: filete del la rasa:chicken a la parilla; and deep chili-sauced pork adobada,4514 Travis Walk. 521-0721. Moderate. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Primo’s. I had become convinced I simplyhad bad Primo’s karma . . . my friends raved about the place,but every time I went, something was wrong-watery hotsauce, sloppy or forgetful service, tough flautas. However,on my last visit, I must have been living right: everythingwas flawless. Service was friendly and efficient, chips andsalsa were crisp and hot, and the Tex-Mex was as good as itgets. The hot sauce was thick and slightly sweet withtomatoes; the chips were fresh and hot. The combination appetizer plate is unquestionably one of the best in town, including batter-fried stuffed jalapenos, tiny tacos, fried afterfilling, and crackling fresh chicken flautas. 3309 McKinneyAve. 220-0510. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



NEW AMERICAN



D Revisits Baby Routh. Baby Routh has probably taken the New Southwestern thing further than any other Dallas restaurant. But I had never felt that either of its first two chefs created all that many convincing dishes. Now Kevin Rathbun has taken over the kitchen, and the food he is turning out beats that of his predecessors hands down. This has been one of the pioneer spots of the nouvelle tamale, but none previously equaled the dusky authority of the one filled with smoked rabbit and topped with green chili sauce that Rathbun cooks up. He also does well by Asian inspirations: the pan-seared yellowfin tuna with sesame soy noodles and candied ginger is better Japanese food than any Dallas Japanese restaurant has ever produced. Salads also continue to be a point of focus here. Even better than the Southwestern Caesar salad is the breezily clever fried okra salad-slices of ripe tomato and arugula topped with rounds of okra battered in cornmeal and deep-fried.

Somehow the main courses at Baby Routh still don’t quitemeasure up to the pizazz of the appetizers and salads. Ahickory-grilled swordfish came with a thickish sauce, calleda vinaigrette, with yellow peppers. The grilled lamb loinwith tomato-basil ragout suffered from being cut and keptin its sauce too long before it came to the table. The belterof the two desserts we sampled was also the best holdoverfrom the old Baby Routh menu, the banana split withmacadamia nuts and fresh berries. 2708 Routh St. 871-2345.Moderate (lunch) to expensive (dinner). -W.LT.



D Revisits The Promenade. Though not as splendiferous as the Mansion’s main restaurant, this sunny room serves food almost as good for breakfast and lunch for much more reasonable prices. You can settle for a sandwich or some barbecue, but why do it when there are such delights as the Southwest ancho pizza (with smoked chicken, jala-peno jack cheese, poblano peppers, and cilantro on a crust spicy with ancbo chilies) at comparable prices? Those in the mood for variety can try the seared salmon with Mediterranean salads-grilled marinated tomatoes, rolled eggplant with basil, and, best of all, roasted bell pepper. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 559-2100. Moderate to expensive. -W.L.T.

STEAK



D Revisits Lawry’s The Prime Rib. This is a fantasy of an old-fashioned English grill tricked out by a Thirties Hollywood designer. Even the youngest member of ourparty (ten years old, to be exact) thought that the waitresseslooked tacky, not to say immodest, in their cut-off littleFrench maids’ uniforms. But the food is dependable and themenu is a sale bet for all but vegetarians and the most healthconscious-in fact, there isn’t any menu at all, just roast beef(sliced thinly), roast beef (sliced thickly), or roast beef (ingargantuan, bone-in portions), There are also salads,potatoes cooked in various ways (they charge extra for thehuge, fluffy baked potatoes), and Yorkshire pudding. Thedesserts may be the most memorable things to eat here, actually, from the tall chocolate cake to the English trifle. 3008Maple Ave. 521-7777. Expensive. -W.LT.



TAKEOUT



D Revisits Crescent Gourmet. This most beautiful takeout shop, with its tall, cloud-painted ceilings and gleaming brass and marble fixtures, would be nice to eat in, if there were a little more room. It also seems to suffer a little from the confused service of so many to-go places; on our last visit, the food wasn’t out of the kitchen till 11:30, though lunch was advertised from 11. Still, what we ordered was uniformly good; especially the bacon and avocado sandwich on focaccia. the meaty chicken salads, a traditional mix as well as one with lots of really ripe tomatoes and chopped cilantro, and a tender serving of pork loin. The desserts we cookies-were cloyingly sweet. You can fax your order in or have it delivered (with two hours’ notice). 400 Crescent Court. 871-3200. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Polio Bueno. This little East Dallas takeout could legitimately be called fast food-the spick-and-span, charmless interior invites you to leave as soon as you’ve received your order. But the food-succulent roast chicken in various guises-transcends the notion of fast food. It’s obviously slowly and carefully cooked and the result is moist and tender and delicious, whether served as is or wrapped in flour tortillas with lettuce and tomatoes or layered with beans and cheese in a kind of cross between nachos and pizza. It’s even good served cold the next day. 3438 Samuell Blvd. 828-0645. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



VIETNAMESE



D Revisits East Wind. This beautiful place has evolvedin one short year into a Deep Ellum depot for lunching professionals, and small wonder: the special luncheon menuoffers a filling selection of combination plates that aretoothsome and attractively priced, most at around fivedollars. East Wind’s kitchen, though, still does not deliverthe selections described in the a la carte menu-an inconsistency we remarked on when the restaurant firs! opened.Only hot-and-sour soup lived up to its billing; the bounteousbroth was lively with piquance and hauntingly tart. Springrolls that promised shrimp and pork held only pork, onion,and vermicelli with much lettuce and no cilantro in theirtight rice-paper wrap. Sautéed catfish fillets were perfectlydelicious, but where was the lemon grass that influenced mein deciding to order the dish? East Wind’s managementneeds to see that the kitchen delivers the dishes described;it would be a pity to let such tiny annoyances spoil what isotherwise a pleasurable dining experience. 2711 Elm St.745-5554. Inexpensive to moderate. -B.C.



D Revisits Mekong. Restaurant critics have their off-hours pet places. Mekong is one of mine-I’m hooked onits soft rice rolled with shrimp. Dear as the dish has becometo me, though, it took a full-scale dinner visit to remind methat Mekong does full justice to more complicated Vietnamese specialties too. Shredded pork, rolled with lettuceand cilantro in cool, tight little rice-paper cylinders, was afresh delight. Hot-and-sour soup held chunks of chicken,shrimp, and catfish in a broth that builds a fine, slow burnof pleasure. A charbroiled whole catfish was succulenceitself, but the restaurant’s star entry is still the roast duck.Mekong’s menu lists Chinese dishes, too, but the Vietnamese offerings hold my loyalty. 4301 Bryan St. Suite 101.824-6200. Inexpensive. -B.C.

RESTAURANTS D RECOMMENDS

BARBECUE

Anderson’s Barbecue House. 5410 Harry Hines Blvd (across from Parkland). 630-0735. Inexpensive.

Austin’s Barbecue. 2321 W Illinois. 337-2242. Inexpensive.

Blue Ribbon B-B-Q. 316 Hillside Village (Mockingbird and Abramsi. 823-5524. Inexpensive.

Dickey’s Barbecue. 4610 N Central Expwy. 823-0240. Inexpensive.

Gene’s Stone Pit Bar B Qua. 3002 Canton. 939-9419. Inexpensive.

Riscky’s Barbeque. 1701 N Market, Suite 104. 742-7001. Inexpensive to moderate.

Roscoe’s Easy Way. 5420 Lemmon Ave. 528-8459. Inexpensive.

Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse. 2202 Inwood. 357-7120. Inexpensive.

Spring Creek B-B-Q. 270 N Central Expwy, Richardson. 669-0505. Inexpensive.



BRITISH

Jennivine. 3605 McKinney Ave. 528-6010. Moderate to expensive.

Jennivine’s Culinary Centre. 3521 Oak Grove at Lemmon Ave. 528-4709. Inexpensive.



BURGERS

Cardinal Puff’s. 4615 Greenville Ave. 369-1969. Inexpensive.

Chip’s. 4501 N Central Expwy. 526-1092. 2445 W Northwest Hwy, Suite 101. 350-8751. Inexpensive.

Chuck’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers. 502 Spanish Village. Arapaho at Coit. 386-7752. Inexpensive.

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

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

Prince of Hamburgers. 5210 Lemmon Ave. 526-9081. Inexpensive.

Purdy’s. 4812 Bell Line. Addison. 960-2494. 1403 E Campbell. Richardson. 480-0288.2200 Walnut Hill at Story Rd. 255-6447. Inexpensive.

Snuffer’s. 3526 Greenville Ave. 826-6850. Inexpensive.



CAJUN

Arcadia Bar & Grill. 2114 Greenville Ave. 821-1300. Inexpensive.

Atchafalaya River Cafe. 4440 Belt Line. Addison. 960-6878 Moderate.

Cafe Margaux. 4216 Oak Lawn. 520-1985. Moderate.

Copeland’s of New Orleans. 5353 Belt Line. 661-1883. Moderate.

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

Louisiana Purchase. 2901 N Central Expwy at Parker Rd, Piano. 422-2469. Inexpensive to moderate.

Pontchartrain. 13444 N Preston (two blocks north of LBJ Fwy). 385-1522. Inexpensive.



CHINESE

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

Beijing Grill. 2200 Cedar Springs in The Crescent. Suite 148. 871-6868. Moderate to expensive.

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

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

Forbidden City. 4514 Travis, Suite 201. 520-1888. Moderate.

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

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

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

Plum Blossom. Loews Anatole Hotel. 2201 Stemmons Fwy. 748-1200. Expensive.

Snow Pea. 2007 Abrams Pkwy (off Gastort). 824-4354. Inexpensive

Szechwan Pavilion. 8411 Preston. 368-4303. Inexpensive to moderate.

Taiwan Restaurant. 4980 Belt Line. Addison. 387-23,13. 6111 Greenville Ave. 369-8902. Moderate.

Taton. 9243 Skillman. Suite 104. 343-0545. Inexpensive to moderate.

Tong’s. 11661 Preston. Suite 143. 361-6588. Moderate.

Uncle Tai’s Hunan Yuan. Galleria, 13350 Dallas Pkwy. Suite 3370. 934-9998. Expensive.



FRENCH/CONTINENTAL

Brasserie Calluaud. 4544 McKinney Ave. 521-2277. Moderate to expensive.

Cafe de France. 17370 Preston. 248-2229. Moderate.

Cafe Le Jardin. 4900 McKinney Ave. 526-0570.Moderale to expensive.

Cafe Royal. Plaza of the Americas. 650 N Pearl. 979-9000. Expensive to very expensive.

Chateaubriand. 3701 W Northwest Hwy at Marsh Ln. 351-2248. Expensive.

The French Room. The Adolphus Hotel. 1321 Commerce. 742-8200. Expensive.

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

Jonathan’s. The Centrum. 3102 Oak Lawn. Suite 495. 520-8308. Moderate.

L’Ambiance. 2408 Cedar Springs. 748-1291. Expensive.

Le Brussels. 6615 Snider Plaza. 739-1927. Moderate.

L’Entrecote. Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Fwy. 748-1200. Very expensive.

Mr. Peppe. 5617 W Lovers Ln. 352-5976. Moderate to expensive.

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

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

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



GERMAN/EASTERN EUROPE

Belvedere. 4242 Lomo Alto. 528-6510. Expensive.

Bohemia. 2810 N Henderson. 826-6209. Moderate.

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

Franki’s Li’l Europe. 362 Casa Linda Plaza. Garland Rd at Buckner. 320-0426. Inexpensive to moderate.

Hofstetter’s. Plaza at Bachman Creek. 3830 W Northwest Hwy. Suite 390. 358-7660. Inexpensive to moderate.

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



GREEK

Augustus. 15375 Addison Rd, Addison. 239-8105. Expensive.

Cafe Nelu. 30 Arapaho Village. Richardson. 235-5387. Inexpensive to moderate.

Crackers. 2621 McKinney Ave. 871-7268. Inexpensive to moderate.

Goldfinger Restaurant. 2905 Webb Chapel Ext. 350-6983. Moderate to expensive.

Kostas Restaurant and Tavema. 2755 Bachman. 351-4592. Moderate.

Little Gus’. 1916 Greenville Ave. 826-4910. Inexpensive.



HOME COOKING

The Blue Onion Restaurant. 221 W Parker Rd, Suite 527. Piano. 424-2114. Inexpensive.

Brownie’s. 5519 E Grand Ave. 824-29%. Inexpensive.

Celebration. 4503 W Lovers Ln. 351-5681. Moderate.

Good Eats Cafe. 3531 Oak Lawn. 522-3287. 6950 Greenville Ave. 691-3287. 702 Ross. 744-3287. Inexpensive.

Highland Park Cafeteria. 4611 Cole at Knox. 526-3801. 9500 Garland Rd, Suite 300. 327-3663. 5100 Belt Line. Suite 600. 934-8800. Lincoln Plaza. Second Floor. 500 N Akard. 740-2400. Inexpensive.

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

Mama’s Daughter’s Diner. 2104 Irving Blvd. 742-8646. Inexpensive.

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

Rosemarie’s. 1411 N Zang. 946-4142. Inexpensive.

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

Tolbert’s. One Dallas Center. 350 N St. Paul & Bryan. 953-1353. 1800 N Market. 969-0310. 8121 Walnut Hill at Ceniral Expwy. 739-6700. Inexpensive.

Viee Versa. 6065 Sherry Ln. 691-2976. Inexpensive.



INDIAN

India Palace Restaurant. 13360 Preston. 392-0190. Moderate to expensive.

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

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

Mumtaz. The Atrium, 3101 N Fitzhugh at McKinney Ave.520-2400. Inexpensive to moderate.

Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant. Caruth Plaza, 9100 N Central Expwy, Suite 179 692-0535. 1600 N Plano Rd at Collins, Richardson. 235-3794. Moderate.



ITALIAN



Acapella Cafe. 2508 Maple 871-2262. Moderate.

Alessio’s. 4117 Lomo Alto. 521-3585. Moderate to expensive.

Alfonso’s. 328 Casa Linda Plaza. 327-7777. Inexpensiveto moderate.

Antonucci’s. 3827 Lemmon Ave at Oak Lawn. 522-4056. Inexpensive.

Avanti. 2720 MeKinney Ave. 871-4955. Moderate (lunch)to expensive (dinner).

Cafe Italia. 5000 Maple. 521-0700. Inexpensive to expensive.

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

Capriccio. 2616 Maple. 871-2004. Expensive.

Chianti. 4820 Greenville Aw. 691-6769. Moderate.

Ciao. 3921-B Cedar Springs. 521-0110. Inexpensive to moderate.

Colombo’s. 6101 Greenville Ave. 373-7777. Moderate.

Fausto’s Oven. 300 Reunion Blvd, in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. 741-3304. Moderate.

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

II Sorrento. 8616 Turtle Creek Blvd. 352-8759. Moderate to expensive.

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

Lombardi’s Expresso. 6135 Luther Ln. 361-6984. Inexpensive to moderate.

Mario’s. 135 Turtle Creek Village, Oak Lawn at Blackburn. 521-1135. Expensive,

Massimo da Milano. 5519 W Lovers Ln. 351-1426. Inexpensive 10 moderate.

Homo’s Italian Specialties. 9191 Forest. Suite A2. 234-6800. Moderate,

Homo’s Italian Specialties. 3309 N Central Expwy. Suite 370. Piano. 423-1066. Moderate to expensive.

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

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

Pasticcio’s, 4527 Travis St. 528-6696. Moderate.

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

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

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

Rodolfo’s. 5956 Royal Ln at Preston. 368-5039. Inexpen-sive to moderate.

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

Sfuzzi. 2504 McKinney Ave. 871-2606. Moderate.

Spaghetti Inn-Mike’s Italian Restaurant. 6465 E Mockingbird. 827-7035. Moderate. 311 Lombardi’s. 311 Market at Ross. 747-0322. Moderate to expensive.



JAPANESE/KOREAN



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

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

Hibachi-Ya Japanese Restaurant. 3850 W North west Hwy, Suite 510. 350-1110. Inexpensive.

Kobe Steaks. Quorum Plaza. 5000 Belt Line. Suite 600.934-8150. Moderate to expensive.

Mr. Sushi. 4860 Bell Line, Addison. 385-0168. Moderate.

Mr. Sushi & Hibachi. 9220 Skillman. 349-6338.

Moderate.

Nakamoto Japanese Cuisine. Ruisseau Village, Suite 360. 3309 N Central Expwy. Plano. 881-0328. Moderate.

Sakura Japanese Restaurant. 7402 Greenville Ave. 361-9282. Moderate to expensive.

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

Sushi On McKinney. 4S00 McKinney Ave. 521-0969. Moderate.

MEXICAN

Blue Mesa Grill. Village on the Parkwiy. 5100 Belt Line at Dallas Pkwy. Suite 500. 934-0165. Moderate.

Brazos. 2100 Greenville Ave at Prospect. 821-6501. Moderate.

Cantina Laredo. 4546 Belt Line, Addison. 458-0962. Moderate.

Casa Dominguez. 2127 Cedar Springs. 742-4945. Inexpensive to moderate.

Casa Rosa. 165 Inwood Village (Inwood at Lovers Ln). 350-5227. Moderate.

Garcia’s Caribbean Grill. Plaza at Bachman Creek. 3830 W Northwest Hwy, 358-2664. Moderate.

Garmo’s y Lite’s. 2847 N Henderson. 821-8006, Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Javier’s. 49i2 Cole. 521-4211. Expensive.

J. Pope’s. 2800 Routh St. 871-0366. Inexpensive to moderate.

La Botica Cafe. 1900 N Haskell. 824-2005. Inexpensive to moderate.

La Suprema Tortilleria. 7630 Military Pkwy. 388-1244. Inexpensive.

Loma Luna Cafe. 4131 Lomo Alto. 559-4011. Moderate.

Mario & Alberto. LBJ Fwy at Preston, Suite 425. 980-7296. Moderate.

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

Mia’s. 4322 Lemmon Ave, 526-1020. inexpensive.

On The Border Cafe. 3300 Knox. 528-5900.

Ricardo’s. 17610 Midway at Trinity Mills. 931-5073. Moderate.

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

Villa Margarita. 362 Promenade Center. Coit & Belt Line, Richardson. 235-5447. Moderate.

ZuZu. 6423 Hillcrest (across from SMU). 521-4456. Inexpensive.



MIDDLE EAST

Hedary’s. Promenade Center, 15400 Coil. Suite 2500, Richardson. 669-2112. Moderate.



NATURAL

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

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



NEW AMERICAN

Actuelle. The Quadrangle, 2800 Routh St, Suite 125. 855-0440. Expensive.

Beau Nash. Hotel Crescent Court. 400 Crescent Court, Maple at McKinney Ave. 871-3240. Expensive.

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

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

City Cafe. 5757 W Lovers Ln. 351-2233. Moderate.

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

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

Elm Street Winery. 2704 Elm St. 748-6565. Moderate, to expensive.

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

Huntington Grill. Westin Hotel. Galleria, 13340 Dallas Pkwy. 851-2882. Expensive.

Kathleen’s Cafe and Bar. 4424 Lovers Ln (between the Tollway and Douglas). 691-2355. Moderate to expensive.

Lakewood Plaza Grill. 6334 La Vista. 826-5226. Inexpensive to moderate.

Landmark Cafe. Omni Mel rose Hotel. 3015 Oak Lawn.. 522-1453. Expensive.

Laurels. Sheraton Park Central Hotel. 12720 Merit, off Coit near LBJ Fwy. 385-3000. Expensive.

The Mansion on Turtle Creek. 282! Turtle Creek Blvd. 526-2121. Very expensive.

Mallbu Cafe. 4311 Oak Lawn. 521-2233. Moderate.

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

Pyramid Restaurant and Lounge. 1717 N Akard in the Fairmont Hotel. 720-5249. Expensive.

Quadrangle Grill. The Quadrangle. 2800 Routh St, Suite 180. 979-9022. Moderate.

Routh Street Cafe. 3005 Routh St. 871-7161. Very expensive.

Sam’s Cafe. 100 Crescent Court. Suite 140. 855-2233.: Moderate to expensive.

Spatz. 2912 N Henderson. 827-7984. Moderate.



SEAFOOD

Atlantic Cafe. 4546 McKinney Ave at Knox. 559-4441. Expensive.

Atlantic Cafe Too!14866 Montfort, Addison. 960-2233. Moderate to expensive.

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

Cafe Pacific. Highland Park Village, Preston at Mock- ingbird, Suite 24. 526-1170. Expensive.

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

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

Harbor House. 4844 Greenville Ave. 368-8911. Moderate.

Hard Shell Cafe. 6403 Greenville Ave. 987-3477, Moderate.

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

Oyster’s. 4580 Belt Line. 386-0122. Inexpensive to moderate.

Red’s Seafood. 7402 Greenville Ave at Pineland. .163-38%. Moderate

SAD Oyster Company. 2701 McKinney Ave. 880-0111.Inexpensive to moderate.

Scott’s-A Seafood House. 4620 McKinney Ave. 528-7777. Moderate.

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



SPANISH

iCaramba! 3227 McKinney Ave. 720-9181. Inexpensive to moderate.



STEAKS

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

The Butcher Shop Steak house. 808 Munger. off Lamar. 720-1032. Moderate.

Mike’s Del Frisco’s. 2200 Cedar Springs. Suite 165, at The Crescent. 720-4454. Expensive.

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

The Palm Restaurant. 701 Ross. 698-0470. Very expensive.



TAKEOUT/DELI



Al’s New York Style Deli. 3301-A Oak Lawn (entranceon Hall). 522-3354. Inexpensive.

Bagel Emporium. 7522 Campbell Rd, Suite 117.980-1444. Inexpensive. :

Bagelstein’s. Northwood Hills Shopping Center, SI04 Spring Valley. 234-3787. Inexpensive to moderate.

City Market. 2001 Ross. Trammell Crow Center. 979-2690. Inexpensive.

Dell News. 15775 Hillcrest, Suite 502. 392-3354. Inexpensive.

The Good Life Catering Co. 6340 Gaston Ave. 821-3194. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Pacific Express. 1910 Pacific at Elm St. Suite 103. 969-7447. Inexpensive.

Pasta Plus. 225 Preston Royal East. 373-3999. lnexpen-sive to moderate.

Today’s Gourmet. 4446 Lovers Ln. 373-0325.” Inexpensive.

Tommaso’s Fresh Pasta. 5365 Spring Valley. Suite 158, at Montfon. 991-1040. Inexpensive to moderate.



THAI



Bangkok Inn. 7035 Greenville Ave. 739-2938, Inexpensive.

New Slam. 2415 W Northwest Hwy, Suite 108 (at Harry Hines). 358-5679. Inexpensive to moderate.

Sala Thai. 4503 Greenville Ave. 696-3210. Moderate.

Thai Lanna. 1490 W Spring Valley, Richardson. 690-3637. 4315 Bryan. 827-6478. Moderate.

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

Thai Toy’s. 4422-B Lemmon Ave. 528-7233. Inexpensive



VIETNAMESE



Ba Le. 4812 Bryan at Fitzhugh. 821-1880. Inexpensive. Saigon. 1731 Greenville Ave. 828-9795. Inexpensive.



LAS COLINAS/MID CITIES



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

China Terrace. 5435 N MacArthur, Las Colinas. 550-1113. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Gaspar’s Cafe. 150 S Denton Tap Rd. Coppell. 393-5152. Moderate.

Moretti’s. 2709 Mustang Drive. Grapevine. (817) 481-3230. Inexpensive to moderate.

Via Real. 4020 N MacArlhur. Irving- 255-0064. Moderate to expensive.



FORT WORTH



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

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

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

La Maree. 3416 W Seventh. (817) 877-0838. Moderate.

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

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

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

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

Tuscany. 4255 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 737-2971. Moderate to expensive.



NIGHTLIFE



Adair’s. 2624 Commerce. 939-9900.

Amnizia. 2829 W Northwest Hwy, Suite 632. 351-1262.

Andrew’s. 3301 McKinney Ave. 220-0566. 14930 Mid-way at Belt Line. 385-1613.

The Art Bar. 2803 Main St. 939-0077.

Arthur’s. Campbell Centre. 8350 N Central Expwy. 361-8833.

Bar of Soap. 3615 Parry. 823-6617.

Belle Starr. 7724 N Central Expwy. 750-4787.

Boiler Room. Part of Dallas Alley in the West End Marketplace. 2019 N Lamar. 988-0581.

Buyers Bar. Stouffer Hotel, 2222 Stemmons Fwy. 631-2222.

Cardinal Puff’s. 4615 Greenville Ave. 369-1969.

Chelsea Comer. 4830 McKinney Ave. 521-8780.

Club Clearview. 2806 Elm St. 939-0006.

Club Dada. 2720 Elm St at Crowdus. 744-3232.

Dave & Buster’s. 10727 Composite, near Walnut Hill at Siemmons Fwy. 353-0649. 8021 Walnut Hill at Central Expwy. 361-5553.

The Den. Stoneleigh Terrace Hotel. 2927 Maple. 871-7111.

Dick’s Last Resort. Corner of Record and Ross. 747-0001.8.0. 2800 Routh St. 979-0880.

Encounters. Doubletree Hotel, 8250 N Central Expwy. 691-8700.

Fat Tuesday. 6778 Greenville Ave. 373-7377.

Figaro’s. 5290 Belt Line. Suite 150. 960-1856.

The Filling Station. 6862 Greenville Ave. 691-4488.

Four Seasons Ballroom. 4930 Military Pkwy. &44-562Z.

Froggy Bottoms. Part of Dallas Alley in the West End Marketplace. 2019 N Lamar. 988-0581.

Gator’s. 1714 N Market. 748-0243.

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

Greenville Bar & Grill. 2821 Greenville Ave. 823-6691.

Harper’s. Hilton Inn. 5600 N Central Expwy. 823-9180.

Highland Park Yacht Club. 4515 Travis. 521-6071.

HumperdInk’s. 6050 Greenville Ave. 368-6597.

Improv Comedy Club and Restaurant. 9810 N Central Expwy (in The Corner Shopping Center). 750-5868. 4980 Bell Line a( Quorum, Suite 250, Addison. 404-8503.

Joe Miller’s. 3531 McKinney Ave. 521-2261.

Knox Street Pub. 3230 Knox. 526-9476.

Ku. 3232 McKinney Ave. Suite 131. 953-3040.

Late Night . . . In the West End. 1901 Laws St. 954-1901.

Laurels. Sheraton Park Central. 12720 Merit Dr. 851-2021.

The Library Bar. Omni Melrose Hotel, 3015 Oak Lawn. 521-5151.

Louie’s. 1839 N Henderson. 826-0505.

The Lounge. 5460 W Lovers Ln. 350-7834.

The Mansion on Turtle Creek Bar. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 526-2121.

Mariano’s. Old Town, 5500 Greenville Ave, Suite 1000.691-3888.

Max’s 403. 5500 Greenville Ave, Suite 403. 361-9517.

Memphis. Quorum Plaza. 5000 Belt Line. Suite 500. 386-9934.

Milo Butterflnger’s. 5645 Yale. 368-9212.

Mimi’s. 5111 Greenville Ave, 368-1994.

Mr. C’s Seafood. 601 Pacific. 698-9364.

Mucky Duck. 3102 Welborn in the Centrum. 522-7200.

Nana Bar and Grill. Loews Anatole Hotel. 2201 Stem- mons Fwy. 748-1200.

The Outback Pub. 1701 N Market. 761-9355.

The Palm Bar. Adolphus Hotel, 1321 Commerce. 742-8200.

Pinot’s Wine Bar. 2926 N Henderson. 826-1949.

Plaza Bar. Part of Dallas Alky in the West End MarketPlace. 2019 N Lamar. 988-0581.

Poor David’s Pub. 1924 Greenville Ave. 821-9891.

Randy’s. 15203 Knoll Trail, Addison. 907-2639.

Rusty Pelican. 14655 N Dallas Pkwy. 980-8950.

The Safari Bar. 10821 Composite Dr. 351-3262.

Sam’s Cafe. 100 Crescent Court. Suite 140. 855-2233.

San Francisco Rose. 3024 Greenville Ave. 826-2020.

Stan’s Blue Note. 2908 Greenville Ave. 824-9653.

State. 3611 Parry. 821-9246.

Stoneleigh P. 2926 Maple. 871-2346.

Studebaker’s. NorthPark East. 8788 N Central Expwy.696-2475.

Take Five. Part of Dallas Alley in the West End MarketPlace, 2019 N Lamar. 988-0581.

Tejas Cafe. 2909 McKinney Ave. 871-2050.

Terilli’s. 2815 Greenville Ave. 827-3993.

Tilt. In the West End Marketplace, 603 Munger. 720-7276.

Top of the Dome. Hyatt Regency Hotel. 300 ReunionBlvd. 651-1234.

2826. 2826 Elm St. 741-2826.

Video Bar. 2610 Elm St. 939-9113.

The Voodoo Bar. 302 N Market. 655-2627.

White Rock Yacht Club. 7324 Gaston, Suite 301. 328-3866.

The Wine Press. 4217 Oak Lawn. 522-8720.

Zanzibar. 2912 Greenville Ave. 828-2250.



FORT WORTH NIGHTLIFE



The Blue Bird. 5636 Wesley. (817) 732-6243.

Caravan of Dreams. 312 Houston. (817) 877-3000.

The Hop. 2905 W Berry. (817)923-7281.

The White Elephant Saloon. 106 E Exchange. (817) 624-8273.