RESTAURANTS & BARS

DRINK OF THE MONTH

Which came first-the current trend toward drinking less but better, or upscaled spirits? Whichever, with Irish and single malt Scotch whiskeys ascending in vogue, the Bush- mills people are challenging the best of both: Black Bush is a smoothly sippable single malt Irish, blended with a trace of grain and aged in oak sherry casks. Look for the import to build its own cult following in better Dallas bars and retail houses.



HELPING OUT

GOOD DEEDS Victor Gielisse (pictured right) is well respected for his culinary abilities. As chef and part-owner of the New American restaurant Actuelle, he’s used to preparing sophisticated food for sophisticated palates. But Victor frequently puts aside the nouvelle niceties of his business to address some pretty harsh realities. Like the homeless. And hunger. Victor and partner Clive O’Donoghue feel they have an obligation to share their good fortune with the community. And share it they have. Victor and crew spend every Thanksgiving at the Downtown Dallas Family Shelter cooking up turkey and dressing. And every month his specially prepared meals are picked up by The Dallas Hunger Link and distributed to area homeless shelters. Victor hopes Actueulle’s actions will inspire others to help. He knows every meal counts. -Anne Warren

The Age of Aquariums



BAR THENDS As trends ebb and flow, one definitely to catch during this fin de siècle is the aquarium craze on the Dallas restaurant and bar scene.

By George! is the latest eatery to add a watery focal point to its decor. Co-owner Gavin Bradley says the lure of his neon-hued purple tangs, moray eels, and other tropical showoffs hook as many sightseers as diners.

Restaurant aquariums, however, aren’t new. Cafe America’s saltwater tank dates back to 1983, when it opened as Atlantic Cafe on McKinnev Avenue. At Atlantic Cafe Too!, in Addison, Alan L. Gaylin shelled out $19,000 for an 18-sided whopper of a fish bowl as the restaurant’s signature piece. It’s the Metroplex’s most awesome piece of aquarium engineering.

The fish at Daryl’s by Design are equally as awesome. Daryl’s, in the Design Center, has four generous fish tanks and one of the largest reef aquariums in Texas, where the catch of the day is a $1,400 angel fish from the Red Sea. That’s one you’ll never see on the menu. -Mary Brouillette and Mark Henricks

We Heard It Through the Grapevine ON THE ROAD Grapevine may not be on your list as a primero weekend getaway from the urban anthill, but you’d be surprised at how deliriously rural this airport-neighboring small town still is, with its almost quaint Main Street of sturdy old storefronts and intriguing antique shops. You might be surprised, too, to find there’s up to an hour’s wait on a Saturday evening at the town’s leading Mexican restaurant. Esparza’s reputation for excellent South Texas-styled Tex-Mex attracts aficionados from throughout the Metroplex, and small wonder: everything we tried on a recent visit was fine, hearty, and hands-on homemade, from a skillet-sized queso flameado to succulent carne asada to enchiladas verdes bursting with great white chicken chunks in tomatillo-tart sauce. Servings are all generous here, apparently-a fajita order served at the next table was a sizzling mountain, at least family-high; one sopapilla filled a whole plate, and the pralines, besides being bigger and thicker with pecans than any others I’ve seen, were quite the best I’ve encountered anywhere in the Lone Star State-they’re to die for. Even apart from the food, the place itself is worth the trip: walls are hung with antique toys, window shelves glow with assorted old bottles, and a mode) train circles in and out of the front dining room above the adjoining bar. Take the kids, if you’ve got some; be one yourself if you don’t-the friendly service here will indulge you either way. Prices are smalltown low, and Esparza’s is easy to find; call Metro (817) 481-4668 for directions.

-Betty Cook

CHEAP EATS



PICNICKING

Glorious weather, longer days. . .picnicking is in the air. These places can prepare provisions for Al’s New York Style Deli. Monster subs here are stuffed with deli classics. Share a pair and you’ll be stuffed-these babies, batter than a foot long, are S2.99 for a half to $4.29 for a whole corned-beef’ turkey-ham-and-cheese giant. 3301 Oak Lawn, 522-3354.

Attraction. This Deep Ellum diner piles chunky chicken salad on good bread, or crisps up a quesadilla that’s as good cold as hot. Add dessert and you’ll still come in at less than $6 per person. 2712 Elm Street. 761-9135.

Ba Le. This mini-eatery is Vietnamese, but the sandwiches are French-and delightful. Try thin-sliced ham with cilantro and herb

French roll. The price: less than $3 per person. 4812 Bryan, Suite 102, 821-1880.

Gatherings. Choose from a dozen fresh sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts for S4.95 per person, bagged or packed in your own picnic basket if you drop it by earlier. Call before 2 p.m. for free de- livery in the inner city. 2432 N. Frtz- Hugh, 827-3333. The Good Life. Box-lunch bonan- zas here include sandwich, salad, chips, and a cookie for around $6 a person. Or, on request, a selection of home-made pates and cheeses with bread, for a little more. Or plan ahead a day, and have Casanova’s

cooked with vegetables, inside a loaf of bread, $25 for two persons. 6340 Gas-ton, 821-3194.

-Betty Cook

NEW RESTAURANTS



Just Like Grandpa Used To Make



GRANDPA TONY’S I don’t know whose grandpa Tony Garcia is, but he and his mostly kin wait staff project an attitude of shared pride and hospitality as fresh as the paint on his new restaurant’s walls.

Which is fresh indeed-Grandpa Tony’s is spanking new, from the cheerful pink walls and fan-hung ceiling to the crisp pink napkins on white-clothed tables.

The food we sampled was as immaculately fresh as the setting and absolutely straightforward: the menu’s melange of familiar Tex-Mex standards holds no surprises, and what you order is what you get. Preparation and presentation are simple and honest; ingredients are first-rate and easily identifiable, and every dish I tasted appeared to have been made from scratch.

The salsa, for instance, held commanding chili fire in its minced tomato depths. Guacamole was pure avocado, fine and ripe, barely touched with a squeeze of lime. Tortilla soup was a well-seasoned harmony of interwoven flavors in a near-greaseless chicken stock, afloat with tender pieces of white and dark chicken and molten white cheese.

Enchiladas and soft tacos arrived naked on their platter; both beef and chicken enchiladas nicely stuffed and lavished with sour cream, a cheese taco richly covered with Cheddar cheese sauce. Other entrée platters held sturdy refried beans and moist Mexican rice, tastefully seasoned but ungarnished. Chicken fajitas were a half-pound of breast strips, smoky and tender, grilled with onion and bell pepper ribbons and accompanied by an unseasoned pico de gallo, fiery with chopped fresh chilies. The chile relleno was a single monster pepper barely battered and filled with fresh ground beef; the stuffing was almost too plain and mild, but the pepper’s torrid temperament took up the slack under its generous gilding of cheese sauce.

Dessert-wise, the sopapillas were flawlessly puffed and grease-free, the pecan pralines delightful.

Obviously, from our sampling, Grandpa Tony’s food is unlikely to win awards for daring originality; what it will earn instead may be even better-a comfortable appreciation for basic Tex-Mex favorites that are uncommonly fresh and, even more uncommonly, free of fat. It’s a combination that holds healthy promise. 3130 W. Mockingbird Lane. 357-1531. Mon.-Thur. 11 a.m.-lO p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11-11. AE. Inexpensive.

-Betty Cook



Regas: A GoGet-Em Grill



REGAS GRILL Without fanfare, this new spot opened on the Addison dining strip and within a couple of weeks was filled to bursting at dining hours. Even a reservation only commits the place to trying to seat a party within 15 minutes of arrival time. If that seems a bad deal, it must be noted that such a reservation might save you a half hour or more on a crowded weekend evening. What is this rush about? Regas is a go-get-em grill that might remind you of a slightly more upscale Bennigan’s or Houston’s, and while it may not offer much in the way of novelty, clearly there is something here that attracts people. I’d say that this new-to-Texas chain has done a good job of Figuring out what a regular American wants to eat on a regular night of dining out, and also does a good job of cooking it and getting it to the table.

And the food Regas turns out demonstrates that some care has been taken with it. The queso and chips, for instance, come with a salsa that is zesty and crunchy, and a little sweet, and the Regas STBF (which-we asked-stands for “soon to be famous”) chili, a mite sweet for true Texas tastes, is flavorful and obviously homemade. Entrees come with a choice of soup (overly hearty varieties like broccoli cheese or baked-potato) or a large salad. The specialties include a fish of the day that, when we sampled, turned out to be an immaculately fresh slice of perfectly grilled salmon. Seafood pasta Alfredo tasted much better than expected-this sort of dish can easily be gooey and bland-with a golden sauce and the forceful presence of garlic. For those who want only a sandwich, the Swiss bacon burger is a good choice-not a super-thick patty, but nicely cooked and topped with big slices of bacon. The only real disappointment here was another of the house specialties, the prime rib. We protested that the first serving brought to the table was nearer well-done than medium rare as ordered. It was cheerfully and promptly exchanged for a second, perfectly pink cut; but sadly, the meat was still rather dry and tasteless, perhaps a victim of the current trend to younger, less fatty-and, alas, less flavorful-beef.

Desserts were the highlight of our experience at the Regas Grill. Atop the bundt-like slices of chocolate-bar cake- made out of Hershey bars-stood a volcanic mountain of vanilla ice cream running over with lava flows of hot fudge. Even tastier was the apple puff-cinnamon apples mixed with buttered walnuts and adorned with tender, golden slices of puff pastry. 4525 Belt Line Rd., Addison. 991-0008. Mon.-Thur. 11-11, Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight (bar open until I a.m.), Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. AH credit cards. Moderate.

-W.L. Taitte



D REVISITS

BARBECUE



D Revisits Riscky’s. The West End location and the self-consciously wild and woolly Texas decor make you a little suspicious of Riscky’s-there’s a little too much stick covering up the soul. We all know that really good barbecue comes from chose down and dirty places where the only decor is the smell of the beef. But Riscky’s serves ’cue any dump could be proud of-rubbed with “Riscky dust” and slow-smoked. The beef sandwiches-sliced or chopped- are thick; the sweet-ish sauce is served on the side. Red beans, bland potato salad, crisp cole slaw, and skins-on fries were choices of beef backups: we preferred the slaw and fries to the ordinary potato salad and beans. Smoked chicken is showing up on more and more barbecue menus as more people are eschewing red meat. The half I was served was tender and juicy under its leathery, mahogany skin. The unexpected treat was the smoked catfish-try it. you’ll like it, even if you’ve never thought beyond barbecued brisket. 1701 N. Market at Ross, 742-7001. Inexpensive 10 moderate. -M.B.M.



GA1UN



D Revisits Arcadia Bar. The Arcadia is not as funky as it used to be; the dark interior has been spruced up considerably. Now it looks less like a dive and, with the neon arch over the bar, more like a lounge. It still doesn’t quite look like a restaurant. Loud-ish music and the lower Greenville location lead you to expect something like bar snacks from the menu; instead you’re served some of the best Ca-jun food in town, with friendly flair. The greenish gumbo was thick, properly piquant, packed with seafood and chicken, and fragrant with thyme and bay. Fresh oysters were barely cooked within (heir crackling coating; fried shrimp were firm and sweet. The red beans and rice were melded into creamy comfort food, with just enough spice to keep you alert. 2114 Greenville Are. 821-1300. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



CHINESE



D Revisits Cafe Panda. What you expect to be a casual dinner at a convenient neighborhood restaurant becomes an occasion-the soothingly pretty interior and at tentive service are worthy of a pricey, high-profile place, and the food is siartlingly good. Our potstickers were succulent and meaty, and though the serving of two lady finger shrimp toasts seemed skimpy, they were delicious. Spring rolls likewise seemed small for the price, but the wrappers were unusually light and flaky. “Quail curls.” a dish we have not seen elsewhere, was one of our favorites: a lovely mix of minced quail meal, scallions, and straw mushrooms to be rolled in a crisp lettuce leaf, making a harmoniously con trasting whole. “Chicken extravagance” was a sweet-and- sour-type concoction, thankfully not too sweet here. The batter on the chicken was light, and the chunks were tossed with bright broccoli and baby com in the sauce, Another especially good dish involved lamb strips with lots of chopped scallions in a savory brown sauce fiery with pep pers. We skipped dessert, but the filtered coffee, made tableside by the waiter in an elaborate ritual, made a fitting end to a gracious meal. 7979 Inwood at Lovers Lane. 902-9500. Moderate. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Hao’s. Not a big deal kind of place, this Snider Plaza restaurant is cozy and friendly, and. the night we visited, full of students and families who seemed to have dropped in spontaneously, as we did. The crowd made serv ice unfortunately slow, since everything is cooked to order, but our waiter was extremely agreeable and considerate, and freshness of the food, when it did come, was undeniable. We tried the Chinese chicken salad, a ladies’ lunch kind of dish. with white meat of chicken, spring onions, sesame seeds, and fried wontons perked up with a lemon vinaigrette; it didn’t have a Iot to do with Chinese food, but we liked it. Fried rice was exceptional here, full of fresh vegetables and beef, chicken, or shrimp, it didn’t have that leftover quality this dish so often has. Of the entrees, we liked the mandarin chicken, lightly fried and spiced with chili peppers and served over neon-green broccoli. 69/2 Snider Plaza. 361-7970. Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



FRENCH/CONTINENTAL



D Revisits Cafe Le Jardin. In the year and a half since it opened, this resolutely non-trendy establishment has carved out its niche as a neighborhood haunt on Upper McKinney Avenue. Partitioned recently to separate it, piano-bar front half from its serene rear dining section. the place is as garden-pretty as ever, the service friendly and knowledgeable to a degree unusual in a restaurant so unintimidat-ing. The menu appears not to have changed at all, although some of (he dishes have evolved into different interpretations: a starter of baked brie in puff pastry, remembered fondly from my first review visit, this time lost its character on a sea of over-rich beurre blanc. And Poire Belle Helene, a poached pear dessert I remembered as mantled with warm chocolate sauce, now wore a hard chocolate shell instead, hardly an improvement. Other courses, though, were delightful; minestrone was thick with fresh vegetables in oregano-scented tomato broth. Trout scampi combined crunchy, whole shrimp with a whole boned fish in garlicky butter sauce. Poulet Citronelle bathed a succulent grilled chicken breast in a grapefruit, lemon, and orange sauce that sang with fresh flavor. Espresso was devilishly strong. 4900 McKinney Ave. 526-0570. Moderate to expensive. -B.C.



D Revisits Ewald’s. When soaring rents drove chef- restaurateur Ewald Scholz to abandon his longtime Lovers Lane landmark, Dallas diners mourned: Ewald’s consistent ly fine Continental (are and mellow, upscale ambience were irreplaceable. Not immovable, though, fortunately-and the story’s happy ending is that Ewald’s relocation to the Stoneleigh Hotel was a made-in-heaven marriage. The hand somely furnished restaurant’s ambience adds European grace to the hotel’s charm, service is as impeccable as always, and the food unvaryingly nearly flawless. Ewald’s trademark fried parsley is still the must-try starter, a heap of crisp emerald curls indefinably delicious with a squeeze of lemon. Manhattan clam chowder was a lighter-than-usual version, flavor-filled. Great stalks of white asparagus could have stood more zip in their subdued vinaigrette, but the Béarnaise sauce on a fork-tender filet mignon was rich and hearty, and a grilled chicken breast with fine herbs rose above its humble origins: weary as I’ve grown lately of health-conscious feathered fare, this sensitively seasoned dish was the visit’s best, better even than the airy Meringue Glace Chantilly dessert [ preferred to my companion’s rich, smooth cheesecake. Stoneleigh Hotel, 2927 Maple Ave. at Wolf. 871-2523. Expensive. -B.C.



D Revisits Les Saisons. The only damage passing time has done to this ageless restaurant is to steal its view, which was splendid before Oak Lawn’s growth hemmed it in with tall buildings. Never mind-the place is itself attractive enough, reminiscent of a romantic country chateau. Service is the soul of Gallic professionalism. Food, though pricey, was well-prepared and generously portioned: a steamed mussel starter was more than a dozen juicy Little babies with shallots and parsley in white wine and cream; lobster cream soup with Riesling wine was heady and dark-hued. lavished with tender meat. Rack of lamb was four chops, rosy and perfect in mustard sauce, sided with a beautiful bouquet of corn, carrots, and broccoli, as well as an entree special of baby salmon garnished with scallops; the fish was overcooked, its lemon butter piercing, but the half- dozen scallops that topped it were huge, hearty, and silken. The house profiterole dessert was too heavy to write home about. but crème caramel proved once again the happiest closing note for a rich, French meal. 165 Turtle Creek Village. 528-1102. Expensive. -B.C.



GREEK



D Revisits Augustus. The sign outside says “Mediter ranean Kouzina,” and the inside ambience is civilized without pretentiousness-very Greek, in fact, with its high ceilings and high-backed chairs. The food, too. earned high marks for authenticity and quality, from the dinner’s auspicious beginning. A starter of pan-fried little smelt was exemplary, the silvery baby fish perfectly crisp-skinned and greaseless, spiked with cayenne and lemon. Taramosalata. too, was lovely, the traditional blend of creamy sauce with bread and fish roe delightfully restrained in flavor. Sautéed sea scallops were tender wonders, but too hotly spiced for my taste with the seasonings one associates with blackened fish. Veal eggplant, though, an Augustus specialty, was sub tly seasoned, the veal fork-tender, the eggplant mild in its complement of molten cheese. Star entree of the evening was a rarely found special, fresh red snapper throat, barely seasoned and broiled, its flavor and texture immaculately simple. No dessert could have measured up to such uncom mon fare, but none was needed; we found small, steaming cups of dark Greek coffee by far the most appropriate ending to an evening that exemplified Continental dining as it should be but hardly ever is any more. 15375 Mddison Rd. 239-8105. Moderate 10 expensive. -B.C.



INDIAN



D Revisits Mumtaz. This is one of the oddest locations Tor a restaurant I know of: halfway up an office building on Fitzhugh, the ceiling two floors up and the kitchen a floor down. It’s a little like dining on the landing of a staircase. But the welcome is warm and the service so attentive it was almost smothering. The samosas. little three-comered turnovers, were hot and flaky, with a savory meat filling, but the chicken biryani’s complicated fragrance was loo dominated by cinnamon, and the breads, onion kulcha and paratha, were weighty, rather than ethereal, things. The Atrium, 3101 N. Fitzhugh, Suite 101. 520-2400. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M



ITALIAN



D Revisits Flip’s Wine Bar & Trattoria. Shaped spotlights pinpoint art on the walls. Your table might even be a work of art (there were Barbie dolls in some sort of found-object construction beneath the glass top of ours). The menu, which owes allegiance as much to New American as to old Italian ideas, also has some unusual features. There are several good appetizer choices, but you probably don’t want to order any of them if you are having a main course, since entrees are preceded by a big bowl of soup and a big bowl of lightly dressed salad, both to be shared family style. For main courses, choose among vaguely New Wave-ish piz zas (the most traditional is the salsiccia. loaded with pep- peroni and sausage), pasta, or various specials. All regular pasta dishes are one price ($10.95)-you choose the kind of pasta and the kind of sauce. The fettuccine is really a very wide ribbon noodle served very firm-magnificently chewy in the Alfredo sauce, an unusual treatment but an outstand ing version of this frequently marred dish. A veal special topped similar noodles with tenderly cooked and deliciousIy sauced pieces of meat, and a grilled mahi-mahi special proved equally attractive. A wide selection of wines to ac company all of these choices is available by the bottle, the glass, and even the taste. 1520 Greenville Ave. 824-9944. Moderate to expensive. -W.L..T.



D Revisits Nero’s. We still haven’t figured out how a place with red-checkered tablecloths manages to feel so hip-maybe it’s the dark lighting and the strange decorative touches like tiny statuettes of St. Michael the Archangel on the lighting fixtures over the booths. The dimness makes it hard to read the best menu items, which are written on a blackboard perched high above a door in the rear of the din ing room. Appetizers can be too substantial, especially if you have indulged in an order of “pink” bread (toasted with tomato and cheese), but are undeniably delicious: the piz za Nero is a fantasy on all the traditional toppings, and the so-called smaller portion of linguine Fra Diavolo, with its shrimp and scallops in a hearty tomato sauce, could feed a Scout troop. Veal gets most interesting treatment here. The scallopini New Orleans was marred by fishy-tasting craw fish, but the veal chop piccatta, done to a turn, was excellent in its caper-and-butter sauce. Entrees come with veggies, plus-help-a choice of yet more pasta. The best dessert is called mascarpone, a mixture of the cheese of that name, chocolate cake, and liqueurs. 2104 Greenville Ave. 826-6376 Moderate to expensive. -W.L.T.



D Revisits Pizzeria Uno. The unusual deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza is certainly the numero uno attraction here. It looks like a quiche but doesn’t taste quite like anything you’ve had anyplace else, and you can order it with fairly traditional fillings like the Prima Pepperoni or with in novations like chicken fojita, with spicy slices of red pepper and onion in addition to plump morsels of bird. Other offer ings verge on the perfunctory. Only a few appetizers adorn the menu, and two we ordered-the veggie dip and the buf falo wings-came with the same sour-cream base sauce. Muchos Nachos would have been excellent except that the ingredients were all scrambled together, leaving the tostadas mushy. The homemade chili component, however, was good enough to interest us in ordering a bowl sometime. Main dishes like the chicken fromaggi (a breast baked with cheese and tomato) and Al’s tortellini are okay… but why bother when the pizza is so special? 4002 Belt Line, Addison. 991-8181. Inexpensive to moderate. -W.L.T.



D Revisits Sofia. After a hiatus, this sleek space with its modern (eel and its glass-framed vistas of the north edge of downtown has reopened. The food offers some novel choices, especially among the pastas. Rigatoni are mixed with pieces of broccoli and bits of Italian sausage in a creamy sauce, and penne all carota are bright orange in their sauce of finely grated, barely cooked carrots. Among appetizers, whole clams in tomato sauce outshine the crab meat with avocado, in which the tiny shreds of seafood tasted none too fresh. Huge, succulent shrimp are the attractions in thescampi a la principessa, and the veal in the scallopine Marsala also seemed of top quality (although the sauces on bothcould be zestier). Huge is also the word for the very lightlysautéed mushroom caps that accompanied bah entries,along with orzo pasta with a subtly herbal taste. For dessert,the crème caramel has an unusual and intriguing hint of cinnamon. To compete these days, a restaurant of this classshould realty have more by-the-glass wine choices than thesingle, and ordinary, while table wine offered on our visit.1800 McKinney Ave. (at St. Paul). 871-9030. Moderate toexpensive. -W.L.T.



D Revisits 311 Lombardi’s. There seems to be lessadventure in the air here than when this pillar of West End.dining opened. However, there are still a few novel thingslike rabbit on the menu, but the selection of cold appetizersno longer graces the counter at the front of the kitchen, andan emphasis on Italian standards seems to prevail. When wesampled it, the three-pasta sampler, for instance, consistedof green lasagna (with lots of minced meat), a cheesymanicotti in a cream sauce spiked with nutmeg, and a tastyfarfalle primavera-cute little bow ties of pasta tossed withpeas and carrots. The 311 combo also featured the tried andtrue: an underemphatic veal Marsala and shrimp Parmesanin a rather sharp-tasting, light tomato sauce. One of the oldstandards, the corolette alla Milanese, remains on the menu.We found that we are still fond of this unlikely soundingdish, a crisply fried breaded veal chop lopped with a coldsalad of arugula greens and chopped tomatoes. A side ofscalloped potatoes was intriguingly al dente and also savoredof a strong dash of nutmeg. Lombardi’s signature dessert, thetiramisu, consists of a mocha mousse hiding a surprise ofhazelnut liqueur impregnating fingers of chocolate cake. 311Market. 747-0322, Moderate to expensive. -W.L.T.



JAPANESE



D Revisits Nakamoto. The samurai armor in the window looks forbidding-like a menacing warrior out of a Kurosawa movie defending the fort-but inside, Nakamoto is among the most welcoming of local Japanese restaurants. The sushi bar, though it doesn’t seem as busy as some others, manages to keep its fish ocean-fresh. Tuna and yellowtail seem to make the tastiest sashimi for Westerners, but herethe giant clam and other assorted tidbits also repay exploration. Those who prefer their seafood cooked will enjoy theyosenabe. a one-dish meal of scallops, shrimp, octopus,several kinds of fish, and vegetables like scallions. Savoycabbage, and gingko nuts simmered gently at tableside.Nakamoto’s yosenabe is carefully watched so as not to boiluncontrollably and thus toughen the delicate sea creatures-the best version in the Dallas area we have found. The simple components of the dish can be seasoned to taste in asauce of soy, lemon, and horseradish. More familiar disheslike the puffy shrimp tempura and beef teriyaki are alsosatisfying here. Ruisseau Village. 3309 N. Central Expwy..Suite 360, Piano. 881-0348, Moderate. -W.L.T.



MEXICAN



D Revisits Gloria’s. Funny thing: this Salvadoranestablishment has a Mexican side to its menu, too, but I’venever gotten around to trying it. I’d apologize, but who needsit? Good Mexican food is everywhere in Dallas, but Gloria’s,even if it weren’t the only Salvadoran game in town, wouldprobably be the best in that category. I’d not been to theNortheast Dallas offshoot of the original Oak Cliff locationuntil this recent visit, but I’m happy to report that the placeis pretty and comfortable, and the same Salvadoran dishesare prepared and served here with the same proud care.Ceviche was a towering glass of lemon-cooked, diced fish,perfectly fresh and spicily sauced. Sopa de Mondongo. thetripe soup that corresponds to Mexico’s menudo, was ameal in itself, the broth symphonic with flavors, the meatybits lender. The star turn, though, as always, was Gloria’sSuper Special, a combination platter that serves as a nearly complete introduction to Salvadoran cuisine, with ampleportions of pupusas, the cheese- and pork-stuffed littlegrilled tortillas one eats with half-fermented shreddedcabbage called cortido; a banana leaf-wrapped tamale ofmoist masa filled with spicy shredded chicken: plantainslices, ripe and sweet, sauéed in butter: and sides of blackbeans and black rice, the latter flavored as well as coloredby rich black bean broth. The flan, as always, was as silkenas any in town. Econo Lodge, 9386 LBJ Frwy. at Abrams.690-0622. Inexpensive. -B.C.



NEW AMERICAN



D Revisits Cisco Grill. Not exactly brand-NewAmerican, this Park Cities favorite is something like a crossbetween a hamburger joint, a ladies’ lunch spot, and a Mexican restaurant. Sounds odd. but the result is a casual. not-exactly-calé” café that is easy to go to with just about anyone,at any time. The variations on hamburger are dependablydelicious; the soups and salads are inventive (we love theMexican corn salad, the chicken salad, and the country-styletortilla soup). But other dishes also hold their own-recentlythe grilled chicken sandwich, with avocado, bacon, andhoney mustard, was especially pleasing. Service is promptand pleasant; the clientele at lunch is mostly shoppers: atnight. it’s a favorite neighborhood spot. 6630 Snider Plaza.363-9506 Inexpensive. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Lakewood Plaza Grill. It’s unusual for a dinner salad to be the star of a meal. but the taste of the two 1 recently tried at this pleasant East Dallas café still lingers in my memory, proof that perfection, even in the little things, is worth trying for. The mix of greens-mild and bitter, tender and crunchy, was perfectly fresh and thoroughly dried before being just-coated with a winey champagne vinaigrette or a garlicky ranch dressing with enough spunk to rival Caesar Nothing fancy, just a simple thing well done-which is how I would sum up the rest of the meal as well. The menu emphasizes the “American.” rather than the “New”; Southwestern appetizers of chicken nachos and turkey tamales had no tricks: the crisp tostada triangles were covered with creamy melted cheese, tender chicken, and fresh jalapeno slices; the tamales were stuffed with chili-hot meat and served with a mild avocado dip. A main dish of grilled pork chops was juicy, not overcooked, as pork so often is. and richness was provided by the sausage corn Muffing they rested on. rather than too much fat in the meat itself. The tenderloin sandwich held big chunks of rare meat on a chewy bun, with a garnish of sweet peppers. The silver-screen decor is a perfect setting for post-theater dining. 6334 La Vista. 826-5226. Inexpensive to moderate. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Routh Street Cafe. Fine dining in Dallas is not the thrill it has been, a hunch that has been growing and-after this last visit to our finest establishment-is now a certainty. My meal was merely perfect; I do not have to control the adjectives as I usually do when 1 describe the dinners I’ve eaten here. (Of course, I’d be happy 10 revisit immediately to review this opinion.) We savored the itty-bitty. taste-teasing canapé-ihis time it was avocado and goat cheese piped onto the liny cracker-while we composed our menu, then settled down to a smooth progression of courses. As is so often the case these days, First courses took first place with the tastiest and most original combinations: a duck confit empanada drizzled with goat cheese, the richness of duck fat and pastry cut by the clarity of a mushroom sauce, and a tamaIe tart filled with corn custard and al dente black beans in a cilantro sauce. The most interesting salad was a pile of arugula garnished with a port-poached pear and dressed in a vinaigrette made with the poaching liquid. Entries of black buck antelope with an ancho sauce and sweet potato purée, and rare slices of squab with corn fritters were delicious, but lacked the startling pizazz of the appetizers. Desserts compensated by indulging every sweet fantasy-peanut butter banana meringue pie was gilded with hot fudge sauce, and a trio of crème bruiées (chocolate, ginger, and vanilla in complementary sauces) was scattered with fresh raspberries. 3005 Routh St. 871-7161. Very expensive. -M.B.M.



D Revisits Sam’s Cafe. It has always been best to havereservations here; even with them, you may have a bit of await-Sam’s is a hot spot still. Lunch is at least as crowdedas dinner, but the tables turn quickly: we dropped in an thespur of the moment and had only a reasonable wait for atable. Service was friendly, but the food arrived sporadically-salads took a mysteriously long time. We snacked on”Indian slap bread pizza” while we waited, a Southwesternpie sagging under jack cheese and peppers. Caesar salad,when it did arrive, also had Southwestern touches; scatteredwith cilantro leaves and lots of red chili tostada strips insteadof Cardini’s croutons, it was an excellent variation. Fettuc-cine with corn and shrimp in a red bell pepper cream saucesounded better than it tasted-the pile of pasta was huge andthere wasn’t enough contrast between (he elements gluedtogether by the rich sauce. On the other hand, chicken-friedtuna steak tasted better than it sounded. The meaty fishwas coated in a crispy batter and topped with a ladleful ofjalapeno cream gravy, sided with (who can resist them?)curlicue fries. 100 Crescent Court. Suite 140. 85S-2233.Moderate to expensive. -M. B. M.



SEAFOOD



D Revisits Fishmonger’s Seafood Market and Cafe. Fishmonger’s definitely vies for top honors in the mid-priced seafood category for the entire Metroplex. The place certainly isn’t much to look at-crowded tables on an uncarpeted floor compete for space with a retail fish counter in a big, plain room. But most of the food is dependably outstanding. Our latest discovery here is the all-you-can-eat crawfish on Thursday nights. We have never had really fresh, authentically seasoned, boiled crawfish in Texas before this, and for $9,95 you can stuff yourself and call it a bargain. If there are any hundreds of pounds of mud bugs left over from the weekly order, they are offered in the area’s best étouffée as a Friday lunch special-and special they are in their dark roux-based sauce. The other big discovery here is the grilled tilapia. Tilapia, for those who haven’t heard, is a fish from it is incredibly mild, sweet. and succulent, especially as cooked at Fishmonger’s, with a light sprinkling of Cajun herbs. These unusual items by no means exhaust the standouts here-fried bluefish or shrimp, spicy Cajun boudin sausage, redfish Pontchartrain (with shrimp and crab meat), and a buttery, crisp bread pudding studded with bits of apple and drenched in Bourbon sauce are all excellent too. 1915 N. Central Expwy., Piano. 423-3699. Moderate. -W.L.T.



D Revisits Rusty Pelican. We know it’s a decorator’s trick, but we still feel transported to Maui or Kauai when we are seated among the hanging greenery and gently swishing fans in this glossy outpost of a West Coast seafood chain. Some of the catches flown in from various ports are on display near the entrance, and the waiters can be trusted to steer you toward the freshest. Ours gave us a tip that the mahi-mahi was a better bet on the evening of our visit than the swordfish we were considering. ’Hawaiian style” meant that the mahi-mahi was crusted with macadamia nuts and lightly sautéed. Even better was the sea bass marinated inginger, charbroiled and topped with sesame seeds. Calamariis listed on the menu two ways (it’s better fried as an appetizer than sauéed in rather large, not-too-tender steaks asa main course); we would wager that the calamari we wereserved was in fact cut from the octopus on display rather thanfrom squid. About the only fried fish available is catfishfingers, sharply seasoned with cayenne. Desserts are bigservings of ice cream confections like mud pie or hula pie(macadamia ice cream with a fudge topping)-they can easily be shared by two or even three diners. 14655 DallasParkway. Addison. 980-8950. Moderate- -W.L.T.



D Revisits Yoli’s. A friend of mine loves to lunch in this cheerful, unpretentious little spot because of one dish, the shrimp and/or scallops Orleans, a real bargain. Even at dinner, all the prices are good, and so are the shrimp and scallops, sautéed with lots of green pepper and garlic. Garlic and shrimp also play major roles in the scampi, served over nicely chewy linguini, and in a special of grilled salmon-crisp and brown on the outside, juicy on the inside, where the shrimp serve as a garnish. For those who still want their fish fried, there is a choice here; the bluefish, seldom seen on local menus, crackles crisply and tastes Fresh. As a reward for eating fish (so good for you!), you can indulge in marble cheesecake or bread pudding for dessert. 9220 Skillman. Suite 124. 341-3533. Inexpensive. -W.L.T.



STEAKS



D Revisits The Paim, it’s hard to take restaurants seriously in the West End; the carnival atmosphere leads your culinary expectations more toward a corny dog and beer in a paper cup. So in some ways The Palm fits in here- no corny dogs, but the red-checked tablecloths and garish caricatures covering the walls lend the place a loud, hardy-har-har feeling very different from the pin-striped hush of most steakhouses, and much more in keeping with the West End. The steak, however, is serious stuff. We stuck with the classic menu-salad, potatoes, and beef. Three kinds of bread-a good, chewy French loaf, a sturdy rye, and, a rarity outside Manhattan, pumpernickel with raisins-are offered for noshing. ’”Salad Gigi,” a big bowl of greens generously lopped with firm shrimp, ripe avocado, crumbled egg, and diced thick bacon and coated with a garlickyvinaigrette, was a much better choice than the (as usual-am I the only one who likes a strong Caesar?) Caesar withall punches pulled. My New York strip was very dark,almost bitter, on the outside, brightening to deep red in thecenter; my companion’s prime rib was rich, though notmeltingly so-there was a chew to the meat. Cottage frieswere like homemade potato chips, and the enormous pile ofshoestring fried onions were better as a garnish for the meatthan as an independent dish. 701 Ross. 698-0470 Very expensive. -M.B.M.



THAI



D Revisits Thai Lanna. This original Bryan Street pioneer has been, it seems to me. overshadowed by newer, fancier Thai establishments in trendier parts of town. I worried, too. that the original chefs departure might have lessened the food’s appeal, but I needn’t have-Thai Lanna, I’m happy to report, is alive and well and worth revisiting in East Dallas. While a few favorite food items have undergone slight alterations, we found nothing to complain about on our recent sampling. My forever favorite appetizer, met grob. was fine as always, the sweet-and-sour noodles fried to a crisp turn and concealing a number of tight-curled shrimp in their depths, with bean sprouts, lettuce leaves, and purple cabbage shreds for crisp contrast. Yum Woonsen, a salad of glass noodles with shrimp and chicken nibbles, was tart with lime juice and spicy with chili bits. Chicken coconut soup. I’ll admit, was more fiery than 1 remembered, but still memorably haunted with cilantro in its eye-watering coconut broth, Pork Thai curry was fire itself, the bite-sized bits of pepper-infused pork tender, its accompanying green beans irresistibly crisp. A deep-fried whole catfish we decided to share was intimidatingly huge, but so seductively flavored in its scallop, mushroom, and carrot-infused fresh ginger broth that we somehow managed to eat the whole thing. 4315-17 Bryan St. 827-6478. Inexpensive. -B.C.



VIETNAMESE



D Revisits Saigon. If you stick to the chefs suggestions and the daily specials, Saigon lives up to its reputation and offers the best Vietnamese food in town. Among those suggestions, the hot and sour chicken soup intriguingly combines the flavors of pineapple and freshly toasted garlic, and the chao torn (shrimp wrapped around sugar cane andgrilled, then served with rice paper, fresh lettuce, and hoisinsauce) has become a local favorite. Just as tempting is a dailyspecial of roast quail, lacquered to a rich brown crispnessand accompanied by a simple dipping sauce of lemon juice,salt, and pepper that sets off the succulent meat perfectly.Other dishes on the menu are good, but less eliciting: the Imperial rolls are more interesting, at least, than most Chineseegg rolls, and the chicken in hot chili and lemon grass hasa pleasant curry-like flavor, though little sign of the vauntedSoutheast Asian herb thai the dish takes its name from. Thebeef with mixed noodles would be hard to distinguish froma run-of-the-mill Chinese stir-fry. 1731 Greenville Ave.828-9795- Inexpensive to moderate. -W.L.T.



MID-CITIES



D Revisits Jinbeh. The Japanese have had to learn how to cram lots of things into small spaces, and Jinbeh has profited from this knowledge. One restaurant-not very large,though attractively turned out with decorative touches likefancy Japanese dolls-houses hibachi tables, a sushi bar,tatami rooms, regular Westerm-style seating, and even acompact cocktail lounge. Japanese businessmen with dealings in Las Colinas lunch alongside groups of hip-lookingyoungsters. The businessmen go in for the authentic specialslike noodles and broiled fish: others favor airy shrimp tem-pura accompanied by fried yam slices, eggplant, greenpepper, and a tangle of mushrooms and sprouts. The sushiselection seems to be smaller than at other places with asushi bar, but the tuna, shrimp, and octopus varieties seemedimpeccably fresh. At dessert time there is ogura ice creamfor the adventuresome-the reddish brown beans give thesweet cream something of the color, and even the flavor, ofstrawberries. 301 E. Las Colinas Blvd., tiring. 869-4011.Moderate. -W.L.T.



FORT WORTH



D Revisits Bella Italia West. When divorce parted the couple that ran the popular Bella Italia, he started up a new venture that has much the same menu. The pastas on the menu come in large portions only, so we divided an order of fettuccine Carbonara between the two of us. Swimming in a creamy sauce, it turned out to be more like an Alfredo with little pieces of chopped onion and bacon in it than like the real Roman thing, but it was tasty enough. The specials sounded much more inspired than the main courses listed on the menu, so we went with two of them. Both were good, but be sure to inquire about prices before ordering something off the menu here-both were substantially higher than the listed main courses. The osso buco, thick sections of veal shank simmered with tomato and vegetables, had a much more authentic taste than other Metroplex versions we have tried, but despite the waiter’s assurance that it had been cooking all day, the meat was still not quite tender enough. The traditional saffron rice accompanied not only the osso buco. but also our other selection-thin slices of succulent venison in a deeply colored wine sauce. 5139 Camp Bowie. Fort Worth. (817) 738-1700. Moderate to expensive. -W.L.T.



RESTAURANTS

D RECOMMENDS



AFGHAN



Safi’s Afghan Cuisine. 14848 Inwood. Addison. 991-9292. Moderate.



BARBECUE



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

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

Baker’s Ribs. 7724 Commerce. 748-543.1. Inexpensive.

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

Bob Willy’s. 1933 Preston, Piano. 596-0903. Inexpensive to moderate.

Bubba’s Texas Bar B-Q. 4208 Live Oak. 821-7062. Inexpensive.

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

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

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

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.

Stubbs Barbecue. 3619 Greenville Ave. 828-4035. Inexpensive.

TNT Bar-B-Que. 2739 W. Northwest Hwy. 352-6666. Inexpensive.



BRITISH



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

Jennivine Culinary Centra. 3521 Oak Grove at Lemmon Ave. 528-4709. Inexpensive.

Lancashire Room. 127 E. Main St.. Lancaster. 218-9215. Inexpensive to moderate.



BURGERS



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

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

Chips. 4501 N. Central Expwy. 526-1092. 2445 W. Northwest Hwy.. Suite 101. 350-8751. 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 Belt Line. Addison. 960-2494. 1403 E. Campbell. Richardson. 480-0288. 2200 Walnut Hill at Story Ln. 255-6447. Inexpensive.

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

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



CAJUN



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

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

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

Louisiana Purchase. 2901 N. Central Expwy. at Parker Rd.. Plano. 422-2469. Inexpensive to mode rale.

Nate’s Seafood and Steakhouse. 14951 Midway Rd.. Addison. 701-9622. Moderate.



CHINESE



August Moon. 15030 Preston at 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.

Big Wong Chinese Restaurant. 5330 Belt Line. Addison. 991-7214. Moderate.

Cathy’s Wok. 4010 W. 15th. Suite 80. Plan a. 964-0406. Inexpensive.

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

Chu’s Restaurant. 15080 Beltway (off Belt Line between Addison and Midway Rds.). Addison. 387-1776. Moderate.

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

First Chinese B-B-Q. 111 S. Greenville Ave.. Richard-sun. 680-8216. Inexpensive.

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

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

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

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

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

Szechwan Pavilion. 8411 Preston. 3684303. Inexpensive to moderate.

Taiwan Restaurant. 4980 Belt Line. Addison. 387-2333. 6111 Greenville Ave. 369-8902. Moderate,

Tasty China. 3514-A W. Walnut. Garland. 276-1999. Inexpensive.

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

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

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

Uncle Tats Hunan Yuan. Galleria. 13350 Dallas Pkwy., Suite 3370. 934-9998. Expensive



ETHIOPIAN



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



FRENCH/CONTINENTAL



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

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

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

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

Jonathan’s. The Centrum. 3102 Oak Lawn. Suite 444. 520-8308. Moderate.

La Madeleine. 3072 W. Mockingbird. 696-6960. 3906 Lemmon. 521-0182. Inexpensive.

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

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

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

L’Entrecote. Loews Anatole Hotel. 2201 Stemmons Frwy. 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.

Waters. 1923 McKinney Ave. 720-0323. Moderate to expensive.

York St. 6047 Lewis St. (off Skillman at Live Oak) 826-0968. Moderate to expensive.



GERMAN/EASTERN EUROPEAN



Cafe Athenee. 5365 Spring Valley at Monitor!, Suite 150. 239-8060 Moderate.

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’I 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

Old Munich. 1100 N. Central Expwy. at Park Lane, Suite 117. 369-7737. Moderate.

GREEK



Athens Cafe. 5290 Belt Line. Suite 118. Addison. 991-9185. Inexpensive to moderate.

Crackers Restaurant. 2621 McKinney Ave. 671-7268. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

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

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



HOME COOKING



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

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

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

Fox Hunt Pub & Grill. Manor House, 1222 Commerce at Field. 748-6686. Inexpensive to 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. 300 Casa Linda Plaza at Garland Rd. 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 Daughters Diner. 2014 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. Marker 969-0310. Inexpensive.

Vice Versa. 6065 Sherry Ln. 691-2976, Inexpensive.



INDIAN



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

Ashoka. 5409 Belt Line, Prestonwood Creek Shopping Center. 960-0070. Moderate.

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

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

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

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

Sitar. 9560 Skillman, #104. 343-2063. Inexpensive to Moderate.

Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant. Caruth Plaza. 9100 N. Central Expwy . Suite 179. 692-0535. 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. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

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

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

Capriccio. 2616 Maple. 871-2004. Expensive.

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

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

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

II Sorrento. S616 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

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

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

Pasticcio’s. 4527 Travis St. 528-66%. Moderate.

Patrizio. 25 Highland Park Shopping Village. 522-7878. Inexpensive.

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. Inexpensive 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.



JAPANESE



Fuji-Ya. 13050 Coil. 690-8396. Inexpensive to moderale.

Hana Japanese Restaurant. 14865 Inwood. 991-8322. Moderate Hibachi-Ya Japanese Restaurant. 3850 W Northwest Hwy., Suite 510. 350-1110. Inexpensive.

Kobe Steaks. Quorum Plaza, 5000 Belt Line. Suite 600. 934-8150. Moderate to expensive.

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

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

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

Shogun of Japan. 5738 Cedar Springs. 351-2281. Moderate

Sushi On McKinney. 4500 McKinney Ave. 521-0969. Moderate.



KOREAN



Korea Hometown. 10560 Walnut. Suite 200. 272-9909. Inexpensive

Korea House. 2598 Royal Ln. at Harry Hines. 243-0434. Inexpensive.

Koreana. Highpoint Village. 12101 Greenville Ave.. #107. 437-1211. Inexpensive to moderate.



MEDITERRANEAN



Adeline’s. 4537 Cole. 559-0325. Moderate to expensive.

Monte Carlo. 15201 Dallas Pkwy.. in the Grand Kempin-ski Dallas Hotel. 386-6000. Expensive.



MEXICAN



Anita’s Cantina. 7324 Gascon. #319. 32S-9639. Inexpensive.

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

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

Casa Dominguez. 2177 Cedar Springs. 742-4945. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Desperados. 4818 Greenville Ave. and University. 363-1850. Inexpensive to moderate.

Don Enrique’s Mexican Cuisine. 3010 N. Henderson. 828-2014. Inexpensive to moderate.

Emmilia’s. 2001 Greenville Ave. 826-6087. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

Javier’s. 4912 Cole. 521-4211. Expensive.

J. Pepe’s. 2800 Routh St.. Suite 115. 871-0366. Inexpensive to moderate.

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

La Supreme Tortilieria. 7630 Military Pkwy. 388-1244. Inexpensive.

Loma Luna Cafe. 4131 Lomo Alto. 559-4011. Moderate.Mario A Alberto. LBJ Frwy. at Preston, Suite 425. 980-7296 Moderate.

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

The Martinez Cafe. 3011 Routh St. 855-0240. 1900 Preston (Preston Park Village), Plano. 964-7898. Inexpensive.

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. Moderate.

Pappasitos. 723 S. Central Expwy., Richardson. 480-8595. Moderate.

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

Rancho Martinez Mexican Restaurant. 7726 Ferguson Rd. 328-5797. Inexpensive to moderate.

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, Coil and Belt Line. Richardson. 235-5447. Moderate.

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



MIDDLE EASTERN



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



NATURAL



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

Drum Cafe. 2800 Rouch St. in the Quadrangle. Suite 170. 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.

The Buffalo Club. 2723 Elm St. 748-2400. Moderate to expensive.

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

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

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.

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.

Landmark Cafe. Omni Melrose Hotel, 3015 Oak Lawn. 522-1453. Expensive.

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

The Mansion on Turtle Creek. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. 526-2121. Very expensive.

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

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

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

Pyramid Room. 1717 N. Akard in the Fairmont Hotel. 720-5249. Expensive.

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

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

Zeke’s Grill. 2615 Commerce St. 748-6354. Inexpensive to moderate.



SEAFOOD



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

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

Cafe Pacific. 24 Highland Park Village. Preston at Mockingbird. 526-1170. Expensive.

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

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

Louie’s Backyard. 2221 Abrams at Belmont. 823-2910. Inexpensive.

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

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

Red’s Seafood. 7402 Greenville Ave. at Pineland. 363-3896. Moderate.

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

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



SOUTHWESTERN



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

Blue Mesa Grill. Village on the Parkway. 5100 Belt Line at Dallas Pkwy.. Suite 500, Addison. 934-0165. Inexpensive to moderate.

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



SPANISH



Cafe Madrid. 4501 Travis St. 528-1731. 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.

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

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

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



TAKEOUT/DELl



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

Another Roadside Attraction. 2712 Elm St. 761-9135. Inexpensive.

Bagel Emporium. 7522 Campbell Rd., Suite 117. 980-1444. Inexpensive.

Bagelstein’s. Northwood Hills Shopping Center. 8104 Spring Valley. 234-3787. Inexpensive to moderate.

City Market. 2001 Ross, TrammelI Crow Center. Suite 200.979-2696. Inexpensive.

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

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. Inexpensive to moderate.

Pollo Bueno. 3438 Samuell Blvd. 828-0645. Inexpensive.

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

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



THAI



Bangkok Cafe, 2112 E. Arapaho at Jupiter. 644-9405. Inexpensive.

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

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

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

Thai Taste. 4501! Cole Ave. 521-3513. Inexpensive to moderate.

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



VIETNAMESE



Ba Le. 4812 Bryan. 821-1880. Inexpensive.

East Wind. 2711 Elm St. 745-5554. Inexpensive to moderate.

Mai’s. 4812 Bryan. 826-9837. Inexpensive.

Mekong. 4301 Bryan. 824-6200. Inexpensive.

My Tho. 4413 W. Walnut. Suite 315. Garland. 494-3963. Inexpensive.



LAS COLINAS/MID CITIES



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

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

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

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

Hana Sho. (Japanese) 2938 N. Bell Line. Irving. 258-0250. Moderate.

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

Tandoor. (Indian) 532 Fielder North Plaza. Arlington. (817)261-6604. Moderate.

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



PORT WORTH



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

Chas. Kincaid Grocery Co. (Burgers) 4901 Camp Bowie. (817) 732-2881. Inexpensive.

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

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

La Maree. (New American) 3416 W. Seventh. (817) 877-0838. Inexpensive.

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

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

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

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

Tuscany. (Italian) 4255 Camp Bowie Blvd. (817) 737-2971.

Moderate to expensive.