FOOD & DRINK

FOOD BUSINESS

Mystery Eater Strikes Again

THE BEST AND WORST PARTS OF Richard Pollak’s job are one and the same-“all the eating and drinking you have to do. ” But it’s hard to dredge up any pity for Pollak. He gets paid to wine and dine at such places as Morton’s and Lombardi’s. Then he gets paid to complain about it.

Call him a mystery shopper, a hired belly. Fork not clean? Beer not quite cold enough? He’s taking notes and naming names in a detailed report he’ll turn in within 48 hours. That is, unless he spots something really wrong, like this all-too-common ploy-a waiter gives you a brunch ticket for another party who’s already paid and left, while he pockets your ticket and your money. Zip, Pollak’s calling an 800 number for an immediate bust.

Pollak started out in marketing management for Burger King, where he ran that company’s mystery shopper program. Now he does the spying himself for marketing companies, averaging six to eight paid restaurant visits a month. Pollak takes surreptitious notes, never identifies himself and doesn’t miss a trick. He’ll sit in the bar area for an hour and a half, watching to see if the bartender rings up each drink, counting how many seconds per shot poured.

His favorite moment on a bar-stool? Eavesdropping on the two managers sitting next to him who are tossing down a couple of drinks on company time. Their conversation? Wouldn’t it be funny if they were spied right then by a mystery shopper? Bingo!

-Suzanne Hough



HOME COOKING

THIS KITCHEN BELONGS TO…

These days young professionals want to know more than just their way to the microwave. They want nothing less than to master their kitchen domain according to Devonia Smith of Fun-Ed. Smith attributes the popularity of such Fun-Ed cooking classes as Tamale Fiesta, Adventures in Low-Fat Tex-Mex Cookin’, Gourmet Express and Basic Cook- ing to a “trend toward ’power cooking.’…If some-one is clueless in the kitchen, they’re trying to overcome the feeling of being powerless and gain control over the . kitchen environment”

-Jennifer Mckenzie

GRAPEVINE

Wine 101: Avoiding Chateau Dreck

FEW RITUALS ARE MORE STEEPED in pretentious, intimidating etiquette than ordering wine in a restaurant. Take heart; it’s possible to get through the ordeal without permanent psychological damage.

The ritual begins with the presentation of the wine list. If you are unsure of what to order, ask the wait-er or wine steward for suggestions. Mention wines you’ve enjoyed in the past, as well as descriptions such as “light” or “full-bodied” to guide the waiter’s recommendations. And don’t be afraid to suggest a price range.

When the waiter presents your selection, examine the label to make sure it conforms to what you ordered. The waiter will then open the wine and offer you the cork, not for sniffing, but for checking the brand imprinted on the side. This exercise became a part of the ritual around the turn of the century when a devastating vine disease caused a severe shortage of fine European wines and many restaurateurs were not above pasting famous labels on bottles of Chateau Dreck.

Next, the waiter will pour you a tiny amount so you can check color, aroma and taste. Once you indicate the wine is acceptable, the waiter will serve the guests at your table and fill your glass last.

It is extremely rare to get a bottle of spoiled (musty or vinegary) wine, but if you do, send it back. Policies concerning rejected wine vary among restaurants. However, it’s generally not acceptable to return an otherwise sound wine that falls short of your expectations-especially after you’ve “examined” a glass or two.

-Mark Stuertz

AMBIENCE

Rooms With a View

CONFESS IT-IN THIS CITY OF glass towers, you thought any list of arresting dining vistas would lead off with skylines. Granted, Antares revolves to scan our whole world, and Laurels overlooks miles to downtown. But in these area restaurants, there’s more to the view than meets the sky:



●DAKOTA’S. You’re underground, so what’s to see? Try an atrium waterfall, spilling crystalline lace down random rocks to a woodsy pool 600 N. Akard St.

●GREEN ROOM. The second-floor roof affords a uniquely Deep Ellum encounter with downtown-not a distant silhouette, but a lover’s look, up close and intimate. 2715 Elm St.

●THE MANSION. The glass-walled veranda may be considered outcast seating by the cognoscenti, but through those glass walls one sees a gracefully landscaped courtyard that speaks of Old World luxe more eloquently than banquettes ever could. Better for personal conversation, too. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd

●MUSTANG CAFE. Where else can you witness a stampede of wild horses with your appetizer? Sculptor Robert Glenn’s pulse-quickening ponies impart mainevent significance to dining here. 5205 N. O’Connor Blvd., Irving.

●CACHAREL. Observed any good tribal rituals lately? Here, from a suave French restaurant nine floors up, you can view the seasonally changing panorama of Six Flags and The Ballpark at Arlington with remarkable clarity. 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington.

●NANA GRILL. A spectacular skyline view-but turn from it, please, to meet the gaze of the enigmatic nude reclining above the bar. Artist Gospodin Marcel Gavriel Suchorowsky spent three years capturing Nana’s eternally lush curves and pearly skin tones on canvas. And while you may look away, she won’t: Since 1881, the lady’s eyes have followed anyone who can see her. Which, you’ll admit, pretty well marks voyeurs as more viewees than viewers. In the Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stem-mom Fwy. -Betty Cook

RESTAURANTS

SERIOUS RESERVATIONS

You’d have a better chance of winning the Lotto than you would getting a same-day reservation at Star Canyon, but at least with the lottery they tell you the probability in advance. Here are a couple of clues for figuring your reservations odds: The more time a restaurant “holds” for each reservation, and the higher the percentage of total seats reserved, the less chance you have of getting a seat without a lengthy advance time. So, Star Canyon reserves 100 percent of its seats, while allowing two and a half hours per table of diners. But Mart’s No Place reserves only 60 percent of its seats, allows 40 percent for walk-ins, and allocates an hour and a half for each reservation. Factor in Star Canyon’s hot-shot popularity and the result is you can get a reservation at No Place the same day you call, while you have to wait six to eight weeks to get into Star Canyon. – JM

FAVORITES

Blue’ Plate Specials



FOUR STARS? MAYBE NOT, but four patrol cars may be a sign of generous portions, quick service-and safety. Some favorite restaurants with local police officers:



ARLINGTON:

●ARC-EN-CIEL, 2208 New York Ave.

●BIGOTE’S, 1821 E. Abram St.

●STAGECOACH BAR-B-Q, 2100 S.Collins



DALLAS:

●BROWNIE’S RESTAURANT, 5519 E.Grand Ave.

●CINDY’S DELI AND RESTAURANT, 11111 Central Expwy.

●DIXIE HOUSE LAKEWOOD, 6400 Gast

SAL’S PIZZA, 2525 Wycliff



FORT WORTH:

CAMPO VERDE, 7108Weatherford Hw

●MASSEY’S, 1805 8th Ave.

●RIVER OAK STEAKHOUSE, 4335 River Oak Blvd.



PARK CITIES:

●CHIP’S, 4530 Lovers Ln.

●Kuby’s Sausage House, 6601 Snider Plaza



PLANO:

●China Sun, 141 W. Spring Creek Pkwy.

●El Paso Cantina, 1320 Central Expwy.

-Adrienne Ciletti