Pat’s Pick
Riccardi’s
Riccardi’s
It’s the Sistine Chapel wallpaper on the walls and ceiling of the entry that clues you in: “Hip” Riccardi’s is not. The Dallas establishment may be new, but its heart belongs to an earlier time—when restaurants looked like dining rooms, not stage sets; when waiters didn’t try to be your new best friend; and when nothing on the menu was so exotic that you wondered if it was, in fact, edible. Executive chef Michael Scholz’s strength is the precise execution of classic dishes, like my lunchtime veal Marsala: ever-so-slightly-chewy slices of veal napped with a nicely balanced, lightly sweet, smooth-as-glass sauce. Red snapper Francesce came in a reassuringly traditional blend of butter, lemon, and white wine; by today’s standards, the fish was a bit overcooked, but it was just right if the thought of medium-rare fish makes you squirm. On the other hand, each piece of seafood in my multi-cheese Mediterranean-style risotto was perfect, especially the sybaritic scallops. Riccardi’s will never be mistaken for cool or cutting-edge, but if I had a rich uncle whose favorite niece I wanted to be, this is where I would take him for dinner. PATRICIA SHARPE
Liquid Assets
Cool Quaff
If any drink is identified with the Fourth of July, it’s lemonade. And the best “lemonade” in Texas comes from famously quirky Houston Mexican restaurant Irma’s. This rustic pink refresher is made from fresh fruit— just about every variety in the universe—and while owner Irma N. Galvan’s exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret, she does reveal that it calls for watermelon juice blended with lemon, pineapple, strawberry, cantaloupe, grape, orange, and lime, plus guava, papaya, mango, and honeydew. The flavor is both sublimely tropical and strikingly sweet. As Irma says: “When life gives you extra fruit, make lemonade—every day!” Robin Barr Sussman
Our Approximation of Irma’s Fresh Fruit Lemonade
3 cups watermelon
1 cup pineapple
1 cup strawberries
1 cup cantaloupe
1 cup green or red grapes
3⁄4 cup orange juice (1 large orange)
1⁄2 to 1 cup lemon, lime, or
Mexican lime juice
1⁄2 to 1 cup sugar to taste
Cut fruit into roughly bite-size pieces, then blend each separately with an equal amount of water (strain the pineapple, cantaloupe, and grape juices to make them a bit less cloudy).
Add orange and lemon or lime juices. Add sugar (dissolve it first in a little hot water to reduce stirring time). Add a drop or two of red food coloring if you like, and chill. Feel free to substitute any favorite fruit, and cut some up to float in the lemonade. Makes about 10 cups.
Easier still, just order it to go ($6.50 a half gallon) from Irma's, 22 N. Chenevert, Houston (713-222-0767). 
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