(From May 2012)

The Bistro’s latest proprietors, Barbara Canales and Doug Allison, have, as promised, kept the best of the old and added some new to this ambitious South Texas version of a French neighborhood eatery. The regular menu still offers impressive variety, and now daily seafood specials make ordering even more challenging. We enjoyed a perfectly grilled blue snapper filet served with white beans and broccolini and a grouper filet baked with a roasted-tomato sauce (a bit dry but saved somewhat by excellent creamed spinach). Consider sharing a cheese platter; our Spanish manchego and soft California goat cheese came with crisp crostini and a selection of fruit. A row of palm trees wrapped in blue lights is a nice touch. Bar.

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(From May 2012)

The atmosphere is less formal than that of its Alamo Heights sibling (especially if you eat in “Freddy’s Bar”), but you’ll still find the excellent, French-accented Asian and European dishes that owner Frederick Costa is known for. Looking for something healthy? Mahimahi (or another fresh catch) comes in a light saffron broth, along with a veritable alphabet soup of vegetables, from artichoke to zucchini. Crisp-fried, rice-paper-wrapped spring rolls, served with fresh mint, cilantro, and a spicy dipping sauce, are a treat any time of day. Pizzas, too, with imaginative combinations: the duck, shiitake mushroom, and creamy leek is a favorite. Bar.

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(From May 2012)

Chef Jacques Fox sauntered over to talk about the food as we were seated along the halfmoon stainless steel counter surrounding his kitchen in this handsome new restaurant. Yes, we liked the fresh scallops resting in lobster cappucinno and the silky foie gras over thin slices of poached pear. Equally fine, we reported, was a juicy, tender, black-pepper-crused beef tenderloin, lavished with a green pappercorn sauce and sided with potatoes and buttery haricots verts. All in all, an auspicious first meeting. Bar.

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(From January 2011)

The serenity of the elegant room is alone worth the price of the excellent food. Picture a lovely sweet-potato agnolotti with black truffles, beurre noisette, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, the taste as luxe as the presentation. Beautifully seared scallops came atop smoked-tomato polenta with a small portion of pancetta-sprinkled brussels sprouts. As for dessert, a so-called apple napoleon turned out to be an unexpected multipart creation consisting of an apple fritter, ricotta mousse, and spiced caramel anglaise. Bar.

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(From May 2012)

Restaurants used to pair duck’s robustness against a sweet orange or cherry sauce, but to- day’s chefs are more inventive; here, the slightly sweet, bright tartness of rhubarb combined with a hearty brown sauce to elevate duck breast to enormously good effect. Wild rice and endive on the side complemented the combo further. Similarly rewarding were flavorful sweetbreads with a light, crisp breading. Appetizers of curry crawfish soup (served lukewarm) and a disappointingly flavorless onion-Brie tart couldn’t compete with the main courses in this convincingly authentic French bistro. Beer & wine.

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(From February 2012)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. In the case of Mirabelle, the changes come in the form of new owners, a new chef, and an authentically French menu, while the friendly service and warm neighborhood vibe remain. Duck rillettes pleased us more in taste than in presentation, but butter leaf lettuce with an herbed vinaigrette achieved both eye and palate appeal. Classic trout meunière hit the right notes (citrusy, savory, and buttery), and a merguez sausage sandwich with crispy french fries made a lasting impression. We swooned over a chocolate custard tart sprinkled with sea salt and an apple galette served with brown butter ice cream. Beer & wine.

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(From May 2012)

BL Bistro has thrived since becoming the sole project of chef-owners Lizzie and Brian Mason. The recent expansion has given the swank bistro a larger dining room and a lively water hole, while the menu remains an eclectic mix of pastas, seafood, and steaks. Be sure to check for specials that feature freshly sourced seasonal items. On a spring evening we enjoyed veal scallopini, the tender cutlet lightly seared, brightened with a wine-caper sauce, and plated with warm ratatouille, and a rich salmon filet glazed with an acidic soy-ponzu sauce and cooked perfectly. The crisp, vibrant vegetables on the side reminded us of the joys of warm weather. Attentive servers are helpful with menu and wine parings. Bar. 

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Photograph by Debora Smail

(From January 2012)

Wildly popular, this long, lean entry into the hottest restaurant sweepstakes has its detractors (mainly for the noise level and inconsistencies in food and service). All we can say is that we’ve not encountered those problems. We were utterly happy with chèvre ravioli atop warm little beets and seared diver scallops accompanied by a pea-fennel purée. And we are eager to go back for grilled wild salmon with asparagus and peaches, as well as for the big-fisted steak au poivre with spaetzle. Bar.

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(From January 2011) Our go-to spot for French comfort food, Max & Julie does a fine steak au poivre with a cone of crisp fries. The kitchen is equally adept with Boeuf à la Wayne, four pieces of grilled steak on a skewer with a choice of dipping sauces (béarnaise and peppercorn are our faves). Of course, we also like the thick salmon, grilled medium-rare, with a side of both wild and tame mushrooms. And we love to share the huge goat cheese salad and a nice wine while enjoying the pretty, wood-trimmed interior. If weather permits, a seat on the outdoor patio is de rigueur. Beer & wine.

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(From March 2012)

Talk about a bottle rocket. Young Matt McCallister’s career has certainly taken off like one. After learning the ropes at Stephan Pyles, he is now consulting chef at this eclectic, mostly Mediterranean spot in Oak Cliff. The contemporary remodeled bungalow is dishing up starters like ethereal fried baby artichokes and itsy Barnstable oysters in an elderflower-vinegar mignonette. Some complicated efforts, like the Italian starter “rabbit in porchetta” (think confit of rabbit wrapped and rolled in its own lean meat), come off attractive but bland. Not so the nearly airborne gnocchi in Gorgonzola-walnut sauce (a tad pasty), nor the top two of several entrées sampled, seared, hay-smoked scallops and meltingly tender pork jowl on soft, confit-enriched polenta. Bar.

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