(From June 2011) Goodbye, Cuba Libre. Hello, Alma. Chef Mi-chael Brown (formerly with Red O, in Los An-geles, whose menu was designed by Mexican food guru Rick Bayless) has hit the ground running with fare that eschews Tex-Mex for interior specialties. That’s why you’ll find attention paid to salads, like the ensalada del chef, Boston lettuce and avocado in a light cilantro vinaigrette. Meats are a strong point, especially the cochinita pibil: pork shank marinated with achiote and orange juice and slow-baked to perfection. The lamb shank—rubbed with pasilla chile—melds beau-tifully with the light char from the grill. Although extremely underdone chicken in a lackluster Oaxacan mole needed a makeover, we forgot all about it upon the arrival of the goat cheese cheesecake with a bright, aro-matic hoja santa sauce. Bar.

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(From July 2011)

Here’s another slick trick from the RDG group, with tile floors, banquettes in sea blue, and a view of the Kirby Drive treetops. Small appetizers include steamed clams, snappy with a flurry of quick-sautéed fennel and parsley; larger dishes feature a rich shrimp-and-shell-pasta number slathered thick with tomato cream sauce, red chile slivers, and butterflied crustaceans. Tasty thin pizzas proved inconsistently crispy, though we got a winner with a speck, onion, and arugula combo, a great mix of savory, smoky, sweet, and bitter tastes. Bar. 

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(From January 2011) Everything’s made from scratch at this unpretentious local cafe. The chicken-fried steak earns its reputation with thick, tender, well-seasoned beef in a hearty crust, and the hand-cut steaks are deliciously cooked to order and bargain priced. Friday night’s seafood buffet is heavy on the fried stuff, but the Southwestern salmon is flavorful and fresh. Sides include outstanding yeasty dinner rolls and country-style veggies; the green beans simmered with bacon are wickedly good. Skip the peach pie and have a slice of the decadent Jefferson Davis coconut custard topped with pecans. Beer & wine.

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(From November 2011)

Open for 30-odd years, this Deep Ellum institution, with its long brick-walled room and probably original pressed tin ceiling, has piled up the accolades. And after wolfing down chicken-fried chicken strips (absolutely nothing like chicken nuggets) with homemade cream gravy, we understand why that dish is a local favorite. And friends swear that the namesake Angry Dog, a grilled beef kosher dog piled high with chili, cheddar, and grilled onions, is pretty close to heaven. Bar. 

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(From November 2010) Named for the matriarch who perfected these authentic Mexican food dishes, this restaurant has quickly become a local favorite. The decor is fun, the service quick, and the food hot. We chose the picadillo, a delicious stew of spiced ground beef mixed with onions and large chunks of potatoes, served with rice and beans. We also liked the carne guisada, with its rich, slightly spicy sauce. Both came with fresh flour tortillas. A nearby diner proclaimed the food four-star worthy.

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(From June 2011) We found a table for two in the back of this airy downtown space, then sipped some pinot grigio, taking in the lively scene up front by the bar. The Market Slaw—shaved fennel, apples, and spring vegetables plus frisée and endive in an overdose of buttermilk dressing—didn’t impress, but the moules, mus-sels in white wine with chorizo, took us back to a lovely lunch in Saint-Malo many summers ago. A bowl of French onion soup satisfied our companion, while we noshed on ultra-crisp pommes frites and a perfectly cooked steak drizzled with heavenly béarnaise. We left as the band was warming up, de-termined to plan our next trip abroad. Bar.

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(From August 2011)

Lobster et Fromage sounded not only uptown but irresistible, so we ordered fresh-squeezed orange juice and read our paper until the platter arrived. The gigantic omelet came brimming with cream cheese, garlic-sautéed Maine lobster, and diced tomatoes, all topped with Brie and a champagne cream sauce. To boot, there were diced potatoes and a crisp English muffin. That fine breakfast pretty much guaranteed a future return to this bright, sunny Louisiana import. 

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(From March 2011) Downsizing your diet often means tasteless morsels that leave you with a hankering for . . . well, more of anything else. Fortunately this smallish eatery offers reduced portions that are substantial in flavor. In addition to a number of vegetarian options, like steamed edamame, we like the cheerful mains, like the delicately grilled salmon teased with a hint of citrus-cilantro sauce and framed by crisp spears of asparagus. Tucked into a whole wheat wrap, turkey gets cozy with organic greens splashed with a tantalizing house salsa (it banishes the bland). At meal’s end, we like to linger with a cup of hot tea and a slice of the mango cheesecake, dense in flavor, light on calories.

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(From November 2011)

Precise rows of apple trees angle away from the highway, inviting you into a scene straight from Robert Frost. Inside the A-frame is nothing fancy, just mismatched tables and a lunch buffet with items you would enjoy at a homey Sunday dinner. Hearty chunks of white meat and moist dumplings in a savory broth will send you back for seconds of the chicken and dumplings. The beef stew and cornbread are equally filling. The tangy dressing on the pea salad made it our surprising favorite. Finish with a flaky apple turnover or apple puff. Don’t forget a jar of Dutch apple preserves or the apple festival in September.

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(From May 2011)

The red-and-white tablecloths, murals of country scenes, and friendly servers at Apple Tree make for a cozy, farm-house atmosphere. The tortilla soup, brimming with vegetables and chicken, is light but filling, especially paired with half a sandwich. Apple Tree blends tangy mayonnaise, pickles, and pineapple into its chicken salad and serves it on thick-sliced fresh bread. There’s also an assortment of Mexican dishes, including an enormous burrito, stuffed with beef and beans and topped with creamy enchilada sauce. Breakfast is good too, particularly the baked goods: The pretty Bavarian cream turnover was our favorite—flaky and just rich enough.

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