Lambert's - Austin, TX

Wednesday.

6:43pm.

Lower level bar at Lambert's.

Cheeseburger and Waffle Fries

$5

Modelo Especial in a Can

$1

Total Bill with Tax

$6.41

Conversation with the Lunatic Next to You

Priceless

See prior Lambert's posts for the summary

Perla's - Austin, TX

I love this place.

Great seafood.  Great raw bar.  Great bar.  Great cocktails.  Great outdoor seating.  Great place for dinner.

Now, with a thesaurus...

Great seafood.  Splendiferous raw bar.  Swell bar.  Hunky-dory cocktails.  Marvelous outdoor seating.  Fabulous place for dinner.

In the second half of 2010 (2H2010 for you corporate folks) when I was commuting to Austin weekly and staying with friends down off of South Congress, I frequented this place for dinner quite a bit whenever I was feeling like seafood or a relatively healthy meal.  Also, it's a fantastic place to have a solo dinner, with a spacious bar, knowledgeable bartenders, and other solo diners sitting at the bar ready to have a conversation.

The menu is huge, comprised almost entirely of seafood, split up into sections for the raw bar, which features no less than twelve different types of oysters on the half shell, appetizers, salads and soups, simple a la carte fish, seafood and non-seafood plates, sandwiches, and sides.  The bartenders and waiters can tell you anything and everything about everything on the menu, and can help to get you the right meal for you.

My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo and I hit up Perla's for an early dinner last night for some drinks and some food to share, which is a great way to experience this place as it allows you to try several things.  We arrived right around 5:30pm, which was clearly too late to get a table outside on this fantastic day, but in time to get $0.50 off oysters (each one) and some discounted drinks at their happy hour.  I'd say there are twenty or more tables outside underneath the shade of awnings and a massive oak, and in addition is an outdoor "bar" to sit at, not an actual bar but a long, skinny concrete table which is perfect for bellying up, be you flying solo or on a date.  So with the outside packed, we found two spots at the bar inside, which is my favorite place to sit for a meal here.

We started with some oysters on the half shell, and after talking with the bartender about the various oysters on the menu, decided on the Salutation Cove Oysters from Prince Edward Island.  Shucked at the bar and served on a bed of crushed ice with a couple of lemon wedges, these were medium sized, slightly briny though not as salty as those from the northeast, and very good.  They serve them with sides of cocktail sauce, horseradish, and vinegar/onion mignonette, all perfect complements and perfect acidity to cut through the oysters.

From the oysters we moved on to the Salt and Jalapeno Pepper Fried Calamari with Green Sauce and Marinara, which is one of the better renditions of fried calamari I've had.  Not greasy at all, the rings and tentacles come out dry and crispy on the outside, plump and perfectly tender on the inside, and are mixed together with fried strips of mild peppers and okra.  Both sauces are excellent, with the green sauce being a simple, smooth and creamy salsa verde with an adequate amount of heat, and the marinara being homemade with chunks of tomato and onion, served warm.

Our raw and deep fried boxes checked, we moved over to the Fresh & Simple Market Seafood section and debated between the steamed North Atlantic halibut, the pan roasted Texas coast grouper, and halibut cheeks, which were littered amongst eight to ten other simply prepared fish selections.  Just for the halibut, we went for the halibut cheeks with a side of potato griddle cakes.

Let me start with the griddle cakes.  These things are fantastic.  Very thinly shredded potatoes, presumably with egg, cream, and mild seasoning, formed into one inch thick patties and fried before being topped with sour cream and chives.  Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside with just a hint of tooth from the potatoes.  I strongly recommend this as a side to whatever you're having.

On to the halibut, and first an educations.  These beauties are halibut cheeks:

They cut them out of this ugly sucker, pan roast these delicate morsels, resulting in a paper-thin, lightly browned and crispy crust, and a tender, mildly flavored, and incredibly delicate interior.  With these simple preparations, you get a broiled lemon for squeezing, an herbed breadcrumb stuffed roma tomato, and a choice of garlic drawn butter, salsa verde, red chimichurri or homemade tartar as a sauce.  I highly recommend the red chimichurri, a take on the standard South American condiment based on oil, herbs and garlic, with this one adding what tasted like oven dried tomatoes, lending a great sweetness to the dish.  It's incredible, and a perfect sauce for the fish, though it can stand on its own just fine.

As I have a tendency to do, I'm going to digress.  I've had fat cheeks my whole life.  Growing up I was sent to the principal's office on more than one occasion for dipping in class, which I wasn't.  I've been asked by cigar store employees what brand I'm chewing, which I also wasn't.  But my favorite story comes after a late night of drinking, and a even later night of food poisoning.  We had this tiny diner that we'd go to after the bars in school called the Pitt Grill, next to the Days Inn (that reminds me, what does La Quinta mean in English?  mull it over, we'll get back to it), which was run by a massive and generally angry lady who would let us get behind the counter and do what we pleased with the griddle, the stove, the deep fryer and the toaster, leading us to some awesome late night meals and second degree burns before turning in for the night.  On one such occasion they had just gotten in a batch of spoiled eggs, which we only found out a few hours later when my roommate and I both woke up in cold sweats with our bodies doing everything in their power to expel the tainted goods.  After spending most of the night on the bathroom floor waiting for the health center to open up, we finally made it over to see the doctor.  While my roommate vomited continuously in the waiting area, I went in to see the doctor, an old army doctor who must of at some point taken some shrapnel to the head, and explained what happened, citing specifically the undercooked and underrefrigerated eggs, my symptoms as well as my roommates, and that I've had food poisoning before.  After a careful study of my body and head, this genius put his hand to his chin and this thinking cap on, thought about it for two or three minutes before informing me that nope, I didn't have food poisoning, I had a full on case of the mumps.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked.  "Why the hell do you think I have the mumps?  My roommate ate the same thing as me last night and is out in the hall vomiting right now."

His answer was simple.  "Your cheeks have very serious swelling."

(I digress from my digression here.  Answer:  nexttodennys.  YEAH!  I'll be here all week, folks.)

Anyway I asked for a mirror, took a look at him, and informed him that's how I looked every morning when I wake up and look in the mirror, but he didn't believe me and asked if he could call my roommate in from the hallway to attest, which he did.  As soon as he asked the question about my cheeks, my roommate looked at me as if to say, "is this guy for real", then vomited in the trash can he brought in with him from the hallway, then said "yeah, his cheeks look like that all the time", and then vomited again.

What could the doctor do at that point but offer a second opinion?  "OK, you have food poisoning."

Thanks.  True story.  Don't get me started on health care overhaul.

Anyway, all that said, here's my best halibut impression.

Did that ruin your day?

Summary

Atmosphere:  casual/trendy fish house and raw bar, great bar to sit at, great cocktails, great people watching, great if you're flying solo, fantastic outdoor seating and lots of it, outdoor "bar" to sit at, great place for a date, great place for a group

Food:  seafood, some of the very best in town

Dog Friendly:  indeed

When to Go:  happy hour, dinner

Crowd:  businessmen, 20somethings, 30somethings, tourists, hotchicks, groups of girls, groups of guys, groups of girls and guys, scantily clads, solo diners, seafood lovers

What to Order for the First Timer:  oysters on the half shell, whatever pan roasted white fish they have with red chimichurri, griddle cakes

South Congress Cafe - Austin, TX

Who likes short shorts?

I do, I do.

But that has zero bearing and nothing to do with this review, terribly that just happens to be the song that's stuck in my head right now.  Not sure what I did to deserve this.

South Congress Cafe

This is a place on my "must go to" list for anyone going to Austin for short visit, particularly for a weekend.  Specialties:  dinner and brunch.  This place embodies Austin culture in a nice, clean setting better than anyplace in town, and with more than just the food.  A funky little spot on the continually growing South Congress strip, it offers a true taste of Austin featuring game, southwestern fare, and innovative creations with bold flavors.  It's also a fantastic place to belly up to the bar and have a drink and a meal.  AND, don't quote me on this because I'm not sure if it's still true, but if you sit at the bar, it's 20% off.  I'm not sure there is a better place in town for a morning after a long night for a bloody mary and some grub.

Let me start with brunch, because that's where I found myself on Saturday morning.  First off, YOU WILL WAIT for a table, but maximize it.  My recommendation is to pack yourself into the bar area and start with a bloody mary, or a beer, or a poison of your choosing.  It's tight, but there are seats for waiting around the bar area which you can snag if you're lucky.  On a nice day, if you don't feel like starting with booze before food, sit outside and watch all of the people, it's some of the best people watching you'll find in the city, with all walks of life, or stroll up and down and stop in the shops and outdoor stands filled with funky art, furniture, vintage clothing, costumes, and all sorts of crap you don't need.

So, the brunch menu features all sorts of incredible entrees ranging from breakfast to lunch to dinner to appetizers.  I'd recommend starting with some chips and salsa or queso as well as the prosciutto wrapped quail while you figure out what to order.  The breakfast options lean toward the savory, and include three to four omelets, three to four different benedicts, a smoked briskey hash, and the standard Mexican migas, and the lunch-type options range from burgers to venison meatloaf to fish.

I opted for the Italian omelet on this most recent trip, after a really tall bloody mary garnished with celery, olives, and a pepperocini.  The omelet was a fluffy egg disk stuffed with wild boar Italian sausage, a spicy pepper and onion mix, fresco, panela and asadero cheese, and was topped with a creamy tomato gorgonzola sauce, which was incredible.  Awesome combination of flavors, very savory, and served with a smoked gouda potato pancake with a dollop of sour cream, which is worth ordering in and of itself.

On the dinner side, I particularly like the mesquite smoked pork chop, the jalapeno-venison meatloaf, and most of all the barbecued quail, which is served on a bed of goat cheese bacon grits.  Yeah, that's right.  Goat cheese and bacon.  But choose what sounds good to you, as the menu is a great mix of steaks, pasta, and seafood, all of which are no doubt flavorful and well prepared.

This is one of my favorite spots to hit up if I'm looking for a good, casual dinner and am by myself.  It's the kind of bar you sit at, and will have conversations not only with the friendly staff, but with the locals as well who are also bellied up.  As I said from the get go, a must stop to experience Austin on a short trip for a short trip.

Summary

Atmosphere:  truly Austin, funky, great bar to sit at, fantastic place for a weekend brunch, good for groups, great if you're flying solo, great people-watching, nice place to take a date or meet a friend, great spot for meeting new people

Food:  southwestern, game, meats and seafoods

Dog Friendly:  no

Best Time to Go:  weekend brunch, dinner

Crowd:  eclectic, 20somethings, 30somethings, hotchicks, hipsters, beatniks, artists, musicians, loners, hangovers

What to Order for the First Timer:  quail

Lambert's - Austin, TX

I'm normally a happy hour guy here, because it's one of the best deals in Austin, but on Friday, a friend of mine was in town so we ventured over there shortly after the happy hour for a dinner off the regular menu, which thinking back on, I've never done.   

We started with the roasted green chile queso while we perused the menu, and while it was good, it congealed quickly and became almost paste-like.  While that may cause problems with your average tortilla chip, not here.  Theirs are thick and deep fried, and have a great crunch as well as the necessary strength to cut the cheese, just like me.  Despite its moniker, there wasn't a lot of flavor in the queso outside of the cheese, and virtually no heat.  Not terrible, but not great, and probably not something I'll order again given other appetizer, salad and side choices.

For the meal, I opted to go from the wood-grilled section of the menu instead of the barbecue side, and went with the bone-in Niman Ranch Pork Chop, coincidently one of the cheaper options on the grilled side at $26.  At least you get some mashed potatoes and vegetables with it, though that didn't stop us from going a la carte on family sides, splitting the brussels sprouts and the macaroni and cheese.

The pork chop was very good, not great.  The glaze on it was a little sweet for my taste, though it was cooked perfectly, was very juicy, and was given a nice crust on the fatty portions.  While I like something sweet on the side with pork, such as applesauce or something along those lines, I prefer my pork chops a bit more savory.  To each his own.  They certainly know how to cook.

The Brussels sprouts were the real winner at the table.  Roasted with bacon and drizzled with brown butter these things were perfect.  Sometimes the pungent taste of these sprouts can be overpowering, but not here.  They were cooked to the point of ultimate tenderness while still maintaining their integrity, which really mellowed the flavor, which was cut further by the nutty brown butter they were served in.  While basic, simple, and somewhat common, this is one of the better preparations of Brussels sprouts I've had.

Macaroni and Cheese was very good, and like the queso, thick and paste-like after a few minutes.  Not much to report other than the flavor was very rich, and very good.

Not one of my better trips to Lambert's but this is still an incredible place that I'll be back to again and again, primarily for the happy hour.  I don't think any less of it after this, I just learned a bit about what to order.  Great atmosphere, as usual, and I'll defer to my prior post on Lambert's for an overview of it.

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/04/lamberts-austin-tx.html

I will however, mention that a few weeks ago I was fortunate to be able to see one of my favorite artists there are the upstairs bar, which is a great small venue to see a show if you get the chance.  Mishka.  If you don't know him, get to.

Summary

Atmosphere: understated classy, Austin, two bars with plenty of seating, concerts at the upstairs bar, good for a nice dinner, great for happy hour, good for groups, good for a date, good for shooting the shit with strangers, good if you're flying solo, outdoor seating

Food: upscale barbecue and grilled meats

Dog Friendly: maybe outside

When to Go: happy hour, dinner, lunch

Crowd: locals, regulars, out of towners, groups, families, couples, hotchicks

What to Order for the First Timer: barbecue plate, green chile cheese grits, Brussels sprouts

Louie's - Dallas, TX

Met My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo and a friend of ours, we'll call her Miss X, at my favorite place on this planet Tuesday night.  Louie's.

With travel back and forth between Dallas and Austin, it has been over a month since I've been there, which is absolutely too long, as I'm typically there one to two nights a week.  I figured it was a great night to be in a Chicago bar given the lineup of the Bulls-Pacers playoff game five, and the seventh game of the Blackhawks-Canucks series, and I was right, and also was fortunate enough to leave before the end of the Blackhawks game, and subsequent end to their season in overtime.

When I got there I saw something that really excited me, the chalkboard specials.  For the first time in all the time that I've been frequenting Louie's, he had lamb on the menu.  Shocking to me that this was the first time given the family's rich Greek history (just ask Louie, and he's happy to go into his family's lineage back to the 300 Spartans who defeated the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae), and so as a lover of all things lamb, I was as ecstatic as the woman on the men's room wall.

Alright, I'm going to get sidetracked here.   I hate this lady.  She's relatively new and was drawn over perhaps the greatest men's room graffiti I've ever seen and my all-time favorite.  "Does Fecal Matter".  Sad day indeed when some bonehead decided to get rid of that for the large and completely out of place peeper that is now there.  That said, Louie's still features some of the best graffiti in this part of the country, including among others:

"Go home Dad, you're drunk."

"Fat kids are harder to kidnap."

"Jesus Saves, Gretzky Scores"

"REMINDER THE ALAMO!"

"Wang Chung"

and "34 will always be better than 22.  Go Bears!"

OK, sorry.  Back to the food.  I started with my standard olive and juniper berry appetizer

and from there moved on to a Caesar salad before getting to the main meal.  I've learned over the years to take advantage of the specials when he's got them, particularly any fish or meat that is grilled.  Clearly it was time for me to try the lamb, which I ordered with a side of his poblano mashed potatoes.

Wow.  Were these things ever incredible.  They have the same fantastic char flavoring that his well seasoned grill cranks out on a daily basis, resulting in a caramelized and nearly crispy, without any chewiness, exterior which seals in all of the natural juices of the meat, which, with help from the bone, keep the meat inside incredibly juicy and flavorful when cooked to the recommended medium rare.  Topped off with a buttery glaze, these four chops imparted their flavoring to the starchy next door neighbor and made for a really, really great meal.

MLWMG opted for one of her rotating staples, the grilled pork chop, with a side of broccoli.

I'm assuming he brines his pork chops overnight, because as usual they came out perfectly, and incredibly moist despite being fully cooked.  And I'm not a huge broccoli fan, but the way they do theirs is simple and fantastic.  Steamed to perfection and drizzled with a little butter, it's not as healthy as it could be, but the flavor and texture could not be better.

And last, Miss X.  She ordered incorrectly, asking for the chicken meaning the chicken breast, but instead got the half chicken with a side of homemade chipotle sauce, which may change her mind on future orders.  Also likely brined, the chicken comes out as a whole half chicken, with all of that flavor and juice trapped inside a perfectly edible and flavorful skin.  Like the lamb, it's a win win with that oozing out on to the potatoes with the first cut.

I can't say enough about this place, other than it would be my last meal if I had to choose it, it's the best bar to go to in Dallas, and whenever I'm back in Dallas it will be a mandatory stop on my schedule.  Hell, I may even make a trip to Dallas just to hit it and stock up on supplies at Jimmy's Food Store, Dallas's finest and best Italian grocery store.

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/03/louies-dallas-tx.html

Summary

Atmosphere:  hole in the wall, Chicago style tavern, good place to watch the game, good place to belly up, good place for a date, good place for a group, good place to meet people, good place to meet new people, good place for a drink

Food:  pizza, Italian, Greek, American

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  dinner

Crowd:  regulars, journalists, families, angry old guys, Cubs fans, 20somethngs, 30somethings, groups of dudes, groups of girls, mixed groups, no douchers or tight shirts allowed, hotchicks, me

What to Order for the First Timer:  I'll be very specific here.  Start with a large Greek or Caesar for the table, as well as sauteed oysters and a large sauteed onion, jalapeno, and sausage pizza, then make sure someone gets the pork chop, another the spaghetti with oil and garlic, and another the fettucini alfredo.  Report back to me about just how good it all is.  

Jeffrey's - Austin, TX

My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo is headed out of town tomorrow, so we decided to take the opportunity to get a really nice dinner at a really good price by taking advantage of Jeffrey's "reverse" happy hour on Saturday night.  From 9-11pm on Saturdays (and 5-7pm on all other days), the bar menu at Jeffrey's is half price, and you can sample some of their fantastic food for relatively cheap.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Jeffrey's, it is one of the nicest restaurants in Austin, and is the quintessential high-end neighborhood restaurant.  Literally, it's next door to houses.  The atmosphere is very, very nice, and homey.  When you walk in the door, you feel like you're in a house, with the main room containing the bar having carpeted floors and a classy, but completely unpretentious, feel to it.

The bar is nice sized, with probably around ten stools, and is a good place to belly up and visit with your date, your spouse, the bartenders and the other patrons.  As for the bartenders, they really know their stuff, both on wine and on spirits.

I was already a bit out of place with my flip flops (though I did at least wear pants and a nice shirt), so I opted not to embarrass MLWMG any further by taking pictures.  But, I certainly wanted to show you all the great food we got, so I took a shot at drawing it on the computer, and think I really nailed it.

We decided just to split a few things from the bar menu, which had some really great options on it ranging from a cheese plate, to squid, to quail to their burger, all of which sounded innovative and fantastic.

We started with an appetizer of Burrata with Crostini, which is the famous very soft, almost runny, Italian cheese.  As creamy as it gets.  They put this on a bed of crushed and roasted beets, which were actually quite tasty and almost tasted a bit like red cabbage while retaining the signature earthiness of the beets.  On top of this was mint and watercress, drizzled with a light sherry vinegar, which added needed acidity to the mellow flavors of the overall dish.  The crostini were served fresh from the oven, and all in all, the dish was a great way to start the meal, and despite it's lightness, went very well with the northern Rhone wine we were having.

The burger, which I have been wanting to have for quite a while, was every bit as good as I thought it might be, and then some.  On a normal night, this is a $20 burger that is served with their pommes frites (french fries, freedom fries, whatever, they were Wendy's-sized, very tasty and served with a malt vinegar aioli and a spicy curry ketchup), but on this night it was just $10.  It is not a gutbuster by any means, and is an incredibly flavorful house ground mixture of dry-aged beef and lamb, served on house-made brioche with red romaine lettuce, and grilled Maui onions.  You have the option of adding cheddar cheese, bacon and foie gras to it, which we took them up on, save for the foie gras.  The burger was incredibly flavorful, and I highly recommend getting the bacon on it, which adds a very likable smokiness to the richness of the meat.  The burger was juicy, the bun was soft, and the flavors worked together unbelivably.  This is one of the best gourmet burgers I've had, and is a must at Jeffrey's happy hour.

It's also served with a homemade coarse grain mustard, which was fantastic, but I didn't think the burger needed it, so I just ate the mustard by itself.  

We had the sommelier recommend a red to us that would go with the burger, and he brought us a bottle of a Crozes-Hermitage, which was dry, earthy, and hit the spot.  As for the wines, they have a nice range, both by the bottle and the glass, and I was happy to see that had we opted for a glass of wine, we could have chosen a couple with a price tag under that of our meal.  There is just something fundamentally wrong with the other way.

Summary

Atmosphere:  upscale restaurant, great bar, homey feel, dressy

Food:  upscale American

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  happy hour, dinner

Crowd:  sophisticos, older, regulars, neighbors

What to Order for the First Timer:  happy hour burger with cheddar and bacon

Haddington's Menu Update - Austin, TX

Stopped into Haddington's last night to have a cocktail, with the primary purpose of checking out the new menu.

I was relieved to see the menu hadn't changed all that much, it's the same high end pub food consisting primarily of meats and fish with just minor modifications.

Gone are some of the more UK items like lamb pie, lamb sandwich, rabbit fricassee, British meatballs and much to my dismay, the foie link, replaced with some more traditional additions of fish, including a fish of day, and more American meat like beef, pork and chicken.  While all of those others were absolutely fantastic, I'm guessing they didn't appeal to all customers, and were therefore slow movers, so no doubt they are making room for dishes of the same quality but which may be more popular here.

The toast pots, Scotch eggs, fish and chips, and strip steaks are all still there, as well as the stew of the day and the soup of the day, so my opinion of this place hasn't changed a bit.  It's still fantastic.

Also, as they do periodically, the drink menu has some new items on it, and I was happy to see Tiffany's Stranger on the Highway has officially hit the menu.  A rye based concoction with marischino, bitters and a couple of other tasty ingredients, this drink is as smooth as Mr. Bean in a psych ward.

Cheers.

Summary:

Atmosphere - good place for the solo traveler, good place to belly up, good place to go with a group, good place to take a date, good place to meet after work, good place to meet new people, no tvs

Food - Excellent, Upscale English

Time to Go - happy hour, for dinner, or after dinner for drinks

Crowd - primarily 20somethings and 30somethings, groups of dressed up girls, groups of dressed up guys, mixed groups, attractive affluents, hotchicks, Irish hooligans

What to Order if You're a First Timer - Foie Gras Link, Duck Meatloaf, Fish & Chips, Duck Liver Mousse Toast Pot

Dog Friendly - most likely not despite outdoor area which you have to go inside first to get to

Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen - Dallas, TX

Had a chance to break out the skin tight black shirt today, as I had a scheduled lunch at this trendy new place in Uptown.

Actually, I can't knock this place.  It's one of three places which have been developed on a stretch of McKinney that I always thought was a terrible waste.  Old houses between Hall and Lemmon, which for years have housed worthless retail ventures, have long been ripe for being turned into a series of restaurants to complement the Quarter, Primos, and those in West Village.  I'm extremely glad to see that it's been done, and am sorry that it has taken me this long to get over there.  With these in place, it's easy to make an evening of just this block.

Destination.  Lumi.

You're right.  I didn't take this picture, though I do take most of mine.  Dark = night.  Light = day.  Simple rule of thumb.

I had lunch there.

So remember this picture, and I'm going to ask you all to close your eyes.  I want you to listen to me.  I want you to listen to yourselves.  Go ahead.  Close your eyes, please.

This is a story about a little restaurant on a previously underdeveloped piece of land.  I want you to picture this little restaurant.

Suddenly, a car races up.  A six foot white guy jumps out and walks up to the porch.

He looks around.

No one is there.

But it's only 11:20.

He sits down on the porch.  He's given a menu.  He's given silverware.

Now comes the ice water.  It's cool.  It's refreshing.  It's everything that the guys in the street jackhammering are not.

His friend shows up.  She sits down.  They just can't handle the jackhammering.

So they stand.  They walk into the dining room.  They sit down.

They're given menus.  They order.

Can you see them?  Their stomachs pained with hunger?  The expressions on their faces yearning for the savory tastes of the dumplings they just ordered?

Can you see them?

I want you to picture those two people, sitting in that dining room.  Sitting.  Waiting.  Waiting for their dumplings.

Can you see them?






Now imagine it's light.





Thank you, Counselor.

Anyway sorry, this place has had a decent amount of fanfare when it opened which, in Dallas, always makes me a little skeptical that it will overpromise and underdeliver, becoming one of those places that is more see and be seen than eat and be ea...well, eat and be satisfied anyway.  I will say though, more of these places have surprised me to the positive in the last couple of years, so I need to quash those fears, because Dallas seems to be evolving to the good.

This place is exactly what it needs to be for the location.  Great porch, great little bar, spacious dining room, and food that isn't going to make you uncomfortably full as you start an evening of social drinking nearby.

The menu looks great, and after taking a look at their website, I understand it's supposed to be Vietnamese South American fusion.  Several good looking soups and salads, a couple of sandwiches, and a focus on homemade dumplings and empanadas.

I decided to try a couple of their dumplings, and my dining companion tried one of the ones I didn't.  With six to an order and nothing accompanying them, I figured two orders was the way to go, and think I was right.  I walked away satisfied, but not too full.  And I probably could have comfortably gone with one more order, or a salad or soup to start.

Classic Pork and Chive Dumplings, served with house sauce, and Chinese 5 Spice Duck and Leek Dumplings, served with spicy plum sauce.

Both excellent.

I'm not sure which was my favorite.  The duck had more aggressive flavors, the pork was mild, and both went perfectly with each of the sauces they were served with.  I recommend both.

The other one shown here was the Shrimp, Cilantro, and Jicama Dumplings, served with sweet and sour sauce.  I'm told it was great, but as much as it pains me to say it, I don't do shrimp.

As long as I'm in Dallas, I'll be back here.  It's a great spot for lunch but I think an even better spot to grab a drink, some food, and then head down the street to the Quarter for the evening.

Summary

Atmosphere:  old house converted to restaurant, bar to sit at, plenty of outdoor seating, good for a group, great for a date, great for a start to the night, good place to see, good place to be seen

Food:  dumplings and empanadas

Dog Friendly:  doubtful, despite outdoor seating, Dallas sucks

When to Go:  lunch, happy hour, dinner

Crowd:  typical Uptowners, hotchicks, businesslunchers, 20somethings, 30somethings, trendsters, Dallasites

What to Order for the First Timer:  Duck Dumplings, Pork Dumplings

Vespaio Enoteca - Austin, TX

Alright, I'm going back a couple of weeks to a dinner I had at a place that I really like, but which I didn't write about immediately because I am fat.  And lazy.

Vespaio Enoteca.  South Congress.  Austin.  Texas.

This place is a great, little, noisy, casual, ItalyItalian (I'm just going to start calling things ItalyItalian and NYItalian to differentiate between the simple style and ingredients of true Italian cooking and the fantasticinitsownright red sauce cooking of the American northeast) Italian joint right in the heart of South Congress.

Want to know why I went there the first time?

Lardo Pizza

Not often that you find lardo on a menu down here in Texas, probably because most people steer away from it given what it is, which is pure fat from the back of a pig, cured and seasoned with simple italian herbs and spices.  Yeah, that's right, just fat.  Old Italian guys eat it on a little bread.  If you heat it, it melts and disappears, which is what starts to happen when you put it on top of a hot pizza, where it imparts its piglicious flavor throughout.  I know what you neophytes (|ˈnēəˌfīt| - noun - a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief; note: we did not have this word growing up in Indiana) are thinking, just fat?  Yes, just fat.  Good, clean fat from the top of the pig, which, as Sir Isaac Newton might explain to you, is cleaner than the fat in the belly because as the low point of the pig the belly catches everything that the fatback and the rest of the pig drops, like blood and anything else.  So what you're left with up there is a good, clean fat, which can be used to cook, or which can be cured and eaten like it is as lardo.


Anyway, I saw the Lardo Pizza on the menu months ago and decided I had to give it a go.  Good, thin Italian crust, house cured lardo, garlic, rosemary, arugula and shaved reggiano.  No red sauce.  It was awesome.  Crisp, fresh, with a beautiful pork flavor.


But on this latest trip I decided to go with a special available that night, roasted redfish with spaghetti puttanesca.  Now, I make a mean puttanesca (http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-nights-dinner.html), so I was interested in seeing how mine compared with this one.  

First, my amateurish, dimly lit, flashbulb ruined picture of this doesn't do it any favors.  This was a great dish and to me felt like it was taken straight from a kitchen on the Italian coast.  Wait, need to back up a second.  This was absolutely the hottest pasta and/or fish dish I've ever had, from a temperature standpoint, and worried that the fish would overcook on the plate, I had to walk that dicey line of eating it fast and burning my tongue, but I managed it without serious injury.  I did cry though, which did nothing to impress the ladies at the bar next to me, but which was absolutely necessary and warranted.

The puttanesca was great, and made me feel great about my cooking abilities, as they shared very similar flavors and ratios of flavor.  They used fresh pasta here as opposed to my dried, which did well to soak in some of the sauce, and all in all, the pasta turned out great.  The fish was also excellent.  Not for those who want zero fish flavor, as this tasted like it was from the sea.  Not fishy, just with that fresh from the ocean flavor which is the way fish is served in Italy that can seem "fishy" to those not used to that kind of fish, or to those who don't appreciate that kind of flavor.  This was well cooked, with a very thin crust on the outside, hot, tender, and flakey on the inside.  I enjoyed taking bites of this with the sharp sauce of the pasta, it worked perfectly.

I had a couple of glasses of wine at the bar while I ate, which is a great spot to have a drink and a bite if you're alone, as I was that night.  They've got great, affordable, Italian wines by the glass and the bottle, and know there stuff as to what is pouring well and what goes well with what you've ordered.

I'm glad to have a place of this quality...of food, drink, atmosphere and clientele...down in Austin, as it's a place I'll got to often if I'm craving Italian in any form...pizza, pasta, panini, secondi, you call it.  It's a go to.

Summary

Atmosphere:  casual Italian enoteca, a little trendy, bar seating, good for a date, good wine list, good place to meet people both new or old

Food:  Italian, pizza, pasta

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  dinner

Crowd:  upscale, 20somethings, 30somethings, hotchicks, awkward first dates, couples, groups of girls

What to Order for the First Timer:  pizza, pasta

Z Tejas - Austin, TX

Alright, here's my take on Austin's own, Z Tejas.  This is always a place I've loved (the one on 6th Street that is), and which I always have a good meal at and a good time at, though I hesitate to go there every time now that they've branched out with multiple locations, making it (shudder) a chain, albeit a small one.

Last night we were looking for a relatively quick meal close by, so we walked down to it, figuring with SXSW in full swing we might have a wait, but could grab a drink at the bar and maybe snag a couple of seats and eat up there.

Monday night.  Place was packed and we were looking at a 45 minute wait.  Two deep all across the U shaped bar, we were lucky to find a spot to stand at the end, where we ordered a couple of glasses of wine.  The crowd there renewed my faith in the place as a fun place to go and a good place to get a bit to eat, and our fingers were crossed that we'd be lucky enough to get a seat outside.  This is one of the best places in Austin to sit outside and eat, particularly for brunch on the weekends.  Huge deck.

(Now, that reminds me of a story which I'll digress to here for a moment because I find it worth sharing.  I used to work with a really nice guy, fairly quiet and unassuming, who was selling his house up in Dallas.  After a few weeks of some low traffic coming through the house, he and his realtor decided to put a massive half or full page ad in the home section of the newspaper, with a picture of it and four or five lines describing it.  I can't remember all the details of it, but the part I remember verbatim contained one hell of a typo, indicating that the property featured, "a huge wooden dick in the backyard".  Seriously.  I saw it.  I cut it out.  And I sent it to Leno.)

Back to Z Tejas though.  Awesome atmosphere, a place where locals and visitors of all ages go.  The porch is out front raised up above 6th Street, with tables intertwined with lighted trees growing up through and around the deck, but the only bad thing about it is that despite how much space there is out there, NO DOGS ALLOWED.  Inside, you're greeted with a large bar with plenty of stools, which is a great place to either wait for a table or belly up if you're flying solo (there's a television at the bar which is a good place to catch a game on one of the regular channels if you want to work that into your dinner).   There are a number of different rooms inside the colorfully and tastefully decorated restaurant, with tons of windows and open doors which gives you the feel that you're inside and outside at the same time.  We ended up with a nice compromise on seating as one of five tables on a covered walkway that spans above the driveway over to the function space, open to 6th Street on one side, but covered and blocked on the other so the wind doesn't bother you while you're eating.

We weren't starving, and knew that they bring out a small thing of cornbread still in the cast iron skillet to each table, so we didn't fork over $4.95 for chips and salsa, which I think is an absolute crock of sh!t.  Yeah you get three homemade salsas, and yeah, some places in town charge for chips and salsa, normally below $2, but $4.95??  I boycott on principal.

Our waiter was out and took our order pretty quickly, and the food arrived shortly after that despite them being slammed.  Great to know if you want to eat quickly, but I'd stagger your ordering if you're looking to sit, drink and visit for a little while.  I had the Iceberg Wedge followed by their entree portion of Five Cheese Macaroni with Achiote Chicken.  MLWMG had the Caesar and a bowl of Tortilla Soup.

As far as wedgies go, this one was pretty good.  Not too far up the crack, no tearing of the unde...excuse me, I'm sorry, I'm clearly twelve years old.  As far as wedges go, this one was pretty good.  When it comes to this type of salad, I like it with a generous coating of blue cheese dressing, and don't like having the general constituent parts messed with too much or added to.  This one is covered in a house made green chile blue cheese dressing which has a good ratio of blue cheese chunks to dressing in it.  The lettuce was cold, crisp, fresh, and generous, and the chopped tomatoes on it were as ripe as could be, with great flavor.

The mac and cheese was also pretty good, though if I had to do it over again, I'd order the vegetarian alternative of it and get it as a side rather than a meal.  It was hot, creamy, and full of flavor, a blend of blue, jack, cheddar, parmigiana, and romano cheeses.  I really hesitated on ordering this as a meal when I  saw blue cheese was an ingredient.  I was going long on blue cheese with the salad, and was nervous that the blue would overpower the dish.  It didn't, but was used in small proportion to supply flavor but not make the dish blue cheese and macaroni.

Now, I'm not a chicken guy, particularly white meat, and most particularly the boneless chicken breast.  This was everything that I could have hoped the chicken on this dish wasn't, though I knew it was a risk going in.  Let me start by saying that the seasoning was great, and went really well with the macaroni.  The chicken breast was pounded thin and wasn't very juicy.  It wasn't overly dry but I think could have benefited from being brined prior to cooking, which it clearly wasn't.  Boneless chicken breast lovers will probably like it, but any healthy effects of ordering boneless chicken breasts are negated here with an abundance of cheese.  The only other disappointment was the toasted bacon gratin.  Though I'm quite certain it's not, the bacon came off tasting and looking like store bought bacon bits.  Not bad, but not what I'd expect.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the macaroni, and will get it again, as the vegetarian option sans chicken and bacon, as a side dish.  Seems to me that might pair perfectly with one of their steaks, which I'd still like to try as a saw a couple last night and they looked great.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab some lunch and see my cardiologist.

Summary

Atmophere:  vibrant Southwestern near chain-like feel but authentic and local, fantastic patio with ample seating, great bar to have a drink at or eat at and talk to people, good for the solo traveler, good for groups, good for a date, great for brunch, great for families

Food:  Southwestern

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  brunch, happy hour, dinner

Crowd:  locals, artists, groups of girls, groups of girls and guys, solo bar eaters, hotchicks

What to Order for a First Timer:  Iceberg Wedge, Wild Mushroom Enchiladas

Cowtown Diner - Fort Worth, TX

Had lunch at the Cowtown Diner in Fort Worth today, which is a great spot to stop in for a bite if you're in the neighborhood.  Relatively new, it's right down off of Sundance Square, with upscale diner / home cooking food, which is done really well.   For lunch they've got a wide selection of salads and sandwiches, as well as twists on classic diner food like meatloaf, salisbury steak, pot pies and of course chicken fried steak, so you are able to eat as heavy or as light as you'd like.  The dinner menu, with the exception of a couple fish dishes, is more diner-centric and is going to lean on the heavier side of things, evidenced by their claim of having the worlds largest chicken fried steak for $69.95, free if you eat it all.  Is John Candy coming to mind at all here?

Great spot for lunch, and though I haven't been for dinner, I'd guess it's a good place to take the family, but may not be the best place to start an evening out, unless "out" means "nap" in whatever language you speak.

As I do quite a bit, I asked the waitress what the best thing on the menu was, to which she replied, "the chicken fried chicken".

Chicken Fried Chicken.  I'll tell you what I told her.  I'm anti-chicken fried chicken.  The whole concept of chicken fried chicken stems from chicken fried steak.  Chicken fried steak was a way of cooking a piece of steak like fried chicken.  So chicken fried chicken is chicken fried like a chicken fried steak which is steak fried like fried chicken.  So it's really just fried chicken, so you may as well just be done with it and order fried chicken.  But then I got to thinking, is it really?

Let's break this down.  Chicken fried chicken is defined as chicken fried like a chicken fried steak which is steak fried like fried chicken.   So, if chicken fried steak is steak fried like fried chicken, then chicken fried chicken is really chicken fried like a steak fried like fried chicken.  So what is chicken fried like a steak fried like fried chicken?   Well, for that lets look at it formulaically:

Chicken Fried Chicken = Chicken fried like Chicken Fried Steak

CFC = CF(CFS)

Chicken Fried Steak = Steak fried like Fried Chicken

CFS = SF(FC)

Substituting the definition of chicken fried steak for chicken fried steak in the definition of chicken fried chicken, we get

CFC = CFSF(FC)

or as our distributive property might otherwise state

CFC =  CFSFFFC

and since we all know that F is really just F, that means

CFC = CFSFFFC

or 

CFC = C²F⁴S

So, really, ordering chicken fried chicken really isn't anything like ordering fried chicken.  It's like ordering a steak and a chicken stuffed in a chicken (or a family of chickens, I'm not exactly sure what you get when you multiply a chicken times a chicken, I'm not a mathematician) which is then fried, then fried again, and again, and then again one last time.

Further...and this is scary...if you just divide it all by C to get the definition of chicken fried, chicken fried is really equal to a steak and a chicken fried four times successively...building, building, and building on each previous frying like the plaque building up in my arteries just thinking about this devilmethod of cooking!   

Sorry, I think I got off tangent...wait though, let's stay on that track for a second.  I feel compelled to share something even more scary than all of that fried fat, and even more scary than me spending time and thought on all of that.  Scarier that all of that is what you get on page four of the search results for "chicken fried steak formula" on Google Images.  Fair warning that the following images are graphic and may not be suitable for all audiences.

and

Wow.  So I ordered the Brisket Reuben.  It was good.

Summary

Atmosphere:  family friendly sit down restaurant with tables and booths, good for groups, good for families, good for a lunch meeting, good for a drink after work

Food:  upscale diner food

When to Go:  lunch, dinner with the family

Crowd:  scantily clad heffers, businesspeople, bearded Harley riding centaurs

What to Order for the First Timer:  anything not chicken fried, for the love of God and your own health!

Ola - Miami Beach, FL

Had a request from a friend traveling in Miami for a spot to eat dinner.

Much like LeBron, I too took my talents to South Beach last year...albeit for a quick stopover on a way to a better place, and despite ESPN's urging, I opted not to have my decision to connect through Miami versus New York City televised in an hour long special.

So my recommendation for one night in Miami Beach is a place that I went to late last year, a Latin American restaurant named Ola.  So this place is a block up and over from the Delano in South Beach, putting it smack dab in the middle of Doucherville, USA...THE Capital of all douchebags.  However, the vibe here, while trendy, which you have to be in order to make it down there, is not overly so, and doesn't come off pretentious at all, and seemed to be filled with rather normal (keep in mind relativity here, this IS Miami after all) people, generally an older crowd but not gerries, just late 30s through mid 50s, upscale and reasonable.   Normal shirts for the most part, not the skin tight unch unch unch variety.  The place has a decent vibe too.  It's not huge, has a nice little bar to sit at, and isn't too noisy or quiet.  Perfect.

The place is also very well regarded for its Latin American cuisine and its seafood, particularly the ceviches.  My Lovely Wife, Mrs. Gordo and I decided to split a couple of these, and then an entree.

We did the Fire and Ice ceviche, which was cobia tossed with sour orange, thai chiles, cilantro, and fresh  jalapenos, over pear granita.  This one was really good, and had decent heat but I would have expected more from something with two types of chiles as this has.  It wasn't quite as good in our mind as the other one we had, the Wahoo ceviche, pictured below, but a large part of that might have been my disappointment that I could still feel my tongue when I expected this second ceviche to be putting out a fire...

Thinly sliced Wahoo with watermelon jalapeno juice, basil, cantaloupe, topped with a cucumber sorbet.  Yeah, it was refreshing, and I was happy to see not overly sweet.  The red onion and jalapeno in it did a nice job of offsetting the sweetness of the other ingredients.

The entree we got was also very good, but a departure from the freshness and lightness that these seafood dishes exhibited.  We did the Puerco Asado, or braised pork.  It was served in a black bean broth with fried yucca, and a lemon / cilantro mojo.  Really, really good, but if I had to do it again, I'd probably go with either a seafood or a beef dish, as we saw several of them and they looked incredible.

I'd recommend what we had, but given the reputation of this place and the quality of what we had and otherwise saw, I'd say just pick what looks best to you and go for it.  You're unlikely to be disappointed.

Wait a minute.  Can't forget about...DA BOMB:

Semi-sweet chocolate mousse with toasted hazelnuts covered in a caramel and chocolate sauce.  Come on, I don't have to tell you that was incredible.

Good cocktails and wine list here too.  We started with a pisco sour and a pomegranate mojito.  The pisco sour was great, but the pomegranate mojito was too sweet for both of us.  I took one for the team though and downed it quickly for MLWMG before we moved on to wine.  Thank you me.

Summary

Atmosphere:  trendy, but upscale and classy and about the food and not being seen, good for a date, good for a business dinner, good for a meal with friends

Food:  Latin American

When to Go:  dinner

Crowd:  dressy, 30s, 40s and 50s, without an overabundance of chest hair and diamond cutters

What to Get for the First Timer:  split a few of the ceviches and pick an entree that looks good

Parkside - Austin, TX

I've been wanting to hit this place for a while, and finally did on Thursday night, for what is clearly one of the best happy hour deals in Austin, Thursdays from 5pm to 7pm.  They do half off their bar menu, which has a good selection of foods ranging from oysters on the half shell to quail to steak to okra to an egg sandwich.

I wrapped up my last meeting of the day downtown, was by myself, saw it was 6:45, so I laced up and ran* over there, making it just in time to grab the only seat left at the bar.  Let me rephrase that, there was a half a seat available at the bar.  The other "half" was occupied by the belongings and half-an-ass of the incredibly inebriated girl (at 6:45 on a Thursday) at the stool next to it.  And she was the better half of her date, who was a portly young lad in a blue blazer with brass buttons and a bow tie, who I expected to have an English accent, but didn't...or at least I couldn't decipher it through the spitting and slurring.

I knew I was in for it when I asked her if anyone was using the stool and couldn't understand her response except for a gesture that suggested no.  That didn't prompt her to move either her posterior or her belongings though, which elicited a chuckle from the three guys to the right at the bar, who'd evidently been watching this show for a while.  We got things situated, and I was a little disappointed, but also very pleased to see that Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail were wrapping things up and trying to get their bill.

I had a few minutes left on the happy hour, so wanted to put in an order quickly.  I wasn't feeling like anything out of the ordinary, just wanted something simple, and I asked the bartender what the best thing on the menu was.  Evidently the other half of my stool thought she was the bartender when she loudly chimed in with "Ghet sthe gah nocky."

What?

"Ghet sthe gah nocky!  Sthe gah nocky is soooooooooo GHHHHOOOD!"

Gah Nocky (n) - small dumplings made from potato, semolina, or flour, usually served with a sauce.  Also, usually spelled gnocchi, and pronounced with a silent G.

I didn't take her recommendation.

Instead went with one of the chef's favorite items, a fried egg sandwich with a side of fried okra, and then decided to also give the risotto fritter appetizer a go.  The fried egg sandwich was good.  Over easy egg that spilled out on the plate with the first bite, creating a nice little dipping sauce for the sandwich, a couple of strips of bacon, and a touch of cheese on some very light, very soft, and very thickly cut homemade bread, with a nice char on the outside to give it an initial crunch before giving in to the soft white bread that goes so well with a fried egg.  Nothing fancy, just simple and good.  The okra was also great.  Sliced in one inch pieces on the bias and deep fried, it's got perfect crunch, is not slimy at all, and is served with a homemade "ranch" dressing which is actually a bright green herby and slightly spicy ranch spread.  Very good with the okra, and very good compliments to the sandwich.

The risotto fritters.  Little balls of risotto deep fried and served with a citrusy sofrito.   The rice was cooked very well for the dish, leaving a little tooth left in it to give some texture underneath the thin, crispy exterior, and the sofrito did a nice job of cutting the oil in the risotto (don't get me wrong, these were not greasy at all).  A nice appetizer, and well executed, but I'll probably opt for something with a little more punch next time.

So an appetizer, a sandwich, and a healthy side dose of okra, in addition to one of their signature cocktails, a tequila based Texas Negroni, ran me a whopping $13 before tip.  Wow.

I'll be back for this deal for sure, and want to make sure I do so on a night when I'm in the mood for something more adventurous.  What I've described above I realize makes this place sound like a diner of sorts, with a deep fryer and maybe a flat top.  It's not at all, and is instead one of the best and most well regarded restaurants in town.  Next Thursday I may give the fried oyster blt with green goddess aioli ($4.25) a go, or maybe the grilled bar steak with fries ($9.50) or the quail with blue cheese, apple and celery ($4.50).

This is a great place for a meal, or to stop in after work with some friends for a drink.  It's a classy atmosphere, a little trendy maybe but not in a bad way, with a great, long bar to sit at, and plenty of tables in the bar as well.

I'll be back.

Summary

Atmosphere - classy with a tilt toward trend, good for a date, good for a group, good if you're flying solo, great for happy hour, and a great bar to sit at

Food - upscale new American, seafood

Dog Friendly - no

When to Go - happy hour, dinner

Crowd - dressy, trendsters, 30somethings, drunk chicks, guys with bow ties, hotchicks

*"Run", "ran", or any derivation thereof really just means "walked briskly.  I don't run.

Coal Vines - Dallas, TX

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011.

Noon.

Dallas.  Texas.

Intersection of Cedar Springs and Maple.

64 Degrees and Sunny.

I've been driving around all morning and have built up an incredible appetite, and I'm craving something that isn't easy to find in Dallas, a good, real-deal, hot Italian sandwich on fresh baked crusty bread, the sort of sandwich you'd get at a pizza joint fresh out of the oven, stuffed with choice of poison...meatball, sausage, veal, chicken, cold cuts, etc.  I had a particular hankering for the cold cut variety, but I wasn't picky given that I couldn't put my finger on a spot where the perfect sandwich would be.

I was in Uptown, and there just happened to be a parking spot out in front of Coal Vines, a place I'd never been but have wanted to try, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

I'm glad I did.

First off, this place has a great atmosphere, kind of fancy Italian meets casual corner restaurant.  The front opens up to make it kind of an indoor/outdoor place all at the same time, and there is a very nice wine bar to snug up to if you're flying solo, as I was.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a much more diverse menu than I anticipated for this pizza joint, including a blackboard full of specials which complimented the pastas, entrees, pizzas, salads, etc. that made up the menu.  I thought it was just pizza, and was hoping for a sandwich, but now will come back to try some of the other items.  (I have ZERO idea why I've never looked at their menu online, I'm typically all over that.)

I was disappointed, however, to see that my sandwich options were limited to two chicken based sandwiches.  I'm not typically a chicken guy outside of the chicken cutlet sandwiches you may find in the Italian sections of New York City.  Nonetheless, I went with the simplest of the two, a breaded chicken breast, marinara, and mozzarella.

BOOM!

It was awesome.  Bread was exactly what I hoped for when I was thinking sandwich.  The chicken was well seasoned and fried perfectly, the marinara sparingly and appropriately used, and the cheese tied it all together.   Then there's the fries.  Wow, these things were good.  Lightly seasoned and perfectly cooked, these things were tossed in the fryer along with fresh sage, rosemary, and slivers of garlic, which not only flavored the fries, but came out with them so I could eat them too.

All in all, good spot, and I'd go back, but it's not cheap, so I'd probably look to it for a business lunch or dinner instead of just a stopping by place.  I still want to try their pizza.

Summary

Atmosphere:  high-end Italian meets corner pizza shop, trendy, good for business lunch, good for groups, great patio seating, good for a date, good for a glass of wine, good peoplewatching, good if you're flying solo.

Food:  Italian, pizza, pastas

Dog Friendly:  doubt it

When to Go:  lunch, happy hour, dinner

Crowd:  businessmen, Uptown yuppies, hotchicks

What to Order for the First Timer:  give the pizza a shot unless you're craving a sandwich