Back Talk Far North Dallas

Restaurant review: Cyclone Anaya's Mexican Kitchen

The new Cyclone Anaya's off Belt Line has finally opened. I stopped by there for dinner earlier this week to check out these legendary margaritas for myself. There's only one margarita on the menu here. They don't mess around with the mango or strawberry variations. And the truth is, they really don't need to. These margaritas are good, really good. Unlike a lot, they're not too syrupy or sour. But order with heed, because they're also very strong.

The food here was good, however, was not as impressive as the margaritas. I had the ceviche, one of my favorite dishes. While it did have nice big chunks of fish and and nearly half an avocado, this ceviche didn't quite pull off that citrusy-spice you always look for. Plus it was served cocktail-style without the traditional tostadas or crackers, so it lacked that crispy texture that's so nice when you're eating something as mushy as ceviche. I also tried the fish tacos, which did not disappoint. The filletes were hearty and seasoned to perfection. The black bean soup that came with it was also just right.

The menu is a bit on the pricey side (about $11 to $16 per plate) and while there's no dresscode, the dinner crowd was on the dressier side, but that's pretty typical for Addison. There is also a great patio you should take advantage of during these cooler days--plus free valet parking if it's too crowded.

Lawry's Hallovino dinner

Forget the Pixy Stix and M&M's--Lawry's has some Halloween treats for the adult palate. Tomorrow night at 7 they're offering a five course feast paired with red wines. The lineup includes  sausage-stuffed eggplant, blue crab and butternut squash soup, smoked pork shoulder, bufflao meatloaf and dark chocolate tortoni. Dinner is  $79 (which includes all your food and wine). If you'd like to make a reservation, call 972.503.6688 or email  Nbrosseit@Lawrysonline.com. Oh, and in the true spirit of Halloween, everyone is encouraged to wear their costumes to dinner--and everyone who dresses up gets a suprise special treat.

Wine review: Segura Viudas Brut Rose NV

How much did I like the Segura Viudas? I went back to Central Market and bought a second bottle the next day.

This is classic cheap wine, as well as pretty good bubbly in its own right. It’s $10 and well made, balanced, bone dry and fruity, with an almost pinot noir berry-like flavor. Which is a neat trick, since it doesn’t have any pinot in it.

Segura Viudas is best known for its more expensive sparkler, the bottle with the pewter fittings (which is even more dry than this). It’s part of the Freixenet cava empire, cava being the term for Spanish sparkling wine. I don’t know that I’ve had a Freixenet bubbly that didn’t have something to recommend it. Serve this on its own as a holiday toasting wine, or with seafood (lobster rolls would be terrific) or roast chicken.

On a personal note Mike Friend, one of the finest and most knowledgeable people in the wine business in Dallas, died last week. There is a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. I have known Mike for almost as long as I have written about wine; our running gag was my love of cheap wine vs. his appreciation of the expensive stuff. Whenever I called him for a story, he would always apologize for not having a cheap enough wine to recommend. Mike will be missed.

Technorati Tags: sparkling wine,cava,Spanish wine,Segura Viudas,rose

State Fair wrap-up: Just off a record coupon-sales pace

Amid all of the bad economic news, here's something positive: After getting off to what the DMN reported was a horrible economic start, it turns out the State Fair of Texas was selling coupons at a near-record pace ($28.6 million vs. $29 million during the 2007 Fair's record pace). For whatever reason, people found enough money (or enough credit) to down plenty of corny dogs and fried bacon at the Fair; let's hope the rest of the economy follows suit shortly. Click here (download season_wrap.pdf) to read the summary press release yourself.

Victory after 10 years: Iconic but not helping downtown

Not long ago, the DMN published a series of stories titled "Partial Victory", which was a rather ingenious way of highlighting the big, new "Times Square for Dallas" surrounding the American Airlines Center downtown. The good news, according to the story: Ross Perot Jr. says that Victory is farther along, development-wise, than he thought it would be at this time. The bad news: Apparently, if you don't live there (and not many people do), you don't know what's happening at Victory and you aren't participating in terms of spending money.

As it stands now, about 10 years into what Hillwood describes as a 25-year process, there are about 13 restaurants, a dozen retailers, more than 750 residential units and quite a bit of office space, including WFAA-TV's Times Square-like station on a corner near the AAC. But the place has become more upscale, to the exclusion of everything else, than the developers apparently planned, so while it's easy to find a $1,500 hotel room and a $400 dress, you can't find an inexpensive lunch, a drugstore or a grocery store, according to the News.

Interestingly enough, that's the same complaint that the people living and working downtown — and I mean the original downtown — have, too. And it's interesting to remember that one of the sales pitches we were given when the developers floated the $230 million arena bond in 1998 was that Victory was an important step in downtown's revitalization. As we can see now, that hasn't been the case — the distance between Main Street and Victory is too far for the average person to make the walk, and whatever good is happening at Victory isn't trickling over to downtown.

Restaurant review: Afrah Pastries and Restaurant

Our neighbors to the east in Richardson are guarding one of the best-kept dining secrets in the metroplex, and with good reason. Afrah is one of those places you don't want too many people to find out about, because that's part of the charm. This Lebanese eatery is one part bakery, one part gelato shop, one part restaurant, and all parts delicious--so while it's outside our borders, it's worth the drive.

During a recent dinner on cool October eve, I took advantage of the sprawling patio overlooking downtown Richardson. I started with the dolmas, grape leaves stuffed with spiced minced meat. A light dosing of lemon juice makes these dumpling-like treats a bit tangy, but still savory. I also ordered the chicken kabob platter, one of my Mediterranean favorites. The chicken chunks were charred yet juicy (which I still haven't figured out how to do) and seasoned just right. I also sampled the baba ghanouj, roasted eggplant pureed into a mush. It doesn't look very appetizing, but if you like the purple veggie, it's a must try. I also had the humus, which comes topped with olive oil. I had never had it prepared this way, but I liked it. It makes the humus much silkier (and probably more fattening). The pita bread is also quite possibly the best in the metroplex. It's served hot right out of the oven, and still doughy. Dip that in the humus and something magical happens.

It also wouldn't be right if you ate here and didn't have dessert. The baklava has a melt-in-your mouth sweetness--plus unlike a lot of other places, you can order it with walnuts, cashews or pistachios. I'm personally partial to the homemade gelato they serve here though. There are all sorts of unique flavors, like the cardamom spice. I went with mango, which was full of that fresh fruitiness, creamy but not too heavy, and the perfect way to end a good meal.

Wine review: Domain du Tariquet Côtes de Gascogne 2007

The French region of Gascony is famous for two things, foie gras and D'Artagnan, the Fourth Musketeer. I submit that a third item should be added –- great, cheap wine.

The Tariquet (available at Central Market for about $10) is just another in a long line of terrific $10 wines from Gascony. These wines are made with grapes that are little known, like ugni blanc, or have bad reputations, like French colombard. But in the hands of a variety of Gascon winemakers, they become clean, crisp and refreshing, with a bit more fruit than other French white wines. The Tariquet has a lemony, floral aroma and a touch of lemon flavor, without any unpleasant minerality. This is cheap wine the way it should be. Serve it chilled on its own, or with seafood or something like chicken Caesar salad.

Blue Mesa Anniversary Party this week

The folks at Blue Mesa are celebrating 20 years, which means free food for you. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 5 p.m. you can swing by our neighborhood Blue Mesa and enjoy a free buffet of those signature Adobe pies, corn cakes, smoked chicken enchiladas, garlic-chile beans, and churrascaritas and veggies. There will also be a cash bar featuring Herradura tequilas, as well as grapefruit-habanero margaritas, and orange-elderberry margaritas.

Restaurant review: Cowboy chicken

This has got to be the best "fast" food restaurant in the neighborhood. Their rotisserie chicken is oh-so-tasty, and I feel much better about eating it than I do fried chicken (please don't burst my bubble if I'm consuming the same amount of calories and fat).

You can always order a chicken wrap, salad or enchiladas, too, but I prefer Cowboy Chicken's platters with two sides and a roll or cornbread. Famous twice baked potaters and campfire veggies are my favorite, but I haven't yet tried a side yet that I didn't like.

Their lunch specials are hard to beat — usually a platter of 1/4 dark chicken (my favorite anyway), two sides, a roll and a beverage for $4.95. The website also offers peach cobbler and beverage coupons, and you can sign up for exclusive e-mail offers, too.

Restaurant Review: Kel's Kitchen

Kel's Kitchen is an country cooking institution to our neighbors over in Preston Hollow--and now we get a taste of that down-home grub. Kel's Kitchen has just opened a second location here in our neighborhood, off Coit between Arapaho and Beltline.
Because this place is known for it's 'just-like-mom-used-to-make' menu, I had to go with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The meatlaof was good and hearty and the potatoes were nice and creamy, just as comfort food should be. The food here isn't fancy, but that's the whole point. I also had a cup of the homemade chicken soup, which was one of the best I've tried yet: large chunks of tender chicken, big soft noodles and veggies, not bland yet not over-salted. If you stop in on a cool autumn day, you must try it--and pair it with some that fresh-baked cornbread. I have also heard this place has a great breakfast, so I'm going to have to swing back by soon to sample that menu.