Friday, April 27, 2007 , Updated
Best Bites: Dining out in Dallas-Fort Worth April 27
Taking over the space at 2708 Elm once occupied by the now-defunct Tarantino’s is Istanbul Grill, a new Turkish restaurant that first came to life at the food court of the Galleria. Owner Sinan Aki, who moved here from Turkey seven years ago, had been wanting to graduate from mall concession to stand-alone restaurant, and grabbed the chance to set up shop in Deep Ellum.
The menu has the lamb kebabs, dolmas, and hummus you see at most middle Eastern restaurants, as well as classic, non-ethnic dishes such as grilled salmon. But it also has doner, the gyro-like compressed and shaved meat that is endemic to Turkish restaurants, although the presentation sounds unique: rather than being rolled into a pita bread sandwich, it's "served over a bed of pita bread cubes on tomato-based sauce, melted hot butter, and yogurt." Other novelties include karniyarik, "stuffed eggplant with tomatoes, parsley, and ground meat"; and etli kuru fasulye, a "stew of northern white beans and chunks of tender beef."
Gary is the friendly server and the chef is Eroll Alma, who was opening chef at Cafe Istanbul. With the recent opening Selim's Doner House, we now have three Turkish restaurants, and in case you don't know, three makes a trend.
Buck Pets, back in their early '90s heyday. Hey, if you can guess which one of these is Ian Beach, you get, um, you get a high-5.
For fans of Beck
There's now a name for the restaurant going in across from Idle Rich Pub, in the ramshackle house that used to be Pueblo Arriba: It'll be called Odelay, and it'll star chef Ian Beach, formerly of Mansion on Turtle Creek (and also formerly the bassist of the Buck Pets, for you '90s-era rock fans). This is the restaurant from Feargal McKinney who, in addition to Idle Rich, also owns Dubliner and Old Monk.
Beach went to the Culinary Institute of America and cooked in N.Y. at restaurants such as Gotham Bar & Grill, so the food at Odelay is probably going to be pretty seriously good. It's skedded to open at the end of May.
On the Eastside
Old downtown Plano east of I-75 continues to bubble and churn, always on the brink of making it big-time, never quite getting there. The latest ray of hope comes in the form of Massimiliano’s, an old-school Italian-American restaurant going into the space vacated by Dish, another hopeful that bit the dust at the end of '06. The owner of Massimiliano’s is one Harry Keane, who says he's been a cook long enough and that it was time to move into the next phase, owning his own fine Italian restaurant. His signature dishes are 7-layer lasagna and baked ziti, which he promises are his own recipes. No alcohol for now, but he's working on getting a license; no credit cards for the time being either, due, he says, to a snafu with the telephone company.
twisteddog, says:
Can you tell me where there's a good Indian restaurant in Richardson?
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
kirk, says:
You're going to have to ask someone not from Richardson. Like maybe Mike Ditka?
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
ms_ery, says:
Teresa Gubbins gave an enthusiastive DMN review of Masala Wok on Campbell Road several years ago; it can still be accessed on guidelive.com.
Current review of Pasand, also on Campbell Road, just off Coit, is lackluster. I loved it when I reviewed it shortly after its opening about 10 years ago. A second Pasand in Irving also pleased me very much; don't know whether it is still open. Thing about Pasand, a California import, is it has both South and North India cuisine plus big, fresh lunch buffets. Weekend buffets especially popular since they have stronger South India accents. Reasonable prices; service can be off-putting.
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
J_Mortimer, says:
There are all sorts of Indian Restaurants in Richardson.
Pasand is much better than Masala Wok.
Pasand's review in Guidelive is a "Guide Pick" selection so that doesn't seem lackluster to me. The portions are sizable (and enough to take some home with you). The Chicken Tikka Masala is incredible. Frankly I have yet to find a dish that wasnt well prepared. Some dishes arent my taste but I would still have to admit that even those where well prepared. If you are into desserts their kheer is my favorite from any around Dallas. If you can go during a weekday lunch its buffet is great. Its large and there is no screwing around with tiny selections. I actually don't find the service to be a problem at all.
Masala Wok's portions are small and they are stingy on rice. My more significant other and I stopped visiting when we found obviously foreign material in our food after TWO different visits. One of those two objects was actually a rubber band. Also notice the name "Masala Wok." Although maybe thats part of some trendy "fusion" thing, (I dont know) it shows you that its not what you expect from usual Indian fare.
In other parts of Richardson Udipi cafe is a vegetarian entry in Heights shopping center. I don't undrstand how the place is in business because there is never anyone there. Its reasonable and reasonably priced but nothing write home about.
In the same strip there is Zyka which started in Atlanta. (Don't quote me on that.) It's a very casual order at the counter kind of thing. Great for take out. Their naan is wonderful. I've seen Indians come in order large amounts of naan only for take out.
Down the road at Belt Line and Coit Madras Pavillion. I believe this is a strictly southern Indian joint. I have a former professional colleague who came from south India and she says this is pretty good. I think its vegetarian only. I recommend it over Udipi.
Just over on 75 (Central Expwy) north of Belt Line is Kebab-N-Kurry. Its been there forever it seems. I havent visited in many years. However, I wasn't all that impressed the times I was there but its still there even with the increased competition. That probably says something.
There was a place up on 75 just north of Cafe Brazil whose name I forget. They closed when the telecom area started to nose dive. I miss it because I would be recommending it if it was still around.
J
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
ms_ery, says:
J.Mortimer: Thanks for seconding my plug for Pasand and adding all the information on other Indian restaurants in Richardson. If I should find myself in the area, I would check one of them out. I would also like to go back to Pasand for a masala dosa, those huge, untra thin and crisp pancakes that are filled with a potato curry and sided with sambar, a spicy lentil soup. Perhaps one of the smaller south Indian places you mentioned also offers this crepe; it's one of my fave Indian dishes. Agree that Pasand tandooi chicken is stellar. Glad you found service good.
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2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Billusa99, says:
Don'tcha just love it when a flight to Turkey gets hijacked over Richardson, just because someone answers the twisted musings of a mutt who doesn't know Oregon from Oak Cliff?!
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
ms_ery, says:
Billusa99: Guess I've been absent from this site for too long, because I don't have any idea what your comment means. Sure, twisteddog, has his hangups and serious failings. However, I think that Indian food can be so delicious that I want to help anyone hankering for it. Tell me how Turkey relates to previous postings. And in the future, if I am so dumb or naive not to understand the posted comments, I'll try to let you of superior intellect do the talking.
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
twisteddog, says:
As usual, I find myself alone at the pinnacle of perfection.
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Billusa99, says:
ms_ery... don't worry, for thou are not J_motimer, and thou must consider this thread as tg once was, before the spectral mythology figure captured her.
And, if you get that, then you will soon realize that twisted dogbreath often sets up things so that they can progress as they have.
'Cause, you can set up some of the people some of the time, but you can't set up nyce people if they pay attention... capisce???
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
ms_ery, says:
So I've been set up? Why do I feel more like having a doner plate than being a goner?
Anyway, though I wouldn't mind trying Istanbul Grill, I rather liked the Indian detour. Made me realize I really want to return to Pasand some lunch hour soon.
Anonymous
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Teresa Gubbins, says:
ms_ery, if you book a trip to pasand, be sure to let me know. i'll meetchya there
Staff
2 years, 7 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Teresa Gubbins, says:
<a href="http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2007/06/06/feargal-opens-new-magically-delicious-taco-house/">frontburner</a> reports the new-and-improved name of the feargal mckinney-ian beach restaurant in the space that used to be Pueblo Arriba (and before it Lulu's Bait Shack, among other places): <a href="http://tecoletacohouse.com/">Tecola Taco House</a>
Staff
2 years, 6 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal