Posted on June 27, 2008 at 4:17 p.m.

Food: 4/5  Vibe: 3/5  Service: 3/5  Value: 5/5  Overall: 4/5

We finally got to the new place last Saturday and have to pretty much agree with most of the comments here re: service and staffing. It's a bit hit and miss with the young staff. The charge-out process is still a wait due to the crowd at the front. But, being able to park in 12 seconds and walk 40 feet to the front door makes up for it, in spades!

That being said, it's light years ahead of the old place in ambience and space. Food is still first rate. The Golden Chicken and the mezza plate, which we always split, are still spot on. Great hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, dolmas and crisped chicken to die for.

And now that the Hollywood/Santa Monica and Lakewood crowd are right next door, the people watching is a complete hoot!

On Ali Baba (Lakewood)

Posted on April 25, 2008 at 11:14 a.m.

Food: 3/5  Vibe: 4/5  Service: 2/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 3/5

Agent 99 and I ate there last night. We had a lovely table outside, next to a center pillar that partially shielded us from a 4+1 group of Sex and the City wannabee's and a lone boy-toy. It's always been a great patio space and it's very remeniscent of Samba Room in its early hey-day -- all puff, pomp and circumcision.

We shared a caesar salad ($8), which had an excellent, creamy dressing, 2 white anchovies, and it was more then enough for two. The romaine was CUT small, though, so it didn't look as good as good have if it was torn instead. Had a good shaving of P-R on top, too.

99 had the lasagna, which was "okay, not stellar" and again could have been shared. It had a decent marinara (a wee bit sweet, deep red and lots of tooth), and a single fresh basil leaf the size of a playing card along side. To me, it was a bit noodle-soft and the Wagu beef in it added nothing. If anything, it added to the mush. $15 as I recall.

I had a "build you own" plate consisting of penne, marinara w/ basil ($13) and added sausage with green and red bell peppers (plus $4). It was good, not stellar, and notch up from the lasgna. the penne was very good and cooked al dente just right. Same marinara, a spring of basil the size of a quarter (were they running short already?), and a decent amount of sausage cut into 50-cent size pieces. I don't know if they make their own sausage, but it needs some work. It had only the mildest taste of fennel and little to no heat. It was not fatty, but was essentially dense and without life. A pig died in vain for it. Likewise the peppers were limp and tasteless. They were simply something to eat with marinara clinging to them, as that's all one could discern for taste.

We had a nice Tuscan white, a 2006 Tenuta Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano that had some good acid and zing to it, but was HUGELY overpriced at 48 bucks (it retails for about 12-13, so it was 4X-upped at Villa-O, and a complete rip-off!).

We'd likely go back to people peer and do a couple of appetizers with a glass of wine, then head to Ziziki around the corner for dinner, as we prefer more soul in our food nights out! Compared to the upscale edge that Columbo built into the food at Trece, Villo-O is about as safe and predictable and American as Italian food can get. Which is to say "it's Macaroni Grill with an attitude." It will do well there, but it certainly won't be breaking any new ground in interpreting ethnicities! ;-)

Service was very uneven, but earnest. The first choice of wine was not available and it took till 3/4 of the way thru the Caesar to get our 2nd choice. Oh, and someone needs to inform the wait staff that their "Mediterranean sea bass" is not the same as its Chilean cousin, but with finer flesh, as the Chilean one isn't even a bass. If they called it branzino (or branzini) they be a jump up on their cool factor without even trying.

On Villa-O

Posted on March 19, 2008 at 12:14 p.m.

Food: 3/5  Vibe: 1/5  Service: 3/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 3/5

I called Brothers on Fitzhugh and they confirmed that this location has been sold in the past month. It's now called Krispy Fried Chicken.

I didn't see any donuts, but they have added donairs and burgers. They still have the old chicken menu and prices, and they still sell the Ain't No Mo' Butter Cakes.

The chicken is still quite good, hot and fresh, but we always thought it was a slight step below the Fitzhugh buzzard's taste. I'm guessing that the massive, in-store food court at the new grocery store across from them did not help sales at all.

On Krispy Fried Chicken (Dallas / Coit & Spring Valley)

Posted on February 28, 2008 at 3:35 p.m.

Food: 4/5  Vibe: 5/5  Service: 5/5  Value: 3/5  Overall: 4/5

Agent 99 and I have been here 3 times, the most recent being about 5 weeks ago. We always split their hearts of roamine salad, a good take on a ceasar. Pan seared sea b bass with a lobster bisque on cheddar risotto is another keeper, and it's obvious they spent time doing the risotto the correct way. Buttery sea bass melts in your mouth.

99 loves the lump crab and shrimp lasagna -- takes her back to her N'Awlins days. I have also had a grilled sirloin (almost like a filet) that is every bit as good as any steak house (and I'm not a steak guy, normally).

Great live music and, as Rawlins points out here, a great overall vibe. It is not, however, an inexpensive place to eat. But, the food and service are top notch! Hector aims to please!

(BTW... Paging Geoff Keah -- your new keyboard and palate cleanser are ready in aisle 5, next to the Savor rest area.)

On Hector's On Henderson

Posted on February 1, 2008 at 12:07 p.m.

Food: 5/5  Vibe: 4/5  Service: 3/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 4/5

The food in this hidden Lake Highlands gem is superb and authentic. Green curries are hot! Best Pad Thai in a pad site in Dallas. The room is comfortable, esp. the semi-wingback chairs/tables for 2 along the walls.

Highly recommended, but watch when you go. Service is at peak dinner times is greatly variable since they expanded -- more room, same staff levels. But, the caring husband/wife try to make up for it.

Yea... a putting green... go figure... ;-)

On Tukta Thai

Posted on December 17, 2007 at 1:13 p.m.

Food: 4/5  Vibe: 4/5  Service: 4/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 4/5

Agent 99 and I headed out again this past Saturday to Cafe R&D, after shaking off the last vestiges of hanging out at an east suburban pool hall till way past our normal turn-in time the night before! The eclectic bunch there kept tugging at the 'interesting conversation strings' and before you know it, was midnight and time to board the pumpkin home.

At 7PM on a rainy, freezing Saturday, R&D place was jammed, but we timed it right to get an elevated oval table on the bar side that backs up to the half of the room that is dining (all banquets and booths). Ours was a prime spot for people watching and our service was superb, too. We started with splitting a Mediterranean Seared Tuna Salad, which was sushi-grade ahi, avocado, baby cukes, baby beets, mild goat cheese (like a Point Reyes), blanched haricots vert, grape tomatoes, and unique little yellow tomatoes shaped like miniature pears. The vinaigrette had dash of hot mustard (we think) and it suited the salad perfectly (although it was spread a tad heavily). The seared tuna was melt in your mouth, peppered on the outside, and the dish was entree size -- it's a meal unto itself.

Then came the pan-seared fish special for that night -- halibut. It's flash seared to give it a golden crisp crust and then (obviously) roasted in some sort of salamander at very high heat for a very short time. It's blazing hot, but butter smooth inside, and cooked perfectly. Which means, moist, not dry and it was fork-flaky. Sided along were smashed potatoes with sweet corn kernels wedded in and a nice beurre blanc was pooled along side, in case any of it wanted a swim. Wines, like the food, are 'Houston's priced' which means at the high end of average, but there was a quality assortment in the $9-12/glass range.

We are normally not chain people, but Houston's has always been the exception. Service is always stellar and the food is always top quality and prepared exceptionally well. Cafe R&D is right up there and should do extremely well with its less formal atmosphere. In fact, the swooping blonde wood beams to the windows are stunning, and the entire backside could almost be the underside of a roll-top desk. It's minimalist modern, done well. 99 had fun... just like at that pool hall... so we'll be back!

On Cafe R&D

Posted on December 10, 2007 at 10:30 p.m.

Food: 4/5  Vibe: 5/5  Service: 5/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 4/5

Agent 99 and I did The Club this past Saturday, as it was December and I deserved a break from my holiday cone of insolence. We were not disappointed!

Places such as this, on the high end of the diners with dough scale, are not usually on our must-do list as we cook a ton at home and refuse to pay high dollars for things we can do better ourselves. Since we both control the purse strings, sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. In this case I lost, but I won -- which makes happy marriages, ultimately. And, if it wasn't for TG's D review, we would not have gone at all.

You would not recognize the room from the old Draelion space. It's 'private club' all the way through. Midnight blue suede walls with a plethora of pics filling every void. Dark faux-leather table covers and stressed leather banquets along the walls. Serving staff in dark blazers, oozing friendliness first and charm as an unobtrusive adjunct.

The wine list is big and expensive, but there is a decent selection of bottles in the 38-60 range. Markup is almost 4X so expect no deals. Paul -- when will you open your Dallas wine-slaying place?! The menu is varied and very interesting, but not over the top crazy. Steak, veal done Milanese and grilled, salmon, halibut, a few pastas... read TG's for that. We were there for pasta, as we had done enough meat for the week already and homemade pasta is a fav of ours.

We started with a wedge salad that we split, so as not to do same to my pants. More than enough for 2. Creamy blue cheese that had an ongoing, lingering bit of heat through the whole thing. It was wonderful, but what was it -- not the cracked pepper. Even our team lead (Lance) didn't know, so we asked him to check. We thought it was Lousiana hot sauce or cayenne. We got no cigar -- it was Tabasco and it was brilliant.

Now came the pasta. Ms. 99 had the spaghetti with lobster tail -- a decent size and perfectly cooked. The red gravy had a perfect amount of heat and pomodoro to it and the tooth to it was superb!!! I had the "off the menu" special -- pumpkin ravioli with lump crab in a butter sauce. Each full square had a shard of crab placed on it, and the two were like June and Johnny after a bus ride to Ontario in '68 -- engaged to be married. Pure heaven, and like pumpkin pie filling inside the ravioli. Now don't frown, because it wasn't sickly sweet, just scrumptious! The ravioli had that translucent skin quality that only comes from first-class dough. Extremely well done.

Since I am a big limoncello fan, we split the limoncello cheescake. It was good, and not heavy at all. But, it was the most ordinary aspect of the evening. Note to Club -- ramp up that end, please.

Now, to the service, which elevated this night above all and is the main reason (beside the food) that we will be back. Lance and his crew were outstanding in every way. He used to be a food & bev manager at multiple Marriots in the U.S. and he bleeds service. He knows how to inform, and he knows how to make one feel welcome, and his team spews that in spades, too. I can now say that we have remembered 4 outstanding servers (on the FIRST visit) in our many, varied meals together here in the Big D: Melanie at Suze, Phillipe at Alessio's, Daniel at Avanti-McKinney and now Lance. Ask for him when you make a rez and you will not be disappointed.

The only reason we did not give The Club an overall 5 is because the only 5 we have ever eaten at is The Compound in Santa Fe... and The Club isn't there yet. But, that's OK, 'cause this isn't Santa Fe and I'll never celebrate my 50th again!

On The Club

Posted on October 22, 2007 at 1:51 p.m.

Food: 4/5  Vibe: 5/5  Service: 5/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 4/5

See my comments here: http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/...

On Fearing's Restaurant

Posted on June 10, 2007 at 9:55 p.m.

Food: 4/5  Vibe: 5/5  Service: 3/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 4/5

My wife and I and another couple ate there 6 weeks ago. Had a wonderful time and the BYOB at the time (no license, yet) made it all the better! Kelly has done a wonderful job -- but we were already Hatties fans anyway. I will say that the service was uneven, but it was sincere and that's what we look for. People can learn -- burnt salmon or dry pizza can't. So, since the latter was abscent, we gave hope to the former.

I would comment on the drinks, the drapes, the tableclothes, the music and the glassware, etc. But we brought our own wine, and I had not read enough about restaurant decor and gilded lighting before that visit to realize how important it is to recognize such now in Dallas restaurant reviews.

My bad...

On Kavala Mediterranean Grill

Posted on March 7, 2007 at 10:02 a.m.

Food: 5/5  Vibe: 4/5  Service: 4/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 4/5

Daniele Osteria is the kind of place you would walk into in any small Italian village. From the low lighting, to the music, to the brick wine cellar and heavy draped curtains, to the welcome from the staff, it instantly reminded us of our trip to Tuscany last year -- albeit Daniele's is actually Sicilian in its influences.

The menu is broken into the typical antipasti, pasta and secondi courses. Now, we rarely can eat that much, but here we did it by splitting the first two courses. We started with calamari, which was perfectly fried little ringlets, with a crisp and light breading, that were not chewy at all. They were accompanied by a zesty Sicilian red sauce that thankfully was NOT the semi-sweet, flacid marinara served in countless other places. Next, we split the spinach salad, which was served with pine nuts, caramelized onions, some crisy fried pancetta (dry-cured Italian bacon) and a wonderful, tart, dark basalmic vinaigrette. The spinach was crisp and fresh, and the whole salad sang with la dolce vita!

For our final courses, I ordered the rigatoni al funghi and my wife had the pappaaredelle sodano, their "pasta of the house." Mine came with pancetta, shallots, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in a Parmigiano cream sauce. My wife's had cherry tomatoes, arugula, capers and black Italian olives in extra virgin olive oil. My heavens, WHAT PASTA this man can make. Perfectly al dente and tasting so fresh -- like it had just been made and hung to dry over broom handles that afternoon. We were both eating as much out of each others plates as we were our own! We did not recognize many of the wines, so went with a Sicilian red recommendation from our waiter, who was also from that area.

We will definitely go back and try the meat and fish (secondi) dishes. If they reflect Daniele's skill with pasta, I know we won't be disappointed. So, if you want a loving trip across time and space, to an authentic, small, Italian-run kitchen that you can only get in Italy (and now Oak Lawn), then get yourself to Daniele's Osteria!

On Daniele Osteria