Restaurant Blog - Chowbaby.com

By Bruce McCracken

ABUELO’S
824 Airport Freeway, Hurst, TX 76054

Abuelo’s, Grandfather’s in Spanish, began in Lubbock in 1997 and quickly found favor in the Metroplex. Of the countless Tex-Mex offerings in the area, Abuelo’s is among the most unique and delightful in every way. Each location’s interior is a little different and all feature a patio. Opulent décor greets you with a mural on the ceilings. Yet it is unpretentious and moderately priced. The bar drinks, especially the margaritas, are excellent, as are the complimentary tortilla chips and salsa. The menu includes traditional Mexican dishes including seafood in addition to Tex-Mex. One of the best and most distinctive meals is the succulent Los Mejores De La Casa. It features bacon wrapped mesquite grilled shrimp and beef tenderloins accompanied by spinach with a tangy creamy cheese sauce and zesty mashed potatoes. Another good bet is the Salmon San Carlos. Expect to wait but it is well worth it.

by Barrett Brown

Kampai Sushi & Grill
4995 Addison Circle
Addison, Texas 75248
972-490-8888

Catering mostly to hip North Dallas professionals, Kampai seems to stake its success on the sheer improbability of its signature dishes, as well as the more subtle variances on everything else. Moderately unusual items like the paisley roll and crab meat-based volcano roll are made more exotic by virtue of being served not only with wasabi, but also jicama slaw, and the grand slam of gastronomic surprises comes in the form of the “Crawfish Dynamite,” a jambalaya-type dish that melds the culinary contributions of the Japanese and Cajuns. Meanwhile, a retinue of daily specials ensure further levels of intrigue.

by Bruce McCracken

KOBE STEAKS
5000 Belt Line Road, Addison, TX 75001
(972) 934-8150
Hours: (Sun-Thur) 5 pm-10:30 pm; (Fri & Sat) 5 pm-11:30 pm
Dinner and a show? You get a very good dose of both at this marvelous Japanese restaurant. The service and efficiency are striking. Ten diners are seated in a room at a horseshoe shaped bar with a huge griddle in the center. Some of these have chairs, some seat guests on the floor, so make certain your socks match as your shoes may have to come off. Your chef prepares most everything before you with speed, precision, and showmanship like flipping shrimp tails high into the air to land into his hat. Their speed and slight of hand maneuvers mesmerize the patrons. A savory broth is served, the first of eight courses, followed by a non descript salad. Marvelous fried rice and stir fried broccoli, leeks, and onions quickly follow. An appetizer of delicate grilled shrimp follows with a flash of flame in the dark to finish it out. Then come the main courses including rib eye, shrimp, oysters and chicken. These are chopped into cubes. Next follow fried bean sprouts and finally dessert. The cheesecake with plum sauce is especially enchanting. Kobe also has an excellent bar including many uncommon Japanese beers. The cushy leather chairs in the waiting area are appreciated as you may be there for an hour.

By Rita Cook

Le Rendezvous
5934 Royal Lane Dallas, Texas
(214)739-6206

Extravagant to a fault, this romantic little restaurant will make you feel like you have stepped out of the DFW area and into an evening in Paris. After being seated at a small table with white linen it’s easy to see why this romantic dinner will be an experience. From the gracious wait staff to the forest green and gold interior that lights up the room you can’t miss the murals on the walls making guests feel welcome. The oh-so-French food is made to perfection with well-chosen seafood options rich appetizers. Owned by a professional musician, Tim Georgeff, he has brought together what he knows from both entertainment and hospitality and served it up well at Le Rendezvous. As they say, “When in France” try the Brie soup, chicken cordon bleu or if you’re really hungry dine on the marinated lamb and vegetables kabob – an offering of Mediterranean faire. If you enjoy the taste of cumin and garlic then you will find not only the ultimate in romance, but also the ultimate in rich food guaranteed to speak to all your senses and with the extensive wine list you will want to be a repeat guest after your first time.

by Rita Cook

Riscky’s Barbeque
6701 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
(817) 989-1800
300 Main St.
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
(817) 877-3306
140 E. Exchange Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76106
(817) 626-7777
2314 Azle Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76106
(817) 624-8662
Ask anyone in Texas about good barbeque and Riscky’s is on the top of the list. Founded by Polish immigrants Joe and Mary Riscky they first established a grocery store of the same name in 1927 called Riscky’s Grocery & Market near the Fort Worth Stockyards. Nowadays, diners are still talking about the barbeque sauce as it is considered some of the best around and you can even purchase it to take home. The meat is slow-cooked at the original Azle Avenue location in the smoke pit and choices include beef and pork ribs, brisket and smoked catfish – served in large portions in a basket. The beef ribs are especially popular rubbed with “Riscky Dust” and served with Texas toast, a Texas size slice of onion, Polish pickle, jalapeno pepper and your choice of homemade potato salad, fresh coleslaw, seasoned red beans or home style fries. Don’t leave without trying dessert too from cobbler to pecan pie to banana pudding. Catering and takeout is also an option, but the experience at Riscky’s is what most serious barbeque eaters just can’t pass up.

by Rita Cook
Pappas Bar-B-Q
2231 West Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas 75220
(214)956-9038
Opening in 1967, Pappas was first opened in Houston by a Greek immigrant family of the same name, but back then it was called The Brisket House. It wasn’t until 1996 that the named was changed to Pappas and later still, it wasn’t until 2005 that the Dallas location on Northwest Highway was added. However, with 40 years of experience already under their belt, the Pappas family knows how to make Bar-B-Q no matter where they are cooking it. The ribs and brisket are slow-smoked to perfection and sides are made from scratch every day. The homemade Bar-B-Q sauce with a touch of smoky taste has become so popular that diners come in and ask for it by name. Sides are different with items like spicy beans, yams and cucumber salads. For dessert it’s either cheesecake or pecan pie, but with either one you can’t go wrong. Mornings are also popular at Pappas where breakfast is served with menu items such as Chorizo and Egg or Barbecoa as the popular favorites.