Mike C. Miller

York Street has no web site. Comparison to Chez Panisse is apt in terms of the philosophy of the selection of ingredients. However, the preparation is more interventionist that CP -- not as simple and unadorned. Of course, that may well be because the quality of ingredients available here in Dallas doesn't compare to those available to CP. Atmosphere at YS is only so-so in my opininon. Room is small and a bit cramped. While still good, among the three, I like the service here the least. Nothing specific that I can put my finger on that I don't like, but nothing I can put my finder on that distinguishes it, either. Bijoux is probably the least modern in terms of decor or atmosphere. It is in a shopping center on the edge of Highland and University Park -- old money enclaves of Dallas. And the decor and a lot of the clientel matches the neighborhood. The food is in a traditional French vein with American ingredients. Probably the most traditional of the three, although none lean far toward the highly modernist camp. You won't find Wylie Dufresne WD-40 green pea foamed anything at any of them, for good or for ill. Lola, my personal favorite as the best all around experience, is in an old house. It is really two restaurants in one. The main restaurant and The Tasting Room where they serve only a multi course tasting menu. Atmosphere is relaxed, with some in sports coats, but some more casually dressed. The staff is well trained and knows the menu well. The owner himself runs the front of the house and knows the wine list like the back of his hand. The sample menu that you can find on their web site lola4dinner is likely representative. Classic preparations, but seasonal American ingredients. When I ate there last weekend, they had one dish with boudin noir and another with a home made black pudding. Don't know if you consider that modern or traditional. Frankly, you can't go wrong at any of the three. I think York Street shines more in the summer when Texas grown ingredients are more in season. The quality of the culinary technique at Bijoux is extremely high -- maybe a touch higher than the others -- but this is a hard call. (And in fairness, I've only eaten at Bijoux twice, while I've eaten at York Street dozens of times and Lola probably twenty a year for quite a few years.) But the wine list at Lola is spectacular and the food is extremely close to on par with the others, and at least since David Uygur has been back in the kitchen, perhaps the equal of the others. My vote goes to Lola, but all are great and I plan to eat at all three in the future.

How important is great wine at a great price? If that is very important, go to Lola. If not, I'd say it's a toss up between Lola and Bijoux. Food at both is very good with perhaps a slight nod to Bijoux. Wine list at Bijoux is not extensive and will have a high range typical restaurant mark up. However, if you're into wine and food, my God man, why are you even hesitating. Go to Lola!!! Fairly extensive wine list -- very extensive by Dallas standards with amazing prices. I don't really like to broadcast it too widely, but some older vintages are selling for under current retail. And not all wines are expensive. There's even a section on the list called Twenty$omething that is for wines under $30. Service at both is fine. A bit less formal at Lola, which if frankly more to my taste, but none the less very professional. Might also check out some reviews on York Street. I think that these are the three restaurants in Dallas with the best food, and I eat out quite a bit when I'm in Dallas.

I've eaten there twice. Had the tasting menu the first time. Food was very good but the wine list was below par for the quality of the food. Don't recall dishes. Had my second meal at Bijoux in Dallas not too long ago and was extremely impressed. Food was stellar and the wine list has been substantially upgraded since my last visit. Every single dish that we had was absolutely top notch. For appetizers, my girlfriend had a hand made pasta with a braised leg of rabbit and wild mushrooms. Really quite good. I had a pork belly with candied carrots and Thia red curry. Absolutely stunning dish. As good as anything I've ever put in my mouth. Just to die for. Nothing I could say would do justice to this dish. It absolutely must be experienced to understand it. The pork belly had been braised, I think, but then it had been roasted or fried on a high heat such that the outside was crispy and light. Very lightly sauced, but just the right counterpoint. My girlfriend's daughter, somewhat unadverterously had a green salad, but it was very nicely done. Lovely dressing of oil and vinegar. For main courses, I had duck. A pan roasted breast with a "sheppard's pie" of duck confit topped with mashed potatoes on top. Mild chou crout accompanied the magret. My girlfriend had pork two ways -- a pan roasted loin and a braised shank. Nicely done in a cider sauce. The GF's daughter had the star main course -- a simple truffle risotto. Simple rich risotto with shaved black truffle on top. Simple, but wonderful. Wine list has expanded. Nice, but not great selection. We had a Gislaine Barthod 2002 Chambolle Musigny village. Very nice. Lots of good wines, but very few very, very good wines, especially at mid price points. But certainly nothing to complain about. Now the wine list is much more in line with the quality of the food. Among the top three or four restaurants in Dallas, I'd wager. And doing well, too. On a Thursday night, we couldn't get in on short notice until 9:45 p.m. But we like to eat late in any event, and it certainly was well worth it.

Looks a tad boring, out of season, over done and too frou-frou for my tastes, not to mention overpriced. Give me York Street, Lola, or Local any day. I'll certainly try it, but it just doesn't look like the kind of menu that I expect to bowl me over. Anyone know if they've changed their wine list at all?

I've eaten there three times and have been favorably impressed each time. Very high quality of ingredients and good preparation. Wine list is average at best, however. Not it keeping with the quality of the food. Variety on the list is fine, but not too much in terms of quality, especially at the top end. Service was quite good on each visit. If they would just upgrade the wine list, they would be in great shape.

Come on guys, it's not just the New York Times raving -- it's Johnny Apple. He's not a food journalist, he's the real thing. He's only started covering food since he retired from the political beat. If you want to find out more about him, you need to read the late Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, and Timothy Crouse's The Boy's on the Bus. Both books well worth reading apart from the light that they shed on the distinguished career of Mr. Apple, by the way.

I've eaten there three times in the past six months or so and have been very impressed each time. Nice, if not exhaustive wine list (albeit with a highish mark up). But the food is the star here. Very, very good. Clean and intense flavors, especially on the sauces on the mixed seafood apetizers. He'll usually do a profusion of sauces and small tastes on those. Really nice. Now if they only had Cafe Annie's wine list, it would be perfect.

I have always had very good luck with Gerard Besson. Seems like they are a Michlien one/two star. Very traditional, but quite well done food. Nice, but not stellare wine list. Very pretty restaurant on the r. Coq Herron, near the Bourse. Service is impecable, formal without being stuffy. Lovely people and really nice food. Reservations are not a problem on most nights. Not as trendy as many restaurants, but very traditional and very well done. And you can eat there twice for what you cna eat at many other places. But don't give up on l'Astrance if that's where you really want to eat. I have actually gotten in to L'Ambrosie twice by just walking in at 2:30 or 3:30 p.m. and asking if they've had any cancellations. Can't count on it, but it can be done.

It's been a few years since I've had the pleasure of being in Anguilla, but our favorites have all been mentioned, by and large. Koal Keel was one of the best on our initial visit. However, on a few subsequent visits it was closed. If it is up to it's former standards, it will be a great addition to an already star studded dining field. Michel Rostang is also a favorite. I'm a wine nut and their cellar is very good for any where and, at least in my experience, unrivaled in the Carribiean. Foor is also very good, although it could be more consistent. Unfortunately, not as much in the way of local ingredients as I would prefer. As the old saying goes, no where are the French more French than when they are away from home. But a very nice meal none the less. Blanchard's seems to be a bit schizophrenic. Kind of like the girl with the one red curl from the nursery rhyme -- when she's good, she's very good, but when she's bad, she's very, very bad. We had one stellar meal there, one moderately good meal there, and one that was forgetable, and I think that's being charitable. Some claim that the quality dropped while Melinda was out flacking her book. I don't know, but when they are one, it is quite good. Straw Hat has no right to be as good as it is, at least the three times I've eaten there. Kitchy name, kitchy location, etc., but make no mistake, it is a serious restaurant with literally a million dollar view. Had dinner there New Year's Eve/New Years 1999/2000. Wonderful night. Wonderful meal. What a nice place to pass the mellinium. Hope it's still up to snuff. Those are the one's that leap first to mind. Decent burgers on a world class beach at Uncle Ernie's on Shoal Bay beach. Also there is a good local place just to the West of the airport on the main road -- Mala's Roti Hut. Had a great goat curry roti there once. Only hiccup was when I say tomorrows goat tied up out back. Kind of took a bit of the pleasure out of it, but c'est la vie (at least if you're a goat). Big Jim's BBQ at Blowing Point is also good if you're not averse to local color and no tourists hanging around. Finally, an almost unknown and desolate corner of Anguilla is Junks Hole Beach, on the winward eastern end of the island. Very different. There is a restaurant there called Palm Grove that is kind of interesting. You'll think that you're lost for about a mile or two before you get there and when you get there you'll think you're at the end of the earth. But the guy that runs it is real friendly and the food is actually quite good. Only deal is that you can't be in a hurry (good advice anywhere on Anguilla, but especially here). Go early and plan to lay around and explore the beach, etc. Neat place. Remote and usually very sparsely occupied.