Eat This: Orecchietta Pasta at Fino's Italian Bistro

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” So begins the famous Marc Antony speech memorized by many a high school speech, drama, or English student back in the day, and immortalized by Marlon Brando in the infamous 1953 movie Julius Caesar. In modern Italian cooking terms, orecchietta is a home-made pasta from the Apulia region which is shaped to resemble a small ear. At Fino’s Italian Bistro, one of chef Alfredo’s favorite dishes to prepare is Orecchietta with spicy Italian sausage, broccoli, zucchini, and parmesan cheese in tomato sauce. If you cock your ear close to the plate, you just might catch a few strands of Shakespeare’s immortal verse. In any case, grab every friend and countryman and all the Romans you can find and head to this neighborhood gem for a pasta feast.

WINES THAT ROCK: SYNCHRONICITY IN A GLASS

Most people associate rock and rock with beer chugging or whiskey drinking, but it’s no secret that a lot of rockers are turning to wine as their tipple of choice. Inevitably, a winemaker would pick up on this relationship and start his own line of wines featuring classic rock themes. Well, winemaker Mark Beaman has done just that by partnering with Mendocino Wine Company and producing Wines That Rock. Each wine in the series is based on a classic rock theme or band, such as Woodstock Chardonnay, Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot, and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon. Recently, The Police’s Synchronicity was debuted in New York at the Food Network’s Wine and Food Festival. Besides winning competition awards, Wines That Rock has received Governor’s Environmental Awards from the State of California for their eco-friendly practices. Also, a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to benefit Cancer, AIDS, and Leukemia Research.

Bottle art connoisseurs will surely want to collect Wines That Rock, for the company spares no expense with the label. Each bottle of Synchronicity is adorned with the album’s artwork, and collectors will want to get a couple of bottles, one to sample and one to save.

Synchronicity, naturally, is a blend, and the combination of Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier makes for a deep burgundy color. The nose is slightly floral, with currants and vanilla, and a whiff of strawberries. Plum hits your palate first, then berries, then some citrus notes, and the wine finally finishes with full-on raspberries. This wine would pair with all manner of light red meat dishes, some hearty pastas and salads, and (perfect for a rockin’ wine) pizza. Needless to say, listening to the album Synchronicity while quaffing is recommended, since that way you can best experience the “shimmering surfaces and glacial shadows” of the music that Beaman tried to incorporate into every bottle.

BOTTLE BATTLE: CHILEAN SAUVIGNON BLANCS

When most novice tipplers first hear the term sauvignon blanc, which means “wild white” in French, they often believe that it must be similar to white zinfandel, which is a rose wine made from red grapes. In fact , this varietal is one of the proud parents of cabernet sauvignon, having been crossed with cabernet franc back in the 18^th century. It is the premier white grape of Bordeaux, where its bone-dry finish has proved to be a perfect match for seafood for many years. Since this varietal needs warmth without oppressive heat to truly flourish, it does well in maritime climates such as California and New Zealand.

Valparaiso, located on Chile’s Central Coast, has a similar climate and thus has established itself as ground zero for sauvignon blanc in South America. Chilean sauvignon blancs tend to be more similar to those of Bordeaux than, say, those of New Zealand, where the blancs are known for higher levels of acidity and the famous “grassy” or asparagus taste noticed by many drinkers.

Two of the leading wine producers in Chile are Santa Rita and Concha y Toro. Therefore, I thought that a tasteoff between sauvignon blancs of these two behemoths might be in order.

First up was the Santa Rita 120, so named to honor 120 freedom fighters who took refuge in the cellars after an exhausting battle for Chilean independence. Santa Rita’s sauvignon sports a light greenish-gold color, and an abundance of nectarine and tropical fruits and flowers on the nose. The finish Is long and bright, and there are plenty of grapefruit flavors on the palate. A delightful, summery picnic wine and wonderfully easy on the pocketbook as well.

Next was the Concha y Toro blanc, marketed under the Casillero del Diablo name and priced just a few dollars more. (Chilean wines, like their Argentine counterparts, represent wonderful value.) The color was much paler, but the nose and taste were more delightfully complex, not only plenty of grapefruit and citrus, but also lime, with a nice finish of minerals, Bordeaux style. This blanc was meant to be paired with food, and I enjoyed the rest of my tasting with a small bowl of tomato chicken curry. Both blancs, I suspect, would do justice to all manner of seafood and most spicy eats as well.

In sum, while I enjoyed Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc as an inexpensive summer quaff, I give the nod to Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo for its mineral complexity and better pairing possibilities.

FOOD CZAR REVIEW #63: MAMA PITA'S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

Once limited to burgers, tacos, and chicken, the diner-on-the-go has more choices available these days than just going through the nearest drive-thru. Fast casual is still one of the hottest new segments of the restaurant game, with sub sandwich shops, delis, and build-your-own burrito places racking up impressive business. Even Asian food has entered the fray with places such as Pei-Wei and Roti Grill. Now, Mama Pita Mediterranean Grill has joined the battle as well, promising fresh ingredients assembled into a tasty feast right before your very eyes.

The Shops at Legacy can sometimes be daunting to navigate, yet Mama Pita is easy to find, clearly marked and located on Legacy Drive itself just East of the Tollway. The décor of this box features dark woods, bricks, and photos depicting everyday life in the Mediterranean. Merely make your way to the back, where your smiling hostess stands at the Chipotle-style assembly counter ready to tell you how Mama Pita works.

Basically, there are four different styles of meals at various price points, and each meal contains two or more categories of eats: salads, dips, mains and sides. Prices start at $6.95 for a simple Pita Wrap, progressing all the way up to $9.90 for the Combo Platter with shrimp. At these prices, I decided that I could easily afford to try a little bit of everything, so I splurged for the Combo Platter. My sprawling salad was Fattouch, which combined lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers with a deft touch of pomegranate molasses, and a sumptuous olive and lemon dressing crowned with toasted pita chips. A little heavy on the dressing, but this salad sported good, fresh produce and was a sign of things to come. My dip was Mama’s Homemade Garlic Paste, which was intensely flavored garlic overload and was a great accompaniment to the other dishes when used sparingly. I chose Kafta and Falafel for my mains, and these were a bit disappointing: The Kafta, grilled minced lamb and beef, was slightly underdone and definitely underseasoned (my garlic dip came in handy here), but the Falafel was better, two crispy pucks of garbanzo and minced fava beans, nicely spiced indeed. Both mains were on the smallish side, but I sure couldn’t quibble about the price. Mama’s Patatas proved to be the star of my platter, wonderfully crisp potato bits seasoned with parsley and spices, and better than three-fourths of the French Fries you can get around town. Finally, I had asked for a pita to wrap my ingredients, and these proved to be quite tasty and large, the size and shape of your basic manhole cover.

The serving ladies at the counter were quite cheerful and eager to explain the process, and they did a wonderful job of speeding me through the line without feeling rushed. In short, Mama Pita is no Café Istanbul, but with low prices, quick service, and fresh food, they present quite an intriguing alternative to the burgers, tacos, and chicken joints that make up the usual fast options.

FOOD CZAR REVIEW #62: CHITOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Savvy Dallas food folk know their taquerias. They can see through the folderol of twelve-dollar fajitas and the folly of enchiladas antisepticas offered by far too many chains. They know that great Mexican food can be found just about anywhere in our fair city, be it strip mall, hole-in-the-wall, or gas station. In the latter category, longtime aficionados wax rhapsodic about Fuel City’s tacos, while the Lake Highlands crowd knows all about Good 2 Go Tacos. Believe it or not, north Plano sports an excellent gas station establishment, Chitos Mexican Restaurant, tucked in behind a Chevron station on Legacy Drive. I first visited Chitos about a year ago amidst rumors that they had some of the best tostadas in the Metroplex, and I decided recently to see firsthand if they were still holding down the quality fort.

Gabriel and Sandra Correa bought Chitos just over a year ago, and immediately set out to make warm, familial service a hallmark of the place, while maintaining excellence in the culinary category. After greeting and seating me, I was handed a menu, where I was delighted to find that the prices were still quite low, with most offerings under $10. I knew that Horchata Agua Fresca would make an excellent accompaniment to the spicy fare, and I ordered one. Loaded with cinnamon and spices and generously portioned, this fresca was large enough to sustain me throughout the meal, and I took home plenty besides. Chips and salsa tasted fresh, and the salsa had a delightful tang. After due perusal, I decided to order a pollo tostada and my waiter’s recommendation of Asado De Puerco Rojo. I was also considering a sopa, but my genial waiter stopped me by asking, “Are you sure? This is a lot of food. You can always order it later if you are still hungry.” I really appreciated his honesty, and decided to wait.

In short order, my tostada was brought, and I was delighted to find it still piled high with freight: fresh chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, crema, and queso fresco. All these ingredients served quite well to highlight the chicken rather than mask it, particularly the queso fresco. I also used the jalapeno and tomatillo salsas my waiter brought to good effect, sparingly so that just a touch of heat was added. Very large and crunchy, it would have made an excellent lunch if I had eaten the whole thing, but I wanted to save room for the Puerco. Outstanding pork with a pastor flavor was presented in a fiery red sauce with excellent rice and beans, making for one of the most savory, sumptuous Mexican meals I’ve had in a long time. No salsa necessary for this dish, as each bite was full of roasted sweet heat. Again, portions were quite generous, so there was a lot to take home, and as my waiter suggested, I didn’t need to add a sopa.

Service throughout was family gracious, and the chef herself stopped by to make sure I had enjoyed everything. This meal was proof that at Chitos you can fill your stomach as well as your car, and both will be quite content.

Go To The GO TEXAN Wine Garden At The State Fair of Texas

On a busy weekend at the State Fair of Texas when teeming throngs of teens and folks of all ages are crowding the corny dog stands and other concessions, the Go Texan Wine Garden stands like a little Hill Country oasis near the Food and Fiber Pavillion. There's a large shade tree and covered tables, plus more open seating facing the smallish stage where excellent jazz and blues groups hold sway on weekends. (When we visited, the featured acts were the Jeff George Band and Miss Marcy.) Three tasting booths await your business, featuring tipple samples for two or three tickets each, plus full glasses at 16-17 tickets. Full bottles can be had as well, and there is a small Bistro that serves beer, soft drinks, a few other wines, and light snacks.

Come on in. Relax. You deserve it. Linger for an hour or so. Try a sample or three. Listen to the wonderful music. Hear wine talks from featured Texas winemakers, as this year the garden features all Texas tipples. Even on the most crowded days, my lovely wife and myself found room to sit. Recharge your batteries. Experience the magic of life and the sense of temporary community that wine tastings with music can bring. Then, a little reluctantly but fully recharged, take your leave. Most important, please visit before the last day of the fair October 17. Hopefully, this sweet oasis is not a mirage like Brigadoon but will reemerge from the mists again about this time next year.

FOOD CZAR REVIEW #61: THE PLACE AT PERRY'S

Note: I had written this post to appear in another space right after Restaurant Week, but alas, it was not to be. Still, better late than never. Enjoy!

Many critics and bloggers alike don’t think much of Restaurant Week. They bemoan the fact that newbies have crowded them out of their favorite tables during prime dining hours, and the fact that some establishments, even some with stellar reputations, have taken on an assembly-line, move-‘em-through quality that ensures maximum turnover of tables.

Happily, such is not the case at The Place at Perry’s, one of Dallas’ better steak palaces that prides itself on Niman Ranch beef, fresh seafood, and quality ingredients. Still, while the food was mostly excellent and the wine outstanding, service can often make or break a place during RW. In this case, our server came through with flying colors.

Kristen seems to have learned the fact that the fine art of service comes through correctly reading the table---that is, to be able to tell by often-subtle nonverbal cues whether to keep everything moving at a brisk pace, or slow it down just a tad if the customers seem to want to linger. My dining companion and I clearly showed that we were fine with a goodly pace early in the meal, but wanted to take it easy for a bit after dessert.

The Place at Perry’s denotes simple elegance, with basic foursquare tables, wall sconces, and tasteful celebrity photos on the walls for decoration. We especially liked the semi-enclosed, high-walled booths that conveyed intimacy without making us feel squirreled away from the rest of the room.

Wisely, we decided to order our RW repasts with wine pairings at $65 a person. Perry’s wine list is one of its most impressive features, designed to sate the palate without busting the budget. We began with salads (I wish Perry’s had offered a soup option, but such was not the case); my dining companion choosing a very good wedge with Maytag bleu cheese and crispy bacon bits. The salad was not overdressed, which is often a problem with a wedge, and it paired wonderfully well with Piper-Heidseick Brut champagne. My Classic Caesar sported some of the best house-made croutons I’ve had in a long time, and my companion so enjoyed her sip of my glass of accompanying Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc that she chose it as her nightcap later.

She also was delighted with her entrée, the Herb-Encrusted Rainbow Trout, which proved both flaky and buttery, paired with an old friend, Masi Mansianco Pinot Grigio. Meanwhile, my Niman Ranch New York Strip Au Poivre (an old-school preparation currently enjoying a comeback) was quite good although a bit fatty and cooked just a tad beyond the requested medium rare. In this case, the steak was saved by the gorgonzola topping and the outstanding Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine worthy of Shakespeare. Best of all were the desserts: A simple chocolate fudge cake for my companion and a creamy house made cheesecake with espresso topping for myself.

True to her calling, Kristen let us linger longer at the end, while we enjoyed glasses of the sauvignon blanc and the superb Bodega Norton Malbec Reserve. She also managed to work in a subtle pitch for Slider Saturdays, Perry’s promotion featuring gourmet mini-burgers, without making us feel like we were being sold. In any case, we were sold on The Place at Perry’s, and figure that we might just have to take her up on the offer.

THE PLACE AT PERRY’S

2911 Routh Street

214 871-9991

http://www.theplaceatperrys.com/restaurant_week.htm