RedFork's Identity Crisis; Capital Grille's Hit-Or-Miss

Here's where the critics ate this week:

DALLAS MORNING NEWS -- The first of two RedFork Tavern reviews comes from Mark Vamos for the Dallas Morning News, who gives the restaurant two stars. Chef Ryan Carbery recently took over the restaurant in a pinch when Jeff Harris and Matt Balke split, and Vamos says he "plays pretty well" for a proper chef at a bar where the main attraction is flat screen televisions and drink specials. He liked the "snout to tail" pig dish, wasn't impressed with appetizers but says the desserts "end things on a bright note."

OBSERVER -- Scott Reitz also enjoyed RedFork's "snout to tail" and complains about the weird mix of gastropub fare and sports bar atmosphere, calling it "ambience hell." Reitz praises the desserts and Carbery's Bolognese but says the chef's "kitchen skills are lost in the dissonance of a sports bar meets Tuscan trattoria meets frat party."

DALLAS MORNING NEWS -- Leslie Brenner traveled north for the Capital Grille at the Shops at Legacy, which also gets two stars. She starts off by listing all the things that make for a fine steakhouse--"great cuts," good wine list, excellent service--which the Grille misses on during one mistake-ridden dinner featuring an ill-informed server, wrongly cooked steaks and wine confusion. A second trip turns out much better with an "outstanding" sirloin. Still, says Brenner, the Grille "has some serious work to do."

DFW.COM -- Anna Caplan samples State Fair of Texas food for DFW.com, which at this late date doesn't add much to the already extensive coverage. She likes the Walking Taco, the Fried Autumn Pie and the Deep-Fried Texas Salsa, but says to avoid the Fried Guacamole: "They are bad."

[Photo: RedFork/Facebook]