Brenner's Not Quite Sold on Village Marquee, & More of the Week's Reviews

Leslie Brenner reviewed Village Marquee: Former Pyramid chef Andre Natera recently came on to replace Tre Wilcox, and despite "flashes of brilliance", Brenner's "left wondering whether it's a good fit"; crudos and ceviches "show off the chef's skill and creativity", and entrees like lamb with cilantro risotto and a poached egg "can delight as well", but overall the cooking is "very uneven": Salads tend to fall short, steaks aren't worth the high pricetags, and execution is way off on a cheese plate. Marquee gets three stars, for whatever that's worth. [DMN]

Scott Reitz checked out Bowl & Barrel: The haute bowling alley at the Shops at Park Lane "is hardly a destination restaurant", but if you happen to be a bowling enthusiast who's willing to pony up the $50 an hour for a lane, there's plenty of tasty fare to to be found, like the "compelling hot dogs" with toppings ranging from curried ketchup to sauerkraut made from Brussels sprouts; burgers are another solid option, as is the toasty ham & Swiss sandwich. Skip the tiny quail legs, which would be better as simple chicken wings, and the sambal chicken sandwich that's overwhelmed by a sweet and gloppy peanut sauce. [Observer]

Teresa Gubbins scoped out Jack's Southern Comfort Food: Biscuits make the world go 'round at this homey Lower Greenville spot; they " show up on the menu in all kinds of ways: in a sandwich, drenched in sausage gravy or even as an entree, topped with the creamy filling of a potpie." Besides the biscuits, there's a "homey yet high end" meatloaf and an inventive black-eyed pea hummus. Fried chicken sports a "divine" cornflake crust; when it comes to sides, skip the overly-tarragoned cole slaw and opt for the standout fries. [DFW.com]

THE BLOGS: Confection Confessions sampled the wares at Lewisville's I Like Big Bundts; The Daily Campus ate falafel at Food From Galilee; Dallas Beer Snobs tried Lark on the Park.

· More Week in Reviews posts [-EDFW-]

[Photo credit: Village Marquee]