Expect Long Waits at True Food Kitchen, & More Reviews

Leslie Brenner reviewed True Food Kitchen: The Preston Center location of this restaurant "based on the precepts of Dr. Andrew Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Diet" is the seventh in the U.S., and Park Cities people are eating it up: "Waits for a table in the bustling dining room can easily top an hour, even midweek." There are plenty of good dishes to be found, including "beautifully cooked steelhead salmon fillet" with quinoa and beet salad, a fall salad with cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and pomegranate seeds, and tofu mushroom lettuce wraps, but not all the menu items are well-executed: Roast chicken is "charred outside, dry inside," steak arrived under- and then over-cooked, and a quinoa burger is pretty lame. House cocktails and pressed juices suffer from oversweetening. Two stars. [DMN]

Scott Reitz went to El Come Taco: Luis Villalva opened his East Dallas taqueria in late 2013, and it's more than worth a visit for both traditional, Mexico City-style tacos and the larger "house tacos" that come topped with "soft potatoes [or] bright-tasting slivers of cactus called nopales." Meat options include spicy, fatty housemade chorizo, pastor cooked on the traditional trompo (be sure to get it with pineapple), and for the more adventurous, tripe, cabeza, and brains, which " have the texture of soft, crumbly custard and a very mild flavor." Overall, "meats are seasoned gently and his salsas are relatively mild," but don't miss the chiles toreados, a sweet-smoky onion and jalapeno condiment that livens up any of the tacos. [Observer]

Teresa Gubbins reviewed Bird Cafe: Shannon Wynne's newest Fort Worth project in Sundance Square is "more sophisticated than the [Flying] Saucer but without veering into stuffiness." The menu here is identical to the one at his Meddlesome Moth, "with an appealing collection of shared plates, fancy bar snacks and pub classics" such as ricotta-stuffed "moth balls," fun bacon lollipops, and "wonderful" steak or rabbit pot pies that offer "an excellent crust-to-filling ratio." There's also a top-notch fish and chips rendition made with beer-battered cod and a "fresh and crunchy" tofu stir-fry; skip the disappointing burrata salad and "papery and greasy" fried zucchini chips. [DFW.com]

Kim Pierce checked out Monkey King Noodle Co.: Deep Ellum's tiny walk-up noodle stand "often attracts a line winding down the block." Best bets include spicy beef noodle soup, a "dark, beefy broth with traces of star anise" and "excellent" hand-pulled noodles that gets heat from chile oil and Szechuan peppercorns, and soup dumplings bursting with porky broth; there's also "earthier steamed veggie dumplings stuffed with minced shiitake, tofu and bok choy" and "rich, generously seasoned garlic-peanut noodles." For a respite from all the starch, try the "aromatic cucumber salad" dressed in zingy rice vinegar. Two stars. [DMN]

Robert Philpot went to Denton's LSA Burger Co.: Burgers are the main attraction here, "near half-pounders made from a two-piece chuck blend ground daily in McKinney" plopped on sweet buns sourced from a Garland bakery. Toppings like green chiles can get lost, but "the patty's flavor ... made up for any other shortcomings." There's also non-beef burgers like the flavorful, moist crabcake sandwich and a good housemade veggie burger. Garlic parmesan fries just might be the best thing on the menu. Cocktails are well-priced at around $7 and there's also a selection of local craft beers. [DFW.com]

ELSEWHERE: D reviewed Nonna; TMBBQ tried Lew's BBQ in College Station; Fort Worth Weekly went to Campisi's; SideDish sampled the wares at The Blind Butcher; Almost Veggies used the honor system at Aw Shucks; Confection Confessions was disappointed with Fort Worth's La Bella Cupcakes.

[Photo: True Food Kitchen/Facebook]