Daniel Vaughn Takes On Ten 50 BBQ, and More Reviews

Daniel Vaughn reviewed Ten 50 BBQ: Chili's co-founder Larry Lavine is putting out some solid barbecue at this sprawling Richardson restaurant, though there are some consistency issues. Vaughn says the onion rings "may be the best thing on the menu, and that’s not a thinly veiled knock on the meat." Smoked chicken is a standout, with juicy meat and crisp skin, though the other poultry option, turkey, is skippable. Chopped brisket makes "a great sandwich on a good bun from Dallas’s Village Bakery, and the homemade pickles didn’t hurt either," though the sliced brisket "showed some consistency issues" from visit to visit. The must-order banana pudding "is something special." [TMBBQ]

Leslie Brenner went to Carso Mediterannean Grill: If you've never heard of this place, that's probably because it's tucked inside the Hilton Granite Park at 121 and the Dallas North Tollway. It boasts some major chef talent via former Nana chef Anthony Bombaci, though, and even if the dining room is mostly empty, the food is "original and confidently stylish." Brenner raves over dishes like "perfectly grilled, then chilled, large shrimp fashioned into a vibrant salad with luscious gigante beans," honey-harissa chicken wings "plated gorgeously with a Moroccan carrot salad," and 72-hour short ribs served with "sautéed mushrooms and two delicately thin omelets filled with fontina." The wine list is "lackluster" and service "is a little green," but attentive. Overall, "f you don’t mind quiet and aren’t looking for a scene," Carso is worth checking out. Three stars. [DMN]

Anna Caplan checked out Modmarket: The Colorado-based healthy fast-casual concept just opened its first locations in Flower Mound and Plano with more on the way, and so far, "it looks like a good fit." The scratch-made menu is affordable, with most entrees "in the $10 range." Standouts include a roasted beet salad with "spinach, red and gold beets, feta, pickled shallots, pepitas and a lemon maple vinaigrette," and a flank steak plate with "ridiculously succulent meat." Brick oven pizzas — even a cheeseless version with kale — are "remarkably good." Sides shouldn't be missed, particularly rosemary mashed sweet potatoes. [DFW.com]

In lieu of a Scott Reitz restaurant review, the Observer's Gavin Cleaver took on Bishop Cider Co.: The ciders being churned out at the first area cidery "are surprisingly good, walking a tightrope of flavor between the European and American extremes by introducing secondary ingredients to mask the dryer tones of the cider base." The Suicider 2.0, laced with cinnamon and allspice, "has a subtle spicing on a mildly sour base that grows on you with every sip." Crackberry has "an outstandingly complex taste" that "in no way feels like an 8.5 percent drink," but Cleaver wishes Bishop would put out something more European-style, "a signature, straightforward, classic cider brew to hang its metaphorical hat on." [Observer]

ELSEWHERE: Nancy Nichols reviewed Table 13; Todd Johnson went to Shiva's Bar & Grill; DFW.com's resident vegetarian checked out the new Righteous Foods, while their BBQ Safari went to Big D BBQ in Mansfield; The Taco Trail checked out a Fort Worth taco truck called Eva's.