So & So's 'Turns Bar Food On Its Head,' & More Reviews

Leslie Brenner reviewed So & So's: The food at this Uptown bar is "much more sophisticated than you'd expect," thanks to impressively pedigreed chef Nick Amoriello. Standout dishes include a purple hull pea hummus, red snapper with crispy skin and pea puree and "a spot-on crudo of hamachi on a jalapeño vinaigrette." She's less enthusiastic about the disproportionate burger, "a meat and cheese board done in by chaotic, competing flavors" and the waitstaff's lack of knowledge on wine service. Overall, though, Amoriello is clearly one to watch. Two stars. [DMN]

Scott Reitz went to Mesero: Is Mico Rodriguez's restaurant empire growing too quickly? The new Preston Hollow outpost is certainly packed enough, but the critic deems the food "Tex-meh," citing overcooked fish, "lifeless" ceviche and "oily corn tortillas." It's not all bad, though: enchiladas with green sauce, queso and tart margaritas "stoke every Tex-Mex memory ever experienced, only with better, fresher ingredients." [Observer]

ELSEWHERE: SideDish checked out Mi Piaci replacement Cucina Neighborhood Italian; DFW.com reviewed meat mecca Rafain and Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que; Fort Worth Weekly hit up Mo's Best Eatery in Arlington; Daniel Vaughn road tripped to Ray's BBQ Shack in Houston.