DELICIOUS

Parlez-vous East Dallas?

St. Martin’s Wine Bistro is retro in the best way. White tablecloths and formally set tables await guests. The dim lighting exudes romance. In a restaurant world that is always looking to innovate and find the next big thing, St. Martin’s on Lower Greenville stays true to its roots.

Classical art hangs on the walls. The 100-year-old bar is a massive cherry wood beauty imported in two pieces from France.

St. Martin’s story started when the San Francisco Rose, its former neighbor and one of the last of the fern bars, was opened by Scott Fickling in 1976. Soon after, Fickling and his partners opened St. Martin’s as a neighborhood wine bistro with classic French fare.

In 1998, Mohsen Heideri took over the restaurant and has run it ever since. Mohsen also owns Arthur’s Prime Seafood and Steaks in Addison. He wanted to uphold the traditional charm of the bistro.

“This is a unique place, nothing has to be changed,” longtime manager John Savarian says.

St. Martin’s, which is open 365 days a year, seems to have found a formula for success over the last 40 years. It is the ultimate special-occasion restaurant, hosting countless rehearsal dinners in