DINING SPOTLIGHT

Hacienda On Henderson

Wanna do the Happy Dance? Come by Mondays for Half-Price Food from 5pm-10pm. Dine In Only. Open Daily 11am-2am. Late Night Menu. Catering Available. Lunch Menu 11am-3pm. Now Catering.

Mextopia

New to the neighborhood ... Ricardo Avila’s Mextopia! Monday: $5

Margaritas, Tuesday: $2 Taco and Tecate, Lunch Specials M - F from 11am - 3pm. Brunch Sat. & Sun. from 11am - 3pm. Happy Hour M-F 3-7PM and all day Sunday. Easy parking!

ask the WINE GUY?

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE PRICE OF A BOTTLE OF WINE?

A lot less than you think — about $6, according to Nielsen, which tracks U.S. retail wine sales. Most of the wine sold in the United States costs less than $10.

—JEFF SIEGEL

ASK THE WINE GUY taste@advocatemag.com

Szechwan Pavilion

Since 1980, we have offered the finest Chinese food in Dallas. Choose from our gourmet menu or convenient buffet.

CHINESE & MANDARIN CUISINE 1152 Buckner Blvd. 214.321.7599 szechwanpavilion.com

ANGELO’S SPAGHETTI HOUSE

FREE DELIVERY! 214.823.5050

Nightly Specials:

M&T Cheap Carafes & Morte D Pasta W&Th Dinner & Dessert for Two $25 Sunday Brunch Buffet 11 am - 2 pm (Kids under 10 free w/each adult.)

Mexico Lindo

Come to the home of the Taco Truck & open the door to great tasting authentic Mexican food.

HAPPY HOUR

Mon-Thu 3-7pm

Mon-Thu 9am-11pm Fri-Sat 9am-3am

Restaurant Talk

Advocate editors serve up restaurant news every Monday in “Restaurant talk” on the Back Talk East Dallas blog. Read post excerpts below, and for the full posts, visit lakewood. and search: Restaurant talk.

TAQUERIA LOS ALTOS FOR LUNCH

12.05 I finally went to the (sort-of) newly opened Fuzzy’s Tacos and it lives up to the hype — good, cheap, fast food. It would be perfect if not for the crowds at peak hours, especially lunch. Don’t get me wrong — I am glad they are finding success, but it got me thinking about alternatives for those afternoons you just don’t feel like dealing with the mob.

For example, nearby at Abrams and Northwest Highway, tucked behind a billiards bar and bound by burglar bars, is Taqueria Los Altos, where you can order the $4.99 taco lunch special that includes three tacos with your choice of meat plus rice and beans, plus free chips with a selection of mild to hot salsas. The place is not as trendy as Fuzzy’s, and you probably won’t see all of your friends there, but it’s clean, roomy and authentic. If it’s dinnertime, stick to Fuzzy’s; Los Altos is open only on weekdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and closed at dinnertime. Weekend hours run until 4 p.m. 6012 Abrams, 214.361.6769.

—CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

KROGER REMODEL INCLUDES SUSHI, OLIVE BAR

11.22 T he Kroger at Northwest Highway and Plano, bordering the Dixon-Branch neighborhoods, recently was revamped — it looks more like the fancy Kroger at Mockingbird-Greenville now, but not quite as big. The first thing I noticed following the redo, aside from the colorful flower section, is the cute little sushi bar staffed full-time (or at least every time I’ve been in) with sushi chefs. The Kroger sushi bar offers dumplings, kelp salad, edamame, and cooked and raw fish sushi, but nothing overly adventurous. I picked up a spicy tuna roll ($4.99), a nigiri-style devil roll with salmon ($8.99) and a tempura fried shrimp New York crunch roll. The chefs prepared them fresh while I stood there — that gives me warm fuzzies about the food. By the way, the Kroger remodel also features an olive bar right behind the sushi station. Build your own olive or antipasti platter for $7.99 per pound. The other thing I’ve always loved about Kroger is its decent organic and vegetarian food selection, much of which can be found in the same spot it was before the remodel (the left-hand side of the store when you walk in, near the produce). As soon as they stock the wine and beer, this place will have everything.

—CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

La Calle Doce

Since 1981 La Calle Doce has been serving the Dallas area delicious seafood and Tex-Mex made with the freshest ingredients. Enjoy the rich culture of Coastal Mexico through our flavorful cuisine.

GARDEN

Caf News

10.24 The patio plants are looking good — beets and spinach are sprouting, and the folks at Garden Cafe have planted Swiss chard, kale, collard greens and romaine lettuce to use in the upcoming season. And they have a new chef on staff. Mark Wootton has worked for Social and Central 214 where he learned from our friend, celebrity Chef Blythe Beck.

—CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB