SPOTLIGHT

214.560.4203 to advertise in this section.

Speaking of romance, don’t miss the the opportunity to soak in some live jazz while you experience Terilli’s fine Italian fare! 2815 Greenville Ave. 214.827.3993.

TILLMANMS ROADHOUSE $$ OD WB

Tillman’s is a place for really good food, drinks, and music in a fun, casual, come-as-you-are environment. An update on the classic Texas roadhouse with regional menu favorites, familiar tunes and no-one is a stranger hospitality — all energized with a modern take. A combination of both rustic and lush in everything from the menu to the décor make Tillman’s a good-time anytime destination. Bishop Arts District 324 W. 7th St. 214.942.0988. www.tillmansroadhouse.com

PUT YOUR RESTAURANTIN THE MINDSOF 100,000+ HOMES MONTHAFTER MONTH

Join us Wednesdays for $1 draft, Live Trivia and 2 for 1 burgers made with 100% Angus beef. Bread is locally made with no preservatives. 63 HD TVs and live music all weekend.

PENNE POMODORO

WEEKLY SPECIALS

Tuesday Nights: Half Price Bottle Wine Night (with purchase of adult entree)

Wednesday Nights: Kids Eat Free (with purchase of adult entree. Limit 2 kids per adult)

Sunday & Sunday Brunch: $1.00 Bellinis & Mimosas (with purchase of adult entree)

SZECHWAN PAVILION

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

GLEN ELLEN OLD VINE ZINFANDEL ($5) CALIFORNIA>

Cheap wine is all the rage in the wine business, because of the recession. National and regional retailers, the biggest wine producers in the country, have been wine that costs $5 or less a bottle for almost a decade, duplicate the success of Two Buck Chuck.

Two Buck Chuck is the nickname for the Charles that sell at California-based Trader Joe:s for $1.99 depending on store location. Trader Joe:s has sold million cases of Two Buck Chuck, which accounts petition it:s facing these days.

There are no Trader Joe:s here, but there are what the industry calls Oextreme valueQ or Osuper wines.And there will be more, when discount grocer Aldi, well-known for its $5 wines, opens stores in the neighborhoods where we publish magazines.

Do these wines offer value? Or are they just cheap? To that end, I did a tasting panel of six ordinary wine-drinking consumers W no wine geeks here, but people who actually taste wine before they judge it W to decide if wine that costs less than $5 a bottle is worth it. The results? Mostly yes, though two wines scored perfect zeros with the panels. The best-liked wines were: sold at Walgreen:s ($2.99). This California chardonnay was the surprise of the tasting. The panel gave it high marks (OI:m a red wine drinker, but I like this,Q said one), and I thought it approached the quality of some of my favorite $10 chardonnays, like Bogle.

sold at Target ($9.99 for a 1.5-liter box/about $5 a bottle). The panel liked this wine better than I did, noting its lemony flavor. And, as one noted, OYou shouldn:t discount this just because it comes in a box.Q I thought it was a little thin, though acceptable.

($9.99 for a 1.5-liter bottle/about $5 bottle). This was the best-rated red wine, Ogood aroma and wellrounded flavors.Q I liked it, too, even if it was a little softer than most zinfandels.

—JEFF SIEGEL

Cordon Bleu stuffed chicken

This recipe was created by Dallas Cordon Bleu chef Nikki Boddamer for a recent cookoff at the culinary school (where I was lucky enough to be on BoddamerEs team). We didnEt win the competition, but we should have. Serve this with a chardonnay, which you can also use to cook with.

Serves four, about 30 minutes

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

4 ounces best-quality goat cheese

1/3 c chopped, toasted pecans

2 Tbsp chopped shallots

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

¼ c white wine olive oil salt pepper

1. Use a knife and carefully make a pouch in the breast, starting at the big end. You donEt want to cut through the breast, but to make a hole to stuff with the cheese mixture.

2. Sauté the garlic and shallots in the olive oil for a couple of minutes, until the shallots are soft. Add the white wine, bring to a boil and reduce the wine until itEs almost gone.

3. In a bowl, crumble the goat cheese and add the pecans, shallot mixture and salt and pepper. Mix well. Carefully, stuff the cheese filling into the chicken breasts.

4. In an overproof skillet, brown the breasts in olive oil on each side until theyEre golden, which should take a couple of minutes on each side. Then put the breasts in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until theyEre cooked.

ask the WINE GUY?

WHAT IS A BOXED WINE?

There are two kinds of wine in a box. The first comes in the same packaging as juice boxes; once you open the wine, it’s just like opening a bottle and the wine will oxidize. The second comes in larger sizes — the equivalent of two and four bottles. It has a spigot, and the wine is stored in a plastic bladder inside the box. These wines can stay fresh for as long as a month. —JEFF

SIEGEL

Growing waistlines and shrinking budgets have many Americans rethinking their food sources, looking now to local farmers instead of mega-grocers. That national trend is sprouting roots here, which explains why in our neighborhood

IT’S A