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Special-diet dishes

TriniTy Hall irisH Pub

5321 E. Mockingbird (Mockingbird Station)

214.887.3600 trinityhall.tv

AMBIANCE: IrIsH puB prICEs: $6-$15

HOurs: 11 A M.-1:30 A M dAIly

Trinity Hall Irish Pub in Mockingbird Station, which offers both vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free menus, is an example of a growing effort on the part of local restaurateurs to serve our neighborhood’s pickiest eaters without turning off the meat-and-potatoes (or, in Trinity’s case, bangers-and-mash) crowd. It initially had to do with the bottom line, Trinity owner Marius Donnelly says, noting that it started with the gluten-free movement. The associated level of ingredient awareness has motivated people to look more closely at what they consume. “As our staff as well as guests became more concerned with what they are eating, we noticed an increased demand for vegan menu items.” Vegan and gluten-free diners can better trust an establishment that offers a specialized menu, he says. “A kitchen that doesn’t do vegan, for example, might use chicken stock for everything; one of the big changes we made involved switching to a flavorful vegetable-based stock.” It also is more efficient for the staff to prepare familiar items, as opposed to arranging offmenu dishes. Donnelly and his team, including chef Oscar Gutierrez, exude enthusiasm regarding their from-scratch Ireland-inspired fare, the vegan/vegetarian menu progression and the constant evolution of the overall menu to meet their discerning diners’ desires. From the hummus and veggie platter to the pearled couscous with oil-and-garlic pan-finished vegetables and the aesthetic vegan polenta and beans, the vegan dishes are hearty and healthy. Even non-vegans who simply want to eat healthier and lighter enjoy these meatless creations, says Donnelly, a native of Dublin, Ireland. The pub, also revered for its small-town atmosphere and ale selection, has partnered with Barnivore to showcase vegan beers. The brewing process sometimes involves the use of fish gills, egg whites or other animal products, Donnelly explains, so now vegans can guiltlessly consume craft beer along with the rest of the crowd. —Christina Hughes Babb

1 Thai 2 Go

this tiny grocer/diner offers a plethora of vegan-friendly dishes. Appetizing fried tofu or mun tod (fried sweet potatoes) followed by red curry or pra ram (bean sprouts, broccoli and peanut sauce), any of which one might order with chicken, shrimp, beef or tofu, makes for a meal that satisfies carnivores and herbivores alike.

9191 forest

972.235.3038 thai2goonline.com

2 Mi Cocina

there is beef a-plenty on the Mico menu, but the quinceañera salad offers a hearty meat-free meal with chopped romaine hearts, tomato, avocado, cucumber, pineapple and mango with chile-lime vinaigrette and topped with almonds.

7215 skillman

214.503.6426 micocinarestaurants.com

3 D’Vegan

Located inside Hong Kong Market, this Vietnamese dine-in/take-out eatery is steadily earning a glowing reputation with the vegan crowd. try the bun bo xao xa ot (spicy lemongrass noodle) and crispy veggie rolls. Portions are robust and flavorful.

9780 Walnut

972.437.3939

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8420 Abrams Rd., Suite 208

Deal or no deal?

Three Wishes Chardonnay (about $3) California

Can a wine drinker survive on $3 wine? Probably, given my experiment with five $3 chardonnays from Dallas retailers. The wines weren’t spectacular, but they mostly delivered value — and what more can someone want from a $3 wine? The biggest problem was not quality, but that the wines were boring. By the fourth night, I was ready for something else.

• Two-buck Chuck ($2.99), the Trader Joe’s private label. This was the weirdest of the five, with lots of tropical fruit (banana even) and very little chardonnay character. It wasn’t bad in the sense that I had to pour it down the drain, but it wasn’t enjoyable, either.

• Three Wishes ($2.99), t he Whole Foods private label. I expected most of the wines to be burdened with badly done oak (chips, probably). In fact, three of them didn’t taste of oak at all, and the oak in the Three Wishes was quite well done, assuming you like that style of wine. I don’t, so it wasn’t my favorite.

• Winking Owl ($2.89) from Aldi. My favorite — a straightforward, 1990s-style jug chardonnay with apple and pear fruit and varietal character for those who remember Glen Ellen. I would buy it again.

• Oak Leaf ($2.97), the Walmart private label. This was sweet, probably a couple of percentage points over the line that separates sweet from dry. Again, not awful, but nothing I’d buy again.

• Cul-de-Sac ($2.96), a private label for Central Market. This was sort of sweet, in the way Kendall-Jackson was in the 1990s, but also tasted like chardonnay.

—Jeff Siegel