YOUR GUIDE TO DINING OUT

CHUBBY’S $ When looking for a restaurant to have breakfast, lunch or dinner, we all want a place that serves up variety, hearty helpings and even bigger portions of friendliness. The Touris family has developed a recipe that delivers all of the above at a good price. With four locations in the Metroplex, Chubby’s Family Restaurant provides a rustic setting with down home cooking. Catering available. Locations: 11331 E. NW Hwy. 214-348-6065 and 7474 S. Cockrell Hill Rd. 972-298-1270

CIRCLE GRILL RESTAURANT $

New Whole Wheat Bran Pancakes the perfect addition to any breakfast. Don’t forget we are also here for dinner three days a week. Pop in and try some of our amazing dinner specials like our Prime Rib or Grilled Salmon. Come Home to the Circle Grill. Sun-Wed 6am-4pm Thurs-Sat 6am-9pm. Banquet Facilities Available. Breakfast served all day. Be sure to make your reservations today for meetings and Holiday Parties. 3701 N. Buckner 214-327-4140

ELTIZONCITO $ Located at Illinois & Westmoreland, this Mexico City taqueria is a Dallas must-visit. The décor offers a casual experience that corrects the misconception of an original Taqueria. The Tacos al Pastor shaved down from the vertical oven and the unique Tamarind Margarita are a must-try. “What a pleasant surprise.” George Bush. “Excellent service complement exceptional food.” Gary Fisher. “Best Tacos in Dallas.” Mico Rodriguez. Sun-Thurs 10am-11pm Fri-Sat 10am-1am. Catering available. 3404 W Illinois Ave. 214.330.0839.

TILLMAN’S 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 noone 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 West 7th St. 214.942.0988. www.tillmansroadhouse.com

OJEDA’S Now open in original Oak Cliff location at Polk and Jefferson. Family owned and operated since 1969. Weekday specials $5.75. Happy hour M-F, 3-6PM. Serving Tex-Mex food that Texans love so well.

Tyra Quesenberry

214-395-7195

Linda McRae

214-402-6303

Laura Yoo

972-935-4169

THE WINE TRIALS 2010 ($15) BY GOLDSTEIN AND HERSCHKOWITSCH >

www.BishopArtsMassage.com

Robin Goldstein may know more about cheap wine than anyone else. He is the co-author and guiding force of “The Wine Trials 2010”, the second edition of the book that rates 150 of the best wines in the world that cost less than $15. His method — blind tastings — and his results — cheap wines that have fared significantly better than more famous and more expensive ones — have infuriated the mainstream wine world. One eminent wine writer went so far as to call Goldstein’s approach “almost an anti-intellectual position.”

Which is an interesting thing to say, given that the book has a scientific advisory board and 30 footnotes, in addition to the 150 wine ratings. (Full disclosure: I participated in one of the blind tasting panels for the first edition in 2008.)

More than anything else, the mainstream wine world, which has so much invested in the concept that expensive wine is always better than less expensive wine, doesn’t like the idea that a wine can’t be judged by its price. I don’t know that I agree with all 150 wines in the book (and I’ve tasted all but 25 or so); many simple, fruity wines did better than they should have, and there aren’t enough rosés again this year. But Goldstein’s concept is sound. Price is a better guide to quality than a cute label, but it’s not the be-all and end-all the experts want us to think it is.

Here are three of my favorites from this year’s selections:

Chill this, and drink it when the summer heat makes you crazy. I tasted it with some wine types when I did a story about $6 wine a couple of years ago, and we were stunned at how well-made it was.

One of my all-time favorite wines — bring on the red sauce and Italian sausages, and marvel that a wine this well-made could be this inexpensive.

This sparkling wine from Spain is a step up from $8 cavas like Cristalino — a little richer and a little less tight (a wine term that denotes where the flavors seem crammed together.)

—JEFF SIEGEL

JEFF SIEGEL’S WEEKLY WINE REVIEWS appear every Wednesday on the Advocate Back Talk blog, advocatemag.com/oak-cliff/blog.