Delicious

Patio dining

FERNANDO’S MEXICAN CUISINE

4347 W. Northwest Highway, Suite 100 214.351.9010 fernandosmexicancuisine.com

Drawing

on his fine-dining background, Fernando Padilla created a casual Tex-Mex restaurant with a dash of upscale cuisine. “It’s the best of both worlds,” he says. The combination has made Fernando’s a neighborhood standby. This time of year, many patrons opt for a seat on the breezy patio, with abundant shade and a water feature, to enjoy traditional Tex-Mex fare such as enchiladas and fajitas. Padilla’s background is evident in the “Mexico City specials” portion of the menu, which features more cosmopolitan entrées such as beef tenderloin filets and grilled shrimp stuffed with crabmeat. He recommends sharing a bottle of wine, most of which come from South American and Spanish wineries. To create a warm atmosphere, staff members learn guests’ names and remember their preferences. “I wanted to stand out,” Padilla says, “so I make sure that there’s a personal touch.” Learning names is easy when the guests are local celebrities. Dallas Cowboy legends Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach are a couple of the big names who frequent the restaurant. “We have a lot of stately clientele that come here on a regular basis,” Padilla says. “There are a lot of Tex-Mex restaurants in Dallas, so I am flattered that they would choose me.” —Whitney Thompson

PRICE: $10-$25 PER ENTRÉE

HOURS:

11A.M.-10 P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY

10:30 A.M.-10 P.M. SATURDAY-SUNDAY

TIP: IF YOU ORDER THE NEW CATERING OPTION, THREE COOKS FROM FERNANDO’S WILL GRILL AND PREPARE FAJITAS ON-SITE FOR YOUR OWN PRIVATE FIESTA.

DID YOU KNOW? FERNANDO’S CELEBRATED NINE YEARS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAY 5.

THREE MORE GREAT PATIOS IN PRESTON HOLLOW: R&D Kitchen

Enjoy light entrées such as sushi, salads and sandwiches on this patio next to a handsome infinity-style water feature.

8300 Preston Center Plaza 214.890.7900 hillstone.com

Bread Winners Café

Remodeled last October, this updated patio boasts comfy couches perfect for sitting back and enjoying the greenery of CenterPark garden at NorthPark Center.

8687 N. Central, Suite 1608 469.232.9798 breadwinnerscafe.com

Mattito’s Tex-Mex

Colorful strings of lights and a fireplace make this patio a lively yet intimate spot to sip a summer margarita.

7778 Forest

214.377.9576 mattitos.com

Popover Any Time

With only four ingredients, popovers have an airy, puffy and custard-like interior that complements any breakfast, lunch or dinner. Popovers can be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar for a touch of sweet or flavored with black pepper and Gruyere for a savory addition. Being so versatile, they will replace a standard muffin, biscuit, bread or doughnut. A popover pan is necessary to create a sky-high puff and a crisp shell that will come out perfect every time.

Sweet or savory popover

GROCERY LIST

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup milk

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

Mix the eggs, egg yolks, salt and one quarter cup of the milk. Whisk the flour into the egg mixture, making sure to whisk out all the lumps. Whisk in the remaining milk.

Pour batter into popover pan, filling halfway. Sprinkle with topping of your choice.

Place pans in cold oven and turn oven on to 425 degrees F. Bake popovers for about 30 minutes or until puffed and well browned.

Unmold popovers and serve immediately.

FLAVOR OPTIONS:

CINNAMON SUGAR:

Mix 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 4 tablespoons sugar, and sprinkle some on top of popovers before baking.

Once popovers are baked and removed from the oven, brush with butter and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar.

BLACK PEPPER AND GRUYERE:

Shred ¼ cup Gruyere cheese and mix with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle on top of the popovers before baking.

LEMON-ROSEMARY:

Zest 1 lemon, and chop 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary.

Sprinkle on top of the popovers before baking.

Makes 12 popovers