Best New Restaurants of 1998 It’s time to look back at the best new restaurants of 1998. We’ve selected ten restaurants and two honorable mentions that we think were the best overall this year. Send us an email with your nominations for “best new restaurant”-the email link appears at the end of this column. At Number 10--Our mothers were right when they said, “Eat it. It’s good for you. That’s the philosophy at Preston’s in North Dallas specializing in food that’s good and good for you. Or, “food right for the world” as they call it. Preston’s actually opened near the end of 1997, but was reviewed early this year. It’s an all-around enjoyable, All-American menu that’s easy on the pocket book and the waistline. It’s a good family restaurant, open for lunch and dinner at Preston Road and Beltline. 972-503-7999. Coming in at Number 9-is one of the many new sushi restaurants in the area. The Blue Fish on lower Greenville Avenue combines freshness and innovation with a large selection of sake, including domestic sake from Napa Valley. The Blue Fish has style and substance. The quality impresses more than a few chefs I know who dine here. The Blue Fish is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner at 3519 Greenville Avenue. 214-824-FISH. Homecookin’, gourmet style is the hallmark of Traci’s in the Uptown neighborhood. This beautifully restored Victorian in the historic State-Thomas District will take you back to memories of Grandma’s cooking. Wonderful tarts, cobblers, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and great fresh vegetables. Traci’s at 2403 Thomas Avenue is open for lunch and dinner and we select it as Number 8 on the list of “Best New Restaurants of 1998”. 214-849-0007. Number 7-is another Asian concept, but this one was the first to capitalize on the popular Northern Japanese robata bar technique of grilling the foods and serving them to customers over the bar on a long-handled wooden palate. Tei Tei Robata Bar is very sleek and contemporary. Sashimi is served, but no sushi. And the city’s most expensive steak is available here too, the $100 Kobe Beef dish, intended for sharing. Tei Tei Robata Bar is at 2906 N. Henderson in East Dallas. Number 6 on our list of the best new restaurants is one of the big bucks houses of beef that started proliferating Dallas this year-The Capital Grille. This beautiful, power restaurant serves up top-notch steaks, chops, chicken and seafood with style and atmosphere. It has the posh men’s club look from the 30’s-very upscale. You’ll find ‘em open for lunch and dinner in The Crescent Court. Before we continue with the list of best new restaurants we have two honorable mentions for you: Guthrie’s historical American Food in Downtown Dallas. This great little throwback to the American tradition of town-square restaurants serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Friday night only when they do a great all you can eat Fish and Chips. Chef William Guthrie, formerly Executive Chef with Hotel St. Germain opened this simple, wholesome restaurant this year across from the Dallas Public Library at 400 South Ervay. 214-760-7900 Cool River manages to make “huge” feel “cozy”-bar, billiards, cigar lounge, split dining room. You’ll find a niche in this hunting lodge style environment serving great salads, beef, sandwiches and chicken fried venison. 1045 Hidden Ridge, Las Colinas, 972-871-8881. Number 5 is a new variation on an old theme that has been successful in Dallas for years as Hofstetter’s. Their move to a brand new location and a shift in their style and cuisine was such a marvelous transformation, we had to add them to our list. Hofstetter’s Spargel Café blends time-honored German and Austrian recipes with modern, Euro-Continental cuisine for great results. The new University Park location on Lovers Lane is beautiful, minimalist design. 214-368-3002. Number 4 on our year-end list is Bistro A in Snider Plaza. This sleek, Mediterranean restaurant serves some of the finest cuisine around thanks to renowned chef Avner Samuell. Avner is finally in his element at Bistro A. The open kitchen turns out great appetizers-including Avner’s famous tortilla soup-entrees and a not to be missed chef’s tasting menu. Bistro A also has a great wine list. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. 214-373-9911 Coming in at number 3 is The Mercury at Preston/Forest Shopping Center. Chef Chris Ward has transformed a drab, strip center location into an upscale restaurant with an inventive and inviting menu. Everything from wood-fired pizzas to risotto to the 20 clove garlic chicken is memorable and delicious. The Mercury serves upscale food for upscale people. It’s open for lunch and dinner. 972-960-7774. Al Biernat’s on Oaklawn proves that hard-work and being nice to your customers pays off. Al Biernat opened his beautifully designed namesake restaurant after nearly 20 years at The Palm. The big steaks and lobsters followed and so did many regulars from The West End. Biernat’s serves great salads-especially Chef James Neel’s award-winning Caesar. You’ll find one of the best calamari appetizers ever. Pasta dishes are rich and flavorful. Garlic chicken and seafood are superb. Service is sensational, the wine list is first-rate. Al Biernat’s serves lunch and dinner at 4217 Oak Lawn. 214-219-2201. Our choice for the Best New Restaurant of 1998 is a hands-down favorite: Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. As the steak war rages in Dallas, Pappas Bros is so far ahead of the rest of the field there’s almost no comparison. Pappas Bros. has style and pizzaz. Dark paneling, soft lighting and well-appointed booths give the place a 1940’s supper club look. Service is kid-glove elegant and extremely knowledgeable. The food is outstanding---wondrous steaks, chops and seafood, and unparalleled lobster. The 1500 bottle wine selection is, arguably, the city’s best. Pappas Bros makes sure you have help with the weighty list by making sure that no fewer than five wine stewards are on duty at all times for your convenience. Everything from start to finish is done correctly here. Food, service and atmosphere-you never had it so good. Pappas Bros serves only dinner, Monday through Saturday at 10477 Lombardy Lane, just off Northwest Highway at I-35. It is one of the finest restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. 214-366-2000. See full reviews for these top restaurants here in EatsandDrinks.com Send us an email with your nomination for The Best New Restaurants of 1998-give an overview as to why you like them Thanks and Happy New Year. Bon appetit!