Chadra: Lebanese and Labs

Chadra Mezza & Grill had me at hello. It happened to be “Pooches on the Patio”(every Wednesday from 4-7 pm) when my husband and I finally tried it out. I’m a sucker for anything canine-related and was therefore completely taken in. Any restaurant that has a special happy hour each week for dogs and their owners gets an “A” in my book. Fortunately for my integrity as a reviewer, the restaurant itself did not at all disappoint, and my bias towards the pups was secondary to the fantastic food and atmosphere. I can safely say that even if there had been nary a pooch in sight, I would be equally enthusiastic about Chadra.

Located near the corner of 8th and Park Place near the hospital district, Chadra embodies the warmth of its revitalized neighborhood. It feels very homey, and though its simple décor does reflect a Middle Eastern theme, the laidback atmosphere is more “Cheers” than exotic. Service was fairly slow, but we soon observed that most of the wait staff were visiting with the patrons, sometimes even sitting down for a chat. Once we grew accustomed to the pace, it was endearing rather than annoying. Towards the end of our dinner, a cheery manager named Megan came to see how we were faring. We easily fell into conversation with her about the history of the restaurant and its owner/chef, Nehme, who arrived from Lebanon nine years ago and worked his way up from washing dishes to launch Chadra, which is named after his home village. Megan has promised to remember us next time we come in, and I have full confidence that she will.

Kafta, Shawarma, and Babaganouj galore, Chadra serves up traditional Lebanese fare at its best. We opted for the Chadra Mezza platter (small portions of ten different appetizers) in order to try out as many different dishes as possible. Nothing was disappointing and several items stood head and shoulders above other Lebanese that I’ve tried in the area. The hummus was incredibly garlic-y and delicious, and the falafel was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Surprisingly, the Foul Moudamas was the favorite dish of the night. Made of fava beans in garlic sauce, it was not much to look at next to its enticing plate-mates, but the taste was out of this world. My husband and I were not-so-subtly fork jockeying for every last bean. For those with less than adventurous palates, Chadra also offers Italian inspired choices on the menu. From pizza to lasagna to eggplant parmigiana, the Italian choices looked fantastic, though I don’t understand how anyone could pass up the wonderful Lebanese.

In short, Chadra is everything a neighborhood restaurant should be, and I highly recommend trying it out. The price is right, the food is delicious, and I think it’s safe to say that at least one person will know your name (and probably your lab's name, too). Lunch - $, Dinner - $$

Ferré: Fairly Fine Fare

I have to be careful here, because I want to be fair to Ferré. Let me start by saying that I do believe that it is a good restaurant, and I do really recommend trying it, especially as an après Bass Hall treat. Location and atmosphere are second to none. The SoHo inspired interior is chic and smart, though the décor probably fits Uptown Dallas better than downtown Ft Worth (Ferré’s other location is in trendy West Village). There’s also great patio seating where patrons can admire Bass Hall and observe pedestrians giving their dinner a furtive and jealous glance.

Everything on the Tuscan-style Italian menu looks good. I mean everything. See if this brief list sounds tempting: Chopped Caprese Salad, Tuna Carpaccio with truffle-soy vinaigrette, Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, Alfredo Orechiette, Margherita pizza, Risotto, Sea Bass, Tonno y Gnochhi (Tuna steak with potato dumplings), Tiramisu, Vanilla Brulee, Sorbet, Gelato… and so on. Ferré also serves delicious Illy coffees and their signature coffee drinks are creative and tempting.

On a recent visit to Ferré my husband and I decided to split the Ravioli (green garlic ravioli with oven dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil) and Olive’s pizza (a white pizza with garlic spread, mushrooms, and olive tapenade). The food was good and certainly a huge step up from the typical American-Italian restaurant with its vats of tomato sauce and ridiculously sized portions. I suppose, though, that the spectacular-looking menu set my expectations too high. Ferré boasts of fresh pasta made in-house, but the Ravioli tasted like it had been frozen and was very over-salted. While the simplicity of the dish seemed so appealing at first, I couldn’t help but think that I could have easily made it at home. The pizza was much better. For an olive and mushroom lover, it induces cravings. Even writing about it makes me want a slice!

Despite a few minor misgivings about the food itself, I could be much more generous with my praise for Ferré if it had not been for the utterly lackluster service. It was truly disappointing. I felt as though our waiter viewed us as unwelcomed intruders upon his otherwise serene and pleasant evening. He brought the food out without a word spoken to us except for an unenthusiastic offering of pepper (which came about fifteen minutes later). It would have been a frustrating experience had we been dining at Olive Garden; at a place like Ferré it was unacceptable.

Again, I want to be fair here. The patrons at the table behind us were having a vastly different experience. We eavesdropped to learn all about the homemade foccacia bread served with olive oil and tomato puree from their friendly and competent waiter (ours had served us the same, but had quickly walked away to let us figure it out on our own). We enjoyed living vicariously through their experience, but were slightly resentful that we had to.

Would my Ravioli have tasted better if our waiter had served it enthusiastically with pepper in hand? I don’t know, but I’m starting to believe that it would. I know for certain that you would be reading a vastly different review had we been sitting one table over. For any restaurant owner who may be reading, never underestimate the influence that your wait staff has on the dining experience, maybe even the taste of the food itself. I’m certainly willing to give Ferré the benefit of the doubt and try again. It has all the elements to be more than fine, but for now I have to leave it with a review of fairly fair. $$ for pasta and pizza, $$$ for most entrees.