 |
 For
Arthur's owner Mohsen Heidari, it must have been like receiving that
initial invitation from the American Association of Retired Persons."May I be the first to congratulate you on reaching your 50th Business Anniversary in 1996," began the letter from the Stephen Fossler Co. of Crystal Lake, Ill. "It's an accomplishment you should be very proud of." |
| Had his steakhouse passed the half-century milestone without his knowing it? Mr. Heidari, the fourth owner of Arthur's, started doing some research. Someone recalled that the restaurant used to celebrate its anniversary in June. This was learned in July; it appeared that the 50th birthday would have to be after the fact. |
| Happily, it turns out that the Stephen Fossler folks, who make personalized foil "anniversary seals," were as premature in launching their sales pitch as the AARP is. (Believe me, you'll get your first card from the retirees' organization long before you expect it.) |
| Arthur's won't be 50 until 1998, so Mr. Heidari has a couple of years to plan its golden-anniversary bash. It should be a good one, but don't wait until then to visit. An ordinary night at Arthur's can be extraordinary. |
 Since
buying the steakhouse eight years ago, Mr. Heidari has given it a
glamorous face lift. The old Arthur's was a dark, carpeted, masculine
place. The new boasts black-and-white Italian marble floors, high-backed
mauve chairs, banquettes covered in a floral pattern, lots of sheer
pale curtains and two stunningly oversize chandeliers that were made
for a California hotel. |
| Four circular booths are set into alcoves and partially curtained. You can't move the curtains for more privacy, but those tables still have to be among the most romantic in town. And it doesn't hurt that the soft background music is all Nat King Cole. Or that the staff performs its tasks so smoothly and discreetly that you're barely aware when a water glass is being refilled. There are nice flourishes, too. A pre-dinner gimlet is brought in a small carafe, embedded in ice, so you can fill you glass as you wish. |
| The food by executive chef Fred Amari and chef de cuisine Peter Cristobal equals the setting and service. Mr. Heidari says he still considers Arthur's a steakhouse, but the menu goes far beyond most steakhouse fare, with lots of seafood, veal, fowl and a couple of pastas. Prices are below those of most upscale steakhouses and entrees come with vegetables. |
| Appetizers include all the oldies but goodies: escargot, smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail and our pick, steak tartare, an oval of freshly minced, lightly seasoned raw beef sided by heaps of chopped red onion, egg, capers and perfect toast points. Crab Lorenzo was an indulgent casserole of crabmeat, mushrooms and cheese. |
| Bluepoint oysters tasted as briny fresh as any oysters I've had in Dallas. Their cocktail sauce was accompanied by all the things that people add to it - lemon, grated horseradish and so on. More unusual, the waiter also brought a tiny bowl of red wine vinegar and suggested we try dipping our oyster in it. Different. And delicious. |
| Lobster bisque, floated with a puff pastry crouton, was burnt orange in hue and intensely flavored by both shell and meat. We found a nice chunk of the latter in the soup's depths. Caesar salad is made tableside - so you can have as much (or little) anchovy as you like. The dinner salad held lots of buttery bibb lettuce and blue cheese vinaigrette was nicely balanced. |
| Steaks start at $17.90 for a rib eye and go up to $19.90 for a T-bone. Medallions of Beef Arthur, rosy twins of tender meat, wore crowns of flaked crab and were lapped with dual sauces - bearnaise and madeira. The meaty chops in a rack of lamb were herb crusted and cooked exactly to the medium-rare requested. |
| Grilled snapper, a thick, firm fillet, was finished off with lemon and capers. Crisp-skinned roast duck with peppercorns and brandy sauce was excellent, too. All entrees came with a tiny, slightly waxy potato and a mix of vegetables. |
| At lunch, I told my companion that since Arthur's is a steakhouse, one of us should try another steak. There's a grilled sirloin and a filet mignon. But osso buco in Marsala sauce over fettuccine was a special I couldn't pass up (and that veal shank was every bit as meaty and moist with gelatinous bits here and there as I'd hoped). My companion couldn't resist boned trout with garlicky scampi sauce. |
|
Arthur's
has two racks of wine in the dining room plus two small wine rooms
with tables. Accordingly, the wine maven should be able to find
something pleasing on the lengthy list and there are reasonably
priced wines for the less demanding. |
Dinner
desserts included delicate, high-rising souffles that soaked up
chocolate and Gran Marnier sauces like sponges. You also can choose
a fresh berry sauce. For any souffle, order ahead.15175 Quorum Drive • Addison, TX 75001 • 972-385-0800
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| Visit
our other fine restaurant on Greenville Avenue St. Martin's Wine Bistro |
| Arthur's Prime Steaks and Seafood © |