European Cuisine in the Heart of Dallas

Since I started working in North East Dallas, three months ago, my manager (Kerry) and our accountant (Maria) have been raving about this restaurant called "franki's" (spelled with a little F). Apparently everything on the menu is spectacular and should be tried. Well, I found their claims to be a bit disingenuous. Surely, no single restaurant can be this great!

Last week I had a business meeting with a client I was trying to form a partnership with. Since we would actually be working on a project I suggested we make it a working lunch. Kerry immediately suggested franki's. With my limited knowledge of the restaurant (I had not been paying attention to their raves and ignorantly thought franki's was a Mexican restaurant) I asked our potential client how he felt about Mexican food. "It's European" Kerry stated. I was slightly embarrassed because I had a brief stopover in Europe in 1990 on my way to Kuwait and really didn't remember what European cuisine entailed.

Bravo to both Kerry and Maria for their suggestion!

franki's is a charming little restaurant, tucked away in the Casa Linda shopping plaza in North East Dallas. It does not offer any type of grandiose fare I (again ignorantly) assumed would be in a European restaurant (baroque paintings, solemn music and fancy plates).

What franki's offered was a quiet atmosphere; which made our working lunch phenomenal. The tables are spaced properly for intimate dining or can be pulled together for larger parties. The tables were covered with white linen table clothes, which were then covered by paper (which we used for notes.) Not to mention the wonderful, jazzy music that filled the air. Their selection included tunes from the Rat Pack to Monk. Our waitress was gracious and attentive. Being that this was my first time at this restaurant I decided to try something known to me and simple.

I had the Grilled Salmon Sandwich. This sandwich was a light baguette dressed with lettuce and remoulade sauce. It was offered with fries, salad or soup. I had the salad which was mainly green leafy vegetables with a creamy vinaigrette. My client had the Grilled Pork Medallions with blackberry sauce.

I will eventually get around to trying everything on the menu. But for now I'm going to say this is the best Grilled Salmon I have ever had! Seared to perfection, with just a hint of pink in the middle, this sandwich was so tender and moist I could have cut it with a spoon!!!!

According to my client the Pork Medallions was, "Very nice."

The portion was a perfect serving size for a lunch. I did not leave feeling drowsy, heavy or overly full. And, I honestly believe for the first time in my life, I did not ask to see the dessert menu.

franki's also offers monthly specials. For January you can enjoy many incredible selections for a four course meal ($20 per person) that includes:

1^st course - Mini Crab Cake with basil cream sauce OR Cevapcici (homemade Yugoslavian sausages)

2^nd course - House salad OR soup of the day

3^rd course - Cherry snapper provencal OR Original Hungarian Szegediner (Pork & Sauerkraut Gulaz) OR Sarma (Slovenian Cabbage rolls) OR Stuffed Chicken breast with basil cream sauce OR Pork roast with mushroom sauce & spatzle OR Angel hair pasta with cilantro pesto & grilled vegetables

4^th course - Apple strudel with ice cream OR bread pudding with ice cream

Their regular menu offers a bevy of appetizers (Calmari Fritti, baked Brie, Fried Artichokes Orly), salads, (Mediterranean salad, Greek-style cob salad), sandwiches, (Cevapcici burger, Wiener Schnitzel) Pastas & Risottos, (Parmesan risotto with shrimp and fresh tomatoes) along with many house specialties to choose from.

franki's also offers a catering service for your larger affairs.

So, if you're looking for a romantic night out (I would HIGHLY recommend this setting for Valentine's day) or you are missing your mama's homemade Spanish Paella, Grilled Barramundi or Venison Osso Buco, you should stop into franki's li'l Europe at 362 Casa Linda Plaza (214.320.0426).

franki's is opened for

Brunch
Saturday & Sunday - 10:00AM - 2:00PM

Lunch
Monday - Friday 11:00AM to 2:00PM
Saturday - Sunday 10:00AM to 2:00PM

Dinner
Monday - Thursday 5:00PM - 9:00PM
Friday - Saturday 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Sunday - 5:00PM - 8:30PM

Listed specials change every two week and all menu items may be ordered to-go!

RESERVATIONS ARE ACCEPTED!!!