Nosh: Avner Samuel's Latest Is Fine, Affordable and a Touch Too Friendly.

Comments (0) By Hanna Raskin Thursday, Nov 18 2010

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So go French, and go fancy. Try the beautifully proportioned beet salad, shimmering with a raspberry vinaigrette, or the fat spears of roasted asparagus, scattered with salty kalamata olives and goat cheese. Don't bother with the colossal croque monsieur, a ham-fisted take on the classic workingman's ham sandwich: My order was served on egg bread teetering so close to burnt that the final call would probably require instant replay on the giant screen suspended above Nosh's bar, which now broadcasts goings-on in the open kitchen a few paces away.

The television's among a few odd dining-room quirks: There aren't any steak knives to be had—"chef's discretion," our server explained—and, even though the restaurant's astir at lunchtime, the only available iced teas are flavored and served in plastic bottles. That could be a gentle prod toward the wine list, which I wish had a slightly more extensive by-the-glass selection to match the restaurant's small plates.

Sara Kerens

Shooting from the good side on a "Town & Country" pate plate, elegance wins out.

Location Info

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Nosh Euro Bistro

4216 Oak Lawn Ave.
Dallas, TX 75219

Category: Restaurant > European

Region: Uptown & Oak Lawn

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Details

Roasted asparagus $9 Escargot fritters $6 Crispy oysters $7 Ahi tuna tartare $11 Littleneck clams $11 Town & Country pates $11 Roasted quail $9 Roasted red and yellow beets $9 Croque-monsieur $10 Crispy duck confit $15 Hazelnut financier $7

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Still, wine's surely the best foil for Nosh's capably steamed clams, submerged in a sheer ivory-hued broth stocked with diced potatoes and clipped bacon, or its lovely fried oysters, bobbing in a dish of Newburgian sherry cream sauce.

At the end, there's cheese and house-made ice cream, a pot de crème and tarte tatin. On my first visit, I ordered a hazelnut financier, instinctively pronouncing the word the way it would be said on CNBC. My server looked flummoxed, as though he had no idea to which dessert I might possibly be referring. "Financier?" he asked tentatively, restoring the Frenchified vowels.

Pardonnez-moi.

I'm none too keen on server smarm. Personally, I prefer when my servers don't correct or caress. So I'm trying to see the staff's behavior the way the restaurant's loyal fans do: Here, servers take the time to educate diners about European culture! They defer to social status! And they forge relationships with their guests, refusing to bow to American boundaries restricting personal space! If that's what you're seeking, Nosh has it—and some fantastic pâté too.

Nosh Euro Bistro 4216 Oak Lawn Ave., 214-528-9400, www.nosheurobistro.com. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Friday and 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays. $$$