St. Martin's Wine Bistro

Dining at St. Martin's Wine Bistro is not so much like dining on Greenville Avenue as it is dining in some kind of surreal, David Lynch-esque dream sequence. Not because they meant it to be that way. The Victorian decor is, somehow, tastefully overdone, and the lighting is so low you might wonder what's on the end of your fork, though whatever it is is probably excellent. A gregarious old pianist dedicates songs to patrons while the waitstaff magically appear when you need them and then become practically invisible. You get the feeling Isabella Rossellini might walk in at any moment with Rasputin on her arm as a date. It's just that kind of place. The French-American food is top-notch--try the grilled portabella or the pork tenderloin--and our knowledgeable waiter accommodated varying wine tastes at the table by splitting glasses of red and white. Well worth the cost, the restaurant has been in business for almost 30 years and embodies the kind of class and timelessness that Dallas' younger, hipper restaurants can only aspire to.