DINNER: Bandera

Bandera's Web site

I haven't been to Bandera in ages. I used to go there for drinks but since I don't eat red meat or poultry, I thought my options there would be too limited. However after reading Leslie's review I decided to give Bandera another try. I arrived before my company so I had a dirty Grey Goose martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives at the bar. It was served quickly and made perfectly. At $10 it was a deal! It was a hot evening so I brought a bottle of wine that I like to drink when the mercury rises, Franciscan Cuvee Sauvage Chardonnay. They took it when I arrived and chilled it for me. While perusing the wine list I noticed they have the exact same bottle at a very minimal markup. They didn't mention anything and opened the bottle for my friends and me. I admit I didn't check to see what the corkage fee was but I'll bet it was probably the same as their markup on the bottle, minimal. Our server Kirsten was excellent. My friends' nice little house salads looked fresh and chock full of goodies like tomato, avocado, goat cheese and cornbread croutons. My tuna poke with avocado, mango, macadamia nuts, shrimp, cilantro and red peppers was perfect for the weather and the wine. The only flop was the blackened halibut fish special which came out dry. All in all it was a very good experience. I will certainly remember to go back to try the seasonal vegetable platter that Leslie blogged about.