My first visit to Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen was during Restaurant Week last year. My husband and I indulged in four courses — I ordered the Texas blue crab gratin, the south of the border Caesar, the hickory grilled 12 oz hanger steak with Parmesan-white truffle steak fries and one of Chef Jenay’s lemon bars. It was all yummy, but the steak was particularly scrumptious. We made a mental note to return for that menu item alone.

While dining, we noticed that the restaurant, true to its name, has a blue plate special on Mondays: a choice of three smoked meats, one side and homemade breads, butter pickles and specialty jams for $11.99 at lunch and $13.99 at dinner. That’s essentially the price you’d pay anywhere for a three-meat barbecue plate, so because we enjoyed our dinner so much, we returned on a Monday night.

It was delicious. I ordered the brisket, pulled pork and chicken, even though I usually stay away from chicken at barbecue restaurants because it always seems so much drier than the other meats. At Rathbun’s, though, I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken and couldn’t get enough of the pork and brisket. The side was an apple cider braised cabbage (coleslaw, essentially, but no mayo and just enough vinegar). Monday nights at Rathbun’s also mean mini Moets for $5. I’m not much of a bubbly drinker, but I reordered the 14 Hands Merlot I had tried the first time — it was just as good with the smoked meats as it was with the steak.

Well-known restaurateur Patrick Colombo (Cru, Steel, Ferré, Victory Tavern) has plans to open an Italian restaurant in the former Popolos space at Preston and Royal.

The space has been split practically in half—4,000 sq. ft. went to AT&T and the remaining 3,000 sq. ft. to Colombo’s intriguing new concept. He describes his vision for the new digs as “modern Tuscan farmhouse” where “rustic (beam ceilings, natural stone) meets modern with some contemporary elements.”

The menu is focused on wood-fired pizzas (the crispy, Naples style) and housemade pastas, desserts and breads. Chef Kevin Ascolese has worked with Colombo on and off for almost 20 years. His résumé includes stints at Fuse, Ferré and Mi Piaci.

When asked why he chose this location for the new restaurant, Colombo answered,”My new concept embraces families, and this is a very family-oriented area. There is a mature family market here.”

The name has not yet been finalized, but Colombo expects to have it nailed down in the next couple of weeks. Construction begins in May, and the opening is planned for the end of August. “I want to take the time and put the focus on getting everything right; I want this to be a part of the community,” said Colombo.

Stay tuned to the blog for more info …

The two most unappreciated wines in the wine world are rose and sparkling wine. Don’t believe me? Check the sales data: Nielsen doesn’t even track rose, which is apparently lumped in with blush wines, a category that includes white zinfandel. As near as I can tell, maybe 2 out of every 100 bottles sold in the U.S. between March 2010 and March 2011 were rose. And sparkling? The Wine Institute reports that about 135,000 cases of bubbly were sold in the U.S. in 2008. Which is less than the wine sold by the two or three biggest wineries in Texas in a normal year.

Hence this Mother’s Day wine review, which is both rose and sparkling — and cava to boot, which makes it a terrific value. The Casteller ($12, purchased, available at Central Market) has a bit of what Champagne geeks call yeastiness (it’s a good thing), a burst of strawberry fruit at the front, and a surprisingly long mineral finish, something rarely seen in a a wine that costs this little. And the bubbles? Long, lingering and lovely, which is also a surprise in a wine at this price. I love Cristalino, and this wine makes Cristalino seem quite ordinary.

Toast Mom with this wine on Sunday. She’ll appreciate it. It’s also a fine food wine; pair it with any sort of brunch dish, main course salads or grilled chicken. And, if you need a little variety, Casteller makes a regular cava, also about $12, also worth checking out.

A recent book club gathering was my first time to try this Mexican restaurant in the Village at Preston Hollow. We met on a Thursday night, and the place was packed, so it’s a good thing my book club doesn’t spend too much time seriously conversing on the month’s book selection.

By the time I arrived, someone had already ordered appetizers — Stuffed Jalapenos Los Cabos. Yum. The server came by and asked if I’d like anything to drink; he told me my friends had ordered the skinny margarita, so I asked him to bring me the same. This was my one regret of the evening. Turns out I’m a fat margarita kind of girl. My second (and final) drink was the house red wine, which was fine but nothing spectacular.

For dinner, I couldn’t decide between the Tacos de Pescado and the Tacos de Carbon, and my server suggested pescado. Good choice. I practically wolfed them down. At $15.50, it was a bit pricey for fish tacos, but an ample plate. And right before the main course, a server brought each of us mini taquitos to munch on. Needless to say, no dessert — we were too stuffed.

I was more than impressed with the service. A table of nine women talking to each other nonstop can be challenging, but our glasses were filled and needs anticipated without having to ask for much. I’m hoping to return to Fernando’s for happy hour or brunch.

©Mooyah

The beloved burger and grilled cheese joint, Mooyah Burgers & Fries, is getting ready to open the doors to its latest location at Northwest Highway and Hillcrest. According to Marketing Manager Bryan Mayberry, “the Northwest Highway location is currently on schedule to open early next week. May 2nd is the goal, but it could be later, depending on training.”

Since its debut in 2007, this Plano-based burger and fries concept hasn’t stopped growing. By winter 2011, Mooyah will have 25 locations.

San Antonio-based and Dallas-bound, the Tootie Pie Co. just released details about its aforementioned upcoming appearance on the Food Network’s “Kid in a Candy Store.”

On May 9th at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, host Adam Gertler will explore the wonder that is the “Tootie Pie on a Stick,” a frozen slice of key lime margarita pie dipped in chocolate and served on a stick. Mmmm … when’s that opening again?

• The one thing I didn’t like about the Villa Maria ($13, sample, widely available): It’s not $9 any more. Stupid weak dollar.

• Best thing about the wine besides the taste: The screwcap, of course.

• So what did it taste like? It didn’t has much grapefruit as most New Zealand wines, but you could still taste citrus. The middle was a bit short and without any New Zealand-like tropical flavors, but there was a very long minderal finish. In some respects, it was more French in style.

• What do you pair this with? The web site suggests green bean and potato salad, which must be a New Zealand thing. Otherwise, almost any shellfish, grilled or roast chicken and one of my favorites, spaghetti with clam sauce (though I use canned clams).

• What’s with this bullit-style layout for the wine review? Trying something different. Not sure that it would work every week, but it was fun to do this time.

If you’re looking to support a great cause Tuesday night, head over to the Preston Royal Cantina Laredo 5-10 p.m. Ten percent of sales will go to Boxing Babes. The group is raising money for breast cancer research and are walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure, which is set for November in Dallas.

You can dine in or take out.

You’ve probably heard about Dough Pizzeria opening in the old Chocolate Angel Too spot at Preston and Forest sometime this summer. The San Antonio based restaurant specializes in Neapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana) with a strict process certified by Naples’ L’Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana.

Dough got some screen time last night on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”. In the episode titled, “Porktastic”, Guy Ferrari heads down to San Antonio for Dough’s Pulled Prosciutto Pizza.

You can watch part of the episode here. Keep on eye out for a rerun.

Gio’s has become a breakfast hotspot, serving homemade corned beef hash delivered straight from Carnegie Deli in New York City.