A little more than a year ago, chef James Neel had a craving for something new. He already had success with Tramontana in Preston Center , but he wanted to put his classical French cooking skills to work in a different way.

 

So Neel opened Bistro Latino, just around the corner from Tramontana. In doing so, he not only created a restaurant different from the one he already had, he created a restaurant different from just about anything Dallas has ever seen.

 

Bistro Latino is a casually hip spot serving what Neel likes to call nuevo latino food. “The food has touches of classic French techniques,” he says, “but uses ingredients from south of the border.”

 

’s border, for the most part. Neel starts with recipes from , , and other South American countries. Then he puts his classic French training to work by adapting them to Dallas tastes.

 

The result is a menu sure to please foodies of all persuasions, with items such as onion-crusted snapper with risotto latino and avocado-pepper jack fondue, smoked shrimp and jack cheese-stuffed chicken relleno with charred tomato sauce, and this recipe: spicy cinnamon-crusted pork tenderloin with poblano potatoes and mango demi–glace.

 

Tres magnifique. Que rico. Yum.

 

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Bistro Latino

 

6112 Luther Lane

n 214-360-0922

 

www.mybistro.com

 

Lunch hours: Tues-Fri 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner hours: Tues-Sat 5:30 – 10:30 p.m.

 

FB, $$, RR