Short Orders: Tre Amici

By Dave Faries Thu., Aug. 13 2009 at 12:19 PM

Categories: Short Orders

Tre Amici
18020 N. Dallas Pwky.
972-250-4400

It opened at the end of last year as Fruia's Tre Amici and, under that name, the far north steakhouse reviewed quite well.

A few months ago, however, the other partners ousted their biggest--talking about name recognition here--colleague, Judd Fruia and changed the name to Tre Amici Parkway Grill, and then to Tre Amici Prime Steak and Seafood...although menu covers and some of the minor signage still lauds the big guy.

So, has anything else changed...like the food?

When I reviewed the place, their lobster bisque was well balanced but full of scrap lobster--chewy, with remnants of cartilage in every bite. Fruia fixed that after the review, but the chef seems to have reverted to his 'waste not' ways, turning the soup into a dumping ground. Too much sherry skewed the flavor and mouth feel, as well.

Their salmon entree at review time was one of the best pieces of that fish served in Dallas. Thankfully, it still is: reams of cushy fat, supple meat, mild flavor and a patina of salt, pepper and inscrutable spice that sparks the crust without dominating the fish.

Just what you want from grilled salmon.

So they've backpedaled on one dish, lost nothing at all on another. Service remains smooth and personable, business decent...most likely they still follow the Fruia mantra of treating regulars well.

They lost a personality, but apparently little else.