Table Talk

By the time you read this, One Arts Plaza's highly anticipated Screen Door will be open for lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch and afternoon tea. The downtown newcomer is the creation of Cafe Italia founder Scott Jones, who drew on his childhood in Monroe, La., for this upscale Southern kitchen. "This is the way I interpret Southern living," he says. "It's me completely embracing my heritage." The dinner menu, created by executive chef Fitzgerald Dodd (formerly with Star Canyon and Hotel ZaZa and Brennan's in Houston), is divided into two sections: "Then" – upgraded versions of such down-home staples as fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and meatloaf (studded with foie gras) – and "Now" – modern tweaks to Southern cuisine, including smoked catfish pâté and a deconstructed lobster potpie. Afternoon tea is served Tuesdays through Saturdays from 2:30 to 4:30 and features an assortment of finger sandwiches (house-made pimento cheese on sweet corn muffins, silver dollar ham biscuits with smoked apple butter) and miniature desserts (sweet potato scones, praline pecan tartlets).

The big 1-0

You can't accuse Al Biernat of resting on his laurels. As his namesake restaurant celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, the gregarious restaurateur is shaking things up a bit. "After 10 years, you have to keep updating," he says. "Al Biernat's is not just a steakhouse, and we're getting more creative with our menu." To that end, he's brought on board consulting chef Michael Weinstein (former chef at the late, great Riviera) and introduced a new a la carte brunch available on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (If things go well, Mr. Biernat plans to offer it on Saturdays as well.) The restaurant itself will get a new look, including an updated color scheme, and off-site catering will be available later this summer.

A bird in the hand

The official grand opening isn't until July, but fans of the old Caribbean Pan can check out its latest incarnation, the Scarlet Ibis, during the restaurant's soft opening. In addition to a new address and a new name (a reference to the national bird of Trinidad), the restaurant offers a few new menu options. Caribbean favorites such as roti and jerk chicken remain, of course, and are joined by a few more-Americanized dishes, such as grilled salmon.

Dinner and a movie

Hold on to your popcorn, because movie night is about to get a whole lot tastier. Beginning June 15, Central 214 will screen films on its patio two nights a week. Sunday evenings will feature black-and-white classics such as On the Waterfront, followed by comedies (such as Tom Hanks in Big) on Mondays. In addition to the regular menu, diners can nosh on gourmet hot dogs with all the fixin's, and children will be treated to free house-made ice pops. The sunset screenings will run through the end of the month.

Get happy

Restaurateur Mark Brezinski has rolled out a new happy-hour promotion at Bengal Coast in the Centrum. Specialty cocktails (including the potent lychee basil mojito and green tea mintini) are priced from $2 to $6 weekdays from 4 to 7 p.m., and free lettuce wraps are offered during those hours on Thursdays. The restaurant has also debuted a new $5 bar appetizer menu featuring Indian pizzettes, chicken pakoras and Indian-spiced sliders, among other small plates.

Bits and bites

• Paul and Mary Beth Vinyard's deep-fried empire continues to expand. Next year, Babe's Chicken Dinner House will move into downtown Cedar Hill, taking over the current City Hall space when its workers relocate to the new government center. The Vinyards also have plans to open a Babe's in Arlington the following year, bringing their total of family-style eateries to 10 (including Bubba's Cooks Country near Southern Methodist University and Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes in Decatur).

• Lakewood's Kitchen 1924 is once again open for lunch Mondays through Fridays. Items on the new daytime menu include a meatloaf sub, a salami wrap, deviled egg salad and chicken potpie, available for in-house dining or in a microwavable to-go lunchbox.

• The new menu's focus on organic and locally grown ingredients isn't the only change afoot at Aurora. Chef Avner Samuel has also begun weekday lunch service, offering a choice of prix fixe three-course meals for $16.95 or $21.95, as well as a la carte options.

• If your summer travel plans have you hopping a flight out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, head to Z Market at gate B33 for your in-flight dining needs. This in-airport shop that describes itself as an upscale convenience store" sells, among other things, gourmet grab 'n' go fare by famed Fort Worth chef Tim Love, of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and the Love Shack.

Kim Harwell is a Dallas food writer.