Columnist Muriel Stevens: Noise and good food mix at Bix’s

Friday, July 31, 1998 | 10:29 a.m.

First and foremost, Bix's restaurant on Buffalo between Flamingo and Tropicana is a busy bar with poker machines.

That said, let me tell you that Chef Steven Zucker and his staff cook well enough to overcome (almost) the noise from the bar that spills into the open dining room.

Bix's owner Charles Mack was wise to hire this obliging young chef. In just five months, Zucker has developed a loyal following, including the friends with whom I dined.

They are extremely fond of the chef. Both love good food, but one has a restricted diet. Chef Zucker follows my friend's limits to the letter, yet has produced some memorable meals for him.

Shortly after we arrived, Chef Zucker was at our table to discuss the day's specials and to make suggestions. Soft-spoken and gracious, I could see why he's so popular with his guests.

Our treatment was not unusual. Chef Zucker regularly walks the dining room, visiting and chatting with the diners.

At his suggestion, I opted for the five-course tasting menu, $60 without wine. With wine or special beers for each course, the tasting meal is $100.

Tasting many dishes at one sitting is a good way to become familiar with the menu and the skill of the kitchen.

First came small cylindrical crab cakes; atop the cakes one soft shell crab -- crisp and utterly delicious.

A salad with a creamy dressing was followed by a superb slice of Hudson Valley foie gras sandwiched between rounds of sauteed polenta and topped with a fresh pear and mango chutney. At first taste, the sweetness seemed to overwhelm the foie gras, but within seconds the contrast of flavors and textures captivated my taste buds. The polenta was one of the best I've tasted.

Rack of lamb stuffed with pesto and crusted with goat cheese and walnuts and accompanied with sun dried tomato mashed potatoes was a bit of overkill, but the quality of the lamb and the chef's expert seasoning overcame any shortcomings.

A sampler plate with three small desserts from Pastry Chef Stacy Calles included a scrumptious warm black cherry and peach cobbler topped with house-made black cherry ice cream, a Nocello-flavored (hazelnut) creme brulee and a creamy custard-like wild passion fruit cheesecake. Calles's presentation is lovely.

Portions at Bix's are more than generous. The normal-size fresh fruit cobblers ($7.95) are big enough for two.

The a la carte menus feature appetizers and wood-grilled pizzas from $6.95, entrees from $15.95 (the rack of lamb is an excellent value at $19.95) and desserts from $6.95. A sampler plate of two or three of the most popular desserts is $12.95. It's more than ample for two.

All of the dishes I enjoyed were from the day's menu.

The kitchen is open almost around-the-clock. Bix's is open from 11 a.m. to 6 a.m. Lunch is served daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lunch prices are moderate. Offered are appetizers and pizzas ($6.95-$10.95), soups and salads ($3.95-$13.95), innovative sandwiches ($5.95-$10.95), entrees ($15.95-$19.95) and desserts.

There's a separate wine bar with an extensive wine selection and a private dining room that seats up to 12. Selections in the wine bar change every three months.

There's an awesome international beer list.

The success of Bix's has inspired many additions. An adjacent Bistro is already under construction and is soon due to be completed. A new dining room away from the bar is being added and hopefully, a new larger kitchen will be added to make life easier for Chef Zucker and his sous chefs Jimmy Kujawa and Dan Pionkoski. Somehow they manage to produce an array of interesting and delicious foods in a very small space.

Reservations are suggested for the dining room. Call 889-0800.

Eat at Joe's

Don't expect anything fancy in food or decor at Joe's Crab Shack; do expect good food, good prices and family fun.

The second Joe's Crab Shack on Sunset Road in Green Valley was only open three days when I ate there, yet at 5:45 p.m. on a weeknight there was more than an hour wait. Like most chains, Joe's Crab Shack does not accept reservations.

The large menu offers a variety of seafood preparations (mostly fried) from $8.99 up. The up is for fresh fish and the seasonal crab selection, all market priced. A large Dungeness crab was $23.99 the evening I dined there.

Joe's is noisy and features a performing staff -- all things that normally turn me off, yet I had a wonderful time. Much of my pleasure came from the terrific staff of young people. The service was outstanding.

My dining companion and I threw caution to the winds and indulged with the crab feast for two (market price) -- more fried food than I normally eat in a year. Maybe heartier eaters could eat this feast by themselves, but it's a lot of food. Included for $19.99 (the price that day) were a choice of gumbo or clam chowder, a generous number of fried crab fingers, stuffed crab balls, a deviled crab, a soft shell crab, snow crab and king crab legs (the only non-fried item on the plate), corn on the cob, French fries and parsley potatoes and cole slaw.

We didn't need two kinds of potatoes and the corn was water-logged, but the rest of the food was hot and tasty. Our bill, with soft drinks and one slice of an outstanding, real Key Lime pie was just under $34.

We even enjoyed the dancing. Sit on the indoor patio and avoid the colorful main dining room that has a much higher noise level.

Short orders

*Rio wins wines

Once again, the Rio's wine expert, Barrie Larvin, outbid the competition at the recent Zachys-Christies wine auction featuring exclusively California wine. Record prices were bid, but Larvin came away with 20-percent of the total, beating out the buyers from Southeast Asia who were "particularly active." For more about these spectacular wines, call Larvin at the Rio Wine Cellar.

*Tinoco's Bistro opens

Tinoco's Bistro at 1765 E. Charleston is now open for lunch and dinner. Featured at lunch are appetizers ($3.95-$6.95), entree-size salads ($6.50-$6.95), sandwiches ($6.50-$7.50) and luncheon specials priced from $6.50. Pastas ($6.50-$9.95), fish, meats and poultry ($7.95-$15.95) are offered at dinner. All dinner entrees include a choice of soup or salad. For additional information, call 578-6811.

*Napa Wine Train

A trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train is a delight. Dine aboard the train on fine food and wine while experiencing California's famed wine country. All sorts of special summer offers are available, including some wonderful specials available to groups. For reservations and information, call the Napa Valley Wine Train at 800-427-4124. Gift certificates are also available.