New fries to try: Thai spicy Sriracha basil. And they’re in Burleson

Known for fried chicken, Tex-Mex and burgers, Old Town Burleson is now home to a near-perfect junk food.

The busy Pandan Thai restaurant from Crowley opened a bowls-and-noodles “street eats” counter on Main Street with one very addictive appetizer: loaded spicy Thai basil wedge fries.

Think of wedge fries, but topped with Thai basil, peppers and Sriracha aioli instead of cheese and jalapeños. It’s a different version of loaded fries, the perfect starter for a pad Thai or curry dinner.

Pandan took over a former frozen custard shop on the Old Town corner opposite Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, and only the flavors have changed.

Pandan serves coconut or mango ice cream along with other traditional Asian flavors such as green tea or plum wine. (Ice cream is a traditional Thai dessert, partly because it helps calm the spice.)

The Thothong family opened the first Pandan in Crowley four years ago and quickly gained a reputation for the pineapple-mango curry and the distinctive spicy Thai basil chicken krapow with a fried egg on top.

The Burleson location is a casual, counter-service cafe and ice cream shop meant for grabbing a quick noodle or rice bowl or ice cream.

Pook Thothong said the Burleson location will add boba tea drinks soon, along with vegan ice cream flavors.

Pandan Thai Street Eats is open for lunch and dinner daily at 114 S. Main St., south of Renfro Street about six blocks west of Interstate 35W; 817-439-9449.

The original location in Crowley is open for lunch and dinner daily at 314 E. Main St.; 682-215-5511, pandanthaikitchen.com.

Two-course dinner: salad and a marg?

Timeless Mi Cocina has announced a “summer menu,” with a definite green tint.

For a traditional Tex-Mex restaurant, Mi Cocina’s special sounds downright healthy: a spinach-kale-cabbage salad with roasted corn, black beans, avocado, strawberries and pecans.

Other specials include poblano chicken enchiladas and loaded nachos “locos.”

Mi Cocina also offers a “flight” of four small margaritas: the house frozen, a mini-swirl, mango and strawberry.

Mi Cocina is open daily for lunch and dinner at four Tarrant County locations: 509 Main St. in Sundance Square (opening early at 10:30 a.m. daily), 4601 West Freeway in Chapel Hill; 9369 Rain Lily Trail in Alliance Town Center; or 1276 Main St. in Southlake Town Square; micocinarestaurants.com.

DFW dining deals begin next week

DFW Restaurant Week is two weeks away, but the dining deals really begin next week.

A “preview weekend” starts Aug. 4, when many of the 130 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants involved will offer special $39 or $49 dinners.

All 130 restaurants will offer a special discount menu Aug. 7-13 and donate 20 percent of the food bill to either the Lena Pope children’s charity in Fort Worth or the Dallas-based North Texas Food Bank.

Some restaurants will continue the special as late as Aug. 26.

Some sample menus:

Restaurant506 at the Sanford House in Arlington will serve chicken Milanese, stuffed flank steak pinwheels or seafood risotto, with appetizer and dessert ($49).

Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Fort Worth will serve a filet, a New York strip, crabcakes or a stuffed chicken breast with a side, soup or salad and dessert ($49).

The Silver Fox Steakhouses in Fort Worth and Grapevine stuck to a $39 price for a filet, salmon Oscar or roasted game hen with a III Forks or Caesar salad and pecan cake or peanut butter-chocolate cheesecake.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Fort Worth will serve its signature garlic-stuffed tenderloin, elk or trout for $45, with appetizer and ancho chocolate cake.

Michaels Cuisine in Fort Worth also serves a $39 menu featuring pepita-crusted redfish, pecan-smoked carne asada or roasted chicken, with ancho chocolate mousse.

Several also will offer a $20 lunch special. For more information and links to more menus, see dfwrestaurantweek.com.

This story was originally published July 24, 2017 at 6:02 PM with the headline "New fries to try: Thai spicy Sriracha basil. And they’re in Burleson."