It’s Greek To Me
Items at the Pegasus might be tough to say, but they aren’t tough to eat
By Angie Chang
Skiff Staff

An unassuming strip mall on Forest Park Boulevard may be the last place someone would look when searching for some of Fort Worth’s finest cuisine. But amid unimpressive storefronts, The Pegasus awaits curious diners in its prime location at the end of the strip.

Nestled in a wooded area and covered sometimes in shadows, The Pegasus, at 2443 Forest Park Blvd., is easy to miss if you’re just driving by. No big neon signs adorn the building — just banners that display offerings of Sunday Brunch and patio dining.

The Pegasus has gained clout in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a place for global cuisine since its March 2002 opening. And after a trip to the restaurant, all the praise was confirmed as true.

A serene, modest-sized dining room greets diners. For dinner service, tea-light candles dapple the white tablecloths with a soft glow and large windows look out into the creek below — a great backdrop to enjoy the global creations of owners Majid and chef Denise Paul Shavandy.

But wait, let’s back up — don’t be intimidated by any place that doesn’t serve the general college fare of burgers, quesadillas and chicken fingers. Don’t shy away because you probably won’t be able to pronounce most of the terms on the menu or be able to identify most of the spices or ingredients. This shouldn’t deter you from taking your palate on an adventure.

What’s most surprising about The Pegasus is the caliber of its menu that reads like a flight of food around the world. Mediterranean cuisine is the headliner of this menu as the restaurant offers traditional Greek favorites like hummus and baba ghannoush as part of the impressive list of appetizers and tapas (smaller portions).

The most difficult part of the meal was to narrow down the large menu to a couple of dishes for sampling, but the result of meticulous choosing was a good collection of various tastes.

The mezze plate of hummus, baba ghannoush, toasted quinoa tabouleh, feta and olives ($6 a person) was a generous serving of the Greek favorites garnished with sliced onions and roma tomatoes. The plate also came with pita bread, a perfect accompaniment to the delicious, rich dips. The tabouleh was surprisingly good and was not dry and overloaded with parsley as the dish can sometimes be. I was assured that the secret was the high quality quinoa (a grain high in protein and nutrients) and lots of lemon juice.

Definitely worth a try is the asparagus vinaigrette ($3), part of the tapas menu. Thin stems were drizzled with oil and vinegar and topped off with diced tomatoes and shredded basil. A light, fresh compliment to the meal.

The lobster-butternut bisque ($7) has been praised and was worth consuming in all its richness. Butternut squash gave the surprisingly light bisque a tinge of sweetness. The soup was big enough to be paired with an appetizer to make a meal.

The Pegasus salad was served before the meal and is made with mesclun greens and pomegranate vinaigrette. It was light and tangy, just enough to give your taste buds a boost before the entree.

The meal had been progressing so well but the seafood cous cous (half order $15) was a huge disappointment compared to the starting lineup. The scallop was overcooked and chewy and so were the shrimp. The cous cous was dry and the citrus zest barely registered, but the raisins were overbearingly fruity with the delicate grains.

The Brazilian-style chicken ($19) was juicy, but the peanuts in the spicy coconut milk sauce didn’t quite complement it and the fried yucca root was a dry garnish. But the vegetable risotto (half order $11) was a tasty mixture of tomatoes, basil, spinach, portabello mushrooms and asparagus.

Dinner did end on a good note with a vanilla flan on a pool of mango amaretto sauce ($6). The smooth dessert hit the spot without giving too much of a sugar rush as the sweetness was balanced out with the tangy mango sauce. Greek fans don’t despair! They also have a baklava ice cream sandwich to satisfy your craving for crushed nuts, fyllo pastry and honey.

Overall, The Pegasus creates some pretty memorable eats and balances flavors in the dishes so they complement each other. The presentation of the plates wasn’t much to write home about, but that may be because the kitchen is concentrating on serving quality prepared food. Don’t be afraid to ask your server any questions; the knowledge they have of the menu just might amaze you.

For the over 21 crowd, ask your server for drink specials. The wine list also needs to be given a perusing, and again, don’t be afraid to ask your server what would pair well with your food.

So brush up on your flatware skills (yes, they do come and give you the correct silverware if you mess up) and put away those cutoff shorts and T-shirts. Moving into the adult world means trying more sophisticated fare.