By Shivani Burra
Staff Writer
@shiviburra
Sizzling and laughter were the two main sounds I heard on my adventurous dining experience at The Carmel Restaurant and Lounge. Recently taking the place of the former Fat Daddy’s and Bistro M this new addition has an exotic menu and ambience.
True to the unique name, this restaurant has a very ethnic menu, adding a spice to the conventional dining options located in Coppell.
After a very short wait on a busy evening, we were seated and quickly waited on. Our server was knowledgeable, friendly and suggested several options. With the large crowd, the service was slow and I often found myself having to search for a waitress.
The venue had a good dining room scene, had several large tables of birthday celebrations as well as quiet date night tables. I really enjoyed everything about our dining experience from the service to the food and to the ambience.
The Carmel Restaurant and Lounge serves mostly Mediterranean food but has plenty of options from the land and sea. As a high school student the pricing was a bit high such as the Carmel’s signature fresh chilean sea bass ($42) and Bone-in-filet ($37). However, it would make the perfect setting for a date night or even a business meeting.
After ordering the sauteed mushrooms ($5) and the roasted free-range chicken ($15), I was particularly taken with the enticing seasoning on each dish. The food had a unique flavor and spin on a standard dish. Although I do not typically prefer Mediterranean food, I was surprisingly pleased with the taste and presentation of the dishes I ordered.
The lunch menu provides options such as the $10 lunch combo with your choice of two items from soup, salad or half sandwich. Soup, salads and sandwiches are all available for under $16. Staying true to the exotic food, this restaurant has a spin on the basic and run-of-the-mill menu items.
The dinner menu is pricier than the lunch menu. However to subsidise this, they offer a Happy Hour menu from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with smaller entrees such as the Israeli feta samosa ($6) and the imported cheese and cured meats board ($12-$18).
After seeing many familiar Coppell faces, it is easy to say that the Carmel Restaurant and Lounge has quickly become a popular destination. Unlike the previous establishments in this specific location, hopefully it is here to stay.
