Readers' choice: Los Molcajetes, 4320 Western Center Blvd, FW

Critic's choice: La Nueva Riograndense Tortillas, 4241 McCart Av and 831 N Sylvania Av, FW

One could search the globe and never find anything quite as delicious as the light green jalapeño-avocado salsa they make at this humble tortilla factory. La Nueva also sells handmade tortillas and a small selection of to-go food (it's not a sit-down restaurant). Most dishes would be infinitely improved if smothered in this spicy nectar of the gods. One (translated) word to the wise: The sign on the refrigerator asks you to make your selection before opening the door. You can't go wrong with any of their fresh salsas, but the gold-medal winner is the color of an avocado slice. It may be criminally cheap, but please leave some for others to enjoy.

Red Salsa

Readers' choice: Dos Gringos, 1015 University Dr, FW

Critic's choice: Original Mexican Eats Café, 4713 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW

Possibly laced with crack, or some other highly addictive drug, the Original's salsa has been the standard-bearer for spicy, fresh brilliance for several decades. There is also a bottled version of the sauce sold at the restaurant, but for the full preservative-free experience, buy it by the pint or sit down and swill it by the gallon.

Wings

Readers' choice: Buffalo Wild Wings, 5601 S Hulen St, FW

Critic's choice: Buffalo Bros, 3015 S University Dr, FW

From the frozen North (well, Buffalo, N.Y., anyway) comes chef Ed McOwen, who has partnered with another classically trained chef to create Buffalo Bros. (McOwen works with Jon Bonnell at Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine as well as partnering with him at the TCU-area wing spot.) "The key to good wings," McOwen explained, "is fresh, never frozen" chicken. Buffalo Bros generously provides a large roll of paper towels at each table, and you'll use about half a roll per order. The hot wings are  spicy, with just enough burn. The wings also come in a sweet, slightly smoky barbecue version, as well as Cajun style and plain, all with homemade blue cheese or ranch dressing. Bonus: On "Wingin' Wednesday," 10 wings cost $5.

Bread

Readers' choice: (tie) Central Market, 4651 W Fwy, FW; Panera, 1700 S University Dr, FW

Critic's choice: Cheese biscuits, Red Lobster, multiple locations

No help for it. It may be a chain, but this place makes the best damned cheese-garlic biscuits you've ever put in your mouth. Fluffy, buttery, tender, piquant - and they just keep bringing them. Your granny didn't make bread this good.

Desserts

Readers' choice: (tie) Lili's Bistro, 1310 W Magnolia Av, FW; Reata

Critic's choice: Paris Coffee Shop, 704 W Magnolia Av, FW

When a Texan thinks of dessert, he or she thinks "pie." But sadly, there are only a few cafés left where pies are still made by hand in the kitchen early in the morning. Fortunately for Cowtonians, the best example in town, if not in Texas, is the Paris, where owner Mike Smith is in the kitchen before dawn, making pies to be ready just when he opens the doors at 7 a.m. Soon the display cases are filled with luscious chocolate, banana, and coconut creams finished off with mile-high meringues, fruit pies such as cherry and peach (described by one critic as the best this side of the Mississippi), and his very special pecan and pumpkin pies that show up on family tables during the holidays. Smith is following a family tradition that began in 1926 when the Paris first opened. While the breakfast and lunch offerings are always down-home good, it's the pies, the pies, that people remember - and what keeps folks coming back for more.

Sandwich

Readers' choice: The Great Outdoors, 3204 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW

Critic's choice: Chicken chipotle club, M&O Station Grill, 200 Carroll St, FW

Warning: This is not a sandwich to eat while you are driving. Hot, cheesy, incredibly flavorful, chef Danny Badillo's creation, with melted Swiss, bacon, and chipotle mayo, sends every other chicken sandwich you've ever had back to the coop.

Place to Dine Al Fresco

Readers' choice: Joe T. Garcia's, 2201 N Commerce St, FW

Critic's choice: Piola Restaurant and Garden, 3700 Mattison Av, FW

Piola's lovely, lush patio takes its mood from you - or, more precisely, from who you bring along. It can be casual and happy, like having a family meal in your own backyard, with plate after plate of lasagna and rigatoni delivered to umbrella'd tables next to climbing Boston ivy. It can be a romantic backdrop for a dinner à deux by the fireplace, where antipasto nibbles beg to be hand-fed to your sweetie. For after-work unwinding with friends, the rock waterfall kindly hushes the sound of tipsy giggles. Or go alone to lounge under the vine-covered pergola as if this were the garden of your own Italian villa - the Romanesque pottery, solicitous service, and fit-for-an-emperor risotto di mare will back you up there as well.

Appetizers

Readers' choice: Narah Café, 2896 W Pioneer Pkwy, Arl

Critic's choice: The Covey, 3010 S Hulen St, FW

You could make an entire meal just from the left side of The Covey's menu. Start off with the gator-stuffed jalapeños, then move to a "main" course like pheasant quesadillas or the Covey sliders with a garlicky mayo. In the mood for seafood? Choose blackened-lobster tacos, jumbo shrimp ceviche, or panko-crusted crab cakes. For veggies, add hot artichoke and spinach dip or the big trio of fire-roasted salsa, fresh guac, and poblano queso made with the Covey's own Texas Wheat brew. Share four or five of these full-flavor small plates with friends, and you'll have a deliciously diverse dinner - often for much less than the price of a pair of entrées.

Wine List

Readers' choice: Winslow's Wine Café, 4101 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW

Critic's choice: Lili's Bistro

Well-known as a great eatery for family lunches or intimate dinner dates, Lili's Bistro presents a smart selection of reds, whites, and a handful of rosés. The list crisscrosses the globe's vineyards, from California cabernets and Australian shirazes to Italian pinot grigios and four delicious and diverse chardonnays. The house wines, especially the pinot noir, make for a pleasant evening that's relatively easy on the pocketbook. We recommend the less traditional Luna Freakout White Blend from Napa Valley, an intoxicating blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio that's as graceful and dynamic as Lili's aged brick walls and sunlit rooms.

Place to Buy Ethnic Food

Readers' choice: Central Market

Critic's choice: Cho Saigon New Market, 2206 S Collins St, Arl

If you're used to  the squeaky-clean organics at Central Market, a place like Cho Saigon might really freak you out, but give it a chance. There are vegetables you've never imagined, a Vietnamese deli, and seafood so fresh it's still swimming in tanks in the back. They'll even fry it up for you.