The waitress speaks in a melodic accent — I’m no dialectologist, but something European — and tells us why Grimaldi’s offers the best New York City style pizza in these parts. It’s the coal-fired brick ovens set to the precisely perfect temperature … she says (what that is, exactly, I can’t recall).

The aroma, the flavor, the crisp crust cannot exist in a gas or even a wood-burning oven, she says.

This might be true. The pizza is quite flavorful, exceedingly aromatic and crispy indeed. At Grimaldi’s, you sort of build your own pizza. Select pizza or make it a calzone, which is like a pizza sandwich. Choose your sauce: red or white. I tried both and prefer my pizza with plenty of the red, but the white with garlic or pesto is a delightful twist on tradition (when I’m in that kind of mood). Then, you add your toppings. I stuck with artichoke on one side, because I am barely a carnivore, and the kids had pepperoni and pineapple, a longtime family fave, on their side. The salads are nice and big enough for two.

The menu is simple. Hey, it’s pizza. Good. Simple. Pizza. And don’t get out of their with out trying the creamy, chocolate-smattered cannoli or the tiramisu for dessert. Pizza start at $10-$18, and most toppings are $2. The ambiance is all dark woods, Frank Sinatra wafting through the air (though, if the Rangers are playing, there’s a screen for that) and jumbo posters of old movie stars and Brooklyn New York skyline (from where the original Grimaldi’s hails).

Located at Shops at Park Lane, 8060 Park Lane, Grimaldi’s is open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.

Johnny Depp starring in a Tim Burton remake of the cult-favorite ’60s-’70s gothic soap opera may seem like a no-brainer, but fans of any or all of the above will be hard-pressed to find much satisfaction in Dark Shadows. It’s a vampire comedy without much bite, and its quirkiness wears thin quickly.

Bearing only a passing resemblance to the cheesy but much-loved TV series (whose hardcore fans have held an annual convention since 1983) it struggles to find a balance between humor and horror. The chills are limited, and the laughs are mostly derived from watching an 18th-Century vampire try to navigate the swinging, liberated world of 1972.

That is the situation Barnabas Collins (Depp) finds himself in after spurning the love of servant girl Angelique (Eva Green, vamping it up in a much different way) — who happens to be versed in black magic. Angelique retaliates by cursing the Collins family, killing Barnabas’ beloved Josette (Bella Heathcote), turning him into a vampire, and burying him alive for two centuries — all in the first five minutes of the film.

Flash forward to 1972. An unearthed Barnabas returns home to find the Collins estate and his descendants have fallen into squalor: matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) tries to keep the family together and its fishing business afloat while her self-centered brother, Roger (Jonny Lee Miller) chases women and blows cash; her daughter Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz) is a typical rebellious teen, while Roger’s 10-year-old son David (Gully McGrath) is a troubled boy who supposedly sees the ghost of his mother; David’s live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) uses the estate as a source of good booze, as does the equally alcoholic caretaker, Willie (Jackie Earle Haley). Also arriving at Collinwood is the new governess, young Victoria (also played by Heathcote). The family fishing empire has crumbled as well, pushed aside by a competitor run by Angel (Green again).

It’s a lot of plot getting in the way of what might have been a good story, as Burton and screenwriters John August and Seth Grahame-Smith spend an inordinate amount of time setting up so many characters and subplots for no other reason than because they were part of the original series, and thus fan service demands it (the standard curse of a TV-to-film adaptation). The same applies to the movie’s period setting, the only upside of which is ’70s-era pop/rock soundtrack that comes with it, the highlight of which is a cameo appearance by Alice Cooper as himself (“Ugliest woman I’ve ever seen”, states Barnabas.)

The promising set-up gives way to a sagging, rambling middle that deal mainly with weak stranger-in-a-strange land gags (most along the lines of Barnabas barking “what sorcery is this?” whenever he encounters a television set, automobile, or lava lamp for the first time) and a stunted love-triangle before abruptly stumbling into an overwrought and unsatisfying action finale.

Of the eight collaborations between Burton and Depp in the past 22 years, Dark Shadows is easily the weakest, and by a wide margin. That’s a pity, since fans have been anticipating the project for years. The two are self-professed fans of the original, but after watching their interpretation you can’t help but wonder who they were trying to amuse — the audience, or just themselves?

A public meeting to discuss East Lawther trail improvements is set for next Wednesday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at Winfrey Point.

The meeting, hosted by Dallas Parks and Recreation representative Gerry Worrall, will focus on trail improvements from Mockingbird to the Bathhouse (northeast side of the lake), as well as the White Rock Lake Dog Park.

Dear boss:

I know I haven’t had a very good last year or so — not much writing on the blog, out of town a lot so I couldn’t keep up with what was going on around here, and the like. But I would like a raise, and I think I’ve found a way for you to give me one.

The City Council voted yesterday to give city manager Mary Suhm a nearly 10 percent pay hike. In fact, the vote was nearly unanimous. So, despite the city’s financial woes over the past five years — which took place while Suhm was in charge — the council figured she should be rewarded for letting the streets go to pot holes, laying off hundreds of employees, and spending money that we didn’t have.

Given those standards, I deserve at least a five percent raise, don’t I?

Winfrey Point by Justin Terveen

Good Morning America’s Sam Champion was at the Dallas Arboretum last week filming a segment for the nationally syndicated morning show. It was a huge coup for the arboretum — its installment of the much-lauded Dale Chihuly exhibit was broadcast to more than 5 million viewers all over the country.

That same morning, dozens of White Rock Lake neighbors gathered at nearby Winfrey Point to protest, petition and picket the Arboretum’s use of Blackland prairie for overflow parking during the exhibit, which is expected to boost the arboretum’s already staggering visitor numbers.

For the arboretum, it was the worst possible timing. Neighbors upset about damage to White Rock Lake, however, might call it poetic justice.

At the very least, it’s extremely ironic.

The last week and a half has been a whirlwind. Between the Chihuly exhibit opening and the parking mayhem, we’ve probably mentioned the Dallas Arboretum on our website a record number of times. That’s taking into account that on a normal basis, the arboretum probably receives just as much, and possibly more, press from us as anything else we cover.

At this point, perhaps the parking issue is a moot point.

Chris Herron, president of the Emerald Isle Neighborhood Association, was headed to City Hall this afternoon with 7,000-plus signatures urging the Park Department and the Dallas Arboretum to reconsider using grassy areas at Winfrey Point for parking. Before the petition had a chance to be considered, however, the Dallas Arboretum issued a statement stating that it would back down.

Still, there is the issue of what may happen in the future.

The dilemma in this situation, for those of us who aren’t experts on ecosystems, is that it’s hard to know what or whom to believe.

Do we believe the Dallas Arboretum, which told us in last week’s press release that Winfrey Point being an endangered ecosystem “could not be further from the truth,” that “non-native grasses and plants at Winfrey Point need to be kept under control and appropriately mowed or eradicated,” and that “those unfamiliar with the situation are being misled by those with an agenda”?

Or do we believe the neighbors behind the Save Winfrey Point and Pave the Lake websites, who continue to argue that Winfrey Point’s Blackland prairie should be protected, who tug on heart strings with photos of a bird’s nest near the grasslands, and who accuse the city and the Arboretum of conspiring behind the scenes to deflect questions raised about environmental studies?

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around all of this, and to be honest, I’m a bit brain tired. At the end of the day, I don’t know if it matters whether Blackland prairie is an ecosystem worth preserving. The issue for me — and, I would guess, many of you — is that Winfrey Point is part of White Rock Lake Park, and turning parkland into parking isn’t acceptable. Especially in a city where it’s rare for a large swath of green space to be set aside for public enjoyment.

It’s important to note that, before the arboretum’s no-mow request today, the city’s approval of using grass at White Rock Lake for parking was only as a temporary overflow parking lot. While the city has conducted a study examining the possibility of a permanent parking lot at Winfrey Point, it’s one of many possibilities, and nothing has been decided, as Christina Hughes Babb pointed out in Monday’s thorough overview of recent events.

My hope is that the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will continue to live up to its name, that the City of Dallas and its Park and Recreation Department will honor their commitment to our green spaces, and that they, along with White Rock Lake neighbors, will work together to find more creative and appropriate solutions for parking than using our parkland.

Today the Arboretum sent an e-mail to members with a press release announcing plans to mow at Winfrey Point have been put on hold. Mary Brinegar, CEO and President at the Arboretum, issued this statement:

“Over the past couple of weeks, the Arboretum has heard the opinions of its friends and neighbors and recognizes any plans to temporarily park at Winfrey Point have resulted in serious misunderstandings that need to be addressed. We are committed to being a good neighbor and steward to the citizens of East Dallas, the metroplex and all of North Texas.”

Score one for the activists.

The Emerald Isle Neighborhood Association will deliver a petition bearing 7,000 signatures to City Hall today. The petition urges the Park Department and the Dallas Arboretum to reconsider using grassy areas at Winfrey Point for parking. Neighborhood association president Chris Herron says he is on the speakers list for today’s City Council meeting, and he will be accompanied by a few neighbors and supporters. The petition will be delivered to council after the meeting.

State Rep. Eric Johnson sent a letter this week to arboretum chairman Brian Shivers, offering to help resolve the conflict before it becomes a legal battle. The Dallas Morning News has the whole letter.

In other Winfrey Point news, our intern Joanna Raines found this meditation video for the park on the interwebs.

My winning streak with cheap pinot noir from the Languedoc region of France continues. First, there was the Tortoise Creek, and now there is the Luc Pirlet ($10, purchased, available at Central Market). Who’d have thought this was possible, given the region’s problems with pinot noir?

Frankly, this was much, much better than I expected (being the curmudgeon I am). It has moderate black fruit, plus some pepper and earthiness. What’s missing is what I expected to find — that New World kind of fruitiness that makes cheap pinot taste like it could have been made anywhere in the world. But this is 100 percent pinot noir, so the flabby fruit that comes from adding syrah or grenache is missing.

It’s not quite as well done as the Tortoise Creek, but it’s still a stunningly well-made $10 bottle of pinot noir — let alone from a region where pinot has such a sorry history. This is a candidate for the $10 Hall of Fame, and yes, Mom, would appreciate it over the weekend. Drink this on its own, or with burgers, barbecue or meatloaf. Who knew pinot would turn into a midweek dinner kind of wine?

Update: After hearing from a bevy of parents to teen and preteen movie-goers (and presumably the folks at AMC), NorthPark Center has issued a revision of its new code of conduct. People 17 and under may attend movies at AMC Theatre unaccompanied, provided they go directly to and from the theatre from the parking lot and provided they are gone by 11pm Sunday through Thursday and by midnight Friday and Saturday. This exception will allow parents to drop kids off in groups without coming in to watch the show over their shoulders, and permit good ole American date night for 16 and 17 year olds who’ve driven themselves to the mall. Lingering in the food court, apparently, will not be allowed.

Parents of teenagers are being asked by NorthPark Center to accompany their kids after 6 p.m., according to a new code of conduct issued by management. “Parents and legal guardians may accompany no more than six unrelated persons 17 years of age and under,” say the new rules, so one mom could supervise a group of 6 kids, but no more.

New policies also prohibit hoodies or masks which obscure the face, saggy pants which make undergarments visible and going without shoes. Clothing cannot exhibit lewd, obscene, vulgar or offensive language or images.

The new regulations have been emailed to parent groups and are in response to previous reports of crime and gang activity in and near the mall. Safety questions have been recently raised from parents in Lake Highlands, Highland Park and other nearby neighborhoods, long comfortable with dropping carloads of teens and preteens off for dinner & a movie or shopping & ice cream.

The code includes several other new rules, mostly standard – no sexual conduct, yelling, offensive language or gestures, loud music, loitering, fighting, littering, protesting or causing damage. No leaving bags unattended or climbing on artwork and railings. Skateboards, rollerblades and Heelys are not permitted. Smoking isn’t allowed and alcohol must remain inside NorthPark restaurants. Because NorthPark is private property, violators may be asked to leave or even banned from the mall.

You can view the entire list of rules here.