BEYOND TAKEOUT

DENISE PAUL SHAVANDY SPENT much of her culinary career in the kitchens of upscale, white-tablecloth restaurants. About a year ago, though, she became the executive chef of Eatzi’s Market & Bakery on Lovers Lane. Now, instead of seeing diners enjoy her dishes at a table in the next room, she watches them browse the cases of prepared food, order from the counter and walk out the door.

But it’s just as gratifying, if not more so, she says.

“I actually get more interaction with customers here than in a restaurant,” she says. “They see the person who is preparing their food.”

The Hockaday grad grew up in Preston Hollow, so she’s no stranger to Eatzi’s neighborhood following: busy families with no time to cook and limited energy to cart the kids to a restaurant.

It’s a lasting trend that the company’s founders realized when they established Eatzi’s 17 years ago.

“We saw that people were taking out more,” CEO Adam Romo says. And at the time, over-processed fast food was the only option.

Shavandy and her team of chefs make everything from scratch at Eatzi’s — from the daily specials at the open grill to the packaged pita bread displayed in the aisle.

The market thrives during the holidays, offering special menus. This year, you’ll find a few less traditional items, along with some tried-and-true year-round dishes.

What to look for

Queso chorizo: Eatzi’s has always offered its house-made queso, but on a whim Shavandy recently added a new twist: chunks of chorizo. It’s been flying off the shelf ever since. The dip is great for a holiday appetizer and for watch parties throughout football season.

Rotisserie chicken salad: Using chopped rotisserie chicken, instead of the usual roasted breast, brings a more intense flavor to this comforting but typically boring dish.

The “non-traditional” dressing: New to the holiday menu this year is a type of dressing that includes jalapenos, pecans and dried fruit. Weird, right? Only to those born in the south. “There are people here [from the north] who say ‘Wow, I haven’t had that since I was a kid,’ ” Romo says.

<< PESTO COUSCOUS:

If you’re headed to a classy dinner party, grab a few servings of this pretty green couscous from the display case to use as a base for beef tenderloin from the open grill, paired with a tomato and mozzarella prosciutto salad (pictured on previous page).

Sweet apple cake: It’s flat, round and dark brown in color — not exactly the prettiest cake in the dessert case. But it might be one of the best, made with honey and apples, and topped with a sweet glaze. “It tastes a lot better than it looks,” Romo says.