Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul. Find more interesting places on our all-new Best Of app for iTunes or Android.
Spoon is anchored by chef John Tesar, one of Dallas' most interesting chefs. After a stint at The Mansion that ended abruptly but included a five-star review, Tesar bounced around a few of Dallas' more casual kitchens, took consulting gigs and somehow earned the reputation as Dallas' most hated chef.
But one dinner at Spoon will leave you with nothing but the desire to give the the guy a hug. There are few other places in Dallas where such an array of high-quality ingredients are treated with such care and respect, and Tesar's cooking is good enough to change your whole day.
Try some of the best oysters in Dallas, simply shucked and served on ice, or with tomato water consommé, tomato sorbet and salty trout roe. The two dishes feature the same central ingredient, but they couldn't be more different, and that's why Spoon is such a delight. Other than the clean, oceanic brine of impeccably fresh fish and crustaceans, you never know what you're going to get.
No. 50: Joyce and Gigi's No. 49: East Hampton Sandwich Co. No. 48: 20 Feet Seafood Joint No. 47: Taj Chaat House No. 46: Mot Hai Ba No. 45: La Nueva Fresh and Hot No. 44: Pera Turkish Kitchen No. 43: Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 42: Mughlai No. 41: Russian Banya No. 40: Off-Site Kitchen No. 39: Bachman Lake Taqueria No. 38: Carbone's No. 37: Babe's No. 36: Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo No. 35: Zaguan No. 34: Royal Sichuan
