To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me.
"Do you think I have a shot?" I asked the bartender at Mesero Miguel as she slid the plate across the table. "You'll finish it," she answered quickly, without giving my question much thought. I'd just plowed through two servings of chips and salsa without any help, then upended an entire plate of enchiladas. The cake looked burdensome, so I looked up at her again. "You will!" she assured me.
It only took one spoonful and I believed her pep talk. The slice was big but it was as light as a milk-flavored cake-cloud. I turned my attention to more vexing issues, like how you get cinco leches into a traditional tres leches cake? And just how many leches does any leches cake need, anyway?
Leches refers to milk, of course, and according to a waitress at the bar, the cake here makes use of whole milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and dulce de leche. That wasn't nearly as interesting as the cow, sheep, goat, camel and human breast milk I came up with on my own inside my head. It's probably more delicious Mesero Miguel's way, though.
But back to that consistency. The whipped frosting on the top would float away if someone hadn't adhered it to the cake beneath, and the cake was somehow fluffy even though it was inundated with sweet cream. It was a cold and refreshing slice of cake and it disappeared before the bartender could finish making a single margarita. I felt a little guilty, but then I got over it. And I made it a point to never order a slice of cinco leches cake without a cake buddy again.
No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co. No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen No. 87: The White Album at Spoon No. 86: Ramen at Tei An No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa No. 71: The Chicken Wings at Teppo No. 70: Cheesesteak at Truck Yard No. 69: Chicken and Waffles at Jonathon's No. 68: Birria Tacos at Los Torres Taqueria No. 67: Bulgogi Cheesesteak at Say Kimchi No. 66: Suadero Tacos at La Banqueta No. 65: Brian Luscher's Post Oak Red Hot No. 64: Banana Flower Salad at Mot Hai Ba
