Main Dish Recipes

The Whimsy of Belly and Trumpet

Despite some misses, this mixed menu offers some of the best food in Uptown.

Urbano Café Travels the Globe

Bolognese next to pork belly with pickled mustard greens? Somehow, it works.

An Englishman Hits the Road for Lockhart BBQ. Comes Home Stuffed, Smoky and Happy (Part 1)

No doubt you've heard of Lockhart. It's a small, attractive town out somewhere south of Austin. It has an antiques shop that contains items from a more questionable period in America's history, a large building in the town square reminiscent of Denton and a gigantic metal fish that, while an attract ... More >>

Watch Your Wallet At Bowl & Barrel

This isn't your greasy stepfather's game any more.

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ Says Hello to Dallas

Happy Aloha Tuesday, Dallas. There's a new Hawaiian barbecue place on Lemmon Avenue, and it looks pretty interesting. Aloha Hawaiian BBQ opened just last week with bamboo window treatments, a mural of the Hawaiian mountains painted on the wall, and Hawaiian radio playing over the sound system. I'd ... More >>

The Best Culinary Events of the Week, Including A Dr. Seuss-Inspired Brunch

This week in Dallas dining, Les Dames d'Escoffier host their annual fundraising event, Dr. Suess gets a birthday brunch and several local brewers invite you out to imbibe in local beer. Wednesday, February 27 If you've ever wondered what all the beers from Deep Ellum Brewing Co. look like lined up ... More >>

If You Haven't Stopped Into Kazy's Recently, You Really Should

When I was sitting at the bar at Lucia, slurping down exceptional hand-made pasta dressed in a creamy sea urchin sauce and garnished with salty, toasted breadcrumbs, I asked chef David Uygur where he got the uni. The chef gave me a sort of surprised and sarcastic look as he told me Kazy's up in Rich ... More >>

Try Cook Hall for a Pregame Fill-up

There's not much reason to go there otherwise.

Our Favorite Dallas Dishes of 2012

So much food, so little time

Qariah's Stand

Amidst other businesses fighting to serve alcohol on Greenville, this Lebanese restaurant ditches the booze.

At Sakhuu, You're Welcomed

East Dallas' newest Thai restaurant is a neighborhood gem.

Burger Tips From Boulevardier's Nathan Tate, For Those Of Us Who Don't Have a Grill

When I compiled tips for grilling burgers this summer, I felt bad that I left out home cooks who don't have access to a grill. To make up for the shortcoming, I challenged chef Nathan Tate at Boulevardier to cook us up a burger like he might at home: no fancy wood-burning grills, just one man and a ... More >>

Odes To Our Favorite Burgers: In Which City of Ate Reflects on the Best Meats

With burgers, like many things, beauty is in the mouth of the be-eater. While I've been running around town looking for my perfect burger, I realize that everyone has their favorites, and no amount of smackdownin' is going to change the mind of a devoted burger enthusiast. I polled the staff of the ... More >>

Burger Smackdown: Dive Bar Class, Club Schmitz Versus Adair's Saloon

I love Club Schmitz. I think it's one of the best bars in Dallas, and as far as I can tell the hipsters have yet to ruin the place with Sunday night karaoke. This burger, though, needs some work if it's going to stand up to the history that's swaying the ceilings and rotting the floors. When actress ... More >>

Monica's 2.0 Has a Few Bugs, but It Feels Like a Successful Release

Start's Potential

Erin McKool's Take on Fast Food Feels Like the Begining of Something Big.

Bigger and Brighter and Fried-er

Grease is the good word at the State Fair of Texas.

Where to Find the Big Tex Choice Award Food Finalists at the State Fair of Texas

It's here! Fried Christmas!!! That delicious waft of funnel cake corny dog world's biggest Frito pie horse-ish ladyman stank you'll get when you walk through the turnstiles at the fair is gonna hit you like a Lisa Frank double food rainbow. And you will love it. See also: Fried Jambalaya, Fri ... More >>

Searching for the Secrets of Pho in Hanoi, Plus Pictures of the Food and People of Vietnam

In early August, Braden and Yasmin Wages took their first vacation since opening their restaurant, Malai, to spend five days in Hanoi, Vietnam, immersing themselves in the local food and culture. "We really just wanted to refresh and expand our menu," said Braden. "We also wanted to re-center ourse ... More >>

Tips For The Best Burgers You'll Ever Grill At Home

Summer is gone, and standing beside a hot grill no longer feels like an act of torture. That means it's time to fire up the charcoal, and one of the easiest way to coax the most flavor out of your kettle grill is by cooking top-notch burgers. Skip the preformed pucks the grocery stores try and sell ... More >>

Urban Rio's Next-Mex

Finally, A Tex-Mex meal that doesn't require expandable pants.

10 Great Not-Meat Things You Should Grill

With the brief, if glorious, respite from 100-plus degree weather, we took again to outdoor activities that, for many of us, have been shelved since late May. And though fall may be upon us, we have at least a solid three weeks, if not more, of summery weather perfect for cranking up the grill and c ... More >>

2012 Big Tex Choice Awards: Holy Fried Crap! Did Someone Say Fried Bacon Cinnamon Roll and Deep Fried Mac & Cheese Slider? Yeah. Yeah They Did.

Sorry, Your Heart. It's time for the State Fair of Texas Big Tex Choice Awards. Finalists were just announced. Here's the list, plus a little about the history of some of this year's competitors. The eight finalists for the 2012 Big Tex Choice Awards (in no particular fried order): Deep Fried Jamb ... More >>

Six Ways to Ramen: How to Class-Up the Staple of Cheap College Food

If you're not broke in college, then you're not doing it right. It's mandatory, like puking at the coast. College students should be able to pull together a weekend's worth of food and gas via a bone marrow donation and condiments at a 7-Eleven. They should also know stores that take several days to ... More >>

Acme F&B Goes Whole Hog

McKinney Avenue's newest restaurant is turning heads - and eating them.

100 Favorite Dishes, No. 39: The Large Tabouleh at Ali Baba

To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2012 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. The last time I wrote about Ali Baba's tabouleh, I'd had a small order delivered to th ... More >>

Community 'Cue

The tradition of open-pit barbecues in Texas predates the Civil War.

Cooking with Dad: Mark Cuban, Chris Ryan, Eric Nystrom and More Share Their Memories

We tracked down a few locals, and asked them about their dad's cooking choices and what they remember the most about breaking bread with the family. Here's who shared their food memories of cooking with Dad with us: Mark Cuban: Savior of the Greenville St. Patrick's Day Parade and owner of the Dal ... More >>

Spotted At Carbone's: Real Deal Guanciale

If you've only eaten Italian food in Dallas, there's a good chance you've never had real spaghetti carbonara. The traditional version of the dish turns eggs, cheese and fat into a delicious sauce that completely integrates with the pasta. Chefs have supplemented the dish with cream, herbs and someti ... More >>

Get Thee to the Grill on Meatless Monday

Summertime is in full swing and along with it come cookouts, not to mention drunk people on boats, Ed Hardy swim trunks, entirely too many children everywhere, the need for those stinky citronella candles and sky-high utility bills from all that damned air conditioning. I relish the opportunity to ... More >>

Chicken Skin Belongs On The Chicken, Not On The Plate

For this week's review I checked out Chicken Scratch and the Foundry, a one two punch in Oak Cliff that will certainly draw big crowds all summer long. The space is amazing, and I found myself hanging out there way longer than was required to evaluate the food. Chef Tim Byres uses bold flavors in h ... More >>

How Dallas Chefs Grill: The Tools, the Meat and the Techniques

We tracked down a few Dallas chefs to get a little insight on how a Memorial Day cookout in their backyard might look, taste and smell. From grills and smokers to favorite cuts of meat, plus some tips for the novice, let their words serve as inspiration as grilling season officially begins this week ... More >>

Baking Italian Tomato Sauce And Enjoying Jimmy's At Home

Jimmy's is one of the first iconic brands I encountered when moving to Dallas. While I've seen their sausage on many menus, my favorite way to enjoy the DiCarlo's links is at home on a Sunday with a bottle of red wine and a mountain of spaghetti. If my story in this week's issue inspires your own tr ... More >>

An Ode To Summer, My Favorite Grill and Popsicles

Helllloooo summer! While some of you might go out this weekend and celebrate the last handful of days to be outdoors comfortably until sometime in mid-October, I'm going to do my best to enjoy what is traditionally the best season for leisure. And while some people (the smart ones) view grilling as ... More >>

Inspired by The Yu Dog, 25 More Dishes to Honor DFW Sports Stars

The Yu Dog at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington has created a food media circus. But he's not the only DFW sports icon worthy of his own dish at The Ballpark in Arlington, Jerryland and the AAC. Here are some others. 1. Tom Landry Enormous fedora filled with chili. Feather garnish optional. 2. Nolan ... More >>

Sissy's Serves Up Southern Charm the Texas Way: By the Bucket

Get your bow ties ready: Garza's debut dresses (and tastes) the part.

Holy $#@& This is a Long Review of a Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Only for the last few weeks he blew off this very important assignment to attend to way-less-important ones, including getting married. Apparently he was a little excited because he filed about 4,700 words about a chicken s ... More >>

Rex's Friday Lobster Rolls: They're Good, and They're Way Cheaper Than a Plane Ticket

Rex's Seafood Market was running wide-open, full-throttle on a recent Friday afternoon. Lent and the army of Catholics who adhere to its dietary restrictions might have had something to do with the surge, but I think it was the lobster roll that inspired the droves. Rex's puts the New England deli ... More >>

Union Bear Brings Farm-to-Table to the Bar

It's locavorism for the rest of us. And lots and lots of beer.

At the Commissary, a New Chef, a New Burger

When the Commissary first opened, John Tesar's burgers were all the rage. Big, luscious hockey puck-shaped patties, cooked a rosy crimson all the way through, helped earn the him a Best New Restaurant award in D Magazine. The burgers were so good the Jedi of self promotion even got a pass on his not ... More >>

Where Is All This Pink Slime Anyway?

A number of articles have been published in the last few days as Safeway and Kroger have announced their intentions to stop selling ground beef products that contain lean finely textured beef. The ammonia treated additive has gotten significant attention after receiving the nickname "pink slime." I ... More >>

The Ginger Man Threw a Food Truck Rally Over the Weekend, and This is What You Missed

The Ginger Man hosted a "Taste of Dallas" food-truck throwdown on Saturday, featuring six local food trucks: Nammi, Jack's Chowhound, 3 Men and a Taco, Gandolfo's, The Butcher's Son, and Easy Slider. It was a balmy Saturday afternoon, and hundreds of people came out to grub and throw back a few brew ... More >>

On Fat Tuesday, Local Chefs Break Down the Fine Art and High Science of Making Gumbo

Aligator's Cafe Gumbo​With Fat Tuesday upon us, gluttony is the single goal of the day. While lots of shenanigans will surely ensue, as they do every Tuesday in this city, don't forget to fill your ulcerated tummy with a bowl of hearty gumbo. I spoke with several local chefs on the art behind ... More >>

Meatless Monday at Bijoux: This Ain't Your Poor Hippie Yoga-Instructor Friend's Veggie Meal

The gnocchi.​A suited staffer circled the room, his tray laden with warm slices of olive, rosemary and raisin breads, crusty and fragrant. He bestowed each of our plates with a different variety, and placed between us a ramekin of butter so pristine and smooth it looked like you could ice skat ... More >>

At Tto Tto Wa Bistro, the Happy Marriage of Korean Fried Chicken and Beer

Perhaps even too much beer. But probably not.

From Mi Cocina to Mr. Mesero: Mico Rodriguez's Comeback

The founder of Mi Cocina is back, and his new place feels like home.

Campo is One of Dallas' Best Restaurants -- For Now

Oak Cliff has one of the city's most daring restaurants. But will the chef stay put?

At Zio Cecio, Priced Out Until the Pasta

High-priced dishes obscure the cooking at Zio Cecio -- until the pasta comes.

With Housemade Sauerkraut, Bolsa Mercado Just Might Save My New Year's Day

I am made of considerable German stock -- my father was a Reitz, and my mother was a Schuster. But for whatever reason this heritage did not make it to my dinner table. We ate like the rest of America while I grew up. The only time our table was graced with anything remotely German was New Year's D ... More >>

El Tizoncito Makes a Pretty Mean Meatsicle

Choriqueso is not pretty, but it's pretty tasty.​My taco post about El Si Hay earned me some shit. A few commenters said those tacos are trash. They called me a gringo. Get yourself to El Tizoncito, one said. Another agreed. Next thing you know, I'm sitting in a silver minivan with another Ater, t ... More >>