As a countdown to the Dallas Observer's "Best of Dallas" 2010, City of Ate is serving up 100 of the favorite dishes we crave, savor and hope to scarf down again soon. These dishes are in no particular order. Some are little known, others celebrated. Some are pricey, others can be eaten on the cheap, but all are delicious to the extreme. Don't hesitate to share your own nominations in the comments. More of the dish's tasty details are after the jump.
No. 67: Bacon Cheeseburger at Wingfield's Breakfast and Burgers
Good things come to those who wait, as the saying goes, and the burgers at Wingfield's Breakfast and Burgers, last year's Best of Dallas-winning hamburger joint, prove it. They also prove another Maxim-worthy maxim: Size matters.
This South Dallas institution's entire building is smaller than the restrooms at some burger joints, and with a very small staff manning the register and grill, you'll just have to wait a while after you place your order. You could always call ahead, as some of the more seasoned customers will do, but then you'd miss the great equalizing communal experience of standing outside with people from all over the city who've made this a destination. Tatted-up dudes leaning against candy-painted slabs, buttoned-up professionals checking their iPhones and upscale restaurant cooks still in their kitchen whites all wait together -- and try not to drool whenever the door opens and allows the aroma of sizzling meat to escape. There's no seating and little room for waiting inside, so whatever the elements are, you'll brave them. It's worth it.
And once you finally do receive your bag full of burger, bun and fries, you'll be amazed at the heft. Not only is the single-patty burger a full 1/2 lb. of meat, but the amount of bacon on each burger is more generous than most restaurants' BLTs. Seriously, you could easily share the bacon -- each slice reaching just the right balance between crispy and floppy -- from a single bacon-cheeseburger among two or three burgers.
Fortunately, there's more to it than sheer size, as a unique blend of salt and seasonings -- Do we detect some sage in there? -- combines with juicy, quality beef to overcome the drying that a lesser patty would suffer with Wingfield's usual medium-well to well-done temperature. The result is a burger that's juicy without being overly greasy. Unfortunately, Wingfield's isn't open for dinner. But if you manage to finish an entire bacon-cheeseburger, you'll probably nap through dinner anyway.
Wingfield's Breakfast and Burgers 2615 S. Beckley Ave. 214-943-5214
No. 100: Oatmeal Pancakes at Legal Grounds No. 99: Shanghai Buns at Jeng Chi Dumpling House No. 98: Mashed Tater Parfait at Cowboy Chow No. 97: Chicken and Waffles at Victor Tango's No. 96: Colorado Lamb Osso Bucco at Hibiscus No. 95: Flatbread Pizza at Dish No. 94: First Chinese Barbecue in Richardson No. 93: Elotes at Fuel City No. 92: Summer Platter For Two at Big Shucks No. 91: Chicken Gizzards at Sushi YamaNo. 90: Bob Armstrong Dip at Matt's Rancho Martinez No. 89: The Angry Dog at Angry Dog No. 88: Sliders at Dish No. 87: Spaghetti Bolognese at Urbano Café No. 86: Vietnamese Pork Panini at Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen No. 85: Cheese Fries at Snuffers No. 84: Tres Vasos at Samar No. 83: Quatro Leches at La Duni No. 82: Pad Pak at Bangkok City No. 81: Brisket Sandwich at Maple and Motor No. 80: Lunch Express at Dream Cafe No. 79: Apple Crisp at Salum No. 78: La Vaca Loca at Good 2 Go No. 77: Shrimp and Grits at Screen Door No. 76: Meatball Sub at Jimmy's No. 75: Baja Chicken at Mattito's No. 74: Fried Port Salut Cheese at The Porch No. 73: Lobster Roll at Rex's No. 72: Fried Green Beans at Local No. 71: Shaved Ice at May's Ice Cream No. 70: Shredded Pork Sandwich at Mojitos No. 69: Tom-Yum-Gai at Bangkok City No. 68: Paella at La Calle Doce
