Most restaurants take some time to get rolling. They have to work out early issues, train staff, fine-tune recipes and most important, define a culinary identity,  which is why food critics don’t tend to visit high-profile restaurants in their first month, and they don’t publish a review, ideally, for a…

On weekdays, Tacos Mariachi is a great place to get seafood tacos — maybe the best place in Dallas. Shrimp, octopus and mahi mahi and, on Tuesdays, cod battered in chicharrones, are the stars of the show. But now, during Sunday brunch, the restaurant is rolling out a new menu of tacos…

When I first visited Dal Dong Nae a few years ago, the initial impression was not great. For one thing, Google said the restaurant was “Permanently closed.” For another, its neon strip-mall signage is all in Korean characters, and the business waffles between “Ne” and “Nae” as a Western-alphabet spelling…

A Los Angeles-based seafood chain has arrived in Uptown with high confidence, big ambitions and eyebrow-raising prices. Water Grill already has the swagger of a place that’s been a fixture for years, married to a menu that’s eager to impress Uptown crowds. Diners have come rushing in, but sometimes the…

The rumor was enticing. “Go to El Pueblo on Jefferson Avenue,” the rumor went, “for the best carnitas in North Texas.” With a promise like that, I couldn’t resist. And while I’m not qualified to declare these carnitas the best, the whisperings might be true. El Pueblo is a cheery,…

When Samson’s Gourmet Hot Dogs closed last year, a lot of Oak Lawn residents mourned the loss of a favorite neighborhood hangout. But its replacement might be even better. Open Sesame Lebanese Grill opened this weekend without much publicity or heavy marketing. They want to ease into things, rather than…

Richardson is a real melting pot, one of the most diverse places in North Texas to live and eat. Not too far from the Bollywood theater and Vietnamese pho houses, only a few blocks south of Richardson’s Chinatown, is a small cluster of Iraqi-owned businesses serving up affordable specialties from…

Is any dessert trendier than macarons have been the last few years? And is any dessert harder to make? This feather-light French pastry, a temperamental treat made with almond meringue and a thin layer of filling, has taken North Texas by storm in recent years, and now it seems that…

Deep Ellum restaurants follow an established script. Create a trendy space with exposed wooden rafters and a patio; pump in energetic or obnoxious dance music; serve original cocktails from a well-appointed bar; offer “sharing plate” bar bites to pair with the drinks; then add a crowd of young people who…

In March 2016, a Farmers Branch strip mall became host to the only Sri Lankan restaurant in Texas. There wasn’t much hype or fanfare; there were no high-profile food bloggers on hand for the opening. But SpicyZest might be the most interesting Dallas food news of 2016. SpicyZest has spent…

Sura Korean Bistro makes an unforgettable first impression. Just inside the vestibule, a glass case houses plastic models of the house specialties. At the host stand, on my first visit, an employee had left an ordinary grocery shopping cart full of melons and cantaloupe. Banners proclaim an “All You Can…

Here’s a confession about food writers: We often get caught in a bubble. With so many new restaurant openings and so many public relations teams clamoring for attention, food writers must exert effort to venture off the beaten path. It takes research and dedication to avoid the publicity frenzy and…

Shortly after it opened in Richardson in August, Imperial Noodle changed its name to Imperial Cuisine. Maybe it should consider changing the name back. The specialty here is extraordinary noodles, handmade to order by chef Charlie Zhang. Zhang is a 30-year noodle veteran, most recently employed at Dallas institution Royal…