Food & Drink

It’s worth the drive to visit Local Yocal Farm to Market, a rancher-owned butcher in McKinney. The meat oasis specializes in grass-fed, hormone-, antibiotic- and steroid-free meat like premium wagyu and DNA-verified Angus beef. The shop also sells local products you’ll find at the McKinney Farmers Market and hosts Steak 101 classes to teach omnivores about the complicated world of beef. If you’re bored with beef, Local Yocal carries naturally raised Berkshire pork and, depending on the season, grass-fed lamb.

Nestled in next to the Dallas Farmers Market, Mudhen Meats and Greens specializes in “food that won’t kill you.” Massive chalkboards at each end of the excessively bright, farm-themed restaurant alert diners as to which vegetables are currently available, and the substantial menu is vegetable-heavy but not dull. Keep it healthy with smoothies or a cup of hot bone broth, or work your way through a decent craft beer selection and cocktails accented by ingredients like rosemary, basil and red bell pepper.

After Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor infamously punched Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista, Odor became a hero in North Texas. The meat-slingers at Heim Barbecue, ever the Rangers fans, responded by offering Odor free barbecue for life. The Texas Ranger hasn’t taken Heim up on their offer, but Heim soon found themselves written up in national press for the meat offer and corresponding T-shirts, which sold out instantly. This, naturally, led to death threats from Blue Jays fans, which led to even more press. The whole thing may not have netted Odor any barbecue, but Heim made some new fans — and Canadian enemies — in the process.

Despite lines snaking around the TV-famous bakery nearby, SusieCakes is the new Preston Center bakery that people should be excited about. The California implant specializes in classic cakes made with no artificial preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup. Don’t leave without trying SusieCakes’ flagship sweet: the Vanilla Celebration Cake, a six-layer vanilla cake flecked with sugar confetti. It tastes like your grandma’s kitchen smelled as she baked holiday sweets.

You’re on your way home from work and in need of a quick dinner and a decent bottle of wine. CiboDivino Marketplace can accommodate with pre-made side dishes, a wine selection that’s priced competitively and 44 Farms beef in the meat case. Grab a steak and some sides or settle in for Neapolitan pizza and a bottle of wine, which you can drink in-house for retail price. Cap off your market run with Paciugo gelato or by grabbing groceries for tomorrow.

Batch cocktails — libations made in advance — aren’t just convenient; at Bar Belmont, they’re superb. Fun glass bottles are filled ahead of time with cocktails like the Hemmingwayward (cherry wood-infused white rum, Luxardo Maraschino, grapefruit, lime) and the Mifune (vodka, matcha tea syrup, lemon, soda). An added bonus: the $13 bottles each hold about two cocktails, so you really get your money’s worth. Carry your Hemmingwayward out to the patio for a cocktail hour with a view.

There’s no denying that the macaron has taken Dallas by storm. You’ll find this delicate French confection at bakeries all over the city, but one sunny spot has made these sweet cookies their raison d’être: Joy Macarons. With flavors like lemon fleur de sel, and violet and black currant, Joy has made a reputation as Dallas’ favorite mac-slinger. This year, the Oak Cliff shop expanded with a new location on Lower Greenville, and their macaron ice cream sandwiches were a summer hit.

Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters takes coffee seriously. Owner Shannon Neffendorf sources his coffee with care, creating direct trade relationships with coffee farms around the world. In December 2015, OCCR opened Oak Cliff’s Coffee Goods, a shop filled with the tools necessary to brew with integrity, and in February this year Neffendorf took its first coffee sourcing trip to East Africa.

Calling themselves the “Artsy Donuttiers in North Dallas,” Jarams Donuts specializes in adorable and delicious doughnut creations like the Pineapple Fruinut (a funnel cake doughnut filled with pineapple chunks) and a crème brûlée doughnut with a delightfully caramelized exterior. Their heart-shaped croissant doughnut with hibiscus syrup and white chocolate-dipped cherries replaced flowers as our go-to Valentine’s Day gift this year.

Dallas has no shortage of fancy (and expensive) chocolatiers specializing in artful and delicious chocolate creations. One spot, however, has stood out even as more high-profile chocolate-makers come and go: Dude, Sweet Chocolate. Rather than rely on airbrushing and ornate construction, Dude, Sweet just makes damn fine dark chocolate creations like yerba mate truffles, “potions” (chocolate sauces) and toffee made with Deep Ellum Brewery beer-soaked cocoa nibs and Full City Rooster cold-brew.

If you eat a sandwich at any restaurant in Dallas, there’s a good chance the bread came from Empire Baking Company. The family-owned bakery has a retail store at Inwood and Lovers Lane, but you’ll find their beautiful baguettes and pain au levain all over the city at spots like Scardello.

Readers’ Pick:

Empire Baking Co.

This Austin import is known for its breakfast tacos as much as its salsas, the recipes for which rabid fans argue about at length online. Tacodeli’s signature salsa, the Salsa Doña, is a creamy green salsa chock-full of jalapeño and garlic. If you’re feeling brave, go for the Salsa Habanero, made with habaneros, carrots and the tears of your enemies.

Readers’ Pick:

Gloria’s

When it comes to Tex-Mex, the old standbys always beat the newcomers. Some of the old guard has fared better than others, and Avila’s has continued to prove that it’s worth its salted rim. The cozy Maple Avenue spot serves a commendable margarita, either frozen or on the rocks, that will help you wash down their delicious but dangerously spicy salsa. Ruin your diet with a combo like the Avila’s Special, one chicken enchilada topped with tomatillo, one chicken enchilada topped with sour cream and one cheese enchilada.

Readers’ Pick:

Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant

Ever since Luscher’s Red Hots hit the scene in Deep Ellum, it’s been Dallas’ biggest hot dog heavy hitter. From the Post Oak Red Hot — a Texas take on the classic Chicago-style dog — to the Meat Fight Smoked Sausage and the Depression Dog, it’s impossible to go wrong on this menu. Luscher’s also proved itself as a community gathering place this year when local chefs and restaurateurs gathered at the hot dog spot to gather food for Dallas cops after July’s fatal police shooting downtown.

Readers’ Pick:

Angry Dog

When Samson’s Gourmet Hot Dogs shuttered its Oak Lawn brick-and-mortar this year, we were more than a little bummed — these creative, tasty hot dog creations catered to everyone, from the gluttonous to the gluten-intolerant and even vegans. Luckily, Samson’s isn’t dead: The business is now focusing its efforts on catering and its food truck, which has been slingin’ creative wieners in Deep Ellum every weekend this summer.

Readers’ Pick:

Easy Slider

Early this year, Cane Rosso/Zoli’s pizza master Jay Jerrier decided to expand into the ice cream biz by buying creative Austin soft-serve food truck Cow Tipping Creamery and expanding the business into Dallas. Cow Tipping Creamery opened inside Good 2 Go Taco in East Dallas in March with creative confections like the High Tea (vanilla soft serve, fresh lemon curd, crushed tea biscuits and honey dust in a cinnamon cone). CTC specializes in “stackers,” which are basically sundaes with the toppings layered throughout the ice cream to create a more even distribution of toppings. It’s like ice cream socialism, and it tastes mighty fine.

Readers’ Pick:

Steel City Pops

Tacos Mariachi proves that serious tacos don’t need to take themselves too seriously. The colorful Tijuana-style taqueria just down the street from Trinity Groves breaks down their playful menu into three main categories: Funky, gourmet and traditional. Classic taco purists can enjoy carnitas and barbacoa while the more adventurous go for “funky” tacos like the pulpo (grilled marinated octopus, avocado, asadero cheese) or a “gourmet” taco like the smoked salmon (asadero cheese, avocado, crema fresca and a fat smoked salmon filet on a corn tortilla). Stop by on Taco Tuesday for fish tacos made with crumbled chicharron-breaded mahi mahi with avocado mousse and crema fresca.

Readers’ pick:

Fuel City

A cozy Pacific Northwest-themed eatery in Preston Center has become one of the city’s most popular seafood spots. Restaurateur Nick Badovinus opened Montlake Cut in the space that used to belong to Spoon late last year, and the restaurant specializes in pricey but well sourced oysters, simple but delightful raw bar dishes and straightforward main courses that focus more on the quality seafood than on fancy kitchen tricks. There’s a touch of whimsy to this spot, but this seafood doesn’t mess around.

Readers’ Pick:

TJ’s Seafood Market

Small Brewpub does many things well, but the charcuterie program is where chef Misti Norris really gets to stretch. Norris has extensive training in butchery and charcuterie from her time at Nonna, Lucia and FT33, and at Small, she works with local farms to obtain whole hogs for the Oak Cliff restaurant’s charcuterie program. By breaking down the animal herself, Norris can experiment wildly with the ever-changing board — beef lardo, pork liver terrine and hot pancetta with fennel have all been featured on the board recently. No matter how many times you order this charcuterie board, you’re guaranteed to always experience something new and interesting.

Victor Tangos has perfected the art of the liquid dinner. At this restaurant bar, the cocktails include culinary ingredients, many savory, and are composed like dishes: the Pepper Smash contains red bell peppers, the Cool Like That is made with a peach and radicchio purée and the Hipster Elixir is spiked with kale. Those definitely count toward your daily five. The real food program, if you must know, is made up of addictive sharable plates such as crispy ahi tuna nachos and tempura asparagus drizzled with fish-sauce caramel. If you’re eating and drinking at Victor Tangos from atop a bar stool, you could even get away with calling its elegant restaurant fare “bar snacks.”

Since their opening in 2013, Community Beer Co. has managed to stand out in a city where breweries seem to open each month. Community’s success comes not just from a lineup of beers which has something for everyone, from a golden lager and raspberry witbier to their coffee porters and crowd-favorite Mosaic IPA. Even Community’s 2-year-old funnel cake ale has become a state fair staple, inspiring other breweries to make state fair exclusives. Beyond the beer, Community also offers one of the best places in Dallas to do some weekend day drinking at their brewery in the Design District.

Readers’ Pick:

Deep Ellum Brewing Co.

This cozy, fireplace-bedecked wine bar invites patrons to settle in and unwind over a glass or few of wine. The thoughtfully curated by-the-glass list offers something for everyone, the wine flights are a great way to experience a particular varietal or region, and bottles are fairly priced. If you find something you like, take $10 off the list price and take it home with you, or come to the wine fair on the last Saturday of the month for an even bigger discount. Owners Amier and Kelsey Taherzadeh bring passion to their business, and you can always trust their recommendations.

Some fine-dining restaurants go for broke with enormous wine lists, dozens of pages long. Others stay hyper-focused on one region or a small selection of favorites. Gemma maintains a happy balance between the two extremes. Indeed, balance is the hallmark here: Gemma stocks both familiar and obscure varietals, both classic French regions and more adventurous locales, both $40 bargain bottles and splurgetastic special-occasion wines. Everything pairs harmoniously with the kitchen’s cuisine. The bargain wines are often remarkable discoveries, and it doesn’t hurt that the ownership cares as passionately about wine as they do about food.

Some nights you want to go out and have a beer, but you don’t want to socialize. And you’re not looking to meet someone new and jump their bones, either. Head for The People’s Last Stand, which has ample room to spread out, corner couches and armchairs, expertly made cocktails and a choice craft beer selection. Plus, People’s is not a sketchy dive bar, and it welcomes all comers. Bring a book and drink a cocktail, or enjoy the first-rate Mockingbird Station people-watching. In case you need further enticement, there’s macaroni and cheese.

For craft cocktail fans, Parliament is the spot for happy hour. This cocktail den tucked away in State Thomas is brought to us by Dallas’ drink king, Eddie “Lucky” Campbell. From 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, they offer expertly mixed drinks for peanuts — even their famous Ramos Gin Fizz. Even better, this happy hour will make you want to make it rain (literally) because they offer all these deals anytime it rains, too.

Readers’ Pick:

Gloria’s

Sounds weird, tastes great. Chef Nico went all-in with this rich yet refreshing margarita made with muddled avocado, pineapple and lime juices and triple sec. With the first sip, the heavens open up and the birds sing (in Spanish, obviously). With the second sip, you’ll decide that no other margarita will be ever good enough for you. (Oh, you’ll drink them, but you’ll be thinking of this avocado margarita.)

Readers’ Pick:

Gloria’s

With an emphasis on European bar eats, new Deep Ellum eatery Independent Bar & Kitchen serves up filling fare like Scotch eggs, bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie. The cocktails are solid, brunch is a hit and the full English breakfast is an artery-clogging plate of U.K. pride.

We knew Rapscallion on Lowest Greenville made exceptional cocktails after trying the Kern N’ Oil, its take on the classic Corn N’ Oil. The original is made with blackstrap rum, Falernum (a syrup used in tiki drinks) and a squeeze of lime; Rapscallion’s version includes a grilled lime wheel and bitters, making it surprisingly earthy. Huh. That’s interesting. Then we tried another drink. Also good. What kind of magic was barman Eddie Eakin, who came over from Boulevardier, working exactly? And we kept going back, making our way down the cocktail menu and then back up it, eating hot fried chicken and quickly turning into Rapscallion devotees. But we may love the place most for its little-known tiki night. On Tuesdays the bartenders wiggle into Hawaiian shirts, pass out a special tropical drinks list and whip up brain-freezing concoctions like the Nuclear Banana Daiquiri (rum, banana liqueur, Falernum, lime juice and a punch of Yellow Chartreuse). The carefully made drinks are topped with colorful umbrellas and plastic monkey toys and served with an irreverence that’s hard to come by in this town. See you there.

People didn’t really know what to think of Armoury D.E. when it opened in Deep Ellum in the summer of 2015. Boilermakers and Hungarian food in an industrial space? But the team behind the concept — local bar and restaurant vets Peter Novotny, Dan Murry, Johnny Brown and chef Abram Vargas — trusted we would get it. Eventually. Now the place is packed nightly (and strangely, at brunch) with Armoury D.E. addicts slurping up bowls of gulyas and slamming beer-and-shot duos like the Naked Varas: a Modelo and shot of well mezcal. The bar has a well mezcal! And since the kitchen is open until 2 a.m., you can end your night of boozing with the perfect drunk food, cheese spaetzle, even if you’re in the last Uber out of Deep Ellum. OK, we get Armoury D.E. now.

Whether you’re sweating it out on a hot patio in August, throwing down on a spicy batch of crawfish in February or just looking for a beer with a little punch, Peticolas’ Velvet Hammer is a solid choice. A 9 percent ABV imperial red ale with no shortage of hops, it’s got it all: a malty, caramel base with just enough hoppy bite. It’s hard to find a beer that goes down smooth in both winter weather and surface-of-the-sun heat, but Peticolas nailed it with Velvet Hammer.

Readers’ Pick:

Revolver’s Blood and Honey

This was officially the year Dallas hit critical mass on Southern food — every third high-profile restaurant opening touted yet another take on homey Southern fare, from $27 meatloaf to $36 buckets of fried chicken. In Deep Ellum, one spot consistently churns out interesting Southern eats: Filament. The fried hot catfish is more injurious than delicious, but otherwise it’s hard to go wrong with dishes like hoppin’ John, Cajun-fried oysters and Berkshire pork short ribs.

Holy bloody mary, Batman! This beast of a drink is more than just a brunch accompaniment. It’s a whole meal. Available during their F**k Brunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends), this perfectly spicy brunch treat is delivered to your table with a slider, shrimp, sausage, assorted veggies and whatever else they decide to throw on there. The best part? You get a small beer to wash it down.

Readers’ Pick:

Ozona Grill & Bar

Root beer, mango, spicy ginger ale, orange mint green tea, creamy caramel, coffee, horchata, all frozen on a stick. So sit at the counter and watch the scene pass you by on Lower Greenville, or take your popsicle out there and join it. Yeah, at three bucks a pop, it’s not free, but compare it with anything else you can do. A visit to Steel City Pops is a mellow interlude and a chance to commune with the flavors of the universe, some of them old-fashioned and reminiscent, some of them new and surprising and a few that are just weird as hell, but remember, it’s just a popsicle. How much can you lose? And so much to gain.

It just feels wrong even telling people this, because when you step into Sprouts you feel all sanctimoniously healthy and low-fat and gluten-free just for being there, but it’s a fact: Sprouts has one of the best selections of taffy anywhere – all those traditional flavors like lemon and licorice, of course, but also a rotating variety of off-beat flavors like bubblegum and watermelon, and all at pretty cheap prices. But you have to hunt for it. They keep it on this rolling bin that they move around the store, hiding it behind the produce or the candle shelf like it’s their food porn section and they don’t want to shock people with it. Always pinch the taffy first, by the way, to make sure it’s fresh. So now you know. Shield your eyes.

Bartenders do not solely exist to crack open your cans of Lone Star and stir up your Moscow mules. They are also our “psychiatrists, comforters, wingmen, shoulders to cry on and always-waiting high five,” Máté Hartai, beverage director of HG Sply and Remedy, reminded us in a Facebook post that went viral in July. Dallas had just been shaken by the killing of five police officers, but he found the words to explain what made bartenders and bars such an integral part of our lives and the healing process. “We have a city in shock, hurt, scared, angry, bleeding,” he wrote. “Our greatest gift is that regardless of what happens, people come to us. In times of joy, sadness, celebration, mourning and all the shades of human emotion. They come to us.” To Hartai, being a bartender is more than a job. It is a higher calling.

Readers’ Pick:

Gabe Sanchez, Black Swan Saloon

Bananas and ice cream you know from banana splits and bananas Foster, but this is not that. Fried banana vanilla ice cream at Bangkok Inn is a simple, elegant and very Thai treatment of these magically complimentary flavors, cold and warm together, the perfect coda to a leisurely meal in this venerable family-operated East Dallas establishment.

Asian Mint’s Thai Tea is good enough to illicit strong reactions not usually reserved for Thai tea, an iced drink made with sweetened condensed milk and strongly brewed Ceylon tea. It’s sweet, it’s creamy, it’s heavily caffeinated and an infusion of citrus makes Asian Mint’s version particularly addictive.

Food trends may lean toward the fast and casual these days, but Dallas still has a long legacy of fine dining. One of the city’s best is also one that doesn’t take itself too seriously: FT33. Under chef Matt McCallister, the intimate and modern Design District spot creates strong modern dishes with hyper-seasonal ingredients. Take the plunge with the tasting menu, don’t skip the barrel-aged cocktails and make sure to skim the humorous yet extensive wine list. Excellent service makes this spot worth the fiscal indulgence.

Finding House of Gyros is part of the fun. On the way out of downtown Mesquite, to the east, the restaurant announces itself with a wooden roadside sign and a sudden flurry of cars parked on the grass. Inside, the Kaprantzas family is serving perfectly seasoned souvlaki, soul-warming moussaka, generous gyro wraps, legit steak fries and some of the most perfectly breaded calamari in Dallas. It won’t be easy, but try to stay hungry enough for loukoumades, the Greek version of sopapillas.

Readers’ Pick:

Ziziki’s

Houston Street’s Cindi’s, one in a DFW-spanning chain, is an unsung hero downtown. Located across from Union Station and an easy walking distance from the George Allen Courthouse, the deli does everything it should well. The bagels are some of the best you’ll find in a city bereft of options and the deli sandwiches ring true to their East Coast roots. Above all, Cindi’s smoked fish stands out, from the whitefish to the sable to, of course, the lox. While Cindi’s lox and bagel platter is great, its version of lox and eggs is what really makes the deli worth a trip. Velvety scrambled eggs combine with plenty of rich lox and just enough onion for a Dallas breakfast that’s delicious and different.

Dallas is something of deli desert. Luckily, there is one spot in far North Dallas that delivers an authentic New York deli experience. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself waiting at the end of a long line at Deli News. Saturdays and Sundays typically mean this place is packed with diners eager to get their hands on bagels with cream cheese and lox and giant plates of house-made corned beef hash. Hungry for something on the sweeter side? Try the French toast, made from thick slices of challah bread, or a stack of their whisper-light pancakes. While the restaurant can feel a bit frenetic, that energy is part of the allure. It’s like being in New York: all the delicious food, minus the airfare.

Readers’ Pick:

Cafe Brazil

We’ve been fans of the Slow Bone’s barbecue for some time, but when we tried their fried chicken this year, it gave us a whole new reason to visit. Credit pit master Jeffery Hobbs, whose previous gig at Sissy’s Southern Kitchen gave him plenty of experience when it comes to fried poultry. At Slow Bone, Hobbs has taken the smoke that Slow Bone is famous for and infused it into chicken with a perfect amount of crunch to its battered skin. The result is none too greasy and has enough smoke to enhance but not overpower the flavor of the bird. The fried chicken is great on its own, but also pairs well with Slow Bone’s more traditional smoked meats for a carnivore’s dream meal. A barbecue joint that turns out some of the best fried chicken in the city, you ask? Absolutely.

What does a kitchen of meat experts do when their smoker is filled with sausage links, brisket, pastrami and other goodies? Put some chickens at the very bottom, of course. The Blind Butcher’s chicken is smoked at the bottom of the pit, where it continually bastes in the juices of all the meats above. That explains how the ultra-juicy chicken takes on notes of other meats, pepper, sage and herbs. To top it all off, Blind Butcher adds a garlic-butter sauce. Go big or go home, and chicken doesn’t get bigger-flavored than this.

Kalachandji’s touts itself as Dallas’ oldest vegetarian restaurant, which may be true, but we’re calling it Dallas’ best vegetarian restaurant. Tucked into residential East Dallas, this restaurant is located inside of a Hare Krishna temple. The patio is one the best kept secrets in Dallas, and eating there makes the experience somehow magical. Pay the suggested donation for the buffet, which features a rotating selection of predominately vegan dishes and always includes soup, a salad bar, freshly baked bread, a selection of veg and their signature tamarind tea. Following Ayurvedic tradition, no onion or garlic is used, but Kalachandji’s doesn’t let that stop them from producing incredibly delicious, satisfying food that skips the meat without missing a beat.

Readers’ Pick:

Cosmic Cafe

Just about everything you need for a great picnic can be had at Scardello. There’s the case of cheese, of course, with free sampling encouraged. Grab a handful of imported sausage links and other cured meats, then look at the shelves of French jams and fig spreads. The fridge up front has a few bombers of craft beer, and Scardello’s wine selection is at least as good as its range of cheeses. With everything else picked out, all you’ll need to grab is a baguette and you’re ready for lunch at the park.

Sara’s Market & Bakery is the most comprehensive Middle Eastern grocery in the area, with a full selection of foods from the Mediterranean and Muslim worlds. Stock up on a half-dozen kinds of feta cheese; sample unusual deli meats; browse the tea and sardine aisles; grab all the ingredients to make hummus at home. Sara’s also carries several lines of pastries and sweets from local bakeries, in case all those things sounded too healthy. One caveat for rookie shoppers: Middle Eastern candy bars tend to be far less sweet than the American rivals.

Eating at Dal Dong Ne feels like belonging to an underground club. The restaurant’s signage is in Korean, with its westernized name in small letters next to the door. Nobody seems to have told the staff that Google thinks the restaurant is “permanently closed.” Thankfully, Google is wrong and Dal Dong Ne is still around, serving up oyster pancakes, fried mackerel that would make a Cajun salivate and a whole host of family-style soups. There are dishes better-known to Westerners, too, like bulgogi, but this is a place to branch out and fall in love with something new.

In a town where brunch has become ubiquitous, it can be difficult for one to stand out. Not so for Wayward Sons, Graham Dodd’s restaurant that emphasizes seasonal ingredients and local sourcing. This Lower Greenville spot has everything you could want for brunch: a sunny patio perfect for people-watching, a killer cocktail list and a well curated menu. Start things off with The Wayward Son, a light and bright gin cocktail with chartreuse. Next, order the crème brûléed grapefruit, with its shiny, sugary top just waiting to be cracked. And finally, order a plate of the eggs Benedict, in which crumpets, lamb sausage and amber-orange duck eggs combine to create one of the finest iterations of this classic dish you’ll ever have.

Readers’ Pick:

Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery

Indian cuisine varies greatly across regions, with many American restaurants featuring either northern Indian dishes or colonial interpretations. It is a rare treat, therefore, to dine on southern Indian food, with its emphasis on dry or soupy curries. Kumar’s offers its dishes à la carte during weekdays, letting diners pick and choose from rasam to sambar to curry and dosai. But the real treat comes on the weekends, when diners come for vaazha ilai virundu, or unlimited meals. Served by hand (not buffet-style) on a banana leaf-lined metal try, the non-vegetarian option comes with fish, goat and chicken curries, rice, vathal, pickle and veg, as well as dessert and a glass of spiced buttermilk. Skip the silverware and dig in.

Readers’ Pick:

India Palace Restaurant & Bar

Bangkok City looks and acts much like a dozen other Thai restaurants in the area, but its results are so reliable, and its food so hearty, that it can satisfy the cravings of the entire Greenville and SMU neighborhoods. The takeout game is especially strong, with enormous, well-spiced curries so generously filled with meat and veggies that they can easily feed two. Dine in, though, and that fried whole red snapper in chili sauce starts to look mighty tempting.

Readers’ Pick:

Royal Thai

Declaring Knife best steakhouse seems unfair. It’s a palace of steak, a meat-lover’s shrine, complete with dry-aging cabinet for diners to look upon in awe. A rib eye here, after a few months of dry-aging, turns into an ultra-focused face-punch of rib eye flavor, so rich and so funky that it’s almost as if a ribbon of blue cheese has been stuffed inside. The lamb chops are resplendent and, as every cut of meat is, flawlessly cooked. Servers have an unerring knack for arriving at the table just when they’re needed. When a steakhouse respects its ingredients this highly, the animals have died for a noble cause.

Readers’ Pick:

Bob’s Steak & Chophouse

Thin-crust Italian-style pizza is asserting its dominance of the Dallas dining scene, with local chains Il Cane Rosso and Olivella’s duking it out for supremacy, and late entry Sprezza introducing us to Roman-style pies. Olivella’s gets the nod here for its sublimely crisp “metro” pizzas, especially the black truffle, with salty ham, black pepper and truffle oil, and the Dream, a fiesta of chicken, gorgonzola and jalapenos. With Peroni and a good selection of Italian wines by the glass, the Lakewood location’s spacious patio will beckon come fall.

Readers’ Pick:

Cane Rosso

Everything about the Oak Cliff location of Spiral Diner makes it seem like a regular greasy spoon. The tables, chairs and decor recall burgers-and-fries diners from the ’50s. What makes this place the best diner, though? The food. Only a few bites into almost anything on its menu, and you’re in a better place. You don’t have to disavow meat to appreciate how great the food tastes at this vegan-only diner. Whether you’re munching a Nachos Supremo, The Mitch Tofu Club or Viva Las Migas, the flavor is tremendous. The cakes and pies are unreal, too. Think of it as a vegan restaurant for people who don’t normally like vegan food. Simple in approach, but it, along with its Fort Worth location, makes for one of the best places to eat in DFW.

Readers’ Pick:

Norma’s Cafe

Sprezza brings true Roman flavor to Dallas, and it turns out to be a cuisine the city badly needed. Fresh-made pastas are prepared with seasonal ingredients, like tortellini alla primavera, capturing the essence of spring, or an unforgettable bowl of fusilli tossed in brandy cream sauce and served with sausage and greens. The pizzas, with crisp crusts, inventive toppings and one-hungry-person sizing, might be even better still. Desserts are not Sprezza’s strong suit, which is all the more reason to binge on snacks like the fried squash blossoms, graceful salads and the restaurant’s addicting fresh bread. Everything on the affordable wine list is from southern Italy, including Sicily and Sardinia.

Readers’ Pick:

Campisi’s

It’s been a big year for the man leading Dallas’ Italian restaurant empire. In spring, Julian Barsotti opened Sprezza, crafting a menu of inventive Roman-style pizzas, highly seasonal fresh pasta bowls and the standout squash blossoms in tomato-anchovy sauce. Business at Sprezza has been booming ever since it opened, and justly so, since it treats Italian country cooking with such a sense of fun. Barsotti’s first restaurant, the more formal Nonna, took a vacation from serving fresh fish and lobster ravioli to go through a full remodel. Only at the third of Barsotti’s landmarks, Carbone’s, does it feel like nothing has changed; they’re still lavishing unusual care on red-sauce comfort foods like eggplant Parmesan or spaghetti and meatballs. Barsotti, who is shy about the spotlight, now offers Dallas expressions of Italian food as eaten in both the trattorias of Rome and the checkered-tablecloth eateries of New York. In May, he told the Observer that “the whole idea” of Sprezza “was to create something fun and energetic but with no compromise in the seriousness of the food and hospitality.” Dallas could use a little more of that thinking.

Readers’ Pick:

Brian Luscher, The Grape and Luscher’s Red Hots

Once you’ve nibbled the buttery chocolate chip pecan cookies from Everett & Elaine, not even Mom’s version will suffice. Next time you’re at the Dallas Farmers Market, you’ll want to pick up a couple of these as well as an assortment of almost-too-pretty-to-eat treats like their soufflé cheesecakes, Texas ginger peach pie and mango sorbet. Not at the market much? Then score one of their coconut-dusted lamingtons at Ascension Coffee or head to Royal Blue Grocery for their double chocolate fudge brownie. With so many tempting options, it’s difficult to choose, but take heart — any choice at all will be absolutely perfect.

This pint-sized Deep Ellum kitchen specializes in more than lamb, but its namesake meat is a great place to start. Peppery lamb pastrami, fork-tender lamb belly and fresh summery lamb bourguignon are the star dishes. The restaurant also has ambition as a French bistro, with superb duck confit, as well as cocktails and desserts far more beguiling than the terse menu descriptions would suggest. Oh, and we love the flame-grilled double cheeseburger with white cheddar, too. And, unlike other big-name new openings struggling to cope with the crowds, On the Lamb seems to improve with every visit.

Readers’ Pick:

Hash House A Go Go

2016 has been the year of delivery in Dallas. Thanks to services like Uber Eats, Postmates and Sourced Craft Cocktails, you can have everything from condoms to craft cocktail ingredients (with recipe) delivered right to your door. Our favorite food delivery service has proven consistent, quick and filled with options: Caviar. The service pairs with local restaurants, frequently adds new spots and offers free delivery from restaurants near-by. The app’s real-time GPS tracking makes it easy to predict exactly when your food will arrive. Sometimes it’s by bicycle, if the restaurant is in the neighborhood.

There may be no dish more quintessentially Texan than chicken-fried steak. (Oh shut up, Oklahoma.) A great CFS dinner can take you back in time and evoke memories of grandma’s home cooking, while a chicken-fried steak breakfast with a couple of eggs and hash browns can help you get back on track after a night of debauchery. Which brings us to the chicken-fried steak at AllGood Cafe, because you can do both. AllGood’s CFS is elegant in its simplicity; steak pounded thin, dredged in flour, fried in peanut oil, then given the just-right amount of homemade gravy on top. Get it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, because it’s a delicious memory you won’t want to forget.

Readers’ Pick:

Babe’s Chicken Dinner House

With 40 draft beers and more than 80 bottles of craft beer on hand, Meddlesome Moth has an expansive beer selection, but it’s also one of the most thoughtful beer lists in town. “Chances are if you’ve seen it in a commercial, we don’t serve it,” according to Moth’s website. Even still, Meddlesome Moth’s staff shies away from pretension and, instead, displays a wealth of knowledge when helping you pick a beer. From rare Belgian lambics to local IPAs and everything in between, Meddlesome Moth is a spot where even the staunchest beer nerd can find something they’ve never had before.

Readers’ Pick:

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

On a trending corner of East Dallas, the folks from Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House brought a little something new to the neighborhood with Goodfriend Package, a sandwich spot and bottle shop that also boasts a Cultivar Coffee stand and vinyl hand-picked from Good Records. Goodfriend’s sandwiches are simple and straightforward but made with attention to detail: bacon-fat mayo on a BLT made with house-cured bacon, house-made sauerkraut on the Reuben and inventive touches like the mushroom pastrami sandwich. Pop in for a breakfast sandwich on the go or hang around and browse the hundreds of craft beer bottles in their coolers.

Readers’ Pick:

Jimmy’s Food Store

Brian Luscher wields his cheeseburger with the preciseness of a samurai swordsman. We believe this is the best burger in Dallas because of the way it’s built: From the ground up, it’s crafted to bring heartfelt, home-infused joy to the lover of the burger. The mayo is homemade. So is the mustard, for meat’s sake. Hugged by a wind-soft seeded bun, the two Local Yocal waygu beef patties, thin, but not too thin, are indulged with the meltiest of melted double American cheese slices (you’ll be able to pull stretchy pieces from the wrapper), pickles and caramelized-to-buttery onions. Adding peppered bacon will cut you in half, gleefully. It’s a not a sandwich — it’s a Hattori Hanzo sword.

Readers’ Pick:

Twisted Root Burger Co.

Eating a dumpling at Fortune House feels like a delicious ceremony. As soon as the server pulls away the lid to the bamboo basket, steam fills the air and perfect little pouches of magic await. The Irving eatery does well with Americanized dishes like General Tso’s chicken, but real treasures await on the “Shanghai flavor” menu, where you’ll find impeccable xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and impossibly flavorful pan-fried pork buns. If half your table is in the mood for American Chinese food and the other half is looking for adventure, this is the place to go.

Readers’ Pick:

Royal China

Step aside, mediocre national pizza buffet chains — Stonedeck Pizza in Deep Ellum has reinvented the pizza buffet with one that, well, is actually good. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, $8.99 will net you all the thin-crust pizza and sides you want, and there’s plenty to choose from. Turkey sandwiches, cold soba noodle salad, chili-flecked marinated cucumbers — this is the pizza buffet that grew up, got a bachelor’s degree but still throws down hard on Friday nights. And did we mention Stonedeck sells beer?

The supper club is on the rise everywhere, not just in Dallas, but one local underground dinner club outshines them all: Frank Underground. After meeting as contestants on season two of MasterChef, North Texans Jennie Kelley and Ben Starr came back to Dallas and decided to start their own supper club, one that’s quickly become one of the hardest reservations to get in all of North Texas. Once you get into this dinner, though, you’re in for a treat. Diners are seated around a communal table and treated to a multi-course adventure featuring local produce and engaging stories from Starr and Kelley, who also happens to be a member of the enigmatic band the Polyphonic Spree.

Lucia, the cozy Oak Cliff Italian spot where it’s notoriously hard to snag reservations, serves up a cadre of indulgent dishes that aren’t known for being inexpensive. That’s precisely why it’s fun that one of Lucia’s most popular snacks will set you back only $1 each: the foie gras-stuffed prunes, which featured a dollop of velvety whipped foie gras in a small prune. The buttery umami of the foie gras combined with the sweet, concentrated flavor of the prune creates an intense bite that, if you’re doing it right, will mark the start of every meal at Lucia.

The best farmers markets offer not just a solid selection of locally grown produce but also integrate farmers with prepared items, artists and food. It’s an added bonus if the market is in a quaint, scenic location, which is always more pleasant than buying summer squash in a hot parking lot. McKinney Farmers Market hits all the marks. Held in McKinney’s historic, tree-filled Chestnut Square, this market is stocked so well with local farmers and vendors that you can easily handle an entire grocery trip in one spot. Meat, produce, canned goods, pastured eggs, olive oil — it’s all there and reasonably priced. The market also hosts fundraising farm-to-table dinners featuring local farmers using seasonal North Texas produce.

Readers’ Pick:

Dallas Farmers Market

The empanada may be the world’s perfect food. It’s cheap, filling and, considering that it’s a tiny dough pouch filled with ingredients, perfect to eat on the run. Out in Irving, Empa Mundo has developed a well deserved reputation for making the freshest, most flavorful empanadas in the area. Along with the classic Argentine empanadas, don’t skip the brisket and cheesesteak empanadas, for obvious reasons.

We may have found a unicorn: A local company that produces lard-, gluten- and MSG-free tamales that, even without the animal fat, are hands-down the best tamales we’ve had all year. Sold around town at farmers markets and select grocery stores, the Tamale Company makes flavorful, indulgent tamales in packs of six. Throw a pack in a pot of boiling water for a quick, easy dinner that tastes as homemade as you can get without spending a day making your own masa. With flavors like ancho chili pork, chicken tomatillo and black bean and corn, even Tamale Company’s vegetarian goods will rival your abuelita’s tamales.

In 2016, farm-to-table means little, if anything. It’s become a dubious marketing term for most restaurants that tout it, but one McKinney restaurant takes its sourcing seriously: Patina Green Home and Market. Chef Robert Lyford’s kitchen is a revolving door of local farmers whose product dictates much of Patina Green’s menu. A farmer pops by with 40 pounds of summer tomatoes? Lyford will whip up something with ’em on the fly. Lyford also teaches summer cooking and pickling classes using local produce and is a frequent fixture at McKinney’s farmers market. Hand-crafted, minimally produced items in Patina Green’s market are meticulously sourced from Texas producers like Windy Meadows Family Farm and Confituras, an Austin jam maker, making this eatery an ideal spot to grab lunch and stock up your pantry.

It may seem curious that a boundary-stretching Asian fusion restaurant serving Korean food is one of Dallas’ best kid-friendly restaurants, but bbbop Seoul Kitchen R&D in Oak Cliff has become a family-friendly mainstay in Oak Cliff. The eatery regularly hosts fundraisers for local school organizations, has a great patio with games like bocce and has become a Thursday night hangout for families with its “Off-Key Karaoke Night,” which fills the restaurant with parents and youngsters every Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Readers’ Pick:

Magic Time Machine

Davis Street Espresso is the coffee purist’s coffee shop. Davis Street does coffee their own way: The shop has no Wi-Fi and doesn’t use disposable to-go cups, making this the kind of shop where local business owners and families gather to savor coffee and commune with each other. If you don’t speak the language of third-wave coffee, Davis Street hosts classes in everything from cupping to cold-brew to help you increase your coffee confidence. Try the cold-brew, served in recycled Topo Chico bottles, or do as the locals do and savor a classic cup of exceptional coffee.

Readers’ Pick:

Ascension Coffee

In a city that gets as hot as Dallas, chilled caffeine options become incredibly important. Cold-brew isn’t hard to find anymore — it’s in just about every coffee shop in Dallas — but one local roaster consistently drips out some of the best cold-brew we’ve ever had: Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters. Beautifully smooth with hints of chocolate, warm vanilla and toasted marshmallows, Noble Coyote’s cold-brew is made with small batch, ethically sourced, fresh-roasted single origin coffee that’s been cold-brewed for 16 hours. It’s bottled in adorable 16-oz. bottles that are easy to find around Dallas at spots like Whole Foods, Cox Farms Market and on nitro tap at bars like LUCK, Eight Bells Alehouse and Braindead Brewing.

The kind of crowd who loves cold-pressed juices are thirsty for all manner of health-conscious beverages, and Roots on Tap knows that. This new juice spot opened this year in Expo Park but offers more than just cold-pressed juices and smoothies. Roots on Tap makes their own nut milks, like cashew, almond and a blend called Almondretto (almond, coconut water, turmeric, vanilla bean and dates) and “spa waters” like the Aloe-ha Colada (aloe, pineapples, oranges) and tea/coffee smoothies. But all the healthy ingredients in the world won’t interest folks unless it tastes good, and Roots on Tap has definitely hit the flavor mark. If only clean-eating always tasted this good.

Frank Sinatra once crooned of New York: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” When it comes to the culinary world, making it means coming to New York to cook dinner for the James Beard House, an honor bestowed on Hutchins BBQ this year. The praise heaped on the McKinney joint (there’s a second location in Frisco) is well deserved; traditional barbecue meats such as brisket, rib and sausage are standout examples of the craft, while the chicken and turkey drip with moist smoky flavor. There’s not a weak link among the sides, and regulars know to save room for free peach cobbler. Recognition from the Beard Foundation for Hutchins’ barbecue prowess is a high honor, but only confirms something we’ve known here in Dallas for some time.

Readers’ Pick:

Pecan Lodge

The gourmet toast movement hit Dallas hard this year, but one spot keeps things simple while simultaneously making some of the best (and most affordable) toasts in town: Local Press + Brew. The healthy Oak Cliff coffee shop and juice bar uses fresh, hearty bread from local bakery Wheat & Sour topped with quality ingredients like Full Quiver Farms cream cheese, locally produced apple butter, cultured grass-fed butter and Himalayan salt. Don’t skip their avocado toast — it’s made simply with organic avocado, olive oil, red chili flakes and salt on whole wheat bread, but it’s the best Dallas take on this trending toast.

Readers’ Pick:

Babe’s Chicken Dinner House