Food & Drink

The menu invites you to ask about it. What is it? It’s beautiful beef calf balls, deep-fried and jumbled up in an “F.U. Sauce” that’s numbed with the enormous heat of Carolina Reaper and ghost peppers. Eat six bull beanbags in four minutes, and you’ll get to sign the wall. On a more serious note, 10 bucks of each challenge goes to the Kamil Patel Memorial Scholarship. Kamil Patel was one of bar owner Tim Tremoni’s best friends; Patel was killed last year in a horrifying act of violence in Miami. The memorial fund is ready for donations without the challenge of downing Rocky Mountain oysters, of course.

If you’re looking for a hearty meal to soak up some of last night’s booze-fueled fun, make your way to Angry Dog in Deep Ellum. Their menu is full of hangover-busting appetizers, like chicken wings, fried pickle chips, chicken-fried chicken strips, quesadillas, queso and cheese fries. To round out your satisfyingly greasy meal, order the burger, hot dog, chicken-fried steak sandwich, grilled cheese or corned beef sandwich.

On a quest to find a way to introduce Texans to Pakistani food and culture, Umar Baig opened Halal Mother Truckers, and they’ve been rolling ever since. Coining the phrase “Pakistani Tex-Mex,” Halal Mother Truckers is dishing out family recipes with a twist, such as butter chicken tacos and tikka fries.

Owner Jena Glover knows a thing or two about creating savory, flaky treats. Peckish Pies offers an array of meat pies: From the Down Under, a beef pie marinated with Aussie sauces, to the classic chicken pot pie loaded with white meat and veggies. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Bart, a chocolate chess pie with amaretto, or a Major Key (lime pie) full of flavor.

Looking for a beautifully made, traditional margarita? Las Almas Rotas can make it. Looking for a thoughtfully made mezcal margarita? You can bet your botas that Las Almas Rotas can make it, and make it delicious. With a vast selection of unique mezcals, they’re giving us the chance to expand our horizons and change our thoughts about what makes a perfect margarita. But don’t worry, they have a delicious frozen option if you’re not looking for an agave adventure.

After 10 years, Balcones, the small distillery in Gaines-ville (aka Waco), is churning out amazing juice, and it’s getting better with age. While it’s not hyper-local, we’ll make the drive for great whiskey. Be sure to track down their distillery releases, and look for their new, dynamite Pot Still Bourbon that hit shelves this year for a meager 30-or-so bucks a bottle.

Chef Nathan Tate knows how to fry things. Chicken thighs rest in pickle juice for about a day. Next goes the buttermilk rest, amped up by hot sauce. After bathing, the thigh gets run through a dry blend of flour, salt and barbecue seasonings and is deep-fried. The buffalo sauce that cloaks the chicken has the tangy heat of a Sichuan-style mala sauce, exploding with peppercorns. Iceberg lettuce cools things down, along with fresh dill pickles, sliced scallions and an herb-forward ranch dressing. It’s easily one of Dallas’ best sandwiches.

Tasting menus are a superb way to sample a chef’s range of dishes, even though they can sometimes be criticized for scant portions that don’t match up with the bill at the end. But such is not the case at Tei An. Chef Teiichi Sakurai’s seven-course omakase hits all the highlights of the soba noodle house with courses such as assorted sashimi, Japanese Wagyu (miyazaki) on a hot stone, tempura burdock root and creamy soba carbonara. Saving room for dessert will require some serious pacing, but the housemade soba ice cream with toasted honey and soba powder is worth the self-discipline it requires. The quality, variety and portion sizes in the tasting menu at Tei An make it one of the few places to spend $100 on a nice dinner in the city that won’t exploit your savings account.

Elotes is a simple dish that packs in the flavor from just a few ingredients: roasted corn, mayonnaise, cheese and hot sauce. The dish that Mexican street vendors made famous quickly moved from small taquerias to restaurant menus across the country. So leave it to Panther City BBQ to bring us an elote cup that’s firmly rooted in tradition but with a barbecue twist to stand out from the crowd. Panther City’s roasted-corn creation would rock out on its own, but the addition of Panther City’s smoky, salty brisket on top is the perfect accompaniment.

“The Italian with everything, babe?” asks a sandwich hero. She’s got the window clacked open. It’s a beautiful question, isn’t it? Quickly, a box lid loaded up with napkins, a paper-wrapped sub sandwich and Zapp’s potato chips passes through the window. This is the breathless, speedy and diner-y service of Great American Hero — a drive-thru deli gem since 1976. The Heroletta — a precision stack of ham, turkey, Monterey Jack cheese, salami, capicola and provolone lashed with oil, dry spices, mushrooms, pepperoncinis and olives — is as comforting and reliable as a long-standing sandwich joint’s food should be.

A staple in DFW, this Addison eatery attracts crawfish lovers and Cajun enthusiasts alike. Nate’s Seafood opened its doors in 1988 and has left no dish unturned. From seafood platters, to crawfish etouffée, to red beans and rice, there’s enough to go around for everyone to get their fix.

When James McGee’s daughter was diagnosed with a slew of allergies that stopped her from consuming dairy and animal products, the whole family followed suit. That eventually led to creating Peace, Love and Eatz, a plant-based smoothie bar that not only sells fruit-filled smoothies and smoothie bowls but items such as oyster mushroom “sammiches” and burritos.

“They’ve gone crazy for it,” Todd David says about his bologna sandwich. He fine-grinds wagyu-style brisket, smoothing and emulsifying, adding dry spices and casing it in a classic, bright red ring. It cures for a day or two, “getting happy,” he says. Then it’s cold-smoked, followed by hot-smoked to finish, and sliced thick to-order. There are days when his smoked bologna is in such high demand — repeat, he’s made bologna so good that it’s in high demand — that he’s forced to ration patrons to two thick slices per order.

We love a good food truck. Without worrying about service staff, decor, ambience and the like, the food is given ample opportunity to shine. We especially appreciate a barbecue food truck, because it often provides a glimpse into the effort that goes into the finished product. Take Smoke Sessions Barbecue in Royse City as the perfect example. There are no secrets in Smoke Sessions’ sublime brisket, just salt, pepper, smoke, heat and time. As good as the brisket is, Chad Sessions’ brilliance as a pitmaster really shines in the garlic-pepper jack-habanero sausage. The links are an explosion of flavors unlike anything else we’ve tried.

Edilycious is a gem, located in the Grow DeSoto Market Place, offering an array of West African fusion favorites. Early this year their jollof tacos created quite the stir, bringing Taco Tuesday lovers from all over to the Southern sector. Edilycious also offers stews, coconut red beans and rice and teas made in-house.

All good Tex-Mex begins, and probably ends, with chips and salsa. So when indulging in the fusion food eaten round the world, it’s important for the chips to be hot, the salsa fresh and the queso to remain creamy until the end of the meal. The taco bowls must be crispy, flaky and freshly fried. The mole must be made in-house, preferably from around 19 ingredients, and the fajitas need to be next-level good, like the fajitas picosas that place grilled meats or veggies on a sizzling plate of spicy queso, with fried onions on top for good measure. El Vecino meets all of these standards. John Michael McBride, Tex-Mex scion of the El Fenix chain, reminds us why Texas is the only place to eat true Tex-Mex.

When Maggie Huff retires from making desserts in Dallas, we’ll need to figure out where to put the statue. In front of City Hall, maybe. Outside our office would do, too. Huff enchanted diners at FT33 with desserts that employed fine-dining techniques but tasted straightforwardly delicious. Now she’s brought her style back at Homewood: fruit-forward, texturally interesting and indulgent without being too sweet. In the summertime, that could mean grilled lemon pound cake topped with blueberries, or a Texas peach crostata and ice cream. We can’t wait to see what cooler weather brings.

These are no puny, dry wings. Bryan Street Tavern’s wings are large, tender and perfectly fried. They are beer-basted, and you have your choice of eight sauces and rubs, including mild, medium, hot, honey-chipotle barbecue, spicy Thai, spicy ranch dry rub and Cajun hot rub. Can’t decide what flavor you’re craving? You can get half and half at Bryan Street. And if you’re one of those people who can’t handle bones, they also have all white-meat, battered-and-breaded boneless wings with the same rubs and sauces as their bone-in brothers.

Vegan Food House, a new restaurant near Bishop Arts, is tackling vegan Creole food. Owner Elizabeth Anderson has been a vegan for more than 10 years, and the menu is inspired by the food she grew up with. Anderson uses a variety of meat substitutes in her cooking. Vegan Food House serves a “bacon” avocado tomato sandwich that is made with seitan. The big fish po’ boy sandwich is made with oyster mushrooms as the “meat.” The menu is focused on value; the only thing that is priced above $14 is the big Creole basket for $17, which comes with a pile of food.

One of the most ‘grammable burritos in the nation can be found in the Dallas Farmers Market at Brunchaholics, as reported by the Food Network. Jessie Washington’s soul-food burrito made national news when the foodie channel included it as one of “the most over-the-top burritos in the country.” Washington says the burrito was the result of a craving, and he originally only made it to post on Instagram. But after the swaddled trio of fried catfish, smoked turkey collard greens, and mac and cheese started showing up on news feeds, the composition took on a life of its own. Now Brunchaholics draws lengthy lines on the weekends, and food is typically sold out in a couple of hours. Washington’s aim is to give Dallas brunch the revival that it needs, and he is doing just that. Check their website for new pop-up locations.

The folks at Resident are always dreaming up something new and interesting. More important, they’re always doing it right. A Philly cheesesteak taco could be a tiresome gimmick if it didn’t taste so darn good. If anyone is going to try putting, say, a crab cake or shishito peppers into a taco, it might as well be the kitchen at Resident, with its from-scratch tortillas and its marriage of love for tradition with a penchant for inspired pairings of flavor. Even the vegetarian tacos, like the one with caramelized cauliflower and pepitas, are worth driving for.

We’re going to upset people with this one. Not because Sushi Robata is the wrong pick — it’s oh so right — but because a lot of Dallas sushi lovers see this joint as a well-kept secret, tucked away in North Dallas far from the hype and the Instagrammers. Sushi Robata is an all-rounder with a full Japanese menu that encompasses ramen, grilled meats and pork katsu. The sushi bar is equally wide-ranging, but insiders skip over the glitzy specials in favor of traditional maki rolls, some of them vegetarian, and the ever-changing list of daily seafood specials. Sushi Robata is one of Dallas’ best-kept secrets. Unfortunately, we’re not in the secret-keeping business.

Hypnotic Donuts is an East Dallas staple bringing creative combos to everyone’s favorite breakfast pastry. Flavors like the Canadian Healthcare, the Homer and the Evil Elvis make it hard for customers to choose. Hypnotic also offers vegan doughnuts on Mondays and Tuesdays.

When taking on brunch, the restaurant’s mimosa can be a deal-breaker. That’s why if there’s the option to have a ridiculously large one to share among friends, that restaurant holds a special place on the brunch rotation. At Victory Park’s Hero by HG Sply Co., you can get a mega-mosa for your table. It’s not just sparkling wine and OJ; nah, if you’re sharing one beverage with four people, you need to taking in more confidence than that. This one comes with vodka, sparkling wine, fresh orange juice, lemon and simple syrup, all for $45.

A year later, and the advice that was given to owners Scott and Tio Wagner stuck like Velveeta to a T-shirt: “Just keep it simple.” Wedged in a strip mall off of the President George Bush Turnpike, Sky Rocket Burger grinds Angus chuck in-house and loose-packs the burgers, leaving carved banks for juices. Flipped and seared, it’s draped with American cheese. Chopped lettuce, tomato, pickle discs and yellow mustard (choose your own condiments) lends a classic, drive-in flavor. It’s perfect and simple.

Peticolas Brewing has had an eventful 2019, thanks in large part to owner Michael Peticolas’ involvement in seeing the hotly debated “Beer to Go” amendment pass through the Texas Legislature. But it’s important not to forget how special the brewery’s anniversary beer was this year. Inspired by everyone’s favorite classic cocktail, the Old Fashioned, the 13% ABV beer called The Usual is a delightful barleywine-based brew with cherries, fresh orange peel, bitters and whiskey-soaked oak chips. You won’t find it on the taproom menu all the time, but when it does show up, it’s a mistake to skip it.

Si Tapas’ unassuming white building is a culinary beacon in the sea of new condos springing up around it, and the small plates of authentic Spanish food served there will tickle the tongue. Expect to feast on delicacies such as medium-rare sirloin in rich and creamy Dijon sauce, luscious grilled quail, crispy sautéed Brussels sprouts and minty fresh orange and carrot salad. Pair your meal with a glass of wine from the restaurant’s extensive selection, and top off with one of their exceptional desserts, like the sage poached pear or the sweet simmered fruit with housemade black pepper ice cream. If you won’t be getting to Barcelona anytime soon, chef Jose Luis Lopez’s outstanding creations at Si Tapas are the next best thing.

In a broad sense, Rusty Taco is all about reinvention: the original location boasts a renovated filling station (complete with a gas station island for a patio and substantial windows from repurposed overhead doors). In a narrow sense, they do not compromise. You may know Rusty Taco for their no-nonsense tacos packed with unalloyed flavor. What you might not know is that this Dallas-based taco shop excels in churro creations. Prepare for a signature dessert of the Southwest that blows Disneyland churros out of the water in size and flavor.

“Sometimes,” said Winnie the Pooh, “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” And for a sweet tooth, nothing endears itself more than the cupcake. At BIRD Bakery in Highland Park Village, what could be wrong with exercising portion control as you eat a miniaturized cake of Southern Red Velvet, Chocolate Strawberry, Carrot, or, our favorite, The Elvis, which consists of banana cake with chocolate chips and peanut butter frosting? Hailing from San Antonio, BIRD Bakery was founded in 2012 by acting duo Elizabeth Chambers and Armie Hammer. Even though actors make believe, there is nothing fictional about the sugary goodness of their cupcakes made every day from scratch with the finest ingredients.

There’s only one thing wrong with Taco Libre, which is that nobody has nearly enough stomach space to devour all the good tacos on offer at this festival. Taco Libre arrives every spring immaculately well-organized and with a carefully curated selection of vendors: Not just anyone with a tortilla can serve food here. Add in live luchador wrestling, musical acts and paletas, and you’ve got one of the parties of the year. In 2019, Taco Libre stepped up their game by importing two taquerias from Mexico City, both cooking in the United States for the first time ever.

Bullion is a classical French restaurant with chef Bruno Davaillon’s personal, contemporary flair, and the wine list mirrors that sensibility precisely. Just about every corner of France is represented in the restaurant’s cellar, which means not just the usual suspects — though you can get plenty of classic vintages of Burgundy, if you wish — but more affordable bottles from regions that get overlooked, too. On a list that ranges from $30 to $5,000, look out for sparkling wines from regions other than Champagne, full-bodied whites from the Mediterranean coast and an extensive collection of cognacs. Intimidated? Personable wine staff can make it easy to find a bottle that matches your taste and your wallet.

If you know much about Texas chili, you already know this name. Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas historian, founded the famed World Chili Championship in Terlingua in 1967 and opened a chili parlor in Dallas in 1976. Now located on Grapevine’s Main Street, the parlor uses the same recipe developed by Tolbert himself — bite-size pieces of beef chuck simmered in an ancho chile-laden gravy and topped with chopped onions, cheese and a whole jalapeño. They’ll serve it to you with beans if you ask, but they’ll know you aren’t from around these parts.

Pick a downtime, and it’s likely you’ll find owners Andrew and Edi Kelley waiting for you behind the counter. They’ve taken the idea of a counter deli and asked, “What if we made this awesome?” The churning waves of real grape soda will lull you into a trance. Arch your head back to see the faded-yellow menu near the ceiling — it’s an original from the joint’s creation. Brisket pastrami, rosy on the inside and pepper-charred on the outside, is light years ahead of its sandwich competition. Load it with pepperoncini peppers. The No. 13 is a gem, too: Find turkey, capicola and sharp provolone in between whatever dang toppings you want. Get a cookie and an ice-cold grape soda, for goodness sakes.

Mother-daughter duo Andrea and Cindy Pedraza put their heart, soul and heritage into each piece of chocolate they make at CocoAndré Chocolatier. Their Oak Cliff shop is a haven for chocolate lovers — non-vegan or vegan — offering sweet treats such as truffles, Texas-shaped chocolates and their signature chocolate high heels.

Eight miles east of Legacy Hall in Plano stands another, more exciting food hall. It’s in a building whose big yellow sign simply reads, “Food Court.” The treasures inside span the Asian continent, from a Korean soft tofu specialist to Morefan, the Dallas area’s first kitchen to serve Xi’anese foods like hot oil splashing noodles. Hakka Express is a longstanding favorite of the local Taiwanese community. Nothing here costs more than a fast-food lunch; bring friends, order a tray from every restaurant and try them all.

Every time the Anderson brothers and chef Nathan Tate open a new concept, Dallas diners can’t get to it fast enough. The team has a knack for filling voids in Dallas neighborhoods, like the French bistro in Bishop Arts, Boulevardier, and the smart Southern kitchen on Lower Greenville, Rapscallion. Now, the Hillside area of East Dallas finally has what it’s been desperately needing: a comfortable place to watch TV and eat sinfully delicious sandwiches while knocking back local brews, Eddie Eakin cocktails and a serious wine list. There aren’t many places where you can get an $11 four-cheese patty melt on sourdough with a $91 bottle of Piper-Heidsieck rosé champagne, but you can do that here with neighbors and friends who feel like family by the time you leave.

Big, brash, done up in Lone Star style. These words describe the experience of dining at Town Hearth, which should be reserved for special events: your dad’s 75th birthday, your Chihuahua’s premature death, or your observance of Fat Tuesday before the Lent diet. Once you cross the threshold of this Design District restaurant by chef-owner Nick Badovinus, you will morph from a frog into a prince. The spell of an amphibian life is broken in an atmosphere of 64 chandeliers, red Chesterfield sofa booths, antiqued mirrors, an 11-foot aquarium with a yellow submarine, a vintage Ducati motorcycle over the bar, and a 1961 MG convertible parked in front of the kitchen. Over the top? Shamelessly. But this is no place for restraint as you imbibe a French 75, slurp oysters and savor a bone-in steak cooked over an open flame. Make an advance reservation to become Texas royalty.

Sometimes at night you just want a big, untamed sandwich. A two-hander. At those hours, if it’s Thursday, Friday or Saturday, a gravitational force will pull you toward Deep Ellum’s Blue Light music venue, where one small corner of the bar makes for a tiny kitchen that puts out sandwiches that go long on flavor. Sofrito-braised brisket gets piled up, topped with pickled jalapeños and smashed into bread on the griddle; a plank of bologna gets good old crosshatched grill marks before the rest of the sandwich gets assembled. Don’t miss chocolate chip cookies made with duck fat and five-spice mix, either. What, did you expect this to be healthy?

Cosmo’s is a little slice of East Dallas history. The bar itself has been around for a few years, but now more than ever it reflects a lesser-known chapter in the city’s past, when Southeast Asian immigrants moved into the neighborhood, escaping the Vietnam War and various bloody dictatorships. It’s only logical that Cosmo’s now boasts a Vietnamese chef and a full menu of pho, banh mi, stir-fried noodles and rice dishes, all made from scratch. Yes, the kitchen is so tiny that Jackson Tran’s food can take a while to arrive. But one bite of super-fresh banh mi baguette, with pork meatballs that still taste like charcoal flame, and you’ll know why you came. It’s not all Vietnamese, either: There’s a silly-good plate of kimchi-and-cheese tots, and some regulars still prefer the old-school bar-style pizza.

When three sisters came together to create Kookie Haven, it was not only an extension of what they learned from their mother, it was a sweet addition to their Oak Cliff neighborhood. Cookie flavors like butter toffee crunch and chocolate chip walnut are enough to lure in curious customers, while the banana, red velvet and German chocolate cupcakes are enough to keep them coming back.

Chef Jeff Bekavac’s first burger memory is two all-beef patties and special sauce. Years ago, he sat at his grandma’s dinner table and took enormous bites into the smashed, pickle-forward, bread-middled Big Mac. It stuck with him through the years. His double cheeseburger at the Addison pizza joint is stunning and rich, a tower draped by a flag of American cheese. It’s delicious until there’s nothing left. Mustard seeds pop when you take a bite, bursting through the rich, buttery flavors. The secret-sauce homage is a creamy marvel. This is food that’s enjoying itself.

Former TV star Rodolfo Jimenez and his wife and business partner, Zulma Vanessa Hernandez, are cooking up a tribute to Guadalajara at this Oak Cliff mainstay. Maskaras initially drew regional attention for its massive collection of luchador memorabilia, but now fans come back for crispy tacos drowned in belly-warming salsa, carne en su jugo, 15-inch shrimp burritos and enchiladas verdes. The Taco Maskaras, featuring steak, avocado and molten cheese, makes for a great appetizer, too. Maskaras hasn’t been around for very long, but it is already an Oak Cliff institution.

Whether you’re getting your fix after church or indulging on a whim, South Dallas Café is the place to consume all the Southern fixins’ under the sun. The newly renovated, family-owned restaurant is serving the classics such as fried catfish and smothered chicken with sides including greens, macaroni and cheese and candied yams — cafeteria style.

A Colorado import, Snooze has breakfast down to a science. While their food is first-class, their morning cocktails are worth the trip alone. From the Boss Hog featuring bacon-infused bourbon to the Bangkok, which comes with out-of-the-box accoutrements like basil and fish sauce, the bloody mary menu has something to satisfy every taste bud. Practically a meal on its own, the Horse & Sidecar is a local favorite. It consists of a classic bloody served with tender belly ham, smoked cheddar cheese, a green olive, a pickle and a can of local beer.

There are those of you who are satisfied with knowing the best coffee shop in town, and we suppose that’s fine, but why be basic when you can be not basic? “Third wave” refers to a developing interest in viewing coffee like fine wine or cheese, where specific flavors are labeled through tasting notes and greater effort is put into brewing the perfect cup. Houndstooth Coffee at Sylvan Thirty, our favorite of three Dallas locations, impresses with its excellent coffee, superb service and pleasant setting, where four gleaming white “seraphim” rule the counter, waiting to prepare your flawless pour-over, and the friendly tatted baristas chirp cordially with customers. There’s copious seating inside, and even a dog-friendly patio. Real Texans won’t choose to miss out on a trip to Houndstooth, even if all you’re willing to try is a (great) vanilla latte.

Caffeine addiction is for the nocturnal college student and the harried professional. Or the jilted lover, if you take jazz singer Sarah Vaughan’s words: “My nerves have gone to pieces. My hair is turning gray. All I do is drink black coffee since my man’s gone away.” With its two locations in Deep Ellum and Highland Park, San Antonio-imported Merit Coffee washes away its “third wave” competitors, delivering superior java for whomever craves it. Represented by a train conductor’s presentation lantern, it illuminates a way forward in Dallas. By directly sourcing beans from farmers and roasting them to perfection, Merit serves up memorable espresso like “La Falda” from Colombia, with tasting notes of red apple, marshmallow and cocoa powder, or filter coffee like “Larcho Torka” from Ethiopia, with tasting notes of lemongrass, star fruit and raspberry.

Like craft beers, craft burgers aren’t exactly in short supply. This is precisely why Off-Site Kitchen’s classic quarter-pound creations deserve a moment in the spotlight, now, more than ever. A burger haven with the charm of an old-school greasy spoon, Off-Site turns out burgers made with Angus chuck that’s ground in-house and cooked to juicy perfection. Standard toppings include flat-top onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle on a brioche bun. But for those who just can’t help themselves, there are “funky-fresh” options, such as Peanut Butter & Bacon and Teriyaki & Pineapple.

The only thing better than a small, dense rock is a larger, thinner one with more eggs in it. Fresh crêpes are immeasurably better than Grandma’s pancakes from a box, and Whisk Crêpes at Sylvan Thirty makes the best crêpes in town. In the cozy faux-provincial restaurant, Whisk’s French impersonators crank out crêpes in many varieties, savory and sweet. You could order sweet and pretend it’s OK to eat dessert at 2 p.m. — perhaps with butter and strawberries, even chocolate syrup — or try savory with chicken, mozzarella and pesto. Either way, it’s up to you to build your crêpe from their expansive list of ingredients, and in just a few minutes, a hot, neatly folded treat will find itself at your table and in your mouth.

Here’s how our logic worked when we made this choice: The best breakfast in Texas is a breakfast taco, and the best breakfast tacos in Dallas come from Tia Dora’s Bakery. Served on big, fluffy flour tortillas made from scratch, these tacos feature consistently strong fillings; opt for eggs and chorizo, maybe, but don’t miss the machacado. It doesn’t hurt that they’re among the biggest breakfast tacos in town, either. You’ll want seven or eight, but you only need two, especially since Tia Dora’s also has shelf after shelf of pan dulce just begging to come with you in a to-go bag.

Pecan Lodge is nationally known for its barbecue, and rightfully so. But one of their best-kept secrets is their Southern fried chicken. With the perfect blend of crispy and juicy, Pecan Lodge is serving up hand-battered greatness that — much like their brisket — is well worth the wait.

This New York-inspired restaurant is bringing the heat when it comes to burgers, but their shakes are just as popular and delicious. Choose from the handshakes, with flavors like vanilla bean, strawberry, chocolate or Nutella. Feeling adventurous? Try a megashake, which boasts flavors such as cookies and cream and candy crush, dressed to the nines. The sweeter the better.

Botolino Gelato Artignale is home to scratch-made gelato with an emphasis on using natural, raw ingredients. Owner Carlo Gattini grew up in Tuscany and learned to make gelato from his grandmother, who owned a gelato shop. Unlike most ice cream shops, Botolino does not keep its product in glass display cases; it is stored in silver containers called pozzetti, or “little wells.” The pozzetti keep the gelato at a stable temperature and away from light. Botolino’s flavors include mango, berries and lavender, hazelnut, white coffee and crema, which is made with Madagascar bourbon-vanilla beans. All of the sorbettos are dairy-free.

When a bowl of old-fashioned vanilla feels too — well, vanilla — there’s Milk & Cream. Since opening on Greenville Avenue three years ago, the California-based sweet shop has introduced sugar-hungry Dallasites to the delicacy that is a milky bun. As delicious as it is Instagrammable, Milk & Cream’s milky bun is essentially a next-level ice cream sandwich. The bun, which is best described as an oversize doughnut, is warmed, filled with a scoop of ice cream and topped with your choice of candy or cereal. The result is a decadent concoction that becomes even more delicious as the ice cream melts.

Yes, there’s typically a wait. And yes, it can be hours long. But my, is it worth it. A Bishop Arts District staple, Oddfellows’ breakfast fare is all but legendary. For those seeking something sweet, the Fried Chicken and Waffle is a home run. Feeling savory? Huevos Rancheros is the way to go. Whatever you decide, you must complement your meal with a cup of coffee. And because not just any java will do, you’ll have your choice of three craft-brewing methods. Pro tip: Oddfellows doesn’t accept reservations during weekend brunch. It’s a bummer, we know.

After 32 years of stocking office break rooms with gourmet beans, Parks Coffee now has a coffee shop called the Roastery as part of its new 50,000-square-foot roasting facility that includes a coffee lab and event space. Owner Randy Parks started Parks Coffee as a wholesale distribution center from his Carrollton garage and started roasting his own beans in 2003. The company’s newest space has the capacity to roast more than 10 million pounds of coffee per year, a process visible through a window in the cafe. Coffee fans can get in even closer with a one-hour, farm-to-cup tour that includes single-origin coffee tastings and pastries from La Casita Bakeshop. In addition to sandwiches from BIRD Bakery and La Casita’s cruffins, the cafe offers 20 varieties of roasts, including creations from the baristas — all of whom are ready to talk about tasting notes.

Hang around Khao Noodle Shop long enough, and Donny Sirisavath will start telling you unbelievable things. Things like secrets of how this tiny kitchen makes its own tapioca-flour dumplings, or a confession that not one of his cooks had ever worked in a restaurant until they started at Khao. Sirisavath, a first-time executive chef himself, walks the fine line between loving tribute to his half-Lao, half-French mother’s recipes and tweaks from his fine-dining education. He’s also helped shepherd a team of rookies as they produce probably the best Lao food in Texas, at one of the most exciting restaurants in Dallas.

Sometimes all you want is a cold beer and a shot at a quiet bar. But for those nights when you want a real bar experience, seek out veteran barman and owner of Deep Ellum’s Black Swan Saloon, Gabe Sanchez. If his perfectly shaken daiquiri doesn’t get you, his bar skills and ridiculously quick wit will. Take a quick taste of the infusions he makes fresh in-house, and you’ll be even more impressed that he somehow makes these delicious tipples and doesn’t even drink.

While LUCK — an acronym for “local urban craft kitchen” — may not have the biggest beer selection, it certainly has the best. The Trinity Groves restaurant only carries beers brewed within a 75-mile radius to ensure every pour is fresh as can be. Look for a curated selection from local breweries including Peticolas, Revolver and Lakewood, and a complementary menu of upscale bar bites created to pair with craft beer, and in many cases, created with craft beer as an ingredient.

Manna Juice Bar is a family-owned shop in Mansfield run by Kristi and Dominick Andrew. When the couple, made up of a former athlete and pharmacist, noticed there was no cold-pressed juice near their home, they decided to create one. From juices to cleanses to shots, Manna Juice Bar is bringing healthy options to the area, while educating customers in the process.

Unleavened is a fast-casual restaurant with four locations in the area serving healthy takes on classics. Much of their menu is dedicated to wraps and salads packed with vegetables and high-quality proteins, like house-roasted turkey, tuna, bourbon-glazed pulled pork and grilled fajita steak. Unleavened serves breakfast wraps, hashes and smoothies as well. They also recently started serving warm bowls: lemon pesto, mole verde and cashew sesame.

The pizzas at Social Pie are served on thin, flavorful crust. If you choose a pie loaded with toppings, you might want to grab a fork to dig in. Build your own or choose from one of 10 flavors, like sausage and arugula, barbecue chicken, wild mushroom or the Tony, with garlic oil, chicken, spinach, Kalamata olives, goat cheese and pickled jalapeño. You can also order a few flavors by the slice, but beware — a slice here is more like a quarter of a pizza.

First things first: It’s not that spicy. If your idea of the best salsa is a flame war, look elsewhere, like the salsa at El Taxqueno, or the peanut and chile de arbol salsa at La Salsa Verde. The purpose of Tacos Mariachi’s mango habanero salsa is different. This two-store chain specializes in seafood tacos, and the fruitiness of both mango and the habanero pepper are a perfect pairing with the octopus, shrimp and fish that feature here. Almost every one of the tacos at Tacos Mariachi is better with a squirt of tropical fruit and heat imparted by this salsa. It’s the perfect marriage of condiment and taco.

There’s no Dallas restaurant entrance as grand as Bullion’s spiral staircase wrapped around an enormous sculpture in the shape of a dangling necklace. Upstairs, the dining room is inside a literal gold bar on the side of a skyscraper. But unlike many tower restaurants, the views aren’t the thing, and unlike many restaurants with their own sculptures, the food actually lives up to the setting. Bullion’s elegant French cooking has no rival in the region; look out for the daily specials list, which includes some of the star dishes: grilled whole fish, Provence-style rabbit or lobster thermidor. Save room if you can, because pastry chef Ricchi Sanchez serves up some of the region’s finest temptations.

On what could be called the fiercest turf in the world for steakhouses, Dallas is divided between two teams: old school and new school. For this year’s award, we’re taking it to the old school, all the way back to 1993 when Bob Sambol opened the flagship store on Lemmon Avenue. Since then, Bob’s has evolved into a nationwide chain with corporate ownership, and after years working to develop Trinity Groves, Sambol bought back his original location last March. The broiled Prime steaks with seared crusts and perfectly red centers are as good as they’ve ever been. Even in 2019, Bob’s California-heavy wine list is ranked second in DFW by Wine Spectator, and we kind of like the fact that we don’t have to risk knocking over a Ducati on the way to the table. Also, we love a couple of free sides, namely that massive glazed carrot, when paying $45 or more for a steak.

Homewood is a comfort food spot for ultra-seasonal eaters with Mediterranean leanings. Want to know what produce is in season right now? Swing by Homewood and sample heirloom snow peas or morel mushrooms at their best in an array of pastas, crudos and sharing plates. The radishes, edible flowers or herbs like lime basil probably came from the raised garden beds in the restaurant’s patio. And the kitchen, led by Matt McCallister, uses sleight-of-hand tricks to intensify flavor, like tossing grilled mushrooms in a compound butter that contains, yes, more smoked mushrooms. Save room for desserts by this year’s Best Pastry Chef, Maggie Huff.

Specializing in foods from Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, Indian Kitchen of Kuchipudi has some menu items that you won’t find at any other Indian restaurant in Dallas. Try one of the abundant rice dishes, a dosa or bhojanam, an enormous sampler platter much like a thali that bears seven or eight tin cups of food, rice and a couple pieces of bread. Ordering seconds is allowed. This spot in northern Irving also goes by “Kuchipudi Indian Kitchen,” so don’t be surprised if your GPS gets a little confused, but it’s well worth finding for the regional specialties of India’s Telugu-speaking states.

If “only dull people are brilliant at breakfast,” as Oscar Wilde quipped, then skip human company altogether for a laminated brioche and café au lait at Village Baking Co. This sweet bun is spiraled like a nautilus shell — crisp on the outside, soft inside, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and layered with enough butter to expand your belt a few notches. Each bite transports you to Paris faster than a Concorde. Rows upon rows of pastries await the drowsy commuter or weekend drifter: almond croissant, pain au chocolat, palmier, financier loaf, kouign-amann and pain au jambon. Making a decision at the Boulangerie is harder than naming your first child, but once you do, the daydream begins.

Aside from the sprawling fried pancake that is banh xeo, there’s not a lot of traditional, old-fashioned Vietnamese food at Mot Hai Ba, but that’s what makes it so fascinating. Ultra-responsive to the seasons, the menu of this tiny East Dallas restaurant features specials that take familiar Vietnamese ingredients and flavors and present them in new settings, whether that means bun cha-style porchetta, tapioca flour dumplings or a sweet caramelized onion tart. The short list of cocktails and wines are chosen to pair perfectly with Mot Hai Ba’s style of food.

Step onto the small patio space offered by Americano, and you’ll think you’ve stepped into an alternate, slightly Italian, slightly modern universe. The open, airy space is the kind of place where you can enjoy the city’s best people-watching while sipping a mean Negroni and popping fried olives. It feels like paradiso, no? Va bene.

The namesake dish couldn’t be simpler: finely chopped red onions, tomatoes, cilantro and a whole lot of lime. Get the shrimp, fish or octopus ceviche stacked two inches high on tostadas, with slices of avocado balanced on top. Or go for a fried oyster po’ boy that strikes a balance between upscale and classical by adding thick wedges of tomato and real, unshredded lettuce. The kitchen at Ceviche Oyster Bar knows their way around a fryer, and the catfish and okra avoid becoming grease bombs. There’s a big patio and Dos Equis on draft, too.

Tantuni sits in an incongruously big building at a minor street corner in Richardson, and the parking lot is hidden around the back. Inside this edifice, you’ll find the best Turkish food in North Texas. Start with an enormous platter of hummus served warm and topped with spicy Turkish sausage, then move on to an Adana kebab grilled over charcoal, or an appetizer sampler of dips to pair with the restaurant’s excellent fluffy bread. Some of the specialties, including a pressed and grilled half chicken, evoke the remote, rural lands of Turkey’s far southeast, where sauces come bolder and spicier than they do on the Mediterranean coast.

For 3 Nations Brewing, the end of 2018 brought major news. The Farmers Branch brewery announced that it would soon move to a massive former grain storage shed built in 1950, located in Carrollton’s bustling downtown. 3 Nations, launched in 2015, has moved forward with construction on the new location while shipping out a series of adventurous beers from across the flavor spectrum. For local stout-heads, there’s not a friendlier brewer in town, thanks to its inventive and devilishly delicious Devout series, which has featured offerings of créme brûlée, chocolate hazelnut, bananas foster and even golden marzipan.

For too long, Lao food has been lumped into Thai cuisine as one and the same, both in Dallas and throughout the world. But with the opening of Khao Noodle Shop, a small, BYOB kitchen in East Dallas, we finally have distinct and unapologetic Lao food, thanks to chef-owner Donny Sirisavath — also our Best Chef. The signature dish here is the boat noodle, where bone marrow and pork blood come together for a rich, piquant broth hosting a twirl of rice noodles, brisket and herbs. At $5 each and in sample-size portions, there’s room both in your stomach and wallet to try Sirisavath’s four other noodle dishes. The shareable bites ranging from $7-9 need to be tested as well.

Not for the faint of heart, Velvet Hammer from Peticolas Brewing Company packs 9% ABV. But it’s got much more going for it than bang for your buck. The imperial red ale has garnered numerous industry awards since coming on the scene in 2011 for a unique flavor profile that adeptly balances caramel malt with floral hops and a noticeable bite of alcohol. Velvet Hammer can be found at a number of local restaurants and Whole Foods, where you can take it home by the growler. Recently, it became available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans at the taproom.

Our city now has a portal to Jamaica, and it’s located at a six-table storefront in Mesquite. Owners Chubby Lee and Shelease Forbes are serving authentic Jamaican fare, such as the national dish, ackee and salt fish, a sauté of salted cod, Scotch bonnet peppers and a West African fruit called ackee. Eat it as the Jamaicans do: with a boiled dumpling made from green bananas. Other Jamaican specialties include callaloo (like spinach), escoveitch snapper same as Mediterranean escabeche — marinated in vinegar after cooking) and Mannish water (goat soup). Of course, there is jerk chicken, jerk ribs and jerk wings, but this is a place to branch out from the expected items. It’s the oxtails and goat curry that will keep us driving east down Interstate 30 over and over again.

Lucia’s younger, bigger sibling became an instant favorite in the Dallas service industry for its adaptability and consistency. Need to go out for a special occasion? Just want to swing by for a snack after attending an event in Bishop Arts? Macellaio is just right for both situations. Unlike Lucia, it doesn’t serve pasta, but the silver lining is a renewed emphasis on salumi — grab a big board with four or five cured meats of different shapes, textures and animals — and ultra-seasonal large plates meant to be shared family style, like a pot of roast lamb in winter or, this summer, a rabbit leg surrounded by veggies.

It’s 10:15 in the morning on an ordinary Friday that’s otherwise indistinguishable from any other weekday. Your plan to swing in early to Cattleack Barbecue, however, is shared by the 50 or so people already in line when you arrive. Picking our Best of Dallas winners is by no means a popularity contest, but it’s no coincidence that the lines form early for Cattleack’s spectacular barbecue. And it’s not just the excellent fare on the regular menu; each week, Cattleack cranks out a special item or two that will instantly elevate your meal (and for that matter, the rest of your day) from ordinary to out-of-your-mind amazing.

Anywhere there’s opportunity for people to have access to fresh food is a good place. The one claiming favor in our hearts this year is the Lakewood Village Farmers Market, organized by Good Local Markets. This organization gets praise from both customers and the very farmers who work the stalls each Sunday. Also running the White Rock Farmers Market on Saturdays, Good Local is a nonprofit that really makes sure the farmers are who they say they are and are providing what they say they’re providing.

It’s not choked with heaping scoops of chili and hay bales of cheddar, which, while visually exciting, can taste like you dove into a mountain of Morton salt. This chili dog is a late-night classic, with just enough homemade elements to entice an order. You’ll find Carlito’s dog from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Everything but the dog is made in-house, including the crunchy-edged bun. The chili is richly infused with coffee and beer and simmered with onion and chili powder. They fine-dice red onion and chives and swipe that over soft, melted cheese. It’s the kind of dark and evil bar food that you’ll go hunting for after the sun sets.

This traditional noodle-and-dumpling house in Carrollton is a go-to for Korean comfort cooking. Grab filled-to-bursting kimchi dumplings, or take on the spicy-food challenge that is a bowl of noodles topped with a scoop of eggplant and hot pepper sauce. If you can’t choose between noodles or dumplings, there’s a surprisingly satisfying compromise option available: a bowl of soup that contains both. As bits of pork spill out of the dumplings, the soup’s broth only becomes more flavorful. To add to Arirang’s appeal, the counter service at this little kitchen couldn’t be friendlier. The restaurant’s Korean name, used by some GPS services, is Um Ma Son.

A new Chinese restaurant opens seemingly every week in Plano, many of them regional specialists that offer Texans a glimpse into one of China’s many cuisines. There are exciting new openings serving foods from Sichuan, Hunan, Shanghai, Fujian, Kaiping and Xi’an. Big Claw is more of a generalist, but an interesting one. Order a variety of delights by marking what you want on the paper menu form: grilled lamb skewers, bowls of sweet potato noodles in spicy sauce, a chili-pepper-studded sour fish soup, black mushroom salad and stir fries from Hunan and Sichuan. It’s like walking through a night market, but without the walking part.

Ask a professional drinker in Dallas about their favorite cocktail spots, and it won’t take long for Jettison to come up. One thing that sets Jettison apart is the intelligence and seriousness of its drinks — they taste like classics that have been honed for generations. But the other standout quality is the relaxed feel of it all. People still don’t seem to know about Jettison, which is why its tiny space in Sylvan Thirty never gets too crowded and its dim lighting always feels just right for the crowd. At its best, the bar quietly takes inspiration from its neighbors, with mezcal cocktails and drinks that use locally brewed coffee.

Ellen’s is a greasy spoon meets silver spoon kind of joint with brunch all day and comfort food classics, but you’ll also find a wine list, full bar and cloth napkins. The pancake pot pie is the stuff of breakfast dreams: a stack of pancakes layered with gravy, bacon, sausage and hash browns, topped with cheesy scrambled eggs. It’s perfect for anyone coming off a fast or trying to put on weight for a role. Owner Joe Groves often makes bold political statements, like last year when he contributed a portion of sales to Moms Demand Action during the NRA convention. It doesn’t seem to detract from business, however, as they recently celebrated their millionth customer since opening in 2012.

Tiny Victories has been getting major wins since they opened their doors in the Bishop Arts District. As many Dallasites aimlessly search for the perfect watering hole, Tiny Victories continues to serve the specials straight up. The cozy spot not only offers $7 classic cocktails on Tuesdays and drink names that’ll give you a chuckle, they’re open until 2 a.m. during the week.

Like it or not, many adults reproduce in the form of kids, and in order to get them to grow out of the screaming, overactive hellions they can be, we must feed them, preferably in places with good food and kid-friendly distractions. Arepa TX has both: delicious, healthy and affordable sandwiches on corn flour dough, along with an entire back room dedicated to kids with toys, a chalkboard and TVs to boot. No one back there is going to confront you if your kid accidentally bumps a chair, and there won’t be any dirty looks when plates go flying off the tables. Everyone understands, so it’s easy to relax, especially during happy hour on Monday through Thursday when an arepa and a glass of beer or sangria will only set you back $10, making it possible to still send the hellions to college one day.

When your knife cracks through the crust, remember it’s made of shards of Ruffles potato chips. Chef Tom Jones — it’s not unusual to be in love with his CFS — touts seven secret ingredients, but broken Ruffles chips as a crust and a good, salty-peppery cream gravy are all we need. Before frying, Jones lets his steak sit like a king in a buttermilk bath. In one of the few ways he serves his CFS, it comes with a scoop of garlicky mashed potatoes and buttered Texas toast. Say adios to cynicism and darkness — this chicken-fried steak is the light.

Matt Peterson at Plano’s Matador Meat and Wine is everything you would expect of a butcher: ruddy complexion, stocky build, crushing handshake. His old-school butcher image is underlined by his goal of offering high-quality meats at a retail level. All of his dry-aged, Angus-certified USDA Prime steaks come from a small, family-owned packing house in Nebraska that processes cattle from no farther than 150 miles away. For next-level tenderness, he sources wagyu cuts from Snake River Farms. Free-range chickens that are never supplemented with preservatives come from a private farmer an hour outside of Dallas. Berkshire pork? He has that, too, along with housemade sausages in natural casings that are free of curing salts.