Making a Difference: Restaurants Helping Others

While we’re still in the middle of a seemingly endless pandemic and countless other things are weighing heavily on us, plenty of people are trying to do good to lift others up. Even in these difficult times, restaurants are still providing support to those who need it. Here’s this week’s…

Chef Nathan Tate Literally Has Beef with Hillside Tavern

It was nearly 60 years ago when his grandfather established the family ranch. Chef Nathan Tate grew up on the farm, about 40 minutes outside Dallas in Rockwall County, and jetted after college. His brother Evan Tate runs the farm these days, and you can sample the flavors of the…

Downtown Arlington Scores Big with Bowls of Ramen

Kintaro Ramen opened in downtown Arlington in April, just across the street from Levitt Pavilion. The chef behind these bowls of silky broth is Jesus García, a Fort Worth native who founded Oni Ramen in Deep Ellum.  García was first introduced to ramen while working the sushi line at the…

It’s Time for Tea — and Treats — from Society Bakery

Society Bakery reopened its Lower Greenville spot Tuesday, and with it comes a new aspect: Societea. Bakery owner Roshi Muns is partnering with Emily Cassady, who’s a certified tea specialist by way of the World Tea Academy. The two have known each other for three years, as Cassady was a…

Restaurant Operators Try to Make Sense of Conflicting Safety Guidelines

Most agree restaurants should follow heightened safety protocols during the coronavirus pandemic, but from there, things get complicated. Texas has its official guidelines for restaurants. The Centers for Disease Control has its own set of recommendations, as does the Food and Drug Administration. The Aspen Institute released an independent handbook…

First Look: Chirps Brings Nashville Hot Chicken to Lower Greenville

This little watering hole has gone through several changes since January. Earlier this year, the Lower Greenville bar formerly known as LG Taps rebranded itself as The Chuggin’ Monk. But this new era was short-lived because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, upon Gov. Greg Abbott’s allowing Texas restaurants to…

Restaurants Are Picking Up Pieces After Protests Caused Some Damage

The sound of shattering glass echoed off the buildings Sunday morning in the West End of downtown Dallas. It was after the second night of protests that escalated into confrontations, rock-throwing and looting, and local businesses were cleaning up the aftermath. Walking around downtown, Deep Ellum and Uptown on Sunday…

Vantina, the Desert Racer Pop-Up on the Desert Racer Patio, Is Open

The patio is shining with colors and studded with cacti. Tidy artificial turf seems to have a pattern painted on it — it’s actually some pleasant shadows from the wood pergola standing above the clean wood benches. It’s all lovely and strange but hopeful when juxtaposed against the effect of…

A Dallas Brewery Explains How it Prepared to Reopen in a Health Crisis

As Texas breweries received permission to begin reopening, individual business owners had to grapple with a difficult question: How do you safely open an alcohol-dependent business during a health crisis? Many local breweries delayed their openings to spend more time contemplating that question. Welcoming the public back into a taproom…

Good to Go: Commissary Perfects the Takeout Ham and Cheese

Good to Go is a column where our food writers explore Dallas’ restaurant scene through takeout orders, delivery boxes and reheated leftovers. When Commissary opened in downtown Dallas years ago, it was fantastic in that it provided another dining option for nearby residents. Since then, other good places have opened,…

Fine Dining in a Pandemic: Having Dinner Inside

It was six minutes until the reservation time. I was exiting North Pearl Street from Woodall Rodgers Expressway, and I was thinking I should change the plans to simply grabbing sushi to go and sit at a park or something. But sushi to go is never as good as in…