Last night was a night of firsts for the Observer’s annual Iron Fork event. Held in Centennial Hall in Fair Park, it was the first time we had so much space to move around while balancing plates of food and drinks. Air conditioning was blowing full blast, and even the…
All week at City of Ate, we celebrate the magic of the taco. Check back for more interviews, essays and maybe a list or two. Or maybe four? The little slice of Korea up in North Carrollton, where 35 meets PGBT, is pretty sweet. It’s got a Super H Mart,…
Have plans this evening? Of course you do. You’re headed to Iron Fork, the Dallas Observer’s homage to local restaurants, anchored by an epic chef battle between James Beard nominee Matt McCallister and Richard Gras, who has been cooking at Oak in the Design District. If you don’t have tickets…
All week at City of Ate, we celebrate the magic of the taco. Check back for more interviews, essays and maybe a list or two. Or maybe four? Street tacos are glorious in and of themselves, but there is something equally delicious being served out of carts in front of…
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Despite the commonly held belief that the fifth of May is Mexican Independence Day, Cinco De Mayo is a day to commemorate and celebrate The Battle of Puebla, where an over-matched Mexican army kicked the shit out of their French occupiers. In Mexico, the holiday is…
In some ways, it’s a wonder how shrimp cocktail ever came off so regal. The most basic of restaurant dishes calls for boiled and peeled shrimp, presented in stemware like a martini with monster arms and paired with ketchup flavored so brazenly with horseradish it obliterates the delicate flavor of…
Anthony Bourdain’s recent culinary tryst to India for his show on CNN, Parts Unknown, left me in a bit of fit. Much in the same way it left Scott Reitz craving for kulcha, I too had dreams of freshly cooked naan (or kulcha) straight out of a tandoor. I also…
Yesterday on Twitter, the Texas Rangers Twitter account tweeted something awful. Something unbelievable. Something that’s just not true. When asked by a fan, “What state makes the best BBQ?” the Rangers account replied, “North Carolina… sorry!” You’re ellipsis-sorry for bashing Texas barbecue, The Texas Rangers? Oh, I’m ellipsis-sorry, too. Looks…
When Shawn Miraki quit his job as an elevator engineer to open Olive Burger (451 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson), he knew it would be a gamble. He took this risk, he says, in the name of family — he wanted to encourage his hesitant father, Mark Miraki, to finally take…
Early one night last week, Trinity Groves, Dallas’ text kitchen, was buzzing with people at Kitchen LTO, Amberjax, Resto Gastro Bistro, and Casa Rubia. We chose Chino Chinatown, where everyone was sitting out on the patio enjoying dinner at the restaurant helmed by former caterer and cooking show contestant Uno…
Somewhere, in a far-flung part of Fort Worth, there is a corner of land that will remain forever Texas. It’s in Texas, obviously, but that’s not quite what I’m driving at here. The BBQ Ranch, a recently opened barbecue restaurant in the corner of five acres of ranch, is so…
Life is about to look really good, and I am going to tell you why. Picture yourself sitting on a shaded patio as a stiff breeze rustles the palm leaves that thatch the roof above your head. Picture a cold, sweating bottle of Pacifico in your hand. There is music,…
First, a quick aside. If you come to Palapas Seafood Bar and bury yourself in Tex-Mex you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. Pick up a menu here and you’ll find descriptions of some of the best Mexican seafood to be had in Dallas — a great mix of ceviches, grilled…
Back in March we took a look at why a number of Dallas restaurants were headed off to the ‘burbs to open second locations. Plenty of Plano residents were coming down to Dallas for a visit to Lockhart Smokehouse, Smoke or whatever popular restaurant, so their owners eventually thought why…
There are scores of Vietnamese restaurants dotted throughout Richardson and Garland just outside of the loop, and nearly all of them are poised to sell you the cheapest lunch you’ll ever buy, in the form of banh mi. The sandwich is to Vietnam as pastrami sandwiches are to New York…
This is not the sort of sign you want to see taped to the door of a restaurant where you’ve held a long-awaited reservation for Easter Bunch, but customers who walked up to Mi Piaci’s shiny glass windows expecting drinks and food have been met with locked doors since last…
Last week we reported on Yum! Brands’ new creation, which is appropriately dubbed Super Chix. The parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut has reincarnated battered and fried bird strips, including this sandwich pictured above, in an apparent bid to take over the Chick-fil-A audience. On my first…
The first time you pull up to Gemma, it can be difficult to pin down what you’ve gotten yourself into. While you thumb your wallet for small bills to tip the valet, you’re assured you are most certainly still in East Dallas, but when you step into the dining room,…
In Happy Endings, food critic Scott Reitz travels part of the globe that says “Dallas” in search of great desserts and great places to eat them. This is the sixth in an occasional series. In a few of these Happy Ending columns, I’ve talked about restaurants whose sweet offerings are…
Kenji Lopez-Alt with Serious Eats is a prophet of smashed burgers. Yes, burgers that you press on a griddle, potentially squeezing out all the blessed juices. Now we know you just slammed your fist on your keyboard and spat Dr Pepper all over your screen, but hold on to your…
Every year, the Rangers roll out a whole bunch of stuff designed specifically to clog your arteries. It’s their public service, as a socially-minded ballclub, to cut down on the population explosion in DFW by culling those stupid enough to eat a two-foot sandwich. I am one of those people…
If nothing else, Brewsters is proof that more is always better when it comes to burgers and beer. And bacon. New to Fort Worth’s burgeoning West 7th neighborhood, it joins American F+B, Rodeo Goat and a host of other crafty grub spots. But this place has a distinct, sporty vibe…
