For the better part of the past five years, chef Rosanne DiLeo worked the kitchen at The Libertine Bar on Lower Greenville. As she heard regular customers beginning to ask for more vegan dishes, DiLeo says she decided to incorporate more options on the menu and in the kitchen. And,…
The Observer’s very own Alice Laussade, who for years put her cast-iron stomach on the line as The Cheap Bastard to bring you reviews of Dallas’ low-cost lunch spots, was named a finalist in the humor-writing category of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards, which is like the Oscars of…
Brian Williams and Brian Martensen, the team behind Cedars Social, have quietly opened a new high-end cocktail den called Smyth at 4513 Travis St., just south of Knox Street. Previously we told you about The Establishment, an oyster-inclined restaurant, which has yet to open. Smyth is the drink part of…
I tracked down the Bombay Street Food food truck yesterday. It’s as close as I’ll get to any type of interesting travel or cultural experiences this spring break. Not that Port Aransas in the early 1990’s was a hotbed of cultural experiences, but you know, we play the hand we’re…
Earlier this week Robb Walsh predicted a tsunami of ramen on his blog Texas Eats, but the deluge has already started here in Dallas. News that a dedicated ramen restaurant called Tanoshi Ramen would grace Deep Ellum with steaming bowls of noodles broke late last year. That restaurant is expect…
Remember when I brought some Sichuan peppercorns into the office to try out on the rest of the Observer staff? I’ve been looking for fiery Sichuan cooking on and off ever since. At the end of that blog post I mentioned Royal Sichuan, a small Chinese restaurant on Greenville Avenue…
“Should I turn on the sign?” Yemi Lemma asks. Months of preparation have led up to the opening of Desta, an Ethiopian spot far up Greenville Avenue, just inside Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway. Co-owner Lemma was well prepared for her first night of business, but still she was nervous. The…
Beer is a lovely word. We can all agree on that. Beer. There it is. If you had to add an adjective in front of such a glorious noun with the aim of improving it further, what would it be? Delicious? Cheap? Gold-plated? What about free?! FREE BEER. That is…
Happy Aloha Tuesday, Dallas. There’s a new Hawaiian barbecue place on Lemmon Avenue, and it looks pretty interesting. Aloha Hawaiian BBQ opened just last week with bamboo window treatments, a mural of the Hawaiian mountains painted on the wall, and Hawaiian radio playing over the sound system. I’d tell you…
When I wrote of Korean fusion in Dallas last year, I spent considerable time with Janice and Terry Song. The two couldn’t seem to get a break in terms of restaurant location as their first, on Inwood Road, was plagued panhandlers who would harass their customers as they waited in…
Drumroll starts low … crescendo … aaaaaaaand big cymbal crash! The new Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos have arrived! Actually, to steal the punch from the cymbal crash, it was available yesterday. You just had to know to ask for it, which I did because I live on the edge…
Pupusería La Pasadita may be one of the smallest restaurants in Dallas. It’s a stretch even to call the ramshackle takeout joint a restaurant. This is a food truck without wheels. There’s no seating, unless you count the sad metal bench sitting on the curb out front, and there’s little…
Boca Chica Tapas & Tequila recently opened above the old Bailey’s Prime Plus space at the Shops at Park Lane. Designed by the always-swank Plan B Group, this spot specializes in stiff drinks and modern (yet, sometimes ancient) Mexican fare. This little mouth is the latest footprint from Restaurants America,…
And you thought nothing exciting was going to happen this week. Silly you! Whataburger has brought back a limited batch of its spicy ketchup. So, rent a U-Haul and find the keys to the storage unit, it’s time to stockpile. Last year I interviewed chef John Kleifgen, who was at…
I have tried to get to Baby Back Shak so many times. It keeps eccentric hours for someone who lives far away, and I’ve just never managed to sort it out. The other day though, I found myself in southern Dallas with an hour to kill, and hey presto. I…
Another busy month has come and gone and with it a handful of restaurants have opened and closed. Read on for the full list of restaurants happenings in February, and be sure to share tips about new and/or dead restaurants in the comments section below or at dish@dallasobserver.com. Openings: The…
Dallas certainly knows it’s way around a brunch. What use to be an occasion-driven affair, has taken on the role of a more casual, sobering three-hour revival. With Dallas’ always-expanding restaurant population, here are some new spots you should consider. Jack’s Southern Comfort Food There’s one (really important) key word…
The Corner Bar is making its attempt to be a gustatory den of the highest order. Skim the menu and you’ll see all the buzzwords you expect to see associated with Dallas’ fine-dining restaurants. Tom Spicer’s greens make multiple appearances, and there are hot dogs from Luscher’s Red Hots. The…
Sometimes a brisket-loving expatriate Brit just needs a taste of home, so we’ve sent our Englishman in BBQ Sauce on a trek to sample Dallas’ version of cream tea. We hope Anglo-American relations will withstand the stress. Deep down, I knew that Maudee’s, with its understanding of appropriate tea and…
John Paul Valverde and his partner Miguel Vicéns have a knack for envisioning and executing compelling spaces. Their design business Coevál Studio kept them busy with color palettes, lighting fixtures and layout before they decided to dive headfirst into the restaurant business itself. They opened Campo Modern Country Bistro and…
Plano-based Frito-Lay continues its flavor-palooza with new beer-battered onion ring flavored Ruffles, said to offer “guys the ultimate party snack.” Sorry, ladies. You just have to stick to plain ol’ Ruffles with ridges. Ruffles MAX beer-battered onion rings complements any tailgating party or guys’ weekend and is available nationwide for…
The LOT (7530 E. Grand Ave.), located off the Santa Fe Trail in the enormous space that once housed the Backyard Beach Bar, opens its doors to the public today. The East Dallas restaurant and beer garden is the product of some serious teamwork; restauranteur John McBride (El Fenix), food…
