First Look at Monica’s Nueva Cocina and ME Lounge

Monica Greene, former owner of Monica’s Aca Y Alla, now Maracas Mexican Restaurant, debuted her new restaurant and lounge last night. Monica’s Nueva Cocina and ME Lounge, located in the iLume on Cedar Springs Road, has all the trappings of both a restaurant and a nightclub. The space is colorful,…

La Parrillada, Perfect After a Night of Torturing Music

See also: *The Cheap Bastard’s Ultimate Guide to Eating like a Total Cheap Bastard in Dallas Wagon wheel count: 8,000 When I walked into La Parrillada at dinnertime, I wasn’t sure if they were really open. They had multiple signs out front that said, “Yes, we’re open.” But zero people…

An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Off the Bone

See also: *An Englishman in BBQ Sauce for more of our efforts to fatten Gavin up Last week my dad emailed me. “As a parent the sheer amount of food you are eating in your food journalism quest is truly frightening. The way that your wife feeds you is slightly…

Bowery Opens, Screen Door Closes and More From a Very Busy July

Another very busy month has come and gone, and with it several Dallas restaurants have opened while others have closed their doors for good. Read on for the full list and be sure to share tips about restaurant openings or closings in the comments section below or at dish@dallasobserver.com. Openings:…

Six Dallas Chicken Sandwiches to Eat While You Protest Chick-Fil-A

If you haven’t heard, tomorrow is National Same-Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A. The event encourages gay rights supporters to head to their nearest Chick-fil-A restaurant and take pictures or videos of themselves making out. News of the event spurred Mike Huckabee to call for a preemptive Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day that…

Komali’s Safe Bet

When Komali prepared to open in February 2011, chef and owner Abraham Salum described it as a contemporary Mexican restaurant. In an interview with the Observer before the opening, the Mexican-born restaurateur, who recently became an American citizen, hoped huitlacoche, lengua, grasshoppers and other exotic ingredients would dot his menu…

100 Favorite Dishes, No. 38: The Chile Relleno At Avila’s

To prepare for this fall’s Best of Dallas® 2012 issue, we’re counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there’s a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me. It was the brisket gordita that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins…

Boulevardier is Open in Bishop Arts (Photos)

Last night was the première of Boulevardier, the new French bistro from Veritas owners Brooks and Bradley Anderson, chef Randall Copeland and chef Nathan Tate. The scene was set with French linens, crisp white walls and rich woods. The players were all dressed in tailored, plaid button-downs and freshly pressed…

The Awesome Cheese Fries of Dallas

A few weeks ago we asked you to let us know about some of your favorite cheese fries in Dallas. We took those suggestions and put together an ultra-cheesy slideshow, just for you. Because we’re super caring and stuff like that. You can check it out here. Try not to…

100 Favorite Dishes, No. 39: The Large Tabouleh at Ali Baba

To prepare for this fall’s Best of Dallas® 2012 issue, we’re counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there’s a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me. The last time I wrote about Ali Baba’s tabouleh, I’d had…

Meatless Monday Conquered At Seven Mile Cafe

While I wait for the USDA to sort out its feelings about Meatless Monday with breath that is most certainly bated, I continue the valiant search for meatless dishes that don’t suck and aren’t cheese nachos from 7-Eleven. This week, I couldn’t ignore the dull roar of ballyhoo any longer…

Rita’s Italian Ice Ice Baby

Rita’s Italian Ice, or Rita’s Water Ice, or as the corporate website put its, Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness, is a quickly growing frozen treats franchise out of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, (near Philly). In addition to their many names, they also have many many many combos. One can have a straight Rita’s ice (think…

An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Lockhart Smokehouse

For more of Gavin’s swim in Texas barbecue sauce, see also *The Englishman Reviews Taste of Dallas’ BBQ Scene *An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Hard Eight for The English *An Englishman Reviews the BBQ of Mike Anderson’s for The English I finished my blog the other week with the…

100 Favorite Dishes, No. 41: The Scotch Egg At Central 214

To prepare for this fall’s Best of Dallas® 2012 issue, we’re counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there’s a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me. I’ve had my fair share of bad Scotch eggs. Usually the…

100 Favorite Dishes, No. 42: The Brunch Burger At The Grape

To prepare for this fall’s Best of Dallas® 2012 issue, we’re counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there’s a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me. I spent a recent Sunday morning well into Sunday afternoon tooling…

SNACK’s Roll of the Dice

Is 2323 Henderson Ave. cursed, or does the building sit on top of an ancient Indian burial ground? Nearly every mention of SNACK, the new outpost from Avner Samuel and Jon Stevens, who co-own both locations of NOSH, points to Horne and Dekker’s ghost. That casual restaurant survived just a…

Barbec’s Is as Sweet as a Hug from Your Grandma

Follow Cheap Bastard as she scours the city, looking for a good — or at least non-lethal — lunch for less than 10 bucks. See also: *A Cheap Lunch at the Zodiac? It’s a Gas. *Bistro B Gets an “A” for Awesome Old count: 3,846 People I heard ordering “Cereal…