Still, Dallas restaurants have food to warm our souls in winter. From grilled cheese sandwiches to seasonal root vegetables and hearty soups, these dishes create warmth even when we don’t really need it. Creamy pasta dishes, desserts and drinks are welcome, as are the healthier dishes some of us are seeking as a new year begins.
These 10 Dallas restaurants are serving comforting, creamy pasta dishes, desserts, drinks and more that let you know winter is here.
Bar None
718 N. Buckner Blvd., No. 100 (Old Lake Highlands)Opened in December, Bar None in East Dallas doesn't have a seasonal menu, but it does have quite a few things we love to eat in winter.
There’s baked potato soup and cioppino (fish stew) as well as four different kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches. You can also enjoy Bar None’s Sunday gravy as an appetizer or a main dish whatever the weather or season.
Bulla Gastrobar
6007 Legacy Drive, No. 180, PlanoBulla Gastrobar has several toasty options on its winter menu, such as creamy butternut squash soup with cracked pepper and Spanish paprika. The soup is served with toasted cheese crostini for dipping.
Another option is the braised brisket caldoso made with red sofrito, piquillo confit, crispy chickpeas and Valencia-style rice. Vegetarians can enjoy the parrillada de verduras — a grilled vegetable plate served with house-made romesco sauce.
For dessert, natillas is a Spanish custard spiced with cinnamon and served with cookies. Winter cocktails include a spiced Old-Fashioned and a rosé sangria.
Grimaldi’s
3636 McKinney Ave., No. 190 (Uptown); 8060 Park Lane, No. 105 (North Dallas); additional locations in Allen, Grapevine and IrvingChicken alla vodka pizza is the highlight of Grimaldi’s winter menu available for dine-in and takeout through March 1. The pizza is topped with house-blended tomato-cream sauce, chicken, onions, mozzarella and fresh basil.
Spinach-pecan salad makes an excellent accompaniment with fresh spinach, house-made candied pecans, dried cherries, red onions and goat cheese served with Grimaldi’s house dressing.
The seasonal cheesecake flavors are red velvet and Reese’s peanut butter cup. Winter cocktails include peach sangria, a cranberry mule and the Ginger Apple Jack made with Jack Daniel’s Black Label and granny smith apple puree.
Jalisco Norte
3858 Oak Lawn Ave., No. 470 (Oak Lawn)Through the end of January, Jalisco Norte is offering a special three-course menu for $42 per person and an additional $25 for optional wine or cocktail pairings.
The menu includes a choice of tortilla soup or a tamal for the appetizer and apple pie for dessert. Entrée options include a tenderloin steak with guajillo mushroom sauce, salmon with piloncillo-chipotle glaze, or braised short rib with house-made mole de olla.
Email Jalisco Norte for reservations.
Las Almas Rotas
3615 Parry Ave. (South Dallas)Named best cocktails to-go in this year’s Best of Dallas, Las Almas Rotas is always coming up with something new, and this time, it’s on the food menu.
The pozole rojo ($10) on the menu has been in high demand, so the bar added an off-menu soup option for vegetarians. The tortilla soup ($9) is made with roasted corn, pico de gallo, tortilla strips and avocado.
The bar is also offering an atole de chocolate beverage made with house-made masa, piloncillo, milk, cinnamon and cacao. Sip it as is or add a shot of mezcal or tequila to warm you up even more.
North Italia
2301 N. Akard St., No. 280 (Uptown) and 7501 Windrose Ave., No. D190, PlanoSeasonal dishes have been added to the menu at North Italia that is just right for winter. One of the highlights is a grilled branzino in lemon butter sauce with roasted broccolini, cauliflower, Romanesco, and cipollini onions and sweet roasted fennel.
A seasonal vegetable salad consists of roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, farro, radicchio and kale. The salad is topped with cubes of pecorino cheese and roasted pistachios and dressed with a white balsamic vinaigrette.
Sicilian short rib ragu of braised short rib, crushed tomato, olive and fresh spices tops triangles of crispy polenta with melted fontina cheese.
For brunch, there’s carbonara pasta and a sambuca-spiced pomegranate mule that's a perfect winter cocktail.
North Italia’s winter menu options are available for dine-in or takeout through spring.
Musume
2330 Flora St., No. 100 (Dallas Arts District)Musume updates its menu regularly, and its latest additions are an umami filet mignon as well as two vegan options. You’ll find the tat-soi tofu in the entrees and the karia itame spicy stir-fry in the sides options.
Sloane’s Corner
2001 Ross Ave., No. 125 (downtown)Chef Ji Kang has created a special winter item for Sloane’s Corner. Cacio e pepe risotto is made with Arborio rice, butter, crème fraîche, Parmesan, pecorino, fresh cracked pepper and an egg yolk to make it rich and creamy.
Request this special off-menu dish while dining in or on the covered and heated patio.
Town Hearth
1617 Market Center Blvd. (Design District)Since early in the pandemic, Town Hearth has been offering takeout meals for two on its TH Down Home menu. Winter-inspired dishes are starting to show up on the menu that changes weekly.
This week’s options include lasagne bolognese ($50) and prime beef-broccoli ($55). The fully cooked meals include sides and dessert.
Town Hearth takes orders for the meals by phone after 3 p.m. and curbside pickup begins at 5 p.m. Visit the website for the latest offerings.
Thunderbird Station
3400 Commerce St. (Deep Ellum)Clever cocktails are just one of the things that make Thunderbird Station so much fun. For winter, the retro spot with a huge, heated patio has added the Snow Blower, an iced and spiked cream soda cocktail and the Hot Cran-Shaft, made with hot cranberry juice, chai seasonings and spice-infused Hendrick’s Gin.
