Since 1999, Abacus has represented the quintessence of creative dining injected with a good dose of common sense. Today, its neutral-beige interior feels like a time capsule from 1999; its menu, an abrupt collision between Texas steakhouse and Japanese sushi bar, is similarly dated. The good news is that the food can still be good, […]
New American in Dallas Observer
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Quiet, white tablecloth French restaurant has been open since the mid-1980s. The service and some of the cooking seems a lot older-and that’s a good thing if you’re a fan of traditional dishes such as duck l’orange or steak au poivre.
Artin’s suburban location may account for the menu’s inclusion of such yawn-inducing standards as spinach-artichoke dip and crisped calamari, but there’s no rational explanation for the ethereal flavors of chef Christopher Short’s breathtaking short ribs, braised for five hours and served in a superb cabernet pan sauce. Short’s also done wonders with a grilled Scottish […]
Barley and Board is a hip Denton spot driven by executive chef Chad Kelley, featuring a small brunch menu with giant blueberry pancakes and a dried fruit and nut porridge for those craving something sweet. The rest of the menu slants savory. Dinner includes small plates, like wicked Gulf oysters and roasted bone marrow, plus […]
Bin 555 has a kids’ lounge–Wii, Xbox, Playstation, Net surfing, kid movies and chicken fingers and mac and cheese and so on (don’t you dare eat it in the lounge). But it also has wine and savvy bistro food like asparagus with fried egg, veal meatballs with vanilla bean and grilled quail served on bed […]
Bistro 31 tries to offer two things at once with their Highland Park menu: Salt cod croquettes, escargot and steak tartare cater to the neighborhood’s well-traveled jet setters, while grilled salmon and a burger appeal to those safe-eating Dallasites who have never left home. Prices skew high, with $27 lamb loins and $16 Kobe beef […]
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It’s imported from Ohio, of all places. But this restaurant set on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard-a light-house-like wine bar detached from the dining room-tavern complex-is well-larded with Southwestern kitsch. Fake fur on chairs made of rough-hewn sticks. Whole aspen logs dangling from the ceiling. Pussy willows for table d
A friendly and casual bakery-cafe with a French bistro feel shelling out generous portions, Bread Winners is a Dallas Observer favorite. Cakes, pies and pastries are made fresh daily, perfect for those on the go or for noshing on the brick patio. It’s difficult not to arrive and find the place packed-especially during brunch, when […]
Kay Agnew and her daughter, Margaux, opened Bridge Bistro in the Design District in 2012. Kay has been part of the Dallas dining scene for more than 25 years. She opened Margaux’s (named after her daughter) in 1985 and moved around a few times (eight to be exact). Bridge is an updated version of Margaux’s […]
Jean-Marie Cadot cooks up some impressive French-New American dishes at this North Dallas destination. His version of escargot, riding in a Pernod-spiked sauce, ranks amongst the best in Dallas. The homemade terrines are memorable, and most other dishes will at least set you to talking – although at review time they were still working out […]
This brisk and beautifully stark cafe, tethered to The Modern Museum of Art in Fort Worth, skillfully frames a simple menu flung with international influences in Southwestern flare. It’s a comfortable respite from the head-scratching cryptic of modern art.
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Cafe Momentum is a nonprofit venture that employs juvenile previously involved with the justice system and pays them fair, living wages to help teach them life skills, leadership and, of course, how to work in a restaurant. Because of the employees’ fair wages, any tips left behind are considered donations to the mission. As such, […]
In a warm environment of African mahogany paneling and art-deco chandeliers, diners feast on hearty surf and turf plates like the seared tenderloin with butter-poached lobster, the 22 oz. Delmonico steak and grilled swordfish. The bar menu offers spins on traditional bar items-mini lobster and crab burgers, parmesan truffle fries as well as pan-fried calamari […]
This jewel in The Joule, headed by Executive Chef Richard Blankenship, features a surprisingly astute take on the In-N-Out burger (double grass-fed beef patty, “fancy sauce,” lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion), plus Pig’s Head Carnitas that are a culinary plunge worth taking.
An unprepossessing exterior hides a versatile eatery combining a casually sophisticated dinner restaurant, a power-lunch place, a gourmet to-go joint and more. The regional American menu rotates seafood, veal, game, pasta, fowl, beef, pork and lamb.
It’s a hophead’s heaven at Uptown’s The Common Table, thanks to the bar and restaurant’s expertly curated craft beer menu. The bar is located in an old remodeled house on Fairmont, offering a cozy, wide open feel inside and a huge patio in the front where some of the area’s best bands play on Thursday […]
If you’re looking for a place to dine before a game at the American Airlines Center, Cook Hall is a fine enough place to go. Tucked into the neighboring W Hotel, the restaurant offers a wide array of small portioned and moderately priced plates that make for a great warmup before the big match. Sit […]
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Floor-to-ceiling wine racks set into the walls combined with purples and autumnal tones darken this swanky wine aficionados’ destination. The low lighting adds a sense of chic and romance to Patrick Colombo’s (of Sfuzzi and Ferré fame) West Village wine bar, open since 2002. Crú and its staff stock more than 300 bottles of wine, […]
Since 1984, this white-tablecloth hotspot has been a downtown dining destination beneath Lincoln Plaza. Hand-cut Italian Carrera marble, dark-wood paneling, leather, gas lamp, a water wall and its location – below street level – give Dakota’s an oasis touch. There is an air of exclusivity to the place; it’s not everyday one gets to ride […]
The dramatic interiors play off doors that are open to the pool and strains of hip-hop that filter in with the breeze. There’s something at once eclectic and, yes, a little pretentious about Dragonfly. The whole scene is rather Cabaret-esque. The European decor, the waitresses’ seductive uniforms, the illusion that in here, everything is beautiful. […]