Anise

Located in the Drey Hotel, Anise snagged Rene De Leon Jr. earlier in 2022. He's a chef whose resume includes the lauded Alinea in Chicago, French Laundry, Noma and the now-closed Bullion closer to home. Chef De Leon added pan-Meditteranean dishes to the menu such as light bacalao fritters (the dried and salted cod are popular market fare in Spain) with a sunny touch of citrus, and ever-so-slightly fried octopus over gigante beans. The whipped ricotta topped with grilled fruit is beautiful. The space is equally sharp. A gaggle of rattan lampshades hangs over an impeccably designed dining room. The bar and patio on the front side of the restaurant offer a more casual experience, but in the back is one of the prettiest dining rooms in Dallas. We'd be remiss not to mention house sommelier Amelia Henderson, who has crafted a Mediterranean-focused wine selection.

Top Pick: A lamb pressé was a dish we just couldn't forget. De Leon got a taste of a muhammara while working in Dubai. Here it's served as a sweet and smoky sauce alongside a braised lamb shoulder. The fall-apart tender block of protein is stacked with Moroccan carrots and thin shards of fried okra.