Empire Baking Company

Odds are if you're in a mid-range restaurant or in an eatery with aspirations above the middling range – even a food truck – you're eating bread from Empire. This artisan bakery is the go-to bread and pastry joint in Big D. It has been so since owners Robert and Meaders Moore Ozarow opened it in the 1990s. The Lovers Lane location is the storefront operation in Inwood Village, where carb-lovers purchase made-fresh-daily breads and pastries (e.g., muffins, rugulah and scones), cookies and sandwiches. The breads sold here include sourdough, raisin pecan, jalapeño cheese, Kalamata olive and Jewish rye. Box lunches include a sandwich, a side salad and dessert. One possible combination: Black Forest ham with Manchego cheese and roasted red peppers on panini with Thai noodle salad and a chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie.