Homewood

Chef Matt McCallister’s new joint was supposed to be a more casual, less ambitious spot with comforting food. It is definitely more casual, and the food is delicious without requiring diners to sneakily Google obscure ingredients or cooking techniques. But McCallister is McCallister, which means there’s still heroic work happening in this ultra-creative kitchen. Homewood makes its own pastas, fish sauce, hot sauce, cured meats and breads, grows a lot of its own produce and pairs everything with natural or organic wines, chosen because they go well with food, rather than because they are famous. Pastry chef Maggie Huff is quite simply the city’s best, and she excels when she’s working with local, seasonal fruit.

Top pick: It’s hard to say because the menu changes almost constantly, but recent highlights have included salmon or trout cooked over an open hearth, beef pastrami on house pumpernickel and pasta with a ragu of pork and spice-free habanada peppers. Also, as a general rule, Homewood is one of the two best pasta places in Dallas, alongside Sachet. (And yes, it is strange that our two best pasta joints aren’t actually Italian.)

The downside: Your favorite dishes will almost certainly be gone the next time you visit. Also, Homewood isn’t especially pedestrian-friendly.

Fun fact: Here’s how McCallister can take a flavor and multiply it: That roasted mushroom side dish is extra-smoky because it’s drizzled with a housemade butter that contains even more roasted mushrooms.