100 Favorite Dishes, No. 16: The Chicken Scratch at Chicken Scratch | City of Ate | Dallas | Dallas Observer | The Leading Independent News Source in Dallas, Texas
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100 Favorite Dishes, No. 16: The Chicken Scratch at Chicken Scratch

To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me. Truth be told a good biscuit is best with just a...
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To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me.

Truth be told a good biscuit is best with just a bit of butter and, if you're craving sweetness, a drizzle of honey. Served this way and pulled fresh from the oven and a good biscuit can be the best thing that happens to you all day.

Or you could throw your whole kitchen at a biscuit, which is exactly what Tim Byres does with the Chicken Scratch he serves at Chicken Scratch. It's a snapshot of most of the menu, all served up in a single pie tin.

Don't even think about picking this one up. The menu doesn't refer to these as fork and knife biscuits for nothing. Properly outfitted with the correct utensils, you can attack your biscuit with enthusiasm.

Plunge your fork downward and start sawing back and forth with your plastic knife. First, a yellow yolk gushes, painting your pie plate with sunshine. And then you'll descend through vinegary greens turned rusty with smoked turkey necks, and fried chicken before you get to the other biscuit half at the bottom. It's all tied together with a hot sauce that's made in the kitchen as well. It's almost enough to make that plain, buttered biscuit seem boring.

No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co. No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen No. 87: The White Album at Spoon No. 86: Ramen at Tei An No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa No. 71: The Chicken Wings at Teppo No. 70: Cheesesteak at Truck Yard No. 69: Chicken and Waffles at Jonathon's No. 68: Birria Tacos at Los Torres Taqueria No. 67: Bulgogi Cheesesteak at Say Kimchi No. 66: Suadero Tacos at La Banqueta No. 65: Brian Luscher's Post Oak Red Hot No. 64: Banana Flower Salad at Mot Hai Ba No. 63: Cinco Leches Cake At Mesero Miguel No. 62: Cabrito a la Parilla at El Ranchito No. 61: Reuben at Kuby's No. 60: Plain Cheese Pizza Cooked Extra Crispy at Zoli's No. 59: Enmoladas at Mesa No. 58: Pig's Head at CBD Provisions No. 57: Rib "Sandwich" at Baby Back Shak No. 56: Beef Noodle Soup at Monkey King No. 55: The Nachos at Spiral Diner No. 54: Elotes, Everywhere No. 53: The Popeye At Green Grocer No. 52: The Cuban at International Bakery No. 51: Rush Patisserie's Croissant No. 50: Kitfo From Sheba's Ethiopian Kitchen No. 49: Beer at Craft and Growler No. 48: Pastor Tacos at El Rincon No. 47: Banh Mi From Nammi No. 46: Beef Fajitas From Mariano's No. 45: Italian Combo from Carbone's No. 44: The Brisket at Pecan Lodge No. 43: Chicken-Fried Steak at Ellen's Southern Kitchen No. 42: Carnitas Tacos at Taqueria Y Carneseria Guanajuato No. 41: Lamb Burger at LARK No. 40: Regina Margherita At Cane Rosso No. 39: Barbacoa At Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo No. 38: The Peace 'Stachio at Hypnotic Donuts No. 37: Nasi Lemak at Kampong No. 36: A Rotisserie Chicken Taco at Velvet Taco No. 35: The Burger At Boulevardier No. 34: Surfers On Acid At Local Oak No. 33: Bread Pudding at Sissy's No. 32: Pelmeni at the Russian Banya No. 31: Loukoumathes at Greek Fest No. 30: The Charcuterie Plate at FT33 No. 29: Short Rib Grilled Cheese at East Hampton No. 28: The Fried Bologna Sandwich at Maple and Motor No. 27: The Pastrami Sandwich at the Whistling Pig No. 26: Bacon-Encrusted Bone Marrow at Knife No. 25: Meatloaf at Stock and Barrel No. 24: The Reuben at Cock and Bull No. 23: Causa Limena at San Salvaje No. 22: Fish Tacos at TJ's No. 21: The Cuban at ¡C. Señor! No. 20: The Smoked Salmon at Zen Sushi No. 19: The Ham Sandwich at Vagabond No. 18: Steak and Eggs at Meddlesome Moth No. 17: Campechano at El Come Taco

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