Time for some more year end reflection. Next week we'll look at the most notable openings, but right now I'm feeling glum. Did you lose one of your favorite restaurants recently? There were a number of notable closures over the past 12 months, some of which were expected and others which were a complete surprise. Here are a few that stick out for me.
See also: Our Favorite Dallas Dishes of 2012 My Top 10 Food Memories of 2012
Craft and Ghostbar (pictured above) The gourmet restaurant and night club were both impressive, but for whatever reason customers didn't spend enough money to keep either open. Craft has reopened as Cook Hall, a self-billed gastropub with a high-end cocktail program. The space that previously held Ghostbar is still closed.
Snack and Horne and Decker 2323 N. Henderson Ave was the site of two closures this year. Horne and Decker tapped out earlier in the year and was eventually replaced by Snack, which kept the ovens warm only for a few months.
The Commissary This one was a real loss. I dug John Tesar's burgers, even if the service in his restaurant wasn't the best. They had a good wine list too. And combined with the next closure, One Arts Plaza lost a lot of its individuality as a dining destination.
Screen Door Dave McMillan's upscale take on Southern comfort was a nice addition to the plaza. As good as his execution was, I'd thought Screen Door was mostly successful. This was definitely an unexpected closure.
Campo The closure of this Oak Cliff restaurant, however, was less of a shock. Matt McCallister had become the identity of the place, far beyond his role in the kitchen. When he split, apparently the customers did too.
Rohst This closure wasn't much of a surprise either. Rohst's menu was all over the place, straddling Korean and American cooking with the occasional pasta dish thrown in just to keep things confusing.
Nana Undoubtedly the most ironic closure of the year. Leave it to Dallas to close a toprated Italian restaurant to open yet another steakhouse.
