Throughout April, the New Guy is only eating at places suggested by City of Ate readers, in a futile attempt to speed his conversion to Texasism. Have a suggestion? Leave it in the comments or hit us on Twitter at @cityofate and @joeptone.
When I reached out for restaurant suggestions yesterday, no spot got more love than Deep Ellum's Angry Dog, and it didn't take long to figure why. The 'hood is organically eclectic. The crowd was coolly diverse last night, a mix of chowing families and slumped boozers and a couple of dates that looked like first ones. The vibe: cool but unpretentious. The service: prompt and friendly, but not overly so. They left me and my meat alone in the corner how we like it.
And the menu? That's a thing of meat-loving beauty.
I had a small anxiety attack picking between the dog and the burger, both of which are as heavy on accolades as they are calories. But five readers handpicked the burger as one of the city's best, so I ordered it up the way every burger should be: medium rare, topped with cheddar, mayo, mustard and whatever else comes standard, in this case the lettuce-tomato-pickle trifecta. No bacon; something that delicious will make even an average burger stand apart. Can't have that when we're picking favorites.
My server asked if fries were OK, and I asked if there were any other options, and he said something about pasta salad, and we shared a good laugh about that. Fries it was.
It came. I ate it in about seven bites. I get it. Damn good burger -- well constructed, nice bun-to-meat ratio, juicy, just the right size. No complaints. It won't be my favorite in town; I'm partial to a more nuanced flavor in my patty, and something about the cheese being shredded and a tad unmelted when it arrived freaked me out.
But all in all: A good tip, dear readers. And wouldn't you know it? It's lunch time.