Back in 2013, Joel Malone established a Kickstarter to help fund his dream of opening a cidery in the Bishop Arts District. Roughly a year later, Malone finally saw the end in sight, telling the Observer at the time that, “Dallas is going through a whole transition to wanting more…
Finely tuned craft cocktails have skyrocketed bartenders to a level where their skill set is just as imperative to an establishment’s success as a cook’s. No longer is it about who can make the best Dark and Stormy or Vieux Carre, but who is inventive enough to dissect the classics…
What day is this? Is today a national day of duck butter? Spaghetti Squash Day? Is it National Eat an Old Subway B.M.T. on a Bench Day? It’s hard to keep track of food trends in the age of food trends. Trends in food used to be simple: It was…
Canary by Gorji might be Dallas’ ultimate under-the-radar restaurant. It’s been open for over a decade, and chef-owner Mansour Gorji, with two Texas Steak Cook-Off championships under his belt, has been serving top-notch cuisine there all the while. But for whatever reason, Canary doesn’t get the love it deserves. Maybe…
Quill is many things, but understated is not one of them. Walking into the new Design District cocktail lounge, you become immersed in emerald, brass and dramatic, sweeping light. White marble is offset by luxe green lounge seating and sharp tilework that gives even the bathrooms a touch of drama…
Welcome to “You Like This,” in which we ask chefs two questions: 1) What’s the best-selling dish at your restaurant? and 2) What’s your favorite dish at your restaurant? We hope the answer to the first question will open your eyes to the fan favorites and the Dallas palate, and…
Just shy of two years ago, I was sitting at the recently-opened Ivy Tavern and chowing down on a mediocre pub burger. The burger was dull between toasted sourdough. Overpowering, raw red onion and an under-salted patty left me studying an iron falcon above the bar instead of celebrating the…
Sweet Denton is on a roll lately when it comes to getting cool new stuff and it appears their momentum isn’t slowing anytime soon. Today, Audacity Brew House (Denton’s first brewery) and Travelstead (where Oaktopia Festival is held) announced they’re partnering to open the Audacity Brew House at Travelstead in downtown…
Like a bun gathered neatly at the crown of Uchi’s head, Top Knot is pretty and elegant without trying too hard. The same could be said of dessert at this Dallas hot spot. Take, for example, their pear nabe. Named for the heated clay pot it’s presented in, this straightforward…
Unleash your inner Dowager Countess of Grantham at The Dallas Arboretum, which is hosting a special three-course spring tea on weekdays from now through April 8. Guests will enjoy three courses of ginger carrot consommé, assorted tea sandwiches and a dessert course. To attend the tea, you must be 13…
Hold onto your hat, cowboys: Kitchen LTO — the Trinity Groves “permanent pop-up” that swaps menus, chefs and artwork every six months — is opening tonight with a new menu filled with dishes like buffalo-fried quail, whole rabbit and smoked antelope ribs. Dinner service starts tonight, brunch kicks off this…
On Wednesday, Hypnotic Donuts celebrates the grand opening of its latest sweet endeavor: Hypnotic Emporium, an old-school soda fountain, ice cream spot and candy store opening next door to the quirky East Dallas doughnut shop. Hypnotic Emporium isn’t a trendy wink at the old-fashioned soda fountain – the music, the…
The bamboo basket is set gingerly on the table, the lid pulled back with great flourish as steam fills the air. Inside, eight curious little pouches – each about the size of a small fist – sit, perky and rotund, as a savory smell wafts from the traditional steaming basket…
I hope you’re wearing blue and yellow today, because Leap Day is upon us. A magical day that happens only once every four years, the non-holiday became a pop culture mainstay after “30 Rock” devoted an entire episode to inventing Leap Day mythology that includes, but is not limited to:…
Somewhere in the confusion of one-way streets and skyscrapers is one of Dallas’ oldest steakhouses, except for one minor detail — it actually isn’t visible at street level. If not for a sign and valet stand, it would be very easy to forget Dakota’s even exists. The Reunion Tower may…
Once upon a time, there was a Dallas Observer food writers’ meeting. The subject turned, as it always does, to pizza. News flash: We really, really like pizza. Then I mentioned a Chicago-style restaurant that might make for a good article idea, and the mood changed in an instant. The…
When the aptly-named Hickory & Fry opened in Denton’s Fry Street district early last year, I told anyone who would listen how excited I was we were finally getting a tapas bar. “A TOPLESS bar?!” they said? Um, no. Sadly, Hickory & Fry announced via their Facebook page yesterday they…
Jimmy’s Food Store, Dallas’ beloved ma and pa grocer turned Italian specialty shop, is now 50-years-old. Their sausage and meatballs are the best in town—having them on the menu is a good get for virtually any restaurant. These folks have a complicated understanding of what Italians want. They have deep…
Things are polished at Sugarbacon. Splatter-pattern art, like an alien ocean, sparkles near the entrance. Shiny copper reaches the ceiling behind the bar, and a couple of TVs, encased in smooth black, glisten. Sitting at the bar at Sugarbacon, looking towards the glowing liquors with the big chalkboard announcing draught…
Sartre argues that Hell is other people. I disagree. I think Hell is living in a city without Indian food. Currently there are only two places in Denton to satisfy your curry craving and I can only in good conscience recommend one. Recent real estate dealings had locals worried about…
To the uninitiated, the restaurant scene in Dallas can feel overwhelming. I would know, having recently moved here myself to cover food for the Observer, a daunting task in a metropolitan area with such a vibrant, diverse food culture. Southern, Vietnamese, Cajun, barbecue, Japanese, Tex-Mex, French-continental — with everything from steakhouses…
The Denton location of Taps & Caps, a growler shop featuring a rotating selection of 50 taps, will host BrainDead’s latest food and beer dinner and bottle release. The four course dinner features tequila shrimp, roasted Brussels sprouts with cactus fruit syrup, rye battered chicken and stout beer chocolate cupcakes…
