In an effort to chronicle the tacos that make Texas so, well, Texas, two writers spent six weeks on the road eating their way through 10 cities. They drove 7,000+ miles, conducted 100 interviews and ate more than 500 tacos in their quest to chronicle the Texas taco. This weekend,…
On Sunday afternoon, Luck, the craft beer bar and restaurant in Trinity Groves, celebrated its third anniversary. Over the course of the afternoon and into the evening, attendees sampled beers from no less than seven DFW breweries, which span the range of the DFW area and the entire spectrum of…
It was love at first taste. The first time I ate the mazateño taco at Tacos Mariachi, I fell in love. The flour tortilla, from Oak Cliff’s Araiza Tortilla Co., is exquisitely crisp. The shrimp are fabulously sautéed, never overdone, never rubbery. The cabbage is crisp and light, offset by…
My office takes lunch outings seriously. We have a shared document listing nearby restaurants in categories like “Old Favorites,” “New Openings” and “Places That Have Changed and Are Different and Frightening Now.” If your office is similarly intent on lunching well, and is located anywhere near the intersection of Interstate 35…
Withhold your judgment, carnivores: There are 10 vegetarian burgers in Dallas that are downright delicious. I know — it’s a challenge to believe that’s possible. One of these veggie burgers is, somehow, even better than its beef compatriot. There are vegetarian burgers in Dallas that come with aromas of cumin…
It had been a long day at the State Fair of Texas. My friends and I tried the fried jambalaya (meh), fried clam chowder (tasty), fried PB&J (even better than the original!) and fried brownies (decadent). By dinnertime, we were feeling a little queasy and not at all hungry. “What…
When Ten Bells Tavern co-owners Meri Dahlke, Michael Hickey and Greg Matthews opened up the Oak Cliff pub four years ago, they had plans for good drinks and food. As time went on, their cache of regulars grew – as did a colony of cats on the back patio. “I am…
The North Texas barbecue scene just keeps getting bigger — and more spread out. Your favorite barbecue joint may be dictated more by location than by what’s coming out of their smoker. Not that it isn’t worth it to, say, drive 45 minutes for bacon burnt ends. If you’re in…
Lots of news this week in DFW dining, including new chefs, new restaurants and a return to TV for Dallas’ most outspoken chef: Knife’s John Tesar is headed back to TV, People reports. Both Tesar and chef Casey Thompson, who no longer lives in DFW but has ties to the area,…
We took a look at the bustling brew scene in Fort Worth last month, but if recent activity is any indicator, East Dallas is poised to restore some geographic balance to craft beer terrain in the area. Woodcreek and Hemisphere brewing companies are in full production in Rockwall, with Royse…
As the State Fair of Texas winds down on a Friday night, visitors flood the area in front of the gates on Parry Avenue, many waiting for the next DART train. There are quite literally hundreds of people milling around a space of one or two city blocks, right across…
The Red Dragon, a gorgeous cocktail now available at Bistro 31 & Toulouse, brings together Génépi liqueur, Casa Dragones tequila and Thai chili syrup. Génépi is an herbal liqueur similar to absinthe that is sometimes used as a digestif. In this cocktail, the strong and somewhat overpowering flavor of Génépi is…
The Grape’s latest iteration of their wine dinner features vino from Archery Summit Estates in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and special guest Eric Swindle of Crimson Wine Group. We’re pretty sure the dinner, titled Come As You Are, doesn’t have anything to do with Kurt Cobain. Unless, that is, the…
It was only a matter of time before some fast food industry titan hopped on the brunch bandwagon. And now Jack in the Box, the same company that brought us a round-headed mascot and combo meals that treat tacos like side orders, has developed Brunchfast, the all-day, drive-through friendly take…
When eating your way through the State Fair of Texas, one of the best ways to keep your insides happy is to exercise fried restraint. It’s like a food casino. Stick to a corny dog, zig-zagged with mustard, or the Game of Thrones-level turkey leg or anything dunked in hot…
A Facebook post by community organizer Luz Hernandez calling for a boycott of Corn Connection, an elotes stand in Dallas, spread like wildfire once Hernandez made the post public, and it set off a viral avalanche when Hernandez was verbally attacked on the internet by one of the business’ former workers. Hernandez…
All-American is a series that looks at beloved, longstanding North Texas eateries and examines their history while exploring how the food has changed — for the good or bad — over the years. Two bowls of gravy come with important instructions. One is mixed with spheres of sausage, and it’s…
Audacity Brew House brought back a crowd favorite this weekend when they launched the permanent return of Boss Raptor, an unfiltered IPA featuring five different styles of hops from four continents. The once experimental beer will now be a mainstay available on-tap at the brewery as well as distributed throughout…
Back in July, Kitchen LTO, the “permanent pop-up” concept at Trinity Groves that swaps out chefs and menus every few months, closed abruptly. “It’s funny — we thought that was gonna be good,” Phil Romano told the Observer in August when talking about the concept. “It worked in the beginning then it just…
Writing about Mi Lindo Oaxaca feels like breaking a vow of silence or unmasking a secret society. It’s a practically unknown restaurant in a practically unknown Oak Cliff strip mall. The front door and sign out front say “Tacos King.” Payments are cash-only and service is rarely in English; only…
Over the weekend, Craft Beer Cellar opened to the public in what used to be the Lakewood Papa John’s on Gaston Avenue. While there seem to be countless places in Dallas to purchase craft beer, from grocery stores to even 7-Eleven, Craft Beer Cellar seeks to be the place to buy…
It arrives at my table in taco form, thin dark strips filling corn tortillas piled high with pickled onion and something resembling Parmesan cheese. I pull one of the julienned strips of brown mystery out of the taco and taste it on its own. It’s smoky and moist, tangy from…
