Restaurants

When Deep Ellum’s Will Call relocated down Main Street to the former Independent Bar and Kitchen spot, they ended up with a new space and a new chef. Josh Farrell (you may know him from Nameless Chefs) has taken over the kitchen here, where he’s already impressing some with nearly…

You’d be forgiven for thinking of fall as that long-awaited party guest who shows up late then leaves early. The start of October still had temps in the high 90s, and Halloween week brought rain and some unseasonably cool weather with it. So when the clouds give way to sun…

A few years ago, I was meeting one of my mentors at the Rattlesnake Bar at the Ritz-Carlton. (Yeah, we can be fancy at times.) I think I ordered a Manhattan, then wings. (They were fancy wings, too.) “You really like wings,” they said. “Like, really.” Well, yeah, I guess…

Happy Halloween, Dallas. As you might be nailing down your costume, or reusing whatever you wore to last weekend’s Halloween party, some of us are throwing candy in bowls. Now, sometimes people get fancy — they may have the super-large candy bars or have some specialty chocolate. But mostly, were we…

Día de Los Muertos starts Thursday, Oct. 31, and lasts for two days, which means it’s a great time to learn a little about a traditional food behind this annual tradition. For a little background, the origins of Día de los Muertos are rooted in the Aztec empire, with a…

Dallas has a heck-ton of restaurants, and it seems nearly all of them have people wanting to serve brunch. And that’s fine: It means shorter lines and more options. It also means a lot of crappy ones exist. When we want a place that’s worth our time and money, it’s…

The Last Stand is the newest peddler of tacos (and burgers) in the iconic white and red cement taco stand at Davis and Bishop. They also serve beers and frychos, which can’t be bad.

You have until the end of the year to take in Capitol Pub on Henderson Avenue in East Dallas. Owners Cheryl and Peter Kenny have announced they’ll close the spot at the end of 2019. But with that, they’re also opening up a new place, Lochland’s Food and Spirits, come…

Some of us remember when it was new, and man, it’s hard to believe the Texas Veggie Fair marks its 10th year in Dallas. But here we are, and here it will be this weekend. It was previously in one of our prettiest parks, Reverchon, but they’re moving east to…

For a lot of us in town, we know about Cosmo’s Restaurant and Bar. It has a solid jukebox, delightfully retro decor and the perfect dive bar vibe. Somehow, many still don’t know that the best part of this place comes from the slip of paper that’s clipped to the…

When I learned Observer critic Brian Reinhart was heading to Nova for a then-upcoming review, I asked if I could crash a visit. That’s not normally something I’d do, he’s perfectly capable of eating and breaking down meals himself, plus he surely has cooler people to dine with. But he…

After the 9-to-5 grind, driving through Dallas traffic is a nightmare. Especially when you’re hoping to get to your favorite bar in time before their happy hour ends. Luckily for those who often struggle to crack that 3 to 7 p.m. window, Halcyon on Lower Greenville has drink and food…

A Dallas dining institution is poised to return to Uptown, with a more modern take on Tex-Mex this time around. By the end of the year, Primos MX Kitchen and Lounge will reopen at its original location after a six-year hiatus from McKinney Avenue. Along with it are new owners…

A foodie event known for smoked meats and cold beer with a cause-driven charity returns this November for its ninth year. Meat Fight is a local barbecue competition like no other. This year, 16 Dallas chefs will smoke meats in four categories: brisket, sausage, burnt ends and wild-card tacos. Most…

For many Americans, the concept of dining at specific times has dissolved away into a gradient of meals that span the entire day. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, midday snack, happy hour, dinner, after-dinner dessert, midnight snack: It’s enough to make Pippin from Lord of the Rings jealous of how many meals…

One of Legacy West’s most interesting shops is putting the “lit” in literature. Literally. While there are many Barnes & Noble locations throughout Dallas-Fort Worth, there’s only one Barnes & Noble Kitchen, which is far north of I-635. It’s a smaller version of the still remaining bookstore, with a full-service…

Among all the chain restaurants in Addison comes a delightful, new family-owned Italian concept. Hidden at the edge of a small shopping center in Far North Dallas, Speranza Italian Restaurant opened in September, serving hearty Italian food from family recipes. Speranza is owned by Mario Mala, along with his two…

After serving coffee for extended hours since 2008, Crooked Tree Coffeehouse closed its doors. But those doors will reopen soon as another place that will serve coffee, this time along with beer and wine and charcuterie in Fount Board and Table. “We’re operating our current business in there while still…

Cooper’s Meat Market, the tiny butcher shop in Sylvan Thirty, wants to redefine the steakhouse experience.

A lot of people love Mot Hai Ba, and that’s a good decision. Where we need to evolve though, is beyond calling it a Vietnamese restaurant. Chef Peja Krstic produces dishes far beyond that, and a plate showing that is one of the new items on his menu as of…

CiboDivino opened its second location in Dallas, Centro, just a few weeks ago in downtown’s Bryan Tower. The first location in West Dallas’ Sylvan Thirty is more of a market with lots of wine. This downtown spot is more along the lines of an eatery first with a selection of…