Mole, complicated in both production and flavor, is one of Mexico’s traditional sauces, so traditional, in fact, its name translates to sauce in English. Mole is also one of my favorite delicacies. It’s a delicacy because its making is reserved for large family gatherings and celebrations in the home. While…
Of all the different kinds of restaurants, the neighborhood joint may be the hardest to successfully pull off. Say you want to open a fondue shop: All you need’s a collection of cheese melting pots. Do you fancy yourself a high-end restaurateur? Get thee to the white tablecloth store! A…
When I heard that Screen Door had just opened a cash-only food cart called Squeals On Wheels that offers a variety of meat-plus-bread combinations (pork sandwiches, hot dogs, brisket sandwiches) for under 10 bucks, after blurting out, “Fuck this PTA meeting!” I headed straight for One Arts Plaza. My inner…
Today’s the greatest day of the year around City of Ate headquarters, where most of us are decked out in costumes of varying degrees of good taste, reminding everyone else in the building why they’re sorry to have us here on the seventh floor. Best of all, it means this:…
We’ve been on hiatus, but now we’re back to give you the scoop on restaurant openings and closings in October. It’s been a slow month for restaurant openings, but the future looks bright. California chain Fatburger announced this week that they’re in talks to open 10 stores in Dallas within…
Here’s the thing about rockers (or, at least, the sort of rockers who are drawn to restaurants with cowhide upholstery and pink damask wallpaper): They don’t wake up before noon. That means Rock n Taco stays relatively empty until around 2 p.m., when a few spaced-out customers who like to…
When I pulled into Reyes Mexican Restaurant, there were six cops walking out and another three walking in. I sat in the car for a second wondering if major shit just went down at this place, or if some major shit was just about to go down. Either way, my…
A round of cupcake roulette, wherein a pill of cyanide is hidden in one of a dozen cupcakes, is preferable to clothes shopping, doubly so when the shopping is for a wedding, and I’m sent out on a solo mission to “Find the perfect tie. But not too perfect; that’s…
A week-long soft opening is the way to go when you want to draw in the crowds, at least that’s what State & Allen Lounge owners Jonathan Calabrese and Anthony Winkler bet on — and won — with their the new Texas-themed sports bar, The Nodding Donkey. At the corner…
Rock stars—real rock stars, not the earnest unsigned musicians who always remember to fold up their friends’ sofa beds and invite their parents to their CD release parties—are unrepentant egoists. They’d rather curse than converse, rather wear meat than cotton. They love themselves dearly, and are devoted to making sure…
While I was on Harry Hines rug shopping (no, that’s not a euphemism), I discovered El Paisa. Its menu is simple: just tacos, burritos, nachos and quesadillas. More important, the food is cheap as hell. We’re talking $1.40 per taco. They’ve got indoor seating, but I hit up the drive-thru…
When I first moved to Dallas, and was trying to figure out my neighborhood’s food scene, my online research kept pointing me toward Kuai, a dumpling joint on Elm Street. I scoured Elm Street, but couldn’t find it. I had no idea then that the restaurant was beneath me, tucked…
Having dined at Go Fish Ocean Club only on weeknights, I can’t imagine the clamor that must quake the far north Dallas restaurant on weekends. Perhaps it’s a function of the way the dual-level space is divided, but Go Fish can be frightfully loud. Every punch line uttered and touchdown…
I originally heard about Off The Bone Barbeque because of its baby back ribs, but I’m anti-baby-eating, so I opted for the smoked sausage sandwich (for $5.75) and a side of coleslaw ($1.75) with an A&W root beer ($1.25). Recently, Off The Bone closed in its patio and it’s even…
When I first moved to Dallas, I made a list of all the canonical restaurants I absolutely had to visit if I wanted to get a handle on the city’s food scene. Unfortunately, my list amounted to what politicians would call an unfunded mandate, which is why crossing off every…
What intrigued me most about Aatish Grill, a new Mediterranean restaurant on Trinity Mills Road, was the short chef’s bio the restaurant stuck on its web site. “Our experienced executive chef Sami Ahmad from Dearborn, MI provides exquisite food,” the write-up promised. There are some phenomenal Lebanese restaurants in Dearborn,…
When I finally reached the front of the breakfast line on an exceptionally busy Sunday morning at Garden Café—having had ample time to settle on an egg-and-chili plate, flirt with the idea of ordering a feta omelet and renew my vow to find out how well the cherished East Dallas…
Check out part one and two of the State Fair food Reviews. The Observer this week set out to sample all the new fair foods that didn’t make the Big Tex competition finals. Here, part three of our deep-fried review:…
Wyland’s Ocean Blue isn’t any one thing. It’s a restaurant. It’s an art gallery. And it’s a darn good parlor game. The conceit behind the maritime eatery is that folks who like to look at paintings of drifting fish would no doubt appreciate finding the same composition on their plates…
Bars on a restaurant’s windows = lunch costs less than 10 bucks. It’s just a theory, but if a restaurant’s cheap-ass owners went for bars over an actual alarm system, there’s no way they’re gonna charge you an arm and a leg to eat lunch. I walked into window-barred Mai’s…
If you’re not Tweetin’, you’re not in on the eatin’ from the The Green House Truck. Every day the gourmet grub lunch truck tweets out highlights of the day’s menu. This week, with the air feeling crisp and fall-ish, they’re making lots of soups, all from organic produce. When they…
To celebrate Dallas Observer’s “Best of Dallas” 2010, available this week, City of Ate is serving up 100 of the favorite dishes we crave, savor and hope to scarf down again soon. These dishes are in no particular order. Some are little known, others celebrated. Some are pricey, others can…
