Hot off the butcher block is a concept boasting duality in downtown Plano. By day, Bar-Ranch Steak Co. is a quaint little butcher shop where you can grab a sandwich and a beer for lunch. But by night, it’s transformed into a luxury steakhouse. Bar-Ranch, located in the former spot…
If we had to identify just one way the pandemic has hit us all, we’d guess it’s the warping of our sense of time. Days and weeks run together, months lurch onward, and we find the holidays just around the corner. Back in the spring, we heard of OAK’D Handcrafted…
At first we saw the news release and thought, “Really? Dallas is getting another hot chicken joint?” No. This one’s going to Plano: Hot Chicks Nashville Hot Chicken plans to open in just a month. This spot brings scratch-made, halal, dairy-free, peanut-free hot chicken with varying heat levels. We’re excited…
There have been numerous times during the past eight months of the pandemic that a plate of comfort food has made the world seem better for at least 15 solid minutes. Three of those occasions have been at Cuquita’s Restaurant. While you get chips and salsa here, wait just a…
While COVID-19 continues to affect commercial real estate downtown, West Dallas’ planned development district has attracted a new leaseholder. Soiree Coffee Bar opened its doors with music and a private event in Trinity Groves in mid-October, and the coffee shop and jazz bar officially open to the public Oct. 24…
It was the day after November’s time change, and suddenly nighttime felt a lot earlier. It seemed sleep should arrive much sooner and, admittedly, there wasn’t much motivation of any kind to get things rolling for the upcoming week: Sitting around doing nothing and possibly ordering some food of any…
Coppell Deli is more of a diner than a deli, but sandwiches absolutely play the starring role here. And if the sandwiches are stars, the breakfast sandwiches are the equivalent of an astronomer’s bright giants. The Stubbs breakfast sandwiches, named after the early-1990s Dallas Cowboys player Daniel Stubbs, are still…
Around this time of year, massive groups of grackles flock into Dallas. This year, a new type of migratory bird has joined them in increasing numbers. That bird? Nashville hot chicken. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, Nashville-style fried chicken has grown from a pop-up trend into a Dallas staple…
Each weekend, Matthew Johanningmeier, a video producer, director and editor by day, dons his signature bonnet and bandana to become the Dough Dealer, purveyor of local, made-to-order cookie dough. But before you ask, he’s not the Dough Dealer because of that. The name is partially inspired by Future’s “Move that…
Walk down North Bishop Avenue on a Saturday, and it may seem like things are almost normal. Of course, they’re not. You’re actually in the new normal that’s seemingly here to stay. People are wearing masks, patio tables are spilling into parking spaces and you might be dodging groups of…
In Texas it can be said that barbecue is king. One thing that’s better than barbecue is a barbecue restaurant that has tacos on the menu. In Dallas-Fort Worth, there are many choices when it comes to the barbecue, many of them on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 list. And since…
There are some festive sweet goods coming out of Bishop Arts this weekend worth breaking a keto diet. The Salty Donut, the doughnut shop bringing breakfast goods of total excess, has announced a few items to get us in the Halloween spirit, and we’re willing to get a sugar overload…
There’s a Texaco gas station just south of White Rock Lake, not far from the Hollywood/Santa Monica neighborhood, where all seems pretty typical except for some signage at the peak of the building: “Pupusas to-go.” We’re betting that the $1.39 pupusas from this place will make you pretty happy. There’s…
Brooke Brooks has a full-time job as lead information architect at Southwest Airlines. Yeah, it’s a brainy thing. She’s wicked smart, but that gig isn’t what we’re here to talk about today. We’re instead focusing on her other passion, from eyeball Jell-O shots at neighborhood Halloween parties to cupcakes the…
“One bite takes you home,” promises the slogan of Oak Cliff Cookie Co., a cookie pop-up run out of the home of chef Juan Moreno. In Moreno’s case, home takes him back to Michoacán, Mexico, and his first experience in the kitchen at 7 years old in his grandfather’s restaurant…
Elm & Good opened on the western edge of Deep Ellum in August with chef Graham Dodds at the helm. There was a hullabaloo with the news, but things seemed to have slowed down a bit: It’s not hard to get a reservation, and on our visit, the space had…
We’ve liked plenty about El Pueblo in North Oak Cliff. Three years ago, critic Brian Reinhart said the restaurant “has Mexican food so good, six enchiladas might not be enough.” On a recent morning with shockingly cold temperatures (relatively), another dish offered wonderful comfort: chicken mole. Whole pieces of chicken…
Greenville Avenue Pizza Co. frequently has pizza specials on the menu, but now it has a pie created with the help of interns from downtown’s Cafe Momentum. This news was supposed to come out months ago, “but then COVID hit so it got pushed back several months, but we are…
There sure are a lot of spicy items these days. At the Observer, we’ve recently noted spicy nuggets from McDonald’s and a spicy chicken sandwich from Shake Shack. Of course, Popeyes included a spicy option when introducing its chicken sandwich. Why the emphasis on spicy? One contributing factor could be…
Two years ago, Ichigoh Ramen Lounge quietly took over the Deep Ellum space previously occupied by Tanoshii. It’s owned by George Itoh and Andy Tam, who came from New York City to Dallas after falling in love with the Deep Ellum neighborhood. Itoh has more than 26 non-consecutive years of…
With parties, haunted houses and trick-or-treating canceled or adapted for social distancing, Halloween is looking a little grim this year, but not all is lost. If you want to raise your spirits, so to speak, upgrading your candy game is a great option. Whether you’re looking for spooky-themed sweets or…
We might not be able to go out and about in the streets right now, but Crushcraft Thai Eats is still serving some tasty dishes. Plus, many of the items are under $10 and make for filling, comforting meals. Your safest bet is home delivery, but if you go to…
