D Magazine: The 100 Best Restaurants in Dallas
May 31st, 2013 | by AB
D Magazine just released their list of the top 100 best restaurants in Dallas in their June 2013 issue. Here are a few of our favorites that made their list. See what top restaurants are in your neighborhood!
Park Cities
Neighborhood Services | Cuisine: New American
Chef-owner Nick Badovinus has poured his soul into his restaurants, and it shows. Try the nightly special, especially on Friday night when Badovinus serves pounded pheasant Milanese. Any night is right for the Cleaver & Block burger—easily the best gourmet burger in Dallas. The place is always packed, so be prepared to wait. Badovinus’ diverse, egalitarian menu has something for everyone. Customers get hooked by new flavors, like the London broil, a 10-ounce corn-fed flat-iron steak served with skinny fries. 5027 W. Lovers Ln. Dallas, TX 75209 | 214-350-5027 | neighborhoodservicesdallas.wordpress.com
Spoon Bar & Kitchen | Cuisine: Seafood
John Tesar is focused on bringing stellar seafood fare to diners in Dallas. And so far, whatever he’s doing, he’s doing right. Our favorite starter was the stunning razor clam tartare with soft, tender bits of geoduck muscle. The desserts are all clever and delightful, thanks to David Collier, the award-winning pastry chef. Sit back and relax. The service here is impeccable. 8220-B Westchester Dr. Dallas, TX 75225 | 214-368-8220 | spoonbarandkitchen.com
Al Biernat’s | Cuisine: Steakhouses
Third runner-up in our 2011 Best Steakhouses issue, Al Biernat’s draws well-heeled suits and secretaries to the bar nightly. When the time is right, they order big meat and potatoes. Owner Al Biernat knows everyone by name, and if he doesn’t know you when you come in, he will by the time you head for the valet. Be prepared to see anybody who’s anybody here, no doubt enjoying the best filet (and best coconut cream pie) they’ll ever taste. 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. Dallas, TX 75219 | 214-219-2201 | albiernats.com
North Dallas
The Mercury | Cuisine: New American
Swanky as ever with its still-vital menu and consistent, reliable food, executive chef Chris Ward’s Mercury Grill elevates homey classics to gourmet status.It’s a special atmosphere, and the credit for that goes to Ward’s ability to craft refined food. The menu changes often, but don’t miss the cracklin’ chicken or house pâté. 11909 Preston Rd., Ste. 1418, Dallas, TX 75230 | 972-960-7774 | mcrowd.com
Mughlai | Cuisine: Indian
If you are fearful of Indian food, you’ll find plenty to eat here. Adventurous eaters will have a blast ordering from a long list of specialties from Northern India. Try the Murgh Malai kebab (chicken marinated in yogurt served on a cast iron skillet), then move on to spicy minced lamb with peas. Best Indian food in town. 5301 Alpha Rd., Ste. 14, Dallas, TX 75240 | 972-392-7786 | mughlaidallas.com
Suze Restaurant | Cuisine: Eclectic
Sassy restaurant with affordable upscale cuisine. The menu is highlighted with Kobe beef carpaccio, fried green tomatoes, and Szechuan pepper-rubbed tenderloin. Chef-owner Gilbert Garza is hands-on and eager to please. 4345 W. Northwest Hwy., Ste. 270, Dallas, TX 75220 | 214-350-6135 | suzedallas.com
Design District
Meddlesome Moth | Cuisine: Eclectic
Serial restaurateur Shannon Wynne’s funky-cozy venture on the edge of the Design District offers 130 beer options that rotate depending on co-owner Keith Schlabs’ predelictions and a superb authentic gastropub menu by chef David McMillan. Try the Moth Balls, spicy hummus, and a pint of whatever Schlabs recommends. 1621 Oak Lawn Ave. Dallas, TX 75207 | 214-628-7900 | mothinthe.net
FT33 | Cuisine: New American/Eclectic
Chef-owner Matthew McCallister’s season-inspired modern cuisine is gutsy and glorious. The menu is small and changes by the day, week, or minute. Crisp Belgian endive surrounded by pools of lemony aioli with rolled strips of house-cured duck ham and poached duck egg is a marvelous salad. Vermilion snapper in a Franco-Asian-style sauce, a smooth curry-carrot broth thickened with Vadouvan yogurt, is divine. Chances are none of these dishes will be available, but sit back and let McCallister cook for you. 1617 Hi Line Dr., Ste. 250, Dallas, TX 75207 | 214-741-2629 | ft33dallas.com
Oak | Cuisine: New American
The menu is simple, clean, global, and elegant. Extensive travelers chef Jason Maddy and owners Richard and Tiffanee Ellman have a story to go with each dish. Moroccan octopus and pork jowls was inspired by a dish the Ellmans discovered on their honeymoon to North Africa. Maddy cooked in Austria, and he brings a stellar version of veal schnitzel to Dallas. A Caesar salad is tossed with mint dressing, and a rack of lamb is rubbed with berbere, a spice mix from Ethiopia, and served perfectly warm and rosy red. 1628 Oak Lawn Ave., Ste. 110, Dallas, TX 75207 | 214-712-9700 | oakdallas.com
Uptown
Fearings | Cuisine: New American
Longtime Mansion on Turtle Creek chef Dean Fearing is riding high in the saddle of his ritzy restaurant. He has become the Big Tex of the restaurant business. His eponymous restaurant’s menu—elevated American cuisine—is a collection of upscale, homey dishes like prime rib-eye mopped over live mesquite served with creamed cornbread pudding and tortilla soup. The Rattlesnake Bar is for those who want to see and be seen. 2121 McKinney Ave. Dallas, TX 75201 | 214-922-4848 | fearingsrestaurant.com
Yutaka Sushi Bistro | Cuisine: Japanese
Rolls such as tuna and yellowtail center on impeccably handled fish, but Yutaka’s intriguing menu puts this bistro in the same league as Nobu and Tei Tei. Try the gyoza dumplings filled with spicy tuna, pan-seared until crisp. 2633 McKinney Ave., Ste. 140, Dallas, TX 75204 | 214-969-5533 | yutakasushibistro.com
Salum | Cuisine: New American
Chef Abraham Salum’s intimate spot has blossomed into a polished restaurant serving upscale American food in old-world style, such as rack of lamb in a mustard and truffle crust. The menu changes often. 4152 Cole Ave., Ste. 103, Dallas, TX 75204 | 214-252-9604 | salumrestaurant.com
North Oak Cliff
Bolsa | Cuisine: Eclectic
This cozy spot is a serious restaurant creating some of the best food in Dallas. The seasonal menu is in constant flux, focusing on fresh and local ingredients. A bruschetta sampler features prosciutto, fig preserves, Fuji apple, toasted pine nuts, and P’tit Basque cheese. Bonus: finely crafted cocktails and pocket-friendly wine list. 614 W. Davis St. Dallas, TX 75208 | 214-367-9367 | bolsadallas.com
Lucia | Cuisine: Italian
Chef David Uygur’s Lucia in the Bishop Arts District wins big for its neighborhood atmosphere and exciting preparations of crudo and quail. Don’t leave without trying the salumi, one of Uygur’s specialties, as well as the otherworldly bread and gelato, both of which have garnered praise. The food is not Italian in the traditional sense, but rather uses Italian inspiration as a starting point for inventive, handmade antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolci. 408 W. Eighth St., Ste. 101, Dallas, TX 75208 | 214-948-4998 | luciadallas.com
Driftwood | Cuisine: Seafood
Jonn Baudoin heads this casual, mid-level seafood restaurant where locals dine on Ugly Pug beer-battered merluzza, grilled octopus, and Wyoming golden trout on the patio. 642 W. Davis St. Dallas, TX 75208 | 214-942-2530 | driftwood-dallas.com
Knox-Henderson
Abacus | Cuisine: New American
The dining room is sophisticated and stunning, the service is professional and seamless, and the food is innovative without being too gimmicky. (Well, the lobster shooters are showy, but they sell like crazy.) Global entrées include a lovely bone-in filet. 4511 McKinney Ave. Dallas, TX 75205 | 214-559-3111 | abacus-restaurant.com
Mr. Mesero | Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Mico Rodriguez’s version of an American/Mexican menu offers the best of both. Steaks for those who must and classic Tex-Mex and regional Mexican dishes for those who want to taste the real deal. 4444 McKinney Ave. Dallas, TX 75205 | 214-780-1991 | mrmesero.com
La Duni | Cuisine: Latin
The La Duni empire includes La Duni Latin Kitchen and Baking Studio, La Duni Latin Cafe, and La Duni Latin Kitchen and Coffee Studio—each showcasing the talents of owners Taco and Dunia Borgia. The menu showcases South American and Mexican specialties like the pollo criollo and bife de cuadril. Sandwiches like the slow-roasted pork served on an airy popover are gourmet, yet affordable, making La Duni a great first-date spot in town. 4620 McKinney Ave. Dallas, TX 75205 | 214-520-7300 | laduni.com
Restaurant information from D Magazine. See the full list of D Magazine’s 100 Best Restaurants in Dallas here.
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