118 September 21 - 27, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER contents | shopping & services | Arts & entertAinment | Food & drink | sports & recreAtion Best Margarita Mango Margarita at Yellow Rosa Yellow Rosa is a special place. The entrance to the Deep Ellum cantina has speakeasy vibes (look for a sign on the sidewalk). Once inside, it feels like an escape to a cantina in a Mexican town. Yellow Rosa has a seasonal cocktail menu, but our favorite drink isn’t even on the menu: Ask for a frozen mango margarita, smooth and strong with a smear of Tajin covering half the glass. Yeah, we’ll lick it before each sip. It’s that good. The weekend brunch is lively and fun, and there’s usually a mariachi band on Sundays. 2901 Commerce St. 469-996-8969, yellowrosa.com Best Place to PregaMe an event at the AAc Happiest Hour Want to grab drinks and a bite before the game? Of course you do. That’s why you go. The pregame. Happiest Hour is within walking distance of the American Airlines Center, and it’s surrounded by other restaurants and bars, plus it has a great rooftop view and lawn. Before games, it’s a sea of jerseys. And despite how busy it can get, the service is always on point. And the food — from salads to a roasted half chicken — is good. For a wow factor, get the foot-long fried mozzarella logs for the table from the Team Happytizers menu. Five come in an order, so that’s 5 feet of fried cheese according to AP math. Other group options include a nacho tower. Nach-O Tow-er clap, clap, clap-clap-clap! 2616 Olive St. 972-528-0067, happiesthourdallas.com Best Sunday Sandwich The Chick- full-gAy at Alexandre’s This Oak Lawn bar has it all; it’s classy and fun, has great drinks and stellar service, it offers love and acceptance. Last summer they opened a new kitchen space and, don’t get us wrong, the kitchen at Alexandre’s is full of great dishes. But on Sundays (only) they dabble in the chicken-sandwich wars, serving a Chick-full-gAy sandwich with a side of waffle fries. The sandwich has a flaky exterior crust that keeps the meat moist, and it’s topped with briny pickles but none of the LGBTQ+ hate. And while you’re there, get the poutine fries. 4026 Cedar Springs Road 214-559-0720, Alexandres.com Best eMPanadaS Empa Mundo, World of Empanadas Empanadas are a Latin favorite consisting of the perfect formula of dough plus filling. Depending on the country, empanadas can be sweet or savory. But just like it absolutely owns soccer, no other country does empanadas like Argentina. Empa Mundo is a mainstay in Irving that offers a mostly Argentine selection of baked empanadas, which come with the oil-and-herb godsend known as chimichurri. The restaurant’s star is the traditional meat pie criolla, but no less impressive is the best vegetarian empanada in DFW: the humita empanada, a richly thick creamed corn stuffing perfectly complemented by the soft crunch of the tapa. The divey joint with walls plastered with international bills gives the place a true street-food feel. 3977 Belt Line Road 972-746-4516, empamundo.com Best Pancake Pineapple Upside Down Pancake at Snooze AM Eatery This is a pancake worth getting out of bed early for. Snooze’s pineapple upside down pancake is a signature piece. A fluffy buttermilk pancake is studded with ample chunks of caramelized pineapple, then covered with a house-made vanilla creme. It honestly channels tres leches energy. On top is a big dollop of mostly cinnamon butter. You can order real maple syrup for it if you need it. They were serving these pancakes in the VIP area of the Observer’s Morning After Brunch event last year and a group of us parked nearby and made repeated trips to their stand; we didn’t eat all the pancake samples that day, but we sure did try. Multiple Locations Snoozeeatery.com Best Food Tiktok The Rose Table Katie Rose-Watson truly knows the joy of cooking. With her infectious enthusiasm for a well-crafted dinner party, she has accrued a substantial following and some copycats. A few years back, Watson started throwing dinners for friends inspired by Disney movies. These are not kids’ birthday décor to go along with a Tom Thumb-bought Elsa cake. We’re talking sophisticated dinner parties
