VOTED BEST PLACE TO WATCH A GAME DALLAS’ OLDEST AND BEST SPORTS BAR $3EVERY TUESDAY EVERY WEDNESDAY W/ BEVERAGE PURCHASE, DINE-IN ONLY LIVEMUSIC 1/2 LB BURGER RESTAURANT & BAKERY • 5 DFW LOCATIONS CINDISNYDELI.COM NY DELICATESSAN BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT > PARTENOPE Alison McLean Best Hot Chicken Hattie B’s Hot Chicken When the Nashville hot chicken trend rolled into Dallas several years ago, we scoffed. Tennessee is the Volunteer State, not the Muy Caliente State, and this is Texas, the eternal home of pepper bellies. So we headed off to one of the new “hot” joints and ordered the hottest they had, looking smug. After we woke up and could see again, we understood: What those Tennessee folks are volunteering for are medical experiments involving pain tolerance. So, they know hot, and they damn sure know how to fry up a chicken. Hattie B’s nails it with a crunchy crust that doesn’t overwhelm the bird with breading. It’s moist but not greasy, the non-lethal spices bring out the flavor of the meat and the pieces are plump. They offer bone-in and tenders along with a chicken sandwich and Southern-style sides including greens, baked beans and black- eyed pea salad. We can’t tell you about the hottest of their six heat levels … because we’re cowards. Apparently it’s a religious experience, as we’ve seen people at other tables jump up and say the Lord’s name. 3000 Main St., 469-425-8100 hattieb.com Best Indian 80 Urban Tadka A sign on the front of the building says “A Tradition From India,” and Urban Tadka delivers. The inconspicuous restaurant in Irving specializes in Punjabi food, which encompasses a wide variety of breads, curries and rice-based dishes. Try the specialty saag paneer, a dish that comes with marinated cheese cubes dunked in a spinach-garlic paste, or the goat curry, a rich tomato-based gravy mixed with goat meat. There’s no doubt that your palate will experience the full traditional Indian experience here. It might be a blessing that the restaurant no longer offers a lunch buffet; it’s hard to stop eating once you’ve started. 1800 Market Place Blvd., No. 190, Irving 469-420-9920, urbantadkadallas.com Best Italian Restaurant Partenope It’s been a good year for Italian food in Dallas. A number of big-name places have opened, but at the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with this cozy and charming corner spot downtown with Neapolitan pizzas from the owner-chef who is a Naples native. Also, don’t miss the from-scratch pastas, including the lasagna Napoletana. It’s made with smoked mozzarella, meatballs and ricotta and is available only on Friday and Saturday. Or go for the ziti alla Genovese, a quintessential Neapolitan pasta dish. Try to snag a seat so that you can watch the massive pizza oven. 1903 Main St. 214-463-6222, partenopedallas.com Best Japanese Restaurant Tei-An Tei-An is chef Teiichi Sakurai’s Japanese soba house located in the Arts District. While perhaps best known for his omakase, the chef and premium versions of this “chef’s choice” multi-course service requiring three days advance notice, Tei-An also excels in freshly made noodles, both soba (hot or cold with dipping sauces) and udon, as well as sushi, sashimi, ramen, umi, several small plates, daily fish collars, craft cocktails and an extensive Japanese whisky selection. Oh, and the bone marrow isn’t bad, either. It’s elegant dining at its finest. 1722 Routh St., No. 110 214-220-2828, tei-an.com Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant The Stix Icehouse Finding a place where you can relax with a cold beer, have good adult conversation and entertain your kids without the use of any electronic devices is like searching SEPTEMBER 22-28, 2022 DALLAS OBSERVER CONTENTS | SHOPPING & SERVICES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FOOD & DRINK | SPORTS & RECREATION dallasobserver.com
