56 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS BEST CHEF Belal Kattan @just_call_me_b___ Dallas has no shortage of great chefs. Every year, picking just one becomes harder. Syri- an-American chef Belal Kattan rose above the pack through sheer grit, curiosity and undeniable talent. The pasta enthusiast qui- etly honed his skill set at Gemma, Sachet, Carte Blanche, Cry Wolf and Georgie before launching his traveling pop-up, Bazaar. The multi-course experience catapulted him into the spotlight this year. The traveling tasting-menu dinners are deeply personal, with every course rooted in Kattan’s memo- ries while balancing modernization, com- fort and precision. BEST BRUNCH Knox Bistro 3230 Knox St., Dallas knoxbistro.com Knox Bistro was the first spot that beloved chef Bruno Davaillon glossed up when he joined the Travis Street Hospitality group. Davaillon turned the brunch menu here into a collection of French classics, and now it’s the destination for the hands- down best croque-monsieur in the city. Baked eggs and piperade find farm-fresh eggs floating in a red pepper and tomato stew. You won’t soon forget the maple pe- can sticky bun. Now that Knox Street is the center of the Dallas dining universe, that only makes grabbing a table for brunch at Knox Bistro more competitive. BEST NEW RESTAURANT Alára 1628 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas alaradtx.com Alára owner and chef Onur Akan doesn’t have a big budget for influencers or PR, so you may have missed this one. The Mediter- ranean dishes are particularly notable when they explore Turkiye, Akan’s home country, and Italy, which is inspired by his turn in the kitchen at Michelin-recommended Nonna. The Adana kebab is a hidden gem of charred cabbage and herbaceous chimichurri yogurt and the buttermilk panna cotta is a simple stunner with seasonal fruit. The dining room itself is homey, with shelves lined with Akan’s favorite cookbooks and his personal dining room table serving as the large option for big groups in front of the open kitchen. BEST BARBECUE Kafi BBQ 8140 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving kafibbq.com Halal barbecue was clearly missing in the North Texas scene, and Kafi pitmaster Sala- hodeen Abdul-Kafi has made his mark while filling it. The incredible wagyu beef from New Zealand that he sources for bris- ket, out-of-this-world dino ribs, burnt ends, and oxtail is melt-in-your-mouth good. But it’s that touch of family recipes with spices from Iraq that makes it something extra spe- cial. Try the cardamom banana pudding, which is closer to a custard than the tradi- tional pudding, inspired by his dad, or a square of basbousa, a syrup-soaked semo- lina cake made from his mom’s recipe. And the gorgeous cushions on the outdoor patio are the most luxurious seats at any barbecue spot in the whole state. BEST CAFE FOR WFH Halcyon 2900 Greenville Ave., Dallas halcyoncoffeebar.com/dallas Some things only get better with age, and bringing your laptop and headphones to Hal- cyon on Lower Greenville for a ridiculous seasonal coffee concoction is one of them. The huge, loud dining space can accommo- date you hopping on a Zoom or even an in-person meeting. The patio is quieter, for the two or three months a year when being on it makes sense. What’s better is this place doesn’t keep 9-to-5 hours — it’s open until 10 p.m. for the side hustlers and nighttime owls, with a wine and cocktail list to get into when the project gets too boring (or too exciting). BEST WINE PROGRAM Nuri Steakhouse 2401 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas nuristeakhouse.com There is zero chance of besting grand dame, Barbara Werley, at the wine game in Dallas. She’s created a string of amazing wine lists at Pappa’s Bros. Steakhouse, Stillwell’s, and now Nuri. Ask any important wine person who visits Dallas, and they’ll tell you they stopped by to visit with Barb on their trip. She knows how to get almost any bottle. She also knows good value, and at Nuri she’s pulled off the trifecta of having reserve bot- tles for ballers to order off-menu, funky and cool wines from places the average drinker isn’t onto yet, and a fair number of afford- able wines to pair across the steakhouse and Korean profiles. BEST TAQUERIA Tacos La Banqueta Puro DF 1305 N. Carroll Ave., Dallas tacoslabanquetapurodf.com The yellow and red facade of Tacos La Ban- queta Puro DF is a gateway to Mexico City-inspired fare in East Dallas. Its success has grown the taqueria into a Dallas micro chain, where you can get its signature suadero, cabeza and lengua at multiple loca- tions across the metroplex. The suadero is considered a pillar of East Dallas dining, and is a must-order when you go. We’re partial to the original location in East Dallas and another located in Arlington, but they all have plenty of table seating for your next fix. Don’t shy away, gringas, they’ve got a menu for you, too. BEST WINE BAR Blind Bishop 310 Sunset Ave., Dallas blindbishop.com Nearby Jefferson Boulevard may cast a shadow on this vino destination in Bishop Arts, but true wine aficionados know about this go-to for its wine education classes, Photo courtesy of Kade Dalt Belal Kattan Alára Photo by Lauren Drewes Daniels