12 April 10–16, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Maskaras Mexican Grill 2423 Kiest Blvd. This Oak Cliff spot is an ode to Mexican wrestling and tacos, but just as the high-fly- ing acrobatics of Mexico’s most flamboyant sport, the burritos here are over the top. Each burrito will set you back $15, but food snuggled in a tortilla has never been so worth it. The Burger Burrito here comes with a hot dog, french fries, steak and secret sauce. It’s hard to visit this spot without get- ting an order of the ahogados tacos and tacos dorados, so our advice here is one of every- thing. Del Sur Tacos 720 E. Jefferson Blvd. Del Sur Tacos on Jefferson Boulevard — just west of Interstate 35 with the angle-winged luchador on the logo — is one of our top 100 restaurants. The carnitas, cochinita pibil and birria are all excellent. The barbacoa is slow- roasted in banana leaves, and the spit- roasted al pastor is sublime. So, putting any of those in a burrito delivers amazing re- sults. This is a full-service restaurant with a full bar. ▼ OPENING AND CLOSINGS TO THE FLAME THE MEDDLESOME MOTH IS CLOSING AFTER 15 YEARS. SHANNON WYNNE DISCUSSES WHY. BY SIMON PRUITT F ifteen years ago, Meddlesome Moth, more commonly called “the Moth,” opened in the Design District, pioneer- ing the now-plentiful concept of a craft beer- focused restaurant. The Moth, along with The Common Table, were among the first in North Texas to host regular, multiple-course dinners paired with different styles of craft beers. In 2025, this is now quite common. Beer is paired with food, just like wine. Looking back on those early days, it’s easy to see the Moth’s owner and career res- tauranteur, Shannon Wynne, was a true trendsetter. Earlier this year, Meddlesome Moth an- nounced it would close permanently at the end of May, citing rising costs of many kinds. We sat down with Wynne, near the build- ing’s memorable stained-glass windows de- picting Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, to discuss the decision. “When Whole Foods starts propagating itself, everyone has access to good beer,” Wynne says of the rise in popularity of craft beer. “Every bar in town started having 100 beers on tap, so the market itself squeezed out that niche and made it very common.” Not to discount the Moth’s tasty menu (the wagyu pastrami is a favorite) or its unique chef specials written in chalk, but its calling card was always the beer selection. It’s largely hailed as a trailblazer in the Dal- las food scene, focusing on small local and obscure beer brands. Currently, the menu has dozens of canned, bottled and tap beer options sourced from all over the world. To this day, Wynne takes pride in not buying from any major brands like Anheuser-Busch or Molson Coors. “If it’s nasty common beer, we don’t sell it,” Wynne says with a smile. It was a winning formula for over a de- cade, but steady rent increases from build- ing owners forced Wynne’s hand. “We wanted to not be too pricey and be a neighborhood restaurant,” he says. “The guys that own the Design District, I don’t know what rate they borrowed their money. I don’t know what kind of return they’re looking for, but it didn’t fit into our plan for staying here.” Despite the closure, Wynne’s workload remains high. In addition to managing his restaurants—he also owns Rodeo Goat and The Flying Fish—Wynne is designing a new gangster-esque bar concept in Houston. As for Meddlesome Moth, the final day will be Thursday, May 20. Wynne says a few farewell parties will be held before then, and that those stained glass windows will be sold in a private Heri- tage Auction sale and are valued between $300,000 and $500,000. Final Hoorahs From April 20-26, the Moth will celebrate its 15th anniversary with rare beer tapping and three local brewery happy hours from 4-7 p.m., with the brewery owners on-site. Here’s the line-up: Monday, April 21 - Celestial Beerworks Wednesday, April 23 - Manhattan Project Beer Co. Friday, April 26 - Peticolas Brewing Com- pany On Saturday, May 17, Moth will host a Bon Voyage Brunch from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Yacht attire is suggested, and a menu of chef specials will be served. The restaurant rec- ommends making a reservation on OpenT- able. “It’s had a 15-year run,” Wynne says. “It’s been very well received, it has a loyal follow- ing. We’re just gonna let it go the way of the dodo bird.” ▼ OPENING AND CLOSINGS PUTTING DOWN ROOTS IN GP RADICI SETS OPENING DATE FOR GRAND PRAIRIE RESTAURANT. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS C hef Tiffany Derry is expanding her culinary reach across North Texas with a new location for her Italian food concept, Radici. Derry’s first restaurant, Roots Southern Table, opened in 2021, is an ode to Southern fare based on the meals she grew up eating at home. The two-time James Beard-nomi- nated chef and Top Chef alum opened Radici next door to Roots in Farmers Branch in May 2024. The Italian restaurant was one of Texas Monthly’s Best New Restaurants for 2025. This second restaurant will be inside EpicCentral in Grand Prairie, between Inter- states 20 and 30, along the President George Bush Turnpike. The entertainment complex is anchored around pickleball courts. It has a small lake on one side and several restau- rants, including Vidorra and Finch. The culinary vision behind Radici, which means roots, is based on Derry’s early career cooking in Italian kitchens and her extensive travels through Italy. Pastas are made in- house daily, and the open kitchen is centered on a wood-fired grill. It is lovely, as we dis- cussed in this review, “At Radici, Chef Tiffany Derry’s Ambition Knows No Bounds.” Floor-to-ceiling windows and rich bur- gundy hues frame the space. Derry’s busi- ness partner Tom Foley contributed some art to the space, inspired by his mother’s roots in Balvana, Italy. This restaurant will open on April 15. City of Ate from p11 Courtesy of Meddlesome Moth Longtime Dallas restaurateur Shannon Wynne reflects on 15 years of Meddlesome Moth before its May closure. Alison McLean Radici is an ode to the dishes Derry discovered traveling through Italy.
