13 June 19 - 25, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Monarch 1401 Elm St. Monarch’s wood-fire grilled and modern Italian cuisine is paired with one of the best views of downtown and is a go-to for feeling opulent on a night out. The welcome Cham- pagne, the elevator ride up to the 49th floor, the view from the bathroom (if you can be- lieve that); all of it has a certain je ne sais quoi that Dallas high rollers flock to. Re- serve a booth by the window, but be pre- pared for the $125 food and beverage minimum. You pay to play here. If it’s a weeknight, pop in for golden hour from 5-6:30 p.m. to get ahead of the cocktail prices and consider ending the night on a high note with the tableside tiramisu. Mirador 1608 Elm St. You know when you’re shopping for a $10,000 tennis bracelet and that inconve- nient pang of hunger comes right as you’re at the height of your shopping spree? No? Well, the ladies who dine at Mirador do. This penthouse restaurant is at the top of Forty-Five Ten, a luxury downtown depart- ment store, but any commoner can make a reservation for lunch, brunch or its after- noon tea service. It has a nice view of the heart of downtown from its patio (when the weather is right), and while the clien- tele may be high-brow, the service here can make anyone feel like they’ve earned them- selves a well-earned break after all the shopping. The Wicked Butcher 1717 Main St. Wicked Butcher is a steak house in down- town Dallas where swiping your company card has never felt so right. It embraces the cosmopolitan spirit of Texas and is celebrated for its acclaimed dry-aging techniques. The menu highlights the butcher’s cuts and com- plements them with an interesting variety of sides like corn creme brulee and mac and blue cheese, made with white cheddar bé- chamel and blue cheese. There are bold fla- vors here that seamlessly blend into the art deco design, which makes for an exciting eve- ning mixed with a tableside cocktail or truf- fle-infused Negroni. Brass Ram 2130 Commerce St. Brass Ram was built on the love for prime rib and serves the cuts front and center every night, instead of just weekends. The polished, retro-inspired dining room is one of the pret- tiest in Dallas, and the menu meets steak pur- ists and indulgent diners where they’re at. Its bar program is of equal consideration to the clean and concise dinner menu. Over 70 bourbons and whiskies are served here to complement (ideally) your cut of choice, but there’s plenty of wines and cocktails to try with theseafood specials and pasta they make in-house every day. The Liam’s Steakhouse 1713 N Market St. One of the freshest new openings in Dal- las’ West End is the family-owned The Li- am’s Steakhouse. Three generations brought the menu together, which fea- tures New American cuisine with fun twists like seafood-stuffed jalapenos and crab fingers. The dino rib is a head turner in the posh black and gold dining room, but we wouldn’t blame you for going with one of their Texas cuts. They even have a soy-based vegan steak, which definitely looks the part. Sassetta 1530 Main St. Sassetta aims to be a modern-day trattoria in the heart of downtown Dallas. Its re- fined, yet down-to-earth dining room is fit for a lingering dinner or apertivo hour for $10 bites and $8 wines by the glass. The chef leads a menu centered on housemade semolina pastas and crisp, perfectly blis- tered pizzas with inventive toppings. They make the ginger ale in-house here, as well as a handful of traditional Italian soda fla- vors. But even with the Italian influence, the whisky program has been slowly growing since it opened a few years ago, and can inspire connoisseurs to expand their tastes. ▼RESTAURANT REVAMP CAMPO VERDE RETURNS WITH FEWER LIGHTS AND MUCH BETTER FOOD THE RESTAURANT WAS A HOLIDAY TRADITION FOR MANY, BUT THE FOOD HAD ALWAYS BEEN MEDIOCRE AT BEST. A NEW CHEF AND OWNER HAS REVAMPED THE SPOT. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS B y Saturday morning, Arlington food- ies’ Facebook feeds were full of re- views of the new Campo Verde in Arlington from the night before. The Tex- Mex staple with a bit of Sonoran panache originally opened in 1983. Over four de- cades, the space became known for the toy train that circled overhead and a bazillion Christmas lights. I called it a “kaleidoscope of crazy” after my first visit, and I’ll argue to the death on the accuracy of that metaphor back in the day. The food was always marginal at best and nuclear at worst (the orange sauce served with the chips was neon). Up until a couple of years ago, you could still smoke at the bar, and the tables resem- bled those that my grandparents had in their kitchen in 1980. It was a time warp that many families pilgrimaged to, for bet- ter or worse, at least once a year, including me. (I even liked sitting at the bar lined with ashtrays). The original owners sold it a few years ago, and new owners gave the place a good scrubbing and tightened up the menu. But in January of this year, things seemed to fall apart, and the restaurant abruptly closed. Meanwhile, across town, chef Mouhss- ine “Moose” Benhamacht was improving Arlington’s culinary landscape with Cafe Americana, which is maybe the best restau- rant in Arlington. It’s certainly one of the most diverse, but with Arlington’s broad spectrum of wonderful Asian and Latin restaurants, that’s a tough landscape. Benhamacht and his partner, Liesl “Li” Best of Barbary West Hospitality, decided to reopen Campo Verde. June 6 was their first official night of busi- ness; a reservations-only crowd flowed in, ex- cited to see the space and try the food. First, let’s get this out of the way: Yes, the train is running, but the zillion Christ- mas lights have been scaled back signifi- cantly. A representative with the restaurants says they will definitely ramp up the decorations for Christmas, but for now, they wanted to keep the space bright — with plenty of twinkling lights — clean and airy. Of the many rooms that make up the restaurant, there’s a Santa-themed room, the same roomy bar and lounge, a tropical-themed Christmas dining room and a room with some Western flair. There’s also game room with a few claw machines and a Mrs. Pac-Man. We sat in a room toward the back, and if we go again, we would probably prefer a spot at the bar, but that’s just a personal preference (I like to be nosey and see what’s up). Service was as expected on opening night. Naturally, there were miscues, but considering how smoothly Cafe Americana runs, I have full confidence that Benhamacht and his team will work things out quickly. Despite any mis- steps, the team was gracious at all times. Smiles were handed out like baskets of chips. The menu, like Cafe Americana’s, encom- passes a broad range of plates. It goes high (tableside top-shelf guacamole) with nods to old classics (queso). There’s chicken-fried steak, enchiladas and steak flambe. Shortly after we were seated, a basket of chips and a couple of salsas landed on our ta- ble. The freebies are the thin, salted type, but our queso came with thicker chips with a dusting of spices akin to the signature old Campo Verde. There are appetizers, including the queso, which can be upgraded with proteins or pep- pers. There are also fried shishito peppers with an avocado ranch dipping sauce, ancho chili meatballs, ceviche and a shrimp cocktail. There’s a classic tortilla soup and a chef’s sea- sonal salad. Brisket is sprinkled throughout the menu; you can get it in queso, in a sand- wich (the Burnt Ends sandwich is $19 and comes with pickles “campo dressed” on a brioche bun with fries) and in tacos. The latter were one of our mains. The smokey and peppery tender meat is diced and served in three griddle-warmed tortillas along with guacamole, cheese and sour cream. We loved these. While there are chicken enchiladas, taco and flautas plates, there’s also a chicken- fried steak ($26) with black pepper gravy, which you can get topped with a cheese- stuffed chili relleno for $10 extra. We had a shrimp-stuffed relleno as our other main, and it was perfect; a thick, crisp coating swaddled a pepper stuffed with shrimp and gooey cheese. Each bite was met with little happy noises. Plates of Southwest roasted chicken, shrimp, salmon, rib-eye and baby back ribs round out the mains. That’s a lot of variety. The kids, Mom, Grandpa and that fussy cousin should all be able to find something that suits them here. We tried several drinks from the bar, and while an ancho reyes gimlet wasn’t as chilled as we would have liked (first night, not an ac- tual complaint here) the margaritas flowed effortlessly. Here’s what Campo Verde has going against it, though: It’s a lot better than it used to be. And for decades-long regulars, that could be a hard enchilada to swallow. Nostal- gia goes hard. And the elevated fare comes with an ele- vated check; four drinks, two mains and a queso were a wee bit over $100. I don’t re- member ever spending that much there be- fore. But, was the food worth it? Yes. The place is still festive and full of many of the nostalgic touches that made it special, but not in a seizure-inducing way. In a few months, after the sweltering heat of summer, hordes will once again be- gin descending on the place as they do ev- ery holiday season, wandering around the parking lot waiting for a table as they have for years. They may be in for a bit of a sur- prise — good or bad. It’ll be interesting to see if the new menu and designs are appre- ciated or if nostalgia will take over. Lauren Drewes Daniels The new entryway at the old Campo Verde is lush and green.
