20 OctOber 24 - 30, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents important chew factor: slightly crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and full of yeasty flavor and toppings that were not overpowering.” Light and fresh schmears are substantial but not overpowering, Vaughn continued. Bakers use organic flour and dark barely malt for character, and smoke their salmon in house. They select lo- cal producers for other ingredients, like Lusher’s Post Oak and Evan’s Meats. 3. Shug’s Bagels 3020 Mockingbird Lane and 4001 Lemmon Ave. When Shug’s boldly opened during the pan- demic (August 2020), owner Justin Shugrue promised to deliver the bagels that Dallas de- serves. Meaning, mainly, not Einstein’s. Shu- grue is a Westchester County native (north of the Bronx), here by way of SMU. He recruited restauranteurs and bagel experts from up North to help open this spot, as well as staging at a bagel spot in New York. The bodega-style bagels here are kettle-boiled in refurbished equipment prior to baking. You can get fat sandwiches loaded with meats, cheese, eggs, and so on, as well as traditional deli items. Two places tied for sixth. 6. Sclafani’s 6135 Luther Lane Sclafani’s opened just off of Northwest Highway and the Dallas North Tollway in January 2022. The Sclafani family immi- grated from Italy to New York City in 1890, where the family learned to bake bagels from their Jewish neighbors. The 12 flavors of boil-and-bake bagels are made daily in- house and come plain, with schmear or as a sandwich. The large restaurant offers a nice dine-in option for breakfast or lunch (it closes at 2 p.m.). Lunch sandwiches are all under $12 and include hearty options like The Flat Iron, a steak or chicken cheesteak. 6. Bagel Cafe 21 1920 N. Coit Road, Richardson Richardson’s Bagel Cafe 21 opened in 2020 and offers 21 kinds of bagels, including trendy rainbow orbs available only on the weekends. Stephen Jackson bought this res- taurant in September 2023. Bagels are mixed, boiled, and baked bagels every day in old-school East Coast fashion. The interior is a wee bit tight and designed for take-out, which is usually quick. The place offers a large breakfast menu (served all day) as well as a lunch menu with specialty sandwiches. Closing time is 1:30 p.m. during the week and 1 p.m. on the weekends, so don’t dawdle. ▼ FIRST LOOK TANGO ROOM’S NEXT ERA WITH NEW TALENT IN PLACE, THE TANGO ROOM IS CLASS WITHOUT PRETENTIOUSNESS. PERHAPS THE MOST “DALLAS” STEAKHOUSE. BY DESIREE GUTIERREZ I f you walk too fast, you might miss it. Tucked inside the Design District’s Dec- orative Center Dallas is Tango Room, a lavish 16-top dinner-only homage to the steakhouse. Tango Room, a Headington Companies concept (from Texas billionaire Tim Head- ington), subtly opened in 2021. In 2024, the jewel of Headington is entering its next era with a new executive chef and bar manager at the helm. “Getting a team together is like putting a great recipe together, you just have to have a little bit of the spice and a little bit of the salt and a little bit of the bitter and a little bit of this, and everybody’s got to be their own person, but also be able to work as a great team together and have a great vision,” Tango Room general manager Michael Ni- col says. Recipe complete. In the kitchen, David Gomez, a protégé of Headington Companies’ vice president of culinary concepts Coner Seargeant, makes his debut as executive chef. Behind the bar, Nolan Palladino, formerly at Comedor Res- taurant and Bowen House, follows Rye Pat- ton’s reign as bar manager. Both joined Tango Room in 2024’s second quarter. Walking into the Tango Room, not much has changed since its original opening. The rich burgundy entryway drapery offers es- capism from the Design District’s bustle. Past that, it’s luxury. “Pure class without the pretentious,” Si- mon Roberts, co-owner of Tango Room, says. “It’s always been about taking the pre- tentiousness away, but keeping the quality, having the knowledge, expressing our knowledge in a more laid back, more sophis- ticated, but laid back way. Unpretentious.” To the untrained eye, the luxury is in the at- mosphere. However, dinner is served in a gallery that could rival any museum. Tim Headington’s penchant for art be- gan with Headington Companies’ The Joule. His collection began with Richard Phillips, Tony Cragg and Andy Warhol ac- quisitions. “By the time The Joule was under con- struction in downtown Dallas, I’d devel- oped an even deeper appreciation for art and collecting, so shaping a collection that I thought our visitors would enjoy — pieces by Richard Phillips, Tony Cragg, Roger Hirons, Andy Warhol and more — was really the catalyst for collecting with the intent to share works,” Headington told PaperCity Magazine in 2022. “No matter where the pieces end up, I truly ap- preciate them — it’s not just a transaction for me, but rather a decision out of an emotional response.” “Sunny” by California artist Brian Calvin greets you at Tango Room. Andy Warhol’s “Diamond Dust Shoes,” Ezra Stoller’s 1962 prints and four Ed Rusha screen prints line the walls. The interior is inspired by Paris’ Chez Omar and Edinburgh’s Café ST. Hon- oré. Don’t let the lavish interior deter you. No jackets required. “No Jackets Required, is because that’s these guys,” Jeny Bania, Headington Com- panies chief marketing officer, says. “They want a place where they can get this experi- ence, but they actually don’t want to have to dress up and they want to be able to have a place where they can be comfortable in themselves.” Roberts hails from the exclusive Grai- leys, a membership-only wine brokerage with a five-figure minimum annual pur- City of Ate from p19
