11 December 8–14, 2022 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Month XX–Month XX, 2014 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER | Contents | Unfair Park | sChUtze | featUre | night+Day | CUltUre | Movies | Dish | MUsiC | ClassifieD | Worth Every Penny The Top 100 restaurants of 2023. by Lauren Drewes DanieLs T his time last year, the restaurant industry was still shaking off the pandemic like a blindside blow from a middle linebacker. It was a slow, one-foot-in-front-of-the- other recovery from labor challenges, prod- uct shortages, crazy weather and inflation. The ride through 2022 has been smoother, but not without its own set of challenges. Food and labor costs continue to hurt. Kelsey Erickson Streufert of the Texas Restaurant Association says that food com- modity prices — the cost of basics like dairy, fresh vegetables and meat – are up 27.5% year-over-year. Labor, utilities, and rent and mortgage payments are also up. Inflation has sent wholesale food prices soaring, surpassing the highest point ever — the 1970s — in terms of cost. Simply put, every single item used to cre- ate a dining experience costs more — the Texas Restaurant Association estimates as much as two to three times more than just two years ago. For an industry that runs on tight margins, these costs are hard to force down. And sometimes that means passing costs along to diners, but not too much for fear of losing business. But Dallas people are a fickle bunch when it comes to a good time and an even better meal. It’s safe to say this city has a work-hard-play- hard quality. So as dubious as the data seems, the local dining scene is as vibrant as ever. “Despite unprecedented cost increases, consumer spending in restaurants continues to tick up because restaurants offer an expe- rience with tremendous value,” Streufert says. “Menu price increases continue to trail grocery, 8.6% to 12.4%, and even more im- portantly, consumers value the time they can save and savor at a restaurant. Restau- rants that continue to deliver a high-quality experience will remain competitive even in today’s inflationary market.” New restaurants have opened this year at a rapid clip, and high-end spots still have long lists for reservations, weeks out. Some people see eating out as their most basic form of self-care and would rather cut back elsewhere. So when we took a broad look at restau- rants to consider for our annual updated list of Top 100 Restaurants, a theme emerged: a good time. Despite the challenges, Dallas of- fers a bevy of beautiful spaces to dine with exciting food that makes passing on pedi- cures and Botox worth it. So we hear. Perhaps after dining rooms closed in 2020, the industry and diners alike rolled back in with a renewed appreciation, even at a cost. And for that we are thankful. Below are a dozen new restaurants we’ve added to our Top 100 list this year, along with an edited version of restaurants we kept on the list from last year. Each, in its own way, makes Dallas a diverse and excit- ing place to dig into. Chris Wolfgang contributed to the follow- ing: New This Year anise 5630 Village Glen Drive, 469-659-6376 L ocated in the Drey Hotel, Anise snagged Rene De Leon Jr. earlier in 2022. He’s a chef whose resume includes the lauded Alinea in Chicago, French Laundry, Noma and the now-closed Bullion closer to home. Chef De Leon added pan-Meditteranean dishes to the menu such as light bacalao frit- ters (the dried and salted cod are popular market fare in Spain) with a sunny touch of citrus, and ever-so-slightly fried octopus over gigante beans. The whipped ricotta topped with grilled fruit is beautiful. The space is equally sharp. A gaggle of rattan lampshades hangs over an impeccably de- signed dining room. The bar and patio on the front side of the restaurant offer a | City of Ate | t Dish >> p12 Alison McLean National Anthem’s Low Country pork chop the Douglas’ whiskey carrots Knox Bistro’s souffle au fromage Sister’s pesto fusilli
