15 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 | in town. You may not find spaghetti with meat- balls, but you’ll find something interesting, and even inspired, among either your takeout con- tainers or the sheer sensory overload of this de- liciously overdecorated dining room. 1632 Market Center Blvd., 469-917-9000 Chilangos TaCos: Deep in the maze of ware- houses, industrial plants and nightclubs along Harry Hines Boulevard, Chilangos serves a short menu of tacos along with spicy elote cups and horchata. There aren’t a lot of taco choices here, but every single one can be made costra-style — that is, with the fillings of your choice wrapped in a golden-brown blanket of crisp molten cheese. 10777 Harry Hines Blvd. #130, 214-782-9772 Cosmo’s Bar & lounge: Tucked away at the cor- ner of Skillman and Live Oak since 2000, Cos- mo’s is a restaurant and bar boasting no nonsense, one-of-a-kind hospitality. With a ’60s lounge vibe, specialty cocktails and a menu with everything from gourmet pizzas to Vietnamese dishes, Cosmo’s has something for everyone. 1212 Skillman St., 214-826-4200 Dal Dong nae: This late-night staple of Dallas Korea Town serves enormous, family-style plat- ters of pork, bowls of raw oyster kimchi, huge simmering pans of stew, fried kimchi pancakes and other excellent ways to blunt the effects of the restaurant’s $12 soju and $4 beer. 11445 Emerald St., 972-484-2994 DamasiTa izakaya: Grab the city’s best gimbap to go — the two-inch-wide rolls, which resem- ble extra-large maki sushi but with added veg- etables, make a perfect picnic food — or enjoy comforting noodle soups. Excellent chive pan- cakes have just barely enough batter to hold the veggies together. Choose your gimbap fill- ing from bulgogi, spicy tuna or Spam; no mat- ter what, they’re great, and an incredible bargain. 2564 Royal Lane, 972-241-3760 Dansungsa: The scene picks up late at this clas- sic Korean joint. Grab a karaoke room or a booth in the bar, which have big, dark privacy shields covered in soju advertisements. If the ads inspire you, there’s plenty of soju to be had, along with a list of Korean, Japanese and Okinawan beers. The bar snacks, including bulgogi kimchi burri- tos and huge family-sized platters of crispy fried chicken, make DanSungSa a go to spot for late night food and beverages. 11407 Emerald St. #121, 469- 522-7399 Del sur TaCos: Oak Cliff’s taco sensation is the second location of a business that first opened in McKinney. But Del Sur Tacos has upped its game to compete with Jefferson Boulevard’s crowd of rival taquerias, with inspired specialty tacos featuring fillings like a chile relleno, excel- lent carnitas, cochinita pibil and birria. Grab some mulitas, too, and enjoy a dish of meat, beans and stacked tortillas that is tragically rare in the Dallas area. 720 E. Jefferson Blvd., 972-982-0004 eBesu roBaTa & sushi: Ebesu is an all-around excellent Japanese spot with no weaknesses and some unique strengths. Diners can enjoy great grilled fish collars, exquisite specialty sushi rolls and boxes of rice topped with salmon roe. 1007 E. 15th St, 972-212-4564 eDoko omakase: Chef Keunsik Lee, a Nobu vet- eran, presides over a thoughtful menu at this hidden spot in Irving. Some of the sushi items are traditional, but others reflect his Korean heri- tage or his decades of living in Texas, like the in- corporation of wasabi into salsa verde, or the choice to top a spicy tuna roll with dollops of guacamole and yucca chips. If you want, you can even have your sashimi served on corn torti- llas as a taco. The specialty here is in the name — a playful, fun, memorable omakase tasting in seven courses, in which Lee and his kitchen team will serve whatever they like, finishing with a parade of nigiri and sashimi. 1030 W. John Carpenter Freeway, No. 100, 972-600-8626 el Come TaCo: If you like Tacos La Banqueta but hate waiting in line, try El Come Taco, an Old East Dallas taco joint that’s well on its way to be- coming an institution. Everything at El Come is good, even the simple Jose taco with beans, cheese and avocado, but look out for unusual offerings like tripe, lengua, sesos (veal brains) and chapulines (grasshoppers). Big projectors make this a good place to watch a soccer game, too. 2513 N. Fitzhugh Ave., 214-821-3738 el PueBlo: Some of the best enchiladas verdes in Dallas can be found here, and if you agree with us, you can order them in an enormous platter of six or just get two as they come with sides of ride and beans. There are other hits on the menu too, including picadillo gorditas, len- gua tacos and divine mole. Stacks of tortillas make a carnitas platter or a plate of pollo en mole even more enticing. This is some of Oak Cliff’s best Mexican comfort food. 525 E. Jefferson Blvd., 214-946-3070 elm & gooD: Elm & Good, located on the bottom floor of the historical Kimpton Pittman Hotel on the edge of Deep Ellum, is equal measure a beautiful space and a culinary delight delivering modern fare with hyper attention on local pro- duce and wood-fired meats. The most steadfast carnivores will not just eat their vegetables but love them. A silky pâté made from sunchokes is polished off with gloss-like Lambrusco gelèe. But fear not meat eaters: grilled quail, blackened redfish or a 44 Farms bavette will quell your ap- petite. 2551 Elm St., 469-498-2525 enCina: When Encina opened in the fall of 2020, there wasn’t just the pandemic working against them, the restaurant was also taking over the former space of Bolsa, a beloved decade-old North Oak Cliff favorite. But with the leadership of owners Matt Balke and Corey McCombs, the menu and drink program are hitting it out of the park. The menu changes somewhat, but you can get the likes of tender pastrami, a decadent tur- key leg confit you could share (but you won’t want to) and perfectly crisp chicken thighs. 614 W. Davis, 469-620-3644 FaTToush meDiTerranean kiTChen: Fattoush is tucked away in an obscure strip mall in the even more obscure town of Pantego. Chef Bashar Al Mudhafar emigrated to the U.S. in 2010 after befriending American soldiers who frequented his Baghdad restaurant. Al Mudha- far is serving some of the best Middle Eastern food in North Texas. Try the grilled lamb chops dusted with ground pistachio or a fire-kissed kebab made with in-house ground lamb (he uses 5-10% beef and fatty pieces of lamb for more flavor). Anything from the Iraqi Grill sec- tion of the menu is a surefire winner. 2304 W. Park Row Drive, No. 25, 682-321-7650 gemma: When Gemma opened, it was a Dallas pi- oneer, bringing along the dressy-casual seasonal cuisine from co-owners Allison Yoder and Ste- phen Rogers’ last home in Napa. Since then, a dozen imitators have sprung up around town serving renditions of Gemma’s Mediterranean- accented, California cooking. Even specific dishes, like braised rabbit on pappardelle pasta, have radiated out from Gemma onto other menus. After the mandatory snack bowl of fried olives and pecans, indulge in some of Dallas’ best house-made pastas, and one of the state’s best wine programs. 2323 N. Henderson Ave. 3109, 214-370-9426 gorji resTauranT: Gorji is nearly a one-man show, with chef-owner Mansour Gorji buying the ingredients, answering phone calls for reserva- tions, greeting each table and cooking dinner with the help of a tiny handful of waiters and kitchen staff. The dining room is small, the atmo- sphere is intimate and each table is booked for only one party per night, which makes this one of the most romantic restaurants in Dallas. The food reflects Gorji’s background as both an accom- plished grillmaster and an Iranian-American im- migrant; sample Persian-inspired appetizers and then go for a flawlessly cooked steak or a cut of wild game. 5100 Belt Line Rd., No. 402, 972-503-7080 homewooD: Homewood makes its own pastas, fish sauce, hot sauce, cured meats and breads, grows a lot of its own produce and pairs every- thing with natural or organic wines, chosen be- cause they go well with food, rather than because they are famous. Pastry chef Maggie Huff is quite simply the city’s best, and she excels when she’s working with local, seasonal fruit. The menu changes almost constantly, but almost any pasta is a reliable bet, as are raw preparations of sea- food or beef. The brunch is formidable, too. 4002 Oak Lawn Ave., 214-434-1244 hunan BisTro: Hunan Bistro packs in customers looking for rustic specialties from its namesake province. Garlic cloves remain whole in stir fries, chopped-up chile peppers pile high, and some form of braised pork is on nearly every table. Whole croaker fish get fried without batter until their skins, and bones, are nicely crunchy. Don’t miss the quick-fried green beans. 2220 Coit Road, No. 420, 972-599-9996 huTChins BBQ: The best all-around barbecue joint in the area that’s open on a consistent basis is Hutchins, with locations in Frisco and McKin- ney. The appeal here is that everything across the board is excellent, from the thick slices of fatty brisket to the banana pudding for dessert. And, unlike some of its fellow barbecue joints, Hutchins doesn’t act like it’s aware of its glowing reputation. The original McKinney location is a no-nonsense, old-school dining room that doesn’t have the circus-like atmosphere of some of the bigger, more famous Texas barbecue des- tinations. Everything — all the meat, all the sides — is good. Hutchins might be the most well- rounded smoked meat joint in the region. 2220 Coit Road, No. 420, Plano, 972-599-9996 jamaiCan Cook shoP: This longtime Mesquite in- stitution serves some of the area’s best Caribbean food, including lovely beef patties with vivid yel- low flakey pastry crusts, lively bone-in curries and tender jerk chicken with eye-opening spices. The rice and peas (that’s Jamaican for rice and beans) are terrific, too. Excellent jerk chicken comes in heaping portions; there’s plenty to share. 2033 Mili- tary Parkway, No. 104a, 469-917-8417 jimmy’s FooD sTore: Jimmy’s is an East Dallas institution, a grocery store with a deli counter that pulls double duty cranking out the best sandwiches in the city. The Italian Stallion sand- wich is one of the biggest, baddest sandwiches around, loaded with just about every meat this superb shop has in its cases. The other sand- wiches are formidable, too, including one of the better muffalettas west of the Louisiana border. 4901 Bryan St., 214-823-6180 jonaThon’s Diner: You’ll find the city’s best chicken and waffles here, along with some of its best gravy with plenty of black pepper. Break- fast is served all day, but don’t skip the sand- wiches like the super-tall (and admittedly too big) club sandwich or the macaroni and cheese that’s full of love and no fanciness. 1619 N. Beckley Ave., 214-782-9273 jose: This upscale Mexican restaurant, conve- niently located near some of Dallas’ wealthiest neighborhoods, serves two menus. The first, which it debuted in 2017, is a canny Alison McLean Encina’s roasted beet and avocado salad >> p16
