14 December 11 -17, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents C o ur te sy o f Th e Vi ll ag e tacos pass our table; we ordered them (even after we’d already eaten). Did we mention the Cuban sandwich, full tiki cocktail menu or the pistachio tres leches we had last summer? Inside a used book store, past the cookbooks. Meridian The Village 5650 Village Glen Drive MERIDIAN IS IN IT’S NEW ERA: Eduardo Osorio is the new chef and has introduced a menu that still plays with the hearth that is the core of the restaurant. There’s fire-kissed white sturgeon, pork, duck, branzino and chicken. Hold- overs from the previous adminis- tration (chef Junior Borges) include daily bread, a strikingly similar burger. Smoked clams are served chilled with compressed honeydew, nuoc cham and cilantro oil. The dish that will change your life, though? Foie and Sea Island Corn- bread with shishitos, white cheddar brown butter and spiced honey. Splurge for the $12 caviar do-up and thank us later. Prime seating here is the chef’s table just in front of the kitchen. Meridian is a casually ele- gant space with a menu ripe for exploration. Norman’s Japanese Grill Oak Lawn 4002 Oak Lawn Ave. normansjapanese.com NORMAN’S? JAPANESE GRILL? Yes, the story goes that this con- cept is inspired by a Texan who developed an appreciation for Ja- pan’s culinary traditions while on deployment after World War II. The team behind it, Duro Hospi- tality, has put together a string of hits that includes Mister Charles and El Carlos Elegante, both of which are recommended in the Michelin Guide. So, the space is as meticulous as is the food. Stylisti- cally, it’s Western Japanese. Sit at one of the sushi counters, the lively bar or a cozy booth in the center of the room, each offering a different experience (the bar seats are usually saved for walk-ins). The menu ranges from fire-kissed A5 beef and a dry-aged cowboy rib-eye to dumplings and Korean fried chicken. Start with a han- droll, which is a unique DIY num- ber (don’t overthink it). Servers will help you hopscotch the sec- tions of the menu for a fantastic culinary adventure with Uncle Norman. Pesca Coastal Classics and Boozy Cocktails Trinity Groves, West Dallas 3011 Gulden Lane pescacoastalclassics.com EVER BEEN BAPTIZED BY A tor- tilla soup? Might get more con- verts if we started here. Jesus Cramona, who has built a taco temple at Milagro Cantina, opened this restaurant in the Trinity Groves complex in 2024. At first, he wanted to put a high-end seafood spot in this space, but read the room and decided instead for a moder- ately priced concept. The menu is coastal Mexi- can with sea- food boils, aguachiles and ceviches. There are classics too, such as black- ened catfish topped with crab and served with asparagus and garlic smashed potatoes, which is $28, a deal in these times. Fish and chips are solid as is the burger. The “Amazing Tor- tilla Soup” is just that. The space is colorful, and brunch is a good time out on the patio with all those big boozy cocktails. Señor Oink Taqueria Tropical Farmers Branch 12990 Bee St. sroink.com THIS IS MAURICO GALLEGO’S second restaurant in Dallas; his other is the sexy Ayahuasca Can- tina in Oak Cliff. This Richardson outpost is a tropical ode to carnitas (hence the oink) that will teach Dallas diners the many facets of this five-tool taco. Copper pots, ca- zos, imported from Mexico, do the work in the kitchen, where the pig- lets are boiled (too much?). The menu offers four “cuts” of pork (shoulder, rind, rib or stomach) and includes six options for the full build-out. We like the guajiro verde with cactus and queso fresco, but the classic version with pickled on- ions and cilantro is great as well. You’ll want to arrive extra thirsty; behind the tropical-inspired bar, they’re making fruit mixes from scratch, including a tepeche, a tra- ditional Mexican beverage made from fermented pineapple with hints of ginger. Yes, you can buy it by the liter, and, yes, you should (whether you take it home to mix with rum or tequila is up to you). CLASSIC DALLAS RESTAURANTS Friends in town and want to show off a bit? Visit one of these places for character, culture and flavor. Cafe Madrid Knox-Henderson 4501 Travis St. cafemadrid-dallas.com THIS SUMMER, WE GOT reacquainted with Cafe Madrid after learning of owner Donica Jimenez’s re- fusal to sell out to finance bros (the group that has swal- lowed every- thing else on the block). A Spaniard at heart, she opened this spot 40 years ago to bring tapas culture and community to Dallas. Small plates of cheese, Ibérico ham, albondigas and lamb spread out over tables, anchored by pitchers of sangria and glasses of wine. The broad cross-section of diners speaks to its appeal: Katy Trail walkers, moms and dads with the kids out for an early din- ner, artists later at night and a vari- ety of languages at all hours. Salud to sticking to what you believe in and maintaining an essential part of Dallas’ culture. Cafe Momentum Downtown 1510 Pacific Ave. cafemomentum.org CAFE MOMENTUM IS A nonprofit venture that employs young adults previously involved with the justice system and pays them fair, living wages to help teach them life skills, leadership and, of course, how to work in a restaurant. Because of the employ- ees’ fair wages, any tips left behind are considered donations to the mission. As such, it’s easy to praise the restaurant without ever men- tioning food, just by dwelling on the life-changing effects it has on young peo- ple who deserve this chance to work and grow. But here’s the thing: Cafe Momentum is a genu- inely great restaurant, one that consis- tently manages to stand out from the crowd. Cris and John Viet-Mex Kitchen Far North Dallas 6090 Campbell Road crisandjohn.com CRISTINA MENDEZ AND JOHN Pham opened Cris and John in 2017 in a North Dallas strip mall — bookended by a 7-Eleven and a laundromat — and have stood out with a creative blend of Vietnam- ese and Mexican street fare. They recently relocated further north, with more parking. Center of the menu is the phoritto, which com- bines all the goodness of a bowl of pho into a toasty tortilla. From there, the menu expands to bao, tacos or banh mi with a variety of fillings, or more traditional pho and ramen. Want loaded fries and spicy wings? Cris and John has you covered, blending cuisines like few others in the city. Gorji Restaurant Addison 5100 Belt Line Road chefgorji.com GORJI IS NEARLY A ONE-MAN show, with chef-owner Mansour Gorji buying the ingredients, an- swering phone calls for reserva- tions, greeting each table and cooking dinner with the help of a handful of staff. The dining room is small, the atmosphere is inti- mate and each table is booked for only one party per night, which makes this one of the most roman- tic restaurants in Dallas. The food reflects Gorji’s background as both an accomplished grillmaster and an Iranian-American immigrant; sample Persian-inspired appetiz- ers and then go for a flawlessly cooked steak or a cut of wild game. Jonathon’s Diner Bishop Arts/Oak Cliff 1619 N. Beckley Ave .jonathonsoakcliff.com HERE YOU’LL FIND THE CITY’S best chicken and waffles, along with some of its best gravy with Cafe Momentum offers delicious food with a feel-good mission. City of Ate from p13 Meridian reopened with a new menu. N at ha n H u ns in g er Cafe Madrid is home to tapas. Kathy Tran
