This rich beefy broth is amped up with fresh cliantro and a lot of lime juice.

​When we got notice of a new taco shop opening, we immediately considered our lunch plans solidified. Taco Stop, the new taco stand that opened this Monday in the Design District (1900 Irving), has a lot going for it with respect to Observer employees. For one, it serves tacos, which we've been known to indulge with great enthusiasm in the past, but more important, it's close to our office. Proximity is everything when you need a quick lunch. That it treats your previous evening's excess is an added bonus that seems perfectly tailored for City of Ate.

Hangover Helper is a warm cup of sustenance. Owner Emilia Flores cooks down beef shanks to make the rich broth, which she dresses up with freshly chopped cilantro and a big hit of lime juice. Its only fault is the tiny cup in which it's served. I wanted to take home a thermos with me. In fact, I'd bathe in that broth should a suitable vessel be made available.

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Catherine Downes

Sundown at Granada

​January proved to be a busy month in the Dallas food scene. The highly anticipated Sundown at Granada opened its doors, along with a handful of other eateries.

Read on for the full opening and closing slate, and be sure to share tips about restaurant openings or closings in the comments section below or at dish@dallasobserver.com.

Openings:
Sundown at Granada: The restaurant and beer garden is owned and operated by Granada Theater owner Mike Schoder.

Liberty Burger The burger joint at the corner of Forest and Inwood offers a ton of fancy burger selections.

303 Bar and Grill: The new Oak Cliff restaurant's menu offers everything from kale wraps to duck-fat fries, and its namesake bar special is guaranteed to eff you up.

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​Late last night Pegasus News reported Horne & Dekker, the spot known for its popular Hangover Brunch, had closed. The story hit the twitterverse and reactions were pretty consistent. Not many readers were surprised. Neither was I.

Last summer I was a Dallas newb. I had a handful of restaurant recommendations from a chef I knew back in D.C. and I was working my way through his list one by one. Horne & Dekker was on that list. "Hangover Brunch, what more do you need to know?" the chef said in his email. That was a good enough endorsement for me.

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The Commissary

​Last week we got word of John Tesar's trifecta of plans for 2012.

First, he's sold his share of The Commissary to co-owner Lucy Billingsley and plans to open other two other independent Commissaries; one at Northwest Highway and Midway and the other in cowtown at the Museum Place.

Then, in April he'll be operating a London-style double-decker bus, which will serve hamburgers and street fare. The "Burger Bus" has a second floor lounge and, obviously, can be in a different place every day. Imagine the permit process for that. (If there isn't one, give'm time. Some one is probably writing a new code right now.)

And finally, he's opening a new spot called Spoon Bar & Kitchen in the former 24-Hour Fitness spot on Westchester Drive and Luther Blvd in Preston Center. It's scheduled to open in July and will be a modern American bistro in a neighborhood setting with a menu that is half land and half sea.

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All photos by Catherine Downes.

The 303 special.

​303 Bar and Grill opened last Friday, and by the following Sunday afternoon people were packed into the Oak Cliff joint, eating, drinking beer and watching football. The restaurant is located in an old, renovated house on West Davis and Madison; the owner bought two houses then demolished one for the parking lot, which still doesn't hold more than a handful of vehicles.

303 has an intimate feel, with an interior that isn't much larger than an average-sized living room and is packed with square metal tables and wooden chairs, with enough room for waitstaff to slide between. Identical furnishings fill the expansive wraparound patio.

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Photo by me

"Soon" apparently meant January 2.

​As of January 2, the strip mall at Northwest Highway and Hillcrest, on the northern edge of Preston Hollow, has another has another fast-casual food option: Mimi's "New York-style" pizza. The small storefront near El Fenix and Mooyah Burger, a spin-off of the Joe's Pizza and Pasta chain, has been under construction since at least August, when I wandered by on my way to stuff something else in the front of my head.

From the press release:

​The bring-your-own-beer-and-wine eatery, which opened on January 2, will feature not only pizza by the slice, but also appetizers, homemade pastas and calzones, hot and cold subs and salads with Mimi's famous house dressing. An emphasis on fresh ingredients and detailed attention to service and experience is what Mimi's is paying careful attention to, ensuring customers a dining experience that will warrant many returned visits. ...

Aside from an appealing lunch and dinner menu, Mimi's Pizzeria will also feature several high-definition flat screen televisions, video games and an open layout, encouraging diners and bring-your-own-beer-and-wine drinkers alike to enjoy the venue for their favorite sporting events or as a stopping point for any "night out in Dallas."

I live so close to this place I can't decide whether I want it to be good (for deliciousness reasons) or terrible (for me-becoming-an-even-fatter-fat-ass reasons.) I'll report back with a verdict next week.

Bolsa Mercado, by Lauren Daniels

​December welcomed a handful of highly anticipated restaurants, with Bolsa Mercado setting up shop just a few doors down from Bolsa, the design District's Oak opening its doors and the Galleria welcoming Townhouse Kitchen and Bar. Read on for the full opening and closing slate, and be sure to share tips about restaurant openings or closings in the comments section below or at dish@dallasobserver.com.

Openings
Oak (1628 Oak Lawn): Owners Tommy DeAlano and Richard Ellman hired Plan B (Bolsa and Cedars Social) to create the new Design District restaurant.

Townhouse Kitchen and Bar (13340 Dallas Pkwy): The chic half restaurant, half bar opened its doors in the Galleria.

The Chesterfield (1404 Main Street): The restaurant and bar opened in downtown Dallas.

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​A while back Wilonsky told you that El Fenix honcho Mike Karns and the Firebird Restaurant Group LLC were gobbling up the old Luna's Tortilla factory. Conventional wisdom was that another El Fenix outpost would slide into the spot, but it turns out Karns has another concept in mind for the space located in what was once Little Mexico: a second Meso Maya.

At the original in Preston Hollow, chef Nico Sanchez has been experimenting with a number of off-menu specials. Those rib and lamb dishes weren't riffs to keep diners from getting bored, though; they were test dishes for the second Meso Maya, which will open in the Luna space sometime next year. Sanchez told me this week that the space is about 50 percent complete. The balconies and other historic details of the building promise to make for an interesting space.

What else will be on the menu? Sanchez told me the new Meso Maya will feature more authentic and robust Mexican cooking. He's hoping the new digs will help him draw diners ready to experiment well past beans and rice. Think grilled lamb, duck mole, huitlacoche and squash blossoms. I bet there will be some pretty good corn tortillas and salsas to snack on, too.

The Big Screen at Draft Picks Sports Bar

​Draft Picks Sports Bar and Grill, which opened in late September, sits less than a half-mile south of the American Airlines Center, right where Victory Avenue ends. Naturally, as with all sports bars, they have a few TVs, although how many is purely arbitrary. Ten or 20 used to be sufficient. Now a place could have 99 and it wouldn't matter. There just better be at least three in every sight-line at any moment. Our senses have acclimated to the entertainment. It's expected.

Draft Picks? They said screw it and put in movie theater screen. The entire restaurant works around a 19-foot high-definition screen with stadium seating (although it sits slightly below ground so it doesn't swallow the place). Tables for the restaurant are set up around the big screen "pit." Further back is the bar, which can open up garage-style when the weather is nice. In addition to all that, there are cozy "lounging areas" along another wall.

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Del Frisco's Grille

​November was a busy month for restaurant owners in Dallas, with several spots opening and a few closing their doors. Read on for the full slate, and be sure to share tips about restaurant openings or closings in the comments section below or at dish@dallasobserver.com.

Openings:

Del Frisco's Grille (3232 McKinney Ave.): Located in One McKinney Plaza, the 8,350 square-foot restaurant serves up everything from cheese steak eggrolls and ahi tuna tacos to steaks, schnitzel and meatloaf. They also boast an extensive wine and cocktail list.

Mr. Mesero (4444 McKinney Ave.): Local restaurateur Mico Rodriguez (think Mi Cocina) opened the mostly-Mexican restaurant last month in the old Burger Girl spot on McKinney Ave.

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