Dallas Food Blog

​Bene Bene
4727 Frankford
972-267-2363

Old school Italian joints dot the area's northern reaches. Don't know why, really--but if you want typical lasagna, chicken parmigiana, bruschetta with nothing fancier than garlic and basil, or any other dish common to Italian restaurants up through the 1980s, your best options exist in a swath just above 635.

Although Bene Bene sits in a shopping center, they've daubed it in warm colors and found space for a patio outside and a fountain in. Otherwise, there's nothing fancy about the place: caprese, pasta, pizza and, yes, chicken parmigiana star on their menu.

​Crandall Cotton Gin
1500 E. Hwy. 175, Crandall
972-427-3883

You know you're pulling into a special restaurant when the motorcycle parking section is labeled "Hog Pen." But Crandall Cotton Gin has reason to push such quaint crap--and, to their credit, there are no "chile today and hot tamale" signs around.

The restaurant occupies a spacious corrugated structure that housed an honest-to-goodness gin back in the 1920s, or so the story goes. The town supported both a gristmill and cotton gin since the 1880s, a few years after the railroad came through. That's about it for history. It's Crandall, after all--a town created in some parson's backyard that has always clung to the edges of Dallas.

And that's also the beauty of this restaurant. It feels authentically small town, as if the metro area were hours away. Well-fed guests waddle in for fried foods and lively recaps of Crandall Pirates games. Waitresses warm to you quickly and apologize for little mistakes like not setting out butter with the bread by saying "well, it's no good without butter--I'll bring you some," while reaching over to the next booth for a basket of butter packets.

When we ordered the catfish, our waitress blurted "oh, I want to sit down and join you"--and for good reason. As long as you order the catfish, you've ordered well.

​Tillman's Roadhouse
324 W. 7th St.
214-942-0988

I have no idea who picks the music for Tillman's, but the person has severe issues. I sat out on the patio, where they hide those of us who can't find a Saturday night date, being battered by gloom, despair and longing: "Time After Time," "It Was A Very Good Year," "We're All Alone"...and probably "Alone Again, Naturally" if I'd stuck around long enough.

Maybe the owners hold stock in Zoloft or Prozac.

Their not-so-subtle effort to drive patrons onto a suicide watch list isn't working, however. Bathed in warmth, the dining room comes to life as conversation flows and cocktails empty. Tillman's Roadhouse is a good time--or so it appears from the outside, looking in.

This is Plano.

​Sambuca 360
7200 Bishop, Plano
469-467-3393

The revamped glow of Sambuca's new Legacy space doesn't have the original's brick walls, screaming urban authenticity. It lacks the Addison location's dated, desperate atmosphere. The menu is less ambitious than their Uptown setting. And just maybe it all works to 360's benefit.

Then again, maybe it's nostalgia that fills the place--all those 40-somethings who've moved to Plano, divorced, paid for a little enhancement, and reverted back to prowling ways remembering the old Deep Ellum nightlife.

Whatever it is, a line forms by around 8:30 on weekend evenings.

Or so doorman Todd Wright tells me. Being one of those boring 'I hate crowds' sorts, I bailed just as the ubiquitous cougars, equally ubiquitous but less mocked men who hoped to be cornered by cougars, and seemingly out of place committed couples (maybe they were swingers on the hunt, which given Plano's reputation...) crowded into the space, already building toward two-deep at the bar around 8 p.m. A band comes on at some point, and there are rumors of 80s tunes--more reasons to skip out early.

The kitchen is partly green.

​Malarkey's Tavern
4460 Trinity Mills
 972-931-7300

I had only been in the place for about ten minutes before the inevitable happened. That's right, in a pub listing some 100 beers from all over the world a guy sits down and asks if they carry Bud Light on tap.

Why does this happen so often? He can't like the taste--unless maybe he also loves the complexities of plain rice cakes. Probably should hang out in his backyard with the Grooler.

To Malarkey's credit, they don't waste tap space on barley water, serving Bud Light and other mass market Americans by the bottle only. Draft options are more along Smithwicks-Boulevard-Belhaven-Maredsous lines. And the menu ranges from favorites of Ireland and the U.K. to pub classics such as burgers, wings and fried pickles--as well as a couple adventurous fusion items.

Of course, since you rarely hear people say "hey, let's go for some Irish tonight," the list of sandwiches and new world fare takes up more space.

​El Fogon
3636 Frankford
972-820-6440

Does it matter if a funky little ethnic joint is lodged in a far north strip mall? Is character defined by the shell or what is inside?

Some would have you believe that location and setting matter more than unique flavors. So the fact that El Fogon is hidden behind a Sonic well beyond the cool-defining loop means we should just discount the place. If only it were lodged in some rickety Uptown shack or restored Oak Cliff facade; if only a valet stand waited out front demanding a few bucks--then it would be acceptable for the hipper sorts.

Oh, well. No one residing in those lame, cookie cutter dwellings along Frankford wants the consciously cool around, anyway. But if you live in the area, are up for a drive, or just happen to appreciate the cooking of Peru and Ecuador, you'll want to put this place on your list.
 

​Agave Tapas
2067 Summer Lee Dr.
Rockwall
214-771-0423

Actually, the name includes "grill," "restaurant" and--I think--"bar" in addition to "tapas." And the name says it all.

In some ways it reminds me of the time I stopped in a place called Carlos O'Kelly's, a Tex-Mex establishment that may or may not have also served corned beef on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, Virginia. On the other hand, in this case, at least, there's a logical connection between Spain and Mexico.

Still, when you walk into a place called Agave Tapas Grill Restaurant Etc, you already know better--and food service confirms this. Their drinks, however, are prepared with much more skill, the wait staff friendly to a fault, John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" was playing on the dining room sound system and the setting is downright spectacular.

Well, spectacular in North Texas terms.

Anselm27

The bustling sidewalks of Las Colinas.

​Thai Chili
397 Las Colinas Blvd. E, Irving
972-831-0797

All those self-sustaining, walkable neighborhoods built, or to be built, in the DFW area are supposed to make the city seem somehow, well, like a real city. But one of the original and most European developments languishes.

Oh, the apartments are doing fine, as far as I know. And those glass office towers still cling to tenants, presumably. But the colony along Las Colinas' canal system have a difficult time holding onto small shops...except for Thai Chili, still plugging along happily after more than a decade.

Ten plus years after then Observer food critic Mark Stuertz wrote "Thai Chili is an example of masterfully executed cuisine, albeit in a 'master-planned' slot," the place has yet to slip.

​Norma's Cafe
17721 N. Dallas Tollway
(at Trinity Mills)

The most recent addition to the Norma's line up just opened on Trinity Mills in North Dallas. It has a leaky roof and sterile surroundings. Inside, however, it's a fun combination of 50s diner and Texas chic.

To explain: there are padded soda fountain stools and soda signs, booths that might as well surround Formica tables and a sleek metallic touches that make you want to jump in the Bel Air and head over to the sock hop.

For those who grew up in the 70s, that means fire up the Trans-Am and get down. The 80s? Maybe a DeLorean and a few lines? I get lost after that.

To continue: the booths, however are designed as Texas state flags. On the back wall you'll find framed images of icons such as Big Tex. It is a colorful, indescribable place--except for food service, which is good old fashioned Norma's.

​Mardi Gras
2720 N. Stemmons Fwy
214-634-9669

Three things that are difficult to figure, at first glance. Is it called Gators Mardi Gras or just plain old Mardi Gras? Their Website suggests the former, but everything else points to the truncated name. And just where the hell is this place? Until you pull into the Stemmons Towers complex--and up to the right building--you'd never know it existed.

That's two things. The third has to do with kitchen hours, which you'll never find accurately listed online. When I called to find out, a guy answered "this is Chuck" (or Phil, or Arnold--something like that, anyway) and then launched into a conversation with someone at the bar.

It turns out they serve food until 10 p.m., with a break between lunch and dinner. But they really push the Mardi Gras angle, meaning the big party.

​Terranova Cafe
(Doubletree Hotel)
2015 Market Center Blvd.
214-741-7481

With the exception of, say, The Mansion or Nana, most hotel restaurants are a difficult sell. They are the purview of unimaginative old folks, frumpy business travelers and the occasional troubled loner. Maybe that's why someone--I think on Doubletree's end--called me to talk up their dining room.

Dragonfly in the Hotel ZaZa has that poolside patio. The French Room (Adolphus) offers downtown sophistication. And Terranova Cafe?

Well, this place reaches down your throat and rips out your soul--not in one painfully swift motion, mind you, but slowly, so you feel it every step of the way. Everything about the dining room, from the bulky fixtures to the constant  'ding-dong' of a lobby motion sensor, makes you want to appear on the 9 o'clock news at the end of a homicidal maniac story.

Norma's Cafe
3330 Belt Line
Farmers Branch
972-243-8646

I love diners that serve breakfast all day long. There's just something about pancakes in the middle of the day or an evening meal of sausage and hash browns topped with a rich, runny egg...except that you can't order sunny side up in Farmers Branch.

At least that's what my waitress in the Joey Galloway jersey told me when I stopped for a very late breakfast on Sunday. No "undercooked" eggs.

Hmm. One wonders how they make a Hollandaise...

Smoking or non? They still ask in the mid-cities.

​Mi Pueblo
8010 Bedford-Euless Rd.
Richland Hills
817-605-3434

There's a reason no one ventures to the mid-cities unless forced to--at least from downtown Dallas. Whether you take Tom Landry or the Airport Freeway, whether it's rush hour or sometime in the slack hours after lunch, traffic will bog down.

Something about curves, exit ramps and such just confuses drivers from the western parts.

When you finally reach the place, however, it's like a different world. When I stepped into Mi Pueblo, a hostess asked "smoking or non-smoking?" And there are some surprising touches for a place that otherwise does its best to mimic the look and feel of a Tex-Mex chain.

​Cretia's
4900 McKinney
214-780-0200

My memory can be a little fuzzy at times (I blame an extended childhood devoted to Hogan's Heroes re-runs). But if I'm correct, the new Cretia's on McKinney looks an awful lot like the old one.

Different part of the street, of course, but same Victorian feel to the place, same imprints on the ceiling tiles, similar color scheme.

The menu is broader, though--ranging from pizza and pasta to steamed clams, wild salmon and rotisserie meats. Not much of this works to set the restaurant apart (local artisanal cheeses...yawn...find them anywhere), with the possible exception of a pot pie  selection that changes daily.
 

Chef-owner Travis Henderson, reclining, and staff.

​The Place at Perry's
2911 Routh St.
214-871-9991

Last night a group of the city's upstanding citizens, and myself, celebrated the something-or-other anniversary of McKinney Avenue's trolley.

I was with a group from Nationwide Insurance, who I think must have invited me along in order to thank me for signing with a difference agency, thus saving them untold thousand in claims. Right now I'm finishing up a breakfast of coffee and Zapp's potato chips while eying the bottle of Jack Daniel's on my desk--behaviors which certainly will prove costly to the other firm.

Anyway, we were taken by short bus (not the trolley) to what used to be called Perry's--and still is, colloquially.

Chef-owner Travis Henderson's restaurant is sometimes overlooked when people tick off lists of this city's top steakhouses, in part because it's not an overblown palace. But they really should consider The Place at Perry's alongside Del Frisco's, Nick & Sam's and Pappas Bros.
 

​Cadillac Ranch
857 John Carpenter Fwy
Irving
972-506-7262

Cadillac Ranch was a roller coaster ride when I reviewed the place sometime in...well, less than a year ago. My short term memory cuts in an out, even though I take plenty of herb-infused medicine for the problem.

Tastes medicinal, anyway.

I stopped by again last evening, in part for a college reunion (in preparation for tonight's game, when the mighty fightin' Leathernecks obliterate Sam Houston State) and in part to see how they're coming along.

Blythe Beck and crew from the TV promo still.

​Central 214
5680 N. Central Expy
214-443-9339

My waitress claims that in all those months of filming for "The Naughty Kitchen," Oxygen's culinary reality show featuring chef Blythe Beck, there was only one moment of real drama. Seems a female guest recoiled from the cameras because she was on a date--though not with her spouse.

Too bad Joey Greco's Cheaters crew wasn't around.

Beck earned a reputation when she stepped up from sous to executive chef at Hector's on Henderson. Starting from scratch in a new kitchen while at the same time starring in a television show appears to have distracted the naughty one, however. Early reviews were mediocre and a revisit to Central 214 suggests that if you're looking for some excitement, well, it might be a long, plodding series.
 

​Palomino
500 Crescent Ct. (Atrium)
214-999-1222

Age can fray a restaurant. Leather wears, fittings crack and the room begins to lose its allure.

Not so in the case of Palomino. The dining space at this veteran Crescent Court locale speaks of timeless dinner club finery, with an inviting bar and patio that's just plain old cool. Even graying wait staff show some personality.

Despite the restaurant's longevity, therefore, you could imagine this a Dallas hot spot--a meeting up place populated by cougars, $30,000 millionaires and the other semi-fictional characters of local dining lore. Order a few appetizers and you wonder why these folks ever abandoned the place.

Wow, the portions are so liberal.

​Nazar
15107 Addison Rd.
Addison
972-726-0100

Hardly anything has changed since this place transformed itself from the Turkish restaurant called Shish to the Turkish restaurant called Nazar.

Oh, there's a new owner and all. But I'm almost certain I had the same waiter as my last trip to Shish. There's the same strange situation where up to seven cars may be camped out front but only two guests in the dining room. The menu features the same dishes with almost the exact same wording--instead of listing Iskender kebap as "Alexander the Great's favorite," it now reads "Alexander The Greatest favorite."

Not bad for a dish invented in the 1800s.

There's one big difference: the new owners promise, right there on the menu, that they use absolutely no "conservatives" in the preparation of dishes. No wonder the waiter kept shoving sticks of butter my direction while the chef eyed me from a distance, probably assessing my marbling.

​Bob's Steak & Chop House
4300 Lemmon Avenue
214-528-9446

Quite a number of those who dine out on a regular basis are still in the dark as to Bob Sambol and his legal difficulties. Talk at surrounding tables on a recent visit centered on some encounter with Jerry Jones' bodyguard Roosevelt ("he didn't know me yet," claimed the bigwig telling the story) and, more tellingly, all those "other restaurants Bob owns."

The rich and powerful don't read local news, apparently.

To his credit, Sambol himself still patrols the grounds--head held high, but with a more interested demeanor than in his pre-court battle days. In fact, it looks as if Bob is actually trying to manage the business...which is relatively strong, considering the drain Restaurant Week puts on non-participants. Suits still gather at the bar to sip martinis (although the dress code has relaxed significantly) and the steaks, well...

​Circle Grill
3701 N. Buckner Blvd.
214-327-4140

"Is the food at that place still good?"

Those were the first words uttered by my cab driver after dispensing with the 'where to' preliminaries. My car decided to stick around and wait for awhile--see if a willing tow truck would chance by.

Circle Grill is a wayside, after all. It draws cabbies and truck drivers, travelers and locals. Some regulars earn seats, reserved at the counter by metal nameplates. It reminds me of Rosener's on highway 67 near Desloge, Missouri, or any number of rural truck stop diners--without the lot lizards (as far as I know).

And, yes, it is still pretty respectable as far as roadside kitchens go.

​Tre Amici
18020 N. Dallas Pwky.
972-250-4400

It opened at the end of last year as Fruia's Tre Amici and, under that name, the far north steakhouse reviewed quite well.

A few months ago, however, the other partners ousted their biggest--talking about name recognition here--colleague, Judd Fruia and changed the name to Tre Amici Parkway Grill, and then to Tre Amici Prime Steak and Seafood...although menu covers and some of the minor signage still lauds the big guy.

So, has anything else changed...like the food?

Eddie Garza

​

Green Papaya

3211 Oak Lawn

214-521-4811

This much is obvious: few people care whether or not Green Papaya trots out traditional Vietnamese dishes or Texafied facsimiles.

It's not even an issue. The place has been so consistent over a long term that when they home in on authenticity or when the drift away, guests still appear to drive away happy about the experience.

A decade of life on Oak Lawn--that's quite an achievement.

​Alligator Cafe
4416 Live Oak
214-821-6900

The way they blare Kennedy-era tunes, you'd almost think Alligator Cafe was stuck in time. And from the cooking, you'd suspect it was a little out of place.

Let's see--walls, furniture, pretty much everything else smudged and worn, the menu board featuring catfish, crawfish, boudin balls and ettouffee...You expect paint peeling from the weight of muggy swamp air and the smell of rotting flora. Instead, there's the crumbling facades along Live Oak and whatever smell that is floating over that part of East Dallas.

But your expectations aren't that far off the mark. Alligator Cafe is like a taste of Louisiana.
 

​Cuba Libre
2822 N. Henderson Ave.
214-827-2820

If you recall the restaurant's party days, it seems like we'd never get around to calling Cuba Libre and old stalwart.

Yet there it is, the grand old kitchen of booming Henderson Avenue. Tristan Simon still owns the place, though he now spends much of his time in California. Chef Nick Badovinus is long gone, as are the other guys who helped establish the place and make it a mainstay--a reliable, though hardly intriguing mainstay.

Which is to say the restaurant has matured, from the rebellious youth shaking free from local culinary expectations to block's old man, no longer willing to break any rules.

This isn't the Addison sign, but I don't carry a camera.

​I'll just say, straight off, that what I like about Pizza by Marco is their beverage price list.

The new suburban branch of Dallas' most storied pizza joint opened not long ago along Belt Line in Addison. Here you can purchase wine by the glass or bottle, and the two price columns carry down through the beer options, as well. You find Brooklyn Lager at $2.50 per glass, $12.50 for a bottle. Same thing for Shiner and other labels.

That's one hell of a mark up.

Mo(dano) and Hull(y) with some guy in a white coat.

​Hully & Mo
2800 Routh St.
214-954-0203

The place can fool you.

In saying that, I mean to point out the gap between normal sports bar expectations and what Hully & Mo actually delivers--and how this can overawe just about anyone.

Yes, they serve wings and burgers and those little diuretic sandwiches, just like any other sports bar. But the kitchen has also mastered (to some extent) steaks, seared tuna, oyster shooters and other odd fineries. Then there's the upscale vibe and sophisticated layout. Walk in and you can easily be wowed before ordering a meal.

And this is how they turn above average cooking into something buzzworthy.

 Uptown Pub
3605 McKinney Ave.
214-522-5100

This survivor of Uptown's gentrification helps ease shock as your eye transitions from The Loon and its neighbors to the cluster known as West Village. Call it an anachronism, a sore thumb, an at times smelly reminder of what real 'locals' look like.

Which is to say Uptown Pub is a dump...and I mean that in a good way: friendly, casual service, a prominent patio, guests who at least pretend to drop their pretensions at the door, that sort of thing. You always hope it's gonna be one of those dives with a world class kitchen.

It's not.
 

"I fought for France and all I got was this lousy shop in Irving."

Joan of Arc
4020 N. MacArthur, Irving
972-870-5632

Oh, god.

The place isn't really lousy, as Rossetti's Joan would have you think. But first they were out of bacon, which kinda put a dent in my BLTA (the A for avocado) plans. Then, when the person sent to replenish their bacon stock returned, it was with a package of frozen, pre-cooked strips.

Inexcusable--especially when you own a frying pan and charge in the $8 range for sandwiches.

Ah, but this is a creperie, as well as cafe. Joan of Arc was just about the last French leader ever to defeat a foreign army--for this reason she was burned at the stake on suspicion of being English, if I remember history correctly--and...um, where was I? Oh, yeah--Joan was French, so therefore the little kitchen probably does a better job with crepes, right?

Well, unfortunately...

Grimaldi's
3636 McKinney Ave.
214-559-4611

A good portion of Uptown's consciously hip population (which is, itself, just a segment of Uptown residents) like to think chains exist only in the culturally desolate 'burbs. But a few of the neighborhood's favorite haunts, such as Mi Cocina and Grimaldi's, are themselves corporate entities...although when it comes to the latter, this is hardly a detriment.

I'll just say this: should the guys who roll dough and drape on the toppings figure out just one move, Grimaldi's would have one hell of a pizza on their hands.