Restaurant recommendation dallas

Chicken fried ribeye? Cheddar and bacon meatloaf? Too many places offer high-priced, pint-sized, churched-up versions of something your mom made much bigger and better. Fortunately, this spot in the Oak Cliff neighborhood did not fall into any of those traps. In the writing world, we can spot the people who write stories aimed at contest judges and awards juries and which ones write stories aimed at their readers.

Some chefs aim their dishes at other chefs and food critics. Others cook for their customers. I expected the chicken fried ribeye to be tiny, and I also expected to be mad. Only after it is battered, dunked in boiling oil and drowned in cream gravy is the meat rendered edible. At Pink Magnolia, Beck batters and fries a sizable hunk of meat until it has a light, crispy crust. Both taste great, but one is call-all-your-friends-and-brag good. One can — and should — swirl each bite around in the savory bacon redeye gravy, but this would taste amazing without the gravy.

The meatloaf, meanwhile, is a healthy hunk of beef and cheese wrapped in sweet glazed bacon and sitting atop a bed of pimento mac and cheese. A place more interested in being trendy would have messed with the preparation. Maybe a more frou-frou chef might have split the meatloaf into three bite-size pieces and sprinkled some jus around the plate. She sends out a slab of meatloaf knowing the taste matters so much more than fancy presentation. And yes, the banana pudding does come in a Mason Jar.

It is a little bit precious. Meanwhile, the chocolate fudge waffle with peanut butter ice cream is exactly what the menu advertises. In other words, it might be the scientifically formulated to activate every pleasure center in the brain. It can do decent business on flavor alone. When researching the restaurants I might visit for this section, I give extra weight to unfamiliar dishes. I had visited most of the famous barbecue joints already. And that usually tastes pretty good.

It is a sandwich that must be eaten with a knife and fork, and it would make an ideal breakfast, lunch or dinner. This particular pambazo is at a place called Tortas La Hechizera, a tiny spot tucked into a strip mall near where the Dallas North Tollway meets Interstate The place has pictures of the food on the menu board, which usually is a harbinger of indigestible things.

I have no idea if this is the best pambazo in Texas or even the best in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. While the bread is undeniably moist, the grilling process keeps it from getting soggy.

It also helps that Tortas La Hechizera uses thick, hearty slabs of bread that can stand up to the dunking and grilling. The spicy bread and the chorizo might be overkill if not for the mellowing effects of the cream, lettuce and queso fresco. The potatoes provide yet another medium to soak up all the spicy and salty goodness dripping off the bread and the sausage.

Plenty of restaurants have a celebrity wall. Cattleack Barbecue has a celebrity wall, too. But the celebrities come from a very specific world. This little joint tucked into an office park near the Galleria mall in north Dallas draws more conventional celebrities as well. While I waited in line, Emmitt Smith dropped by to say hello to the staff. But owners Todd and Misty David obviously care deeply about the craft of barbecue, and it shows in their own cooking.

Todd David owned a disaster recovery company for 30 years before selling in After cashing out, David decided to turn his hobby into his profession by opening a barbecue catering company. In , the Davids opened the restaurant. Even though it was only open seven hours a week am to 2 p. I had hoped to try Cattleack in September, but a flight delay landed me in Dallas too late. On Oct. A reader tweeted that morning to ask if I still planned to try Cattleack. I was driving on Highway 69 through eastern Oklahoma — near the sign that declares that hitchhikers might be inmates escaping from the Mack Alford Correctional Center.

I looked at the clock and got excited. I could be there by noon. When I arrived, the line was about 20 minutes long. Nothing had sold out according to the sign behind the counter. I had planned to order a beef rib anyway. A huge pillow of meat covered in a thick salt-and-peppered bark pulls off a giant bone with a gentle tug. David cooks it to the perfect temperature and lets the meat and rendered fat do the rest.

The same goes for the moist brisket, which boasts a prominent smoke ring and equally delicious bark. I also ordered a pound of pork ribs. But these ribs had hunks of meat about an inch-and-a-half thick jutting off the bone. Vaughn agreed with me on the pork ribs, and we managed to plow through about three pounds of meat in one sitting. He got to take a little beef rib home for the kids.

I got to take a little brisket back to my hotel. The pork ribs, meanwhile, ended up as a pile of thoroughly cleaned bones. I had to do this out of necessity. That game kicked off at p. Think about it. Brisket takes hours to cook. At the pulled-or-chopped pork shrines in the southeast, the pig can take hours to cook.

You have to have an employee or two there tending the pit anyway. After all, the health nuts do say a high-protein breakfast is the best way to start the day.

Fortunately, Meat U Anywhere has corrected for this inefficiency. The place serves up excellent brisket and some exotic for barbecue cuts at lunch, but hungry people need not wait until the sun rises high. Meat U Anywhere opens at 6 a.

At about a. Saturday, they sold me half a pound of brisket and an El Gran Taco egg, chorizo, brisket, bacon, beans and cheese. I waited in line for about two minutes—because most people were just buying tacos—and I got the first cut off a just-finished brisket. Being first, I got more end pieces, which meant more bark. It was tender and juicy, and the bark packed so much salty and peppery goodness that sauce was completely unnecessary.

For the spiced pumpkin seeds: 3 Melt butter in a larg. Kobe beef with dipping sauce and hibachi coleslaw Easy. For the dipping sauce: 1 Combine the wasabi and water to make a paste. Using a blender or a mixing bowl with a whisk, add the remaining ingredients except the oil and onion, and blend or whisk until well combined. Mizuna lobster mac n' cheese Easy. Lobster: 1 Separate the tails and claws from the lobster and place the claws in a heatproof container large enough to cover completely with water, do the same with the tails.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and pour over the tails and. Ribbon or swirl biscuits Medium. For the vanilla dough: 1 Mix the 2 sugars and the salt together in a medium bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the egg and mint essence and set aside. With a hand held mixer beat the butter until smooth in a large bowl. While mixing, gradually add. Cemita's puebla salsa verde Easy.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this r. Pimento cheese Easy. Food Network Kitchens have no. Doumar's orange freeze Easy. Mojave madras Easy. Shake quickly and pour into a serving glass. This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a r.

Mexican hot chocolate Easy. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a scald. Add the chocolate and mix with a molinillo or whisk until very frothy. Serve immediately. This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a. Cretan dakos - koukouvagia owl Easy.

Grate the tomato and combine with the feta. Spread on the rusks. Sprinkle with the oil, salt, oregano and a little grated onion, if using. This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scale. Green mesquite beans for cookout Easy. Place on a stove over a high heat and bring to the boil. Leave to sit for 30 minutes and then serve. This recipe was provi.

Sen saketini Easy. Shake it vigorously and pour into a chilled martini glass. This drink is best for hot summer days at the sushi bar or poolside. This recipe was provided by prof. Collard greens Easy. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This recipe was pro. Coleslaw Easy. Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and ground mustard and mix well. Stir in the cabbage and the carrots and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Rhode Island chowder Easy. If a creamy chowder is desired, when serving add a dollop of sour cream to each. Cranberry muffin Easy. Pour into 2 large muffin trays. Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. This reci. Corn dressing for southern fried chicken Easy. Put the corn mixture into a blender and finely chop.

Stir in the co. Root vegetable and feta salad Easy. Add the vinegar and slowly whisk in the oil. Gently toss. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a large platt. The reggie deluxe Easy. Put the bottom of the scone on a serving plate and lay the cooked chicken breast on top. Dress with the gravy, then the bacon and the cheese. Breakfast smoothie Easy. Add half of the soy milk, the cereal, seeds, raisins and dates. Blend until smooth.

Blend again until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Serve in a glass with a s. Turnip and carrot puree Easy. Put the butter, carrots, turnips, water, and salt in the saucepan and set over medium heat. Black-eyed pea salad Easy. For the salad: 1 In a large salad bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, red and green peppers, onions, garlic, parsley and jalapeno.

For the dressing: 1 In a medium bowl, whisk together t. Garlic-lemon mahi Easy. Add the mahi and cook until the underside is golden brown. Turn the fish over and add the garlic, lemon juice, and white wine. Finish cooking. Mussels Easy. When they start to open, strain out the water. Add the white wine. Cook the alcohol out and when it starts to boil, add the cream, the butter, thyme and garlic. Buttercream Easy. Add salt, vanilla, and buttermilk and beat to until slightly stiff.

Casamento's: Oyster stew Easy. Strawberry filling Easy. Add rum and g sugar and stir to combine. Let mixture sit overnight covered in the refrigerator. Remove strawberries from the refrigerator and place in a medium saucepan.

Add the remaini. Wise-guy cocktail Easy. Add 2 tbsp of sugar and muddle all the ingredients together. Add the vodka and Campari. Sophia's Place - Blue corn pancakes Easy. Let the batter. Swiss buttercream Medium. Sweet potato souffle Easy.

Boil the potatoes in water with the salt until tender. Drain and cool to room temperature. Kailua beach pizza Easy. Scatter half of the cheese, pineapple, bacon and onions and then top with remaining cheese. Picadillo Easy. Leonard's barbeque sweet mustard coleslaw Easy. Put the finely chopped cabbage into a large serving bowl and pour the dressing over the cabbage.

Brussels tartine Easy. Add the chopped shallots as well as the Gueze Lambi beer. Mix until you have a homogenous cream. Cover the entire slice of bread with a thick layer of the cream. Repeat with t. Blood Sucker Cocktail Easy. Shake and pour into a rocks glass. Habanero sauce Easy. Add the carrot and habanero mixture and saute until carrots are soft. Acai berry pisco sour Easy. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve. Cook's Note: Acai berry juice can be found at most sup.

Sausage roll Easy. Form the sausage into a log and place it onto the pastry. Pull one side of the pastry over the sausage and pinch the edge to create a sausage roll. The sausage should be s. Buffalo burger Easy. Mix by hand for approximately 20 seconds, until seasoning is evenly distributed.