Brisket
$$, Outdoor Seating, Bbq, Deep Ellum
"Ask for it cut from the fatty end, and enjoy it in sandwich form. Hands down, this is the best barbecue in town."
ChefJulian Barsotti
Dallas
My Venues
Accolades
- Best New Restaurant, Best Italian RestaurantD Magazine
- Best Chefs in Dallas-Fort WorthDallas Morning News
- "Dallas sophistication at its best."The New York Times
- ChefsFeed WinnerOne of the Best Things to Eat in Dallas
Where I Go Out
Café Pacific hamburger
$$$$, Seafood, American, Park Cities
"I love burgers, and this is my favorite in town. It sounds counterintuitive to order a cheeseburger at a seafood restaurant, but it’s that good. They house-grind the scraps from the strip steaks and tenderloin, which results in a super juicy burger. You can find this on their lunch menu."
Three jack and mac casserole
$$$, American, Preston Hollow
"Good mac and cheese is ubiquitous, but great mac and cheese is hard to find. This here is great mac and cheese, and you can find it at Neighborhood Services' original location. With three types of Jack cheese, it is the perfect balance of cheesy and creamy."
Philly cheesesteak
$, Sandwiches, American,
"This is as good as the real deal. Everything is authentic, from the Amaroso's roll to the whiz, both from Philly. Perfect proportions of meat, cheese, and bread results in an amazing sandwich. It feels like cement in your stomach afterward, but it’s worth it."
Ceviche
$$, Japanese, Sushi, Uptown
"An original and elevated version of ceviche. The pristine mixture of crab, octopus, flounder, and Japanese snapper is simply garnished with cherry tomatoes, red onions, and the fresh citrus flavor of lime."
Mole de mama cata
$$, Mexican, Restaurant, Oak Cliff
"In my opinion, this is better than the classic chicken and mole. It’s elevated by adding mole to perfect duck confit. I'm not really sure if it’s prepared confit-style, but either way, this duck tastes that good."
At My Venues
Pasta
$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, Italian,
"Nonna is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in town. Get any of their house-made pastas. You won't be disappointed."
Pasta
$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, Italian,
"If I can’t make it to Nonna Tata in Fort Worth when I need that Italian pasta fix, I head to Nonna at Lomo Alto and Lemmon. The menu varies with the seasons, but I haven’t had a bad pasta yet. They present it like your Italian grandma would—simple, straightforward, with no complications in execution or presentation. It's just great combinations of ingredients that burst with flavor and pasta that's always al dente."
White pizza
$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, Italian,
"This pizza is just simple and great. I don’t know what he does, and I don’t care. It’s a perfectly balanced bite with the texture and structure of the crust, sweet caramelized onions, briny cherrystone clams, and creamy cheese. Jules is the mack. This is the only world-class pizza in town."
Tortellini
$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, Italian,
"This dish has great, rustic flavors. The combination of the roasted porchetta, dry orange zest, butter, and sage makes it addictive."
Ravioli of Maine lobster
$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, Italian,
"This is one of my favorite pasta dishes in Dallas. Julian Barsotti makes all of his pastas in-house, and this one is so delicate, filled with tender chunks of fresh Maine lobster swimming in a light wine sauce. It should not be missed."
Bomba bread
$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, Italian,
"Nonna is a little neighborhood place that serves authentic regional Italian. The wood-burning oven is as fancy a centerpiece as it is a vehicle to deliver the most perfect focaccia, all puffy and warm and waiting to be torn apart. Chef-owner Julian Barsotti changes the menu all the time, but, lucky for me, that bomba bread is a constant. It’s hard not to eat it all before I get my pizza, but I seem to manage."
