Some Like It Tot

Tater tots have transcended after-school snack status and are landing on menus across town. The revamped tots are lavishly draped in vibrant veggies, tender meats, and rivers of oozing egg yolk. The most elaborate version might be the Tots Oscar at Town Hearth. Chef-owner Nick Badovinus fully embraces the whimsy of highbrow-lowbrow dining with the juxtaposition of the lunchroom staple with Alaskan king crab. The russet potato tots are loaded with crab that’s been cooked in lemon, butter, and parsley, and then the whole thing is drenched in Tabasco hollandaise sauce and topped with Espelette peppers. Other versions of loaded tots can be found at High Fives in Uptown (“totchos”—tots smothered in cheese, jalapeños, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa roja), Easy Slider in Deep Ellum (piled with bacon, chives, cheddar, and a squirt of house-made ranch dressing), Velvet Taco off Henderson (theirs has herbed goat cheese, smoked cheddar, avocado crema, chile butter, and bacon), and Rodeo Goat in the Design District (covered in cheese, bacon bits, more cheese, and, finally, an over-easy egg).