You’ll find no shortage of new places to dine this month, especially at chains that have opened in Dallas recently. Those have been headlined by the pita pocket restaurant Miznon in Deep Ellum and New York-based Kati Roll Company downtown. After you’ve watched the solar eclipse, there are a few gems to check out this month: Goldie’s in Lake Highlands, a Garland pizza joint, and a swanky speakeasy have popped open just in time for spring.
The Highlights
- Head to Sanjh for some of the most interesting cocktails in North Texas.
- Purépecha is still the best dining experience in Dallas.
- The Texas Rangers debuted a new menu for the 2024 season.
What We Ate and Loved in March
Cocktails at Sanjh. The May review in our magazine—subscribe and you’ll read it two weeks early, by the way—will feature Sanjh, a glamorous, sparkling new Indian restaurant on the lake in Las Colinas. It’s a new frontier for Indian food in Dallas, but it’s also a new world of cocktails. Yangdup Lama, the consulting mixologist, runs an acclaimed bar in New Delhi, and his drinks boldly put Indian flavors forward. I was spellbound by the Chaat, a bright green drink that tastes like boozy chutney (trust me!), and fell for the Jaam e Aam, with flavors of mango, cumin, and gin. If that sounds too complicated, go for a Mausambi Lemonade, a simple, fizzy delight with tequila, lime, and bubbles. — Brian Reinhart
Crispy potato sandwich at La Casita Bakeshop. I was late to the game on this one, but late is better than never. A recent brunch to La Casita in Richardson, (yeah, they’ve got brunch now!) led me to a gorgeous potato patty sandwich. The sandwich has been around for a while, but it practically oozes brunch. The patty, made of a chunk of puréed potato and fried until golden, is stacked on a brioche bun with scrambled eggs, grilled peppers and onions, a tangy poblano aioli, and avocados. My dining companion first tried the sandwich last year and said it made her mind explode. Mine did the same when biting into the piping-hot sandwich. Aioli everywhere. But so good, and perfect with a few bites of banana praline pancakes. — Nataly Keomoungkhoun
Ramen Izakaya Akira. To research our newly updated best ramen list, I finally made the trek out to Lewisville to try a bowl at this vaunted but nearly hidden kitchen. It more than lived up to my hopes. Order one of the options from the short menu (I went with light shio ramen) and Akira Imamura will assemble the bowl in front of you. It’s balanced, comforting, and generous. — B.R.
The best meal in Dallas at Purépecha. Not to be dramatic, but I’d have to vehemently agree with Brian’s top spot on his 50 Best Restaurants list. Strongly agree. Passionately! The most unique dining experience in Dallas is the 7-course meal at Purépecha, where Regino Rojas’ family members cook and cater to a group of diners lucky enough to be seated at the kitchen table. There wasn’t a dish I didn’t love. My favorite was a mushroom taco made with grilled seasonal mushrooms and tomatoes, a spicy salsa, and the most beautifully crunchy zucchini flower on the best tortilla I’ve ever had. Splurge on dinner and take yourself to Purépecha. — N.K.
A first visit to Peewee’s Crab Cakes. A friend texted me that Garland has a food court now, in an industrial setting. We’ll have more about it in a month or so, but for now, know this: a crab cake chain from Louisiana occupies one of the stalls, and you can get a bowl of creamy penne seafood pasta topped with a whole crab cake and some little hushpuppy-sized crab fritters. The whole thing was divinely peppery and crabby. Do not visit for lunch if you want to stay awake all afternoon. — B.R.
Slipping into El Carlos Elegante on a Monday night. I’m researching a guide to the best destination dining on a Monday, and last week reminded myself why El Carlos Elegante remains my favorite Duro Hospitality restaurant. We strolled in with no reservations and had a blast with the one-bite appetizers, a delightful salmon ceviche with salsa macha, and a bowl of refried black lentils that was super-indulgent and nourishing at the same time. Don’t miss the current dessert that manages to make tamales taste like apple pie. Now that’s the melting-pot America I know and love. — B.R.
Pad Thai-stuffed burrito at Fresh ThaiQueria. I stopped into Fresh ThaiQueria to try their Pad-ThaiRito, a burrito stuffed with pad Thai noodles. The owners are Thai and come from a family whose patriarch had a noodle restaurant in Thailand. They wanted to put a spin on a Thai classic. It works very well. — N.K.
Goodbye to Boulevardier. We’ll publish a fuller appreciation in a few days, but for now, let’s just say this. Every neighborhood needs a restaurant like Boulevardier. Bishop Arts was oh-so-lucky to have this place as long as we did. But where are we going to get our crawfish beignets now? — B.R.
News
New Food for the Texas Rangers’ 2024 season: A new menu hit Globe Life Field last week in for the Rangers’ Opening Weekend. It includes chicken-fried brisket tacos, extremely long chili hot dogs, and Korean pork steamed buns. Also notable: Whataburger will have a stand inside the park, and local restaurants will take turns at the Arlington Eats stand. They include Ella B’s Restaurant, Prince Lebanese Grill, Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery, The Tin Cup, Cartel Tacos, Shrimp Doc, and TJ’s Catfish & Wings.
Petra and the Beast: Petra and the Beast has brunch! Take a look at the menu here.
Food change: A change in Dallas’ city code no longer requires food service managers to register with the city. Those working in food now only need a food manager certification with the state.
Openings and Closings
Desert Racer: The bar in East Dallas closed March 17, according to the Morning News. Nick Badovinus’ concept opened in 2019.
Don’t Kiss and Tell: A new speakeasy called Don’t Kiss and Tell debuted in downtown Dallas March 15, according to a press release. The bar is on the second floor of Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley Dallas. The bar is open for pre-reserved guests only, and it’ll have a special menu of cocktails and plus small bites from the Kitchen + Kocktails menu. 1933 Elm St.
Douglas Bar and Grill: The restaurant closed after two years in Snider Plaza. The Morning News reported it was because of parking lot issues.
FANZO Sports Bar: A massive, two-story, 5,000-square-foot sports bar opened in Frisco mid-March. The bar is designed for all things sports-viewing, which includes screens all over the place, a 7-foot video wall, and a menu of cocktails and bites for all-day sports watching. 5977 Preston Rd., Building 1, Ste. 100., Frisco.
Fortunate Son: a New Haven-style pizza joint from the Goodfriend Burger dudes opened in Garland March 25. 500 Main St., Garland.
The GOAT Dallas: A new restaurant and lounge will open this month with a Euro-Mediterranean-inspired menu with items such as chicken kebabs, ratatouille, and flatbreads. The real pull will be the drinks menu, which includes local and domestic beers, wine and bubbles by the glass, and 10 special cocktails. (Important note: this is not related to the beloved East Dallas dive bar, which is still selling beers at 7 a.m.) 2601 Olive St., Ste. 100.
Goldie’s: A new restaurant called Goldie’s opened March 28 in the former RM 12:20 Bistro, according to a press release. The concept is designed to be a “neighborhood” staple, and it seems to be gaining traction among Lake Highlands residents. The menu features bone marrow bruschetta, homestyle pork chops, zucchini bucatini, and classic cocktails with a twist. 9850 Walnut Hill Ln., Ste. 305.
Hattie B’s: Nashville-based Hattie B’s Hot Chicken will open its second Dallas restaurant in Oak Lawn this fall. 3827 Lemmon Ave.
Jack & Harry’s: Vandelay’s latest concept, Jack & Harry’s, is a New Orleans-inspired restaurant with steak frites, gumbo, and crab cake beignets. The cocktail menu is “Bourbon Street-inspired” with four martinis, a daiquiri, and a Pimm’s cup. 6844 Snider Plaza.
The Kati Roll Company: A New York-based concept will open its first location outside of New York in downtown on April 4. The Kati Roll Company sells kati rolls, an Indian street food made with paratha flatbread stuffed with protein, eggs, veggies, and more. The rolls are served with chutneys and sauces for dipping. Also on the menu are momo dumplings, lassi (Indian yogurt smoothies), and cake bites. 1322 Elm St.
Knife Italian: John Tesar’s new restaurant, Knife Italian, opened March 19, according to a press release. The restaurant is at the new Ritz-Carlton Dallas in Las Colinas, and it has a menu of Italian fare that includes seafood, housemade pastas, and a steak program that lives up to Tesar’s culinary reputation. 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd.
Miznon: A Mediterranean street food restaurant will open in Deep Ellum in early April. Miznon’s Dallas location will be one of five in the U.S., and it’s known internationally as a restaurant for its stuffed pita pockets. 2639 Main St.
NDA Brasserie: A restaurant inspired by law firm Haynes and Boone, the anchor tenant at Harwood 15, will open April 1, according to a press release. NDA Brasserie will have sandwiches and burgers, and it’ll be open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. 3008 N. Harwood St.
Oishii: Popular local sushi chain Oishii will open a new location at the intersection of the Preston-Forest Shopping Center. An open date is still TBD. 11700 Preston Rd.
Papaya Kitchen: Green Papaya, which is now Indochine Bistro, has moved from its Oak Lawn location to a spot on Lemmon Avenue under a new name. Papaya Kitchen will operate as a to-go spot only and serve Vietnamese cuisine. 5200 Lemmon Ave.
Pizza Leila: One of our favorite pizza spots in downtown Dallas will open in NorthPark Center’s food court. They’ll start serving Sicilian-style slices of Grandma’s Square and more favorites this summer. 8687 N. Central Expy.
Pokey O’s: A Rockwall location of Pokey O’s opened March 22, according to a press release. That means more Blue Bell-stuffed ice cream sandwiches for everyone. 2455 Ridge Rd., Ste. 110, Rockwall.
St. Martin’s: St. Martin’s reopened on Bryan Street in March after closing its old location on Greenville Avenue last May. The new spot is just as romantic as the old one. And if you were wondering, pianist Luis Henderson will be back to play five nights a week. 4223 Bryan St.
Ten Sushi + Cocktail Bar: Ten Sushi, a concept from Irvine, California, will open a Dallas location this summer in the Union Dallas building. They’re a sushi place that also serves steaks, according to co-owner Leslie Nguyen. 2301 N. Akard St.
Voodoo Brewing: The Pennsylvania-based brewery opened a new Plano location March 8. It’s the second in North Texas, the other in Grand Prairie. 1001 14th St., Ste. 500, Plano.
WaBa Grill: Southern California-based WaBa Grill will sell healthy rice bowls in North Oak Cliff, according to a press release. WaBa has protein and plant-based bowls that can be topped with veggies and a variety of sauces. 2222 Fort Worth Ave., Ste. 120.
Wow! Donuts and Drips: The local donut shop opened its third North Texas location March 23, according to a press release. Wow! sells gourmet donuts with flavors such as salted caramel coffee cream and tiramisu. Other pastries include mochi donuts, croissant donuts, and pigs in a blanket. 501 Talbert Dr., Plano.
Update: This has been updated with more details for NDA Brasserie.
Author
