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My Favorite Restaurant

Dining critics spend most of their lives in restaurants, but they rarely eat for pleasure. Nearly every meal is a review, the place dictated by their editors, the food a random sampling of the menu. But on the rare occasion they do get to choose where the
By Nancy Nichols |

Herrera’s Mexican Cafe
4001 Maple Ave. 214-528-9644.
In 1975, I sat on the sidewalk of the original Herrera’s on Maple Avenue, where drops of water from the leaky window air conditioner hit my cobwebbed head. It was 11 on a Sunday morning. Back then, anybody who was anybody waited patiently for one of the nine tables in this ultimate hole-in-the-wall Tex-Mex joint. Happily, even though the restaurant has moved across the street and expanded to six locations, a No.10 looks and tastes the same as it did then. The chips are thin, hot, and crisp; the hot sauce is hot; and the cheese enchiladas are still the best hangover cure in town.

York Street (pictured right)
6047 Lewis St. 214-826-0968.
Last year, I took the godmother of American cuisine, Alice Waters, out to dinner. Choosing to dine at York Street was a no-brainer. Although chef/owner Sharon Hage would never compare herself to Waters, experts, including myself, have. Hage’s philosophy of using only fresh, seasonal ingredients, combined with personalized service, an intimate dining room, and an eye for details (complimentary sherry and salted almonds begin every meal), York Street is the most pleasant and comforting dining experience in Dallas. If you don’t believe me, go ask Alice.

Bob’s Steak & Chop House
4300 Lemmon Ave. 214-528-9446.
A lot of restaurateurs have accused me of being a homer for Bob’s. Why? Probably because in D’s February 2001 issue, “The Best Steakhouses in Dallas,” the tony spot on Lemmon Avenue took top honors. Apparently I hit a testosterone vein that runs deep in the chophouse community. But when the charges show up on my credit card and the calories on my waistline, I only eat where I know both are worth the price.

Runners-up: Brother’s Fried Chicken (4839 Gaston Ave. 214-370-0800), L’Ancestral (4514 Travis St.
214-528-1081), Marty’s Bistro (3316 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-526-7796), Liberty Noodles (5600 W. Lovers Ln. 214-350-1133).

TODD JOHNSON

Nana (pictured left)
Wyndham Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Fwy., 29th floor. 214-761-7479.
With its panoramic views, exquisite cuisine, and flawless service, this is the place to go for that special occasion. Strike that. This is the place to go when you simply want to celebrate good taste. Chef David McMillan’s culinary creations are an uncomplicated yet savory lot. And leave it to general manager Paul Pinnell to successfully blend caviar service, Versace and Villeroy & Boch china, and an award-winning wine list sans the expected pretense. This is five-star dining at its most comfortable.

La Duni
4620 McKinney Ave. 214-520-7300.
I’m not sure which I love most: Espartaco Borga’s fresh and lively Latin-American fare, his wife Dunia’s tempting pastries, or the warm feeling I get every time I visit this local treasure. A cafe as nationally lauded as La Duni could easily take itself too seriously. But La Duni is the Borgas’ home and each guest is family. The cafe’s delicious Latin flavors include chimichurri-basted beef, yucca fries, and the best salsa in town. Did I mention the Venezuelan chocolate truffle cake? Heavenly.

 

Cuba Libre Cafe (pictured right)
2822 N. Henderson Ave. 214-827-2820.
The scene is as sexy as rising star Nick Badovinus’ Caribbean-kissed cuisine. But you need not wear Fendi to feast on Cuba Libre’s affordable fare. Downstairs, the focus is rightly on the food, such as lime-soaked ceviche, pressed pork sandwiches, and jerk-flavored frittes. Upstairs, Cuba Libre’s lounge is a plush playground. Attractive and attentive servers, fabulous fare, and a young, hip vibe. What more could you want? Two words: frozen mojito.

Runners-up: Babe’s Chicken Dinner House (104 N. Oak St., Roanoke. 817-491-2900), Green Room (2715 Elm St. 214-748-7666), The Bronx (3835 Cedar Springs Rd. 214-521-5821), and Samui Thai (906 W. McDermott Dr. 972-747-7452; 5700 Legacy Dr., Plano. 972-398-2807).

MARY BROWN MALOUF

Cafe Expresso
6135 Luther Ln. 214-361-6984.
Who greets you at the door is as important as what’s on your plate. Most restaurants ignore that truth. But a visit to Cafe Expresso—known to habitués as “Dieter’s,” because owner Dieter Paul greets you at the door—is a delightfully individual experience. Hot foccacia and daily specials ranging from sweetbreads to soft-shell crab can undoubtedly be found at other Dallas restaurants. But after one visit, Dieter and his staff are likely to recognize you like a friend and treat you better. That’s an experience worth repeating.

Sevy’s Grill
8201 Preston Rd., Ste. 100. 214-265-7389.
The delights of being a “regular” most often elude those of us who dine out for a living. The newest, the trendiest, the freakiest is always our latest assignment, even when all we want is dinner. But over the years, Sevy’s has become an acceptable alternative to the family dining room. The enduringly beautiful Prairie-style room, the unflagging cheer and hospitality of chef-owner Jim Severson, and the dependably delicious American food—sage- and mozzarella-stuffed pork chops, grilled portobellos, steaks, and seafood—make lunch and dinner here a regular special occasion.

Cafe Med & Food to Go
6025 Royal Ln., Ste. 101. 214-373-0044.
Every culture has its own specific cuisine, and I suppose I’ve been a Malouf long enough that Middle Eastern food is mine. In the absence of my own mother-in-law, Avner’s mother’s salad and hummus is excellent. There are those who joke that by the time this opinion is published, the peripatetic Avner Samuel will have closed Cafe Med and gone on to his next project. To those people I say that the quality of food at Avner’s restaurant—whatever it’s called this time—is more dependable than nine out of 10 new Dallas restaurants.

Runners-up: The Grape (2808 Greenville Ave. 214-828-1981), Ciudad (3888 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-219-3141), Ziziki’s (4514 Travis St. 214-521-2233).

ROBERT FOX

Daddy Jack’s Wood Grill
2723 Elm St. 214-653-3949.
This is definitely not your typical Daddy Jack’s. Ever since I discovered the off-the-menu pleasures that chef Salvatore Gisellu concocts in traditional Sardinian style from whatever is freshly in season, I have gone back time and again for salt-baked seafood, delicious baby lamb chops, and firmly delicious pastas. Although the bar gets a great deal of late-night attention, the brick-walled dining room holds the real treasures.

Gershwin’s Restaurant (pictured left)
8442 Walnut Hill Ln. 214-373-7171.
After more than a year of renovation and research, Gershwin’s has rediscovered value and quality. Chef Gaspar Stantic has introduced new lunch and dinner menus (that encourage sharing of some extremely generous portions, such as the red snapper with lobster and scallops), and a wine list with more than 30 wines at less than $30 a bottle. There’s also a drink list at the Oak Bar that includes a couple of my favorites from Harry’s Bar (Between the Sheets being one). A classic is reborn.

Tei Tei Robata Bar
2906 N. Henderson Ave. 214-828-2400.
Be prepared for a wait at this Henderson Avenue spot that sets a sushi standard for much of Dallas. I have always liked the almost-secret garden entry from the side of the building and the flow of small rooms from the bar and sitting area to dining room. With seafood flown in almost daily, the raw, marinated, and coal-grilled offerings are unusual in variety and freshness. The menu easily accommodates novices and sensei alike. It can be crowded, it can be noisy, but Tei Tei is always fun.

Runners-up: Dragonfly, pictured below left, (Hotel ZaZa, 2332 Leonard St. 214-550-9500), Oceanaire Seafood Room (13340 Dallas Pkwy. 972-759-2277), Hattie’s, pictured below right,  (418 N. Bishop Ave. 214-942-7400), M Grill & Tap (2520 Cedar Springs Rd. 214-220-1130), Chez Gerard (4444 McKinney Ave. 214-522-6865).

Photos: York Street: James Bland; Cuba Libre: Courtesy of Cuba Libre; Nana: Courtesy of Nana; Hattie’s: Abel Sanchez; Dragonfly and Gershwin’s: Kevin Hunter Marple

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