Co-owned by longtime barmen Michael Martensen and Omar Yeefoon, Shoals Sound & Service is a refreshing addition to Dallas’ nightlife scene. The cocktail list is straightforward, sticking to the classics. Likewise, the menu at this new Deep Ellum spot is small but stacked with well-executed standards. One standout is the bologna sandwich, a goopy and glistening mound of meat and cheese squished between a halved bolillo. It’s decadent and delicious: mortadella, three different cheeses (provolone, American, and mozzarella), Dijon mustard, mayonnaise-based sauce, and hot peppers. The half-pound version costs $10; a full pound is $18. Ask for a martini on the side.
Eat This Now
BOLILLO
The team picks up this crusty Mexican white bread daily from Fiesta Mart.
BOLOGNA
Urueña uses shaved mortadella. “It’s a very popular forcemeat in Italy,” he says. “And in Argentina, it’s considered a poor, blue-collar-worker deli meat used for lunch—if it was payday!”
PEPPERS
Italian pickled red peppers and jalapeños (for an added Texas flair) are combined with a pickled giardiniera blend.
AJÍ CREMA SAUCE
Made from ají amarillo peppers, which hail from Peru, the sauce’s sweet aftertaste balances out the heat from the other peppers.