Dallas

(From May 2011) Wanna feel like a Hollywood star? On a fine morning dine alfresco by the long, fountain-bedecked rectangular pool. There are traditional breakfast items, of course, but chef Dean just can’t deny his Southwestern influences. We picked a huevos rancheros breakfast platter with spicy chorizo, sliced avocados, black beans, and red and green salsas to drizzle everywhere; we weren’t hungry until late that afternoon. Service is friendly, despite the posh atmosphere. Bar.

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(From December 2010)

Looking like a small, colorful Tower of Pisa were stacked rounds of buffalo mozzarella brushed with pesto, slices of yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, and a sprinkling of tiny sourdough croutons and water-cress. A pyramid of truffle whipped potatoes and baby vegetables came parked beside a hefty hunk of wood-roasted beef tenderloin napped with a velvety red-wine butter. If you’ve never had sage ice cream—who has?—it’s a treat, especially paired with a blackberry crisp, as it is here. Note the sizzling bar scene, where everyone seems to be celebrating some sort of corporate coup. Bar.

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(From March 2011)

This place, with its clean lines, stylized art, and accomodating servers, is always a pleasure. So too was our meal of summer rolls with peanut sauce, followed by crispy red snapper topped with basil sauce, baby corn, and slivers of red bell pepper; an orb of jasmine rice flecked with black sesame seeds came alongside. Green tea ice cream with sticky rice and a splash of coconut coulis was a refreshing dessert; coming in second was a classic cheesecake with mango sauce and fresh raspberries. Bar.

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(From September 2010) Sunday brunch offers many dishes for the eclectic mix of diners gathered on the pleasant back patio. We chose a satisfying baked salmon filet Florentine, a neat package of pink fish and chopped spinach wrapped in puff pastry, topped with a poached egg, and laced with a dill-sprinkled hollandaise. Along with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of stout coffee, it started our day right. We fin-ished with the three-tiered coconut cake, each layer slathered with piquant lemon curd. Bar.

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(From November 2011)

Sitting down to brunch in this sunlit-space, it was hard to picture the same room throbbing with energy on a weekend night, as it’s reputed to do (imagine, if you will, a $50 punch bowl that serves up enough for twelve drinks). Although tempted by chicken and waffles, we loved our spinach and goat cheese omelet. Individual French presses kept us supplied with coffee throughout the meal, which ended with a bread pudding that confounded all preconceived notions; more like a flourless chocolate cake, it came topped with a slug of hot fudge sauce and a scoop of Henry’s chocolate ice cream. Bar.

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(From June 2011) Good morning, sunshine! We love this high-ceilinged room, with the sun streaming through the windows, and we love the break-fast even more. Is there anyone who could re-sist a delectable frittata with roasted red pepper, chorizo, and goat cheese and sides of hash browns and “hippy” bread (i.e., lots of grains)? And nowhere is it written that you can’t have dessert after breakfast, espe-cially in the form of delicate, crispy lemon cannoli.

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(From June 2011)

There’s a new chef from across the Trinity River: Dan Landsberg, formerly of Tillman’s, has brought a New American approach to Dragonfly’s menu, which has resulted in some lovely dishes. Crusted with thyme leaves and minced garlic, our Bay of Fundy salmon was cooked to perfection and plated with toasted orzo and baby spinach. Dessert of a small chocolate bundt cake filled with peanut butter mousse and drizzled with fudge sauce and crushed peanuts was top of the world. We like the new, more serene black and white decor and the lovely cluster of pendant lighting in the center of the room. The bar scene is as lively as always. Bar.

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Photograph by Kevin Hamilton

(From October 2011)

The folks here are geniuses when it comes to innovative tacos. Tacos include the Minnie Pearl (roasted corn, pearl couscous, spinach, goat cheese, and favas), the Swine Bleu (braised pork with blue cheese slaw), the Curry in a Hurry (bok choy and shiitakes in yellow curry), the Hotlanta (waffle-battered chicken, sweet potato, and honey butter)—you get the picture. Be sure and order a coffee from Cultivar, which shares the space with the taco kitchen. 

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(From October 2010) Lacking the euros to travel to Italy, we can still savor Italian delights by visiting this small grocery store with its myriad imported treasures. We sat down to enjoy a prosciutto panino with shreds of basil and thick slabs of mozzarella; it was easily shared by two. Adding to that a behemoth portion of muffuletta salad, a small bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling Chinotto (a bitter citrus fruit drink similar to Campari in taste), and a small round of chocolate cake with dense ganache icing, we had ourselves quite a feast. If so inclined, an Italian espresso costing only $1 might be the best ending of all. Beer & wine.

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(From June 2011) Outside, it looks like a brick home; inside, it’s an English pub, with the obligatory dark interior, darts game, and menu of fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and bangers. But there’s also a terrific chicken tandoori sandwich, the meat grilled with yogurt and spices, nestled in a soft pita, and bril-liantly slicked with curry mayo. And the fries are among the best in town—crisp, brown, and flecked with tiny bits of parsley. The bourbon-rum sauce paired with the airy bread pudding was subtle, not in-your-face, as is too often the case. Bar.

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