By Steven Doyle
Parigi Café has a locally-sourced fresh menu that rotates on a bi-weekly basis. It is a neighborhood favorite that serves Parisian inspired food. Fresh soups, salads and entrees that warm the soul bring back regulars who have dined here for years. Great wine list at fair prices, 3311 Oak Lawn, Dallas.
JoJo Eating House has a small French leaning simply because the chef hails from France, but be there no doubt this is a neighborhood café that serves delicious pizzas, a few great steaks, some over-the-top seafood options and imaginative starts. This all makes for a fabulous meal served with a superb wine list and cocktails, 2626 Howell, Dallas.
Marquee Grill is a stand-out restaurant in Highland Park Village. This neighborhood spot has something for everyone, cooked with a refined hand and served by a capable staff. One of the better bars set in a Dallas restaurant. Look for steaks, seafood, house-made pastas, and a delicious chop, 33 Highland Park Village, Dallas.
Salum’s is sitting all alone in a non-restaurant neighborhood, but doesn’t mind the lack of company as its guests are able to make their way to this easy-on-the-eyes gem. Look for standard American fare including one of the best lamb chops around served with a mushroom bread pudding, 4152 Cole, Dallas.
Oak has been labeled one of the best restaurants in Dallas and it is difficult to disagree with the New American menu that has a classic feel and over-the-top execution. Reservations are a premium, so make plans well in advance. Oak houses one of the best pastry chefs in Dallas, so save room for one or two desserts. Cocktails are a must, 1628 Oak Lawn, Dallas.
The Grape has been a neighborhood staple for so many years it is considered the template for how a restaurant should be run. Look for house-made charcuterie that is off the chain, the best mushroom soup, and that burger that everyone keeps talking about. The menu changes often, so look for your favorites in rotation. The wine list is very solid, 29808 Greenville, Dallas.
Boulevardier is located in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas and is billed as an American French Bistro. The raw bar offers a delicious selection of oysters, and a haunting grilled baby octopus. The lamb’s neck is filling, and the bouillabaisse is fantastic. The starters are hard to pass up, including the crawfish beignets, 408 N. Bishop, Dallas.
Fearing’s is Dean Fearing’s eponymous restaurant located in the beautiful Ritz Carlton in Dallas. Fearing offers his fabled Texas cuisine set in a beautiful surrounding of the best hotel in the state. Look and find Dean’s famous tortillas soup, some delicious shrimp tacos, and host of meats including bison and antelope. Sunday requires Granny Fearing’s “Paper Bag Shook” Fried Chicken. We love all the pastries as well, 2121 McKinney, Dallas.
Rise No. 1 is largely a soufflé restaurant, but there are plenty of other dishes offered including sandwiches and steaks. Try the marshmallow soup, which actually is a tomato soup with lumps of delicious goat cheese. The soufflé is king here and you will need to try them all. The ham and cheese is wonderful, 5360 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas.
Shinsei is a beautiful neighborhood Japanese and sushi house located at Lovers Lane and Inwood. The sushi bar could very well stand on its own, but the chef-driven Japanese fare satisfies those who do not appreciate fish as much as the rest of us. Fun bar and delicious food, 7713 Inwood, Dallas.
Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen is open all day and supplies its guests with local cuisine favorites such as shrimp and grits, pan fried chicken, duck breast served with scallops and a mean filet of beef. Look for daily specials, 6130 Luther Lane, Dallas.