After a busy April, restaurant openings around Dallas-Fort Worth died down in May. If something new is what you want, your choices are few. But if you're willing to take newsy, we have it here, the 10 restaurants you must visit in June.
Pecan Lodge
As if the lines weren't already long enough, this Diners, Drive-ins and Dives-endorsed restaurant at Dallas Farmers Market nabbed the No. 2 4 spot on Texas Monthly's list of the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas. "Bad news, BBQ selling out faster," Pecan Lodge recently tweeted. "Good news, lots of folks trying the fried chicken for first time."
Lockhart Smokehouse
Bishop Arts barbecue favorite also made the Texas Monthlytop 50 list, one of seven restaurants around Dallas-Fort Worth to do so. Be sure to visit on Thursdays; that's when the restaurant features its burnt ends.
Smoke
Chef Tim Byres' new $40 cookbook, Smoke: New Firewood Cooking, has gotten the attention of esteemed publications Wall Street Journal and Food & Wine Magazine (written by Houston Chronicle's Alison Cook). Try something with the coffee-chile rub, because it gets mentioned in every story.
Rudy's Chicken
Virtually unheard of previously, Rudy's is now a favorite of the Dallas City Council, who endowed it with a crazy $890,000 grant to build a new location. Hit the old place for some greasy fried chicken before it closes down.
Nobu
With Uchi coming in 2014 or maybe 2015, attention shifts to the local competition. Which Dallas sushi spots are the best? Some have Nobu on their list.
Katy Trail Ice House Outpost
This spin-off of the Katy Trail Ice House opens this week in the old Bandito's spot in Plano, with a splendid patio and a slew of beer events every night.
Le Bilboquet
A New York bistro for 27 years, Le Bilboquet has surfaced in Dallas, at the corner of Travis Street and Armstrong Avenue, with a subtle, sophisticated decor. House specialties include the not-so-French-sounding Cajun blackened chicken.
Meso Maya
This bustling Mexican restaurant with branches in North Dallas and downtown has a new brunch menu with many huevos, a "los Benedict," some "skinny eggs" (i.e., scrambled egg whites), croque senor, oatmeal with fruit, and a Mexican toast.
Private Social
"Pilgrim Chef" Najat Kaanache gives it another shot, this time with what she calls an awesome Texas food menu that includes grilled chicken Caesar salad, fried calamari, meatball hero, and meat and potatoes. No matter what she calls it, it's bound to be interesting.
Blue Mesa
Sharon Hage is the latest chef in a series focusing on Texas food that's being hosted by the Southwestern chain. Hage's theme is "Gulf seafood," with crawfish adobe pie, Gulf crab huarache, and a blueberry-blackberry blue cornmeal cobbler.
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Pecan Lodge is so hot right now, the barbecue is selling out fast. So try the crispy fried chicken instead.
