You want to be like the foodies, right? Of course you do. Foodies like to eat "seasonally" and "go local," and if there's ever a time to do that in Dallas, it's now. We're at the height of the growing season, the plantiest time of all. Therefore, for July, we've made a list of 10 restaurants around Dallas-Fort Worth that do the best job at cooking seasonally.
Bolsa
One of the early proponents of seasonal menus, Bolsa has maintained that profile under the supervision of current chef Jeff Harris. On the menu since June: a salad of beets, watermelon, watermelon radish and avocado-and-fennel puree.
Cafe Modern
The menu at this restaurant in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is hyper-responsive to what's available today and has a big commitment to local purveyors. For lunch: bruschetta with marinated artichokes, roasted red pepper and house-made ricotta.
Fearing's
Chef Dean Fearing goes one better than seasonal by changing his menu weekly — sometimes daily. Even the desserts are seasonal, such as pastry chef Jill Bate's cherry trio with cherry crisp, cherry ice cream in a miniature cone, and sour cherry fried pie.
French Room
The Adolphus' critically lauded restaurant has been doing seasonal since before seasonal was a buzz word. Recently on the menu: grilled white asparagus with quail egg, dandelion and golden beets in a shallot vinaigrette.
FT33
The Design District spot is noted for so many things — its award-winning wine service, the derring-do of chef Matt McCallister — that one hesitates to single it out for its seasonality. But this is a menu that changes almost compulsively. Recent standout: a summer vegetable salad with heirloom tomato and corn, watermelon radish and a smear of Caprino Royale cheese.
Garden Cafe
Small neighborhood restaurant has an actual garden on the premises and has been responding to customer requests for more garden-centric selections. Recently featured: heirloom tomato-basil stack and a wilted kale and avocado salad.
Lucia
Chef David Uygur doesn't hype the seasonal aspect of his ever-changing lineup of dishes. He just does it. On the menu this spring: crostini with fava beans, shallots, burrata, parsley and avocado cream.
Parigi
Chef-owner Janice Provost has always favored local and sustainable products and seasonality of produce. The restaurant reopens from its weeklong summer holiday on Monday, July 8, when you can get a shaved Brussels sprouts salad with Marcona almonds, candied bacon and scallions in a cider vinaigrette.
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Like most great hotel restaurants, the Mansion makes seasonal cooking de rigueur, though filtered through chef Bruno Davaillon's distinctively French approach. On the menu last week: rabbit with potato gnocchi, shaved fennel, tomato and green olives.
Seasons 52
Seasons 52 changes its menu four times per year, which has to count for something, especially for such a big corporation. But you don't see a whole lot of local. New this summer: fig and goat cheese flatbread with bacon and balsamic, with Laura Chenel chevre all the way from Sonoma.
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Mansion rabbit has fennel, tomato and green olive.
