The Dallas area gets a few nods on Texas Monthly's list of the best new restaurants in the state, as selected by food critic Patricia Sharpe. Two restaurants make the cut, but that's down from three in 2015.
"Since I began compiling our annual roundup, in 2002, I've never seen as many exceptional new restaurants," Sharpe writes. To qualify, these places had to open between November 1, 2014, and November 30, 2015.
Leading the pack is Rapscallion, the Greenville Avenue hot spot that was also a big reason why Zagat named Dallas one of the best foodie cities for 2015. Sharpe praises the modern American bistro for chef Nathan Tate's "party in a bowl" dishes and calls the restaurant an "instant success."
Tei An siblingTen also makes the top 10, which is fitting because Sharpe notes that "ten means 'heaven' in Japanese, which is what you'll think when you slurp your first mouthful of toothsome curly ramen noodles and long-simmered pork-and-chicken broth." She points out that Ten has no seats, only a counter to accommodate about a dozen diners, but that the seating situation makes it "fast food on a celestial level."
Also singled out is Fort Worth's Horseshoe Hill Cafe, a small eatery in the Stockyards Historic District that focuses on hearty American classics such as roasted chicken and mustard-spiked deviled eggs.
Two more Dallas eateries — Madrina and Small Brewpub — earn honorable mentions.
The rest of the top 10 consists of four Austin restaurants (Launderette, Juniper, Vox Table, and Emmer & Rye) and three from Houston (Helen, SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, and Cureight).
Rapscallion has become "an instant hit" on Greenville Avenue, says Sharpe.
