Lists Love FT33

Dallas hot spot FT33 tops Wine Enthusiast's list of America's best winerestaurants

Dallas hot spot FT33 topped the list of Texas restaurants on 2013's "America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants" by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

This is the third year Wine Enthusiast has compiled a list of the nation's top wine-driven restaurants. The list will appear in the magazine's August issue, which hits newsstands in early July. [UPDATE: The list was posted online on June 23.]

And it's another feather in the cap of FT33, the fine-dining restaurant starring chef Matt McCallister, which opened in Dallas' Design District in October 2012.

According to Wine Enthusiast, the restaurants on the list have established themselves as "standouts for wine lovers, boasting visionary beverage programs and innovative menus, with eye-catching ambience and exceptional service."

It's the first time FT33 has appeared on this list. The other three Texas entries — Inn at Dos Brisas, Congress and Vino Vino — were all on the 2012 list.

The list wisely ranks each state separately — no interstate disputes, so we can all feel good about ourselves. But come on, only two states really matter: In California, the top-ranked restaurant is French Laundry; in New York, it's Daniel.

Texas winners on the 2011 inaugural list included Lake Austin Spa Resort, Samba Grill, Al Biernat's, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and Stephan Pyles.

FT33's accolades are piling up: So far this spring, the restaurant has appeared on Open Table's Top 100 Hot Spot list; Food and Wine's People's Best New Chef for the Southwest region; and Nation's Restaurant News' Avant-Garde Tables list.

McCallister was also just invited to cook at the James Beard House on September 24.

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Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

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