For August, we're forecasting hot with a side of spicy, and that's how we like our restaurants too. These 10 restaurants are nearly all new, mostly all spicy and absolutely all hot.
Zoli's NY Pizza Tavern
One of the most hotly anticipated openings of the summer, this New York-style pizzeria has lots going for it: Three kinds of pizza: hero sandwiches: quality ingredients: an Oak Cliff address: and an enthusiastic owner in pizza wizard Jay Jerrier, who has already worked wonders at Neapolitan-style pizzeria Cane Rosso.
Bread Zeppelin
Unique concept has chopped salads, which you can get in a bowl or served in a crusty, hollowed-out baguette. The ordering setup is similar to fast-casual concepts such as Chipotle or Salata, where you file through a line, choose your ingredients, then head to a chopping station to have it made complete.
Pakpao Thai
New Thai restaurant from owners of Oak and Belly and Trumpet is attracting widespread interest, from foodies to artsy types who live or office in the Dallas Design District. Chef Eddy Thretipthuangsin, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, has a menu with novelties such as bamboo shoot salad and clay pots.
Howard Wang's
Dallas Chinese institution hits the 'burbs and hits 'em big. New branch in Southlake has a big lounge, ample dining room, roomy chairs and oversized portions. But big doesn't mean sloppy; the preparation on dishes like stir-fried vegetables and Peking duck is careful top-notch.
Jeng Chi
Venerable family-owned restaurant in Richardson's Chinatown district is widely celebrated as having the best dumplings in town. It recently moved from a longtime address to a bigger spot a few doors down. The new space is bigger, and you can get beer and wine now too.
Sakhuu Express
After being deposed at his former restaurant, Thairrific, chef Kyla Phomsavanh rebounded with Sakhuu, the Chinese-Thai restaurant he opened in East Dallas. No stopping him now: He's opened a second to-go spot on Lemmon Avenue, with curries and noodles, plus new items such as shrimp wraps.
Pho Is For Lovers
Vietnamese chain-let specializing in pho spreads its wings north, with a new branch in Allen. Menu of pho, banh mi sandwiches, noodles and rice is the same as the other two locations (Greenville Avenue and Preston at Belt Line). But the Allen location is larger and more spacious. This is the suburbs, after all.
Malai Kitchen
With talented chef Paul Singhapong rumored to have returned to Dallas (after leaving town for a while), now's the time to visit Malai, which he helped open in 2011. Malai has a primo location in West Village, where it serves slightly gourmet Thai and Vietnamese food: from pad Thai to "Vietnamese meatballs" made with pork, green onion and caramel.
Lemongrass
Low-key yet resilient, Lemongrass has prevailed through the ups and downs and ups again of Deep Ellum. Lunch is hotter than dinner, with $10.95 plates combining stir-fried veggies with some kind of chicken, pork, beef or tofu. White tablecloths make it a popular option for business lunches.
Mot Hai Ba
Vietnamese restaurant from chefs Jeana Johnson and Colleen O'Hare remains THE restaurant of summer 2013. If you're a foodie, if you like to ogle who's who or if you just plain like it spicy, MHB is where it's at. The menu changes from lunch to dinner; if you have pho on the brain, you have to catch it at lunch.
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Pakpao Thai in the Dallas Design District features the culinary talents of chef Eddy Thretipthuangsin.
