This edition of Where to Eat, CultureMap's monthly list of top restaurant recommendations, is all about fresh new restaurants that have opened in the past month or so. They're an especially varied lot both in cuisine and location, ranging from a family-run trattoria in Frisco to an upscale Indian restaurant to Las Colinas to a casual-sophisticated Asian concept in the center of Dallas.
Here's our March edition of where to eat:
The Ainsworth
Classy sports bar with New York ties just opened in the Shops at Legacy North. But the talker is definitely the famous chicken wing dipped in 24K gold, a recipe by chef Jonathan 'Foodgōd' Cheban, who created it for The Ainsworth in New York.The menu will include Ainsworth trademarks such as the signature Mac burger with an 8-ounce Angus patty and cheddar cheese on top of a fried mac-n-cheese patty with Ainsworth sauce on a brioche bun. There's also pasta in pesto, tuna tacos, and brick chicken.
Dua Trattoria
Italian-Mediterranean fusion restaurant in Frisco comes from the same family that launched Eddie's Napoli, and incorporates some of Eddie's dishes along with elements from their home country of Kosovo in southeast Europe. In addition to Italian classics like lasagna and chicken parmesan, the menu features several family recipes to incorporate their culture, such as kefalotyri, a baked goat cheese dip, and burek, a Balkan spinach and cheese pastry.Prices are mostly affordable with flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, and pastas. But they also have celebratory splurges like \a cappelletti, a ravioli with short rib, asparagus, and tomato.
La Veganería
Vegan Mexican food is a national trend that began in Dallas-Fort Worth, where it continues to see new players such as this ghost kitchen at Commerce Cooking Fork Co. in West Dallas. Founded by two natives of Celaya, in Guanajuato, Mexico, La Veganeria stands out with a particularly authentic, upscale, and creative menu featuring dishes worth seeking out, such as Cochinita Pibil tacos featuring citrus-marinated oyster mushrooms with refried black beans in a corn tortilla; "fish tacos" - beer-battered Lion's Mane mushrooms with coleslaw and pineapple pico de gallo; and and seitan Milanesa: Fried seitan "steak" on a bolillo bun with refried beans and guacamole. Everything's made in house, even down to the skin-on French fries.
Miss Pasta
Italian restaurant at the Shire complex in Richardson does handmade pasta in a semi-fast-casual setting at an approachable price. The concept is from chef Giuliano Matarese and his wife Tiziana Cosentino. A native of Naples, Matarese previously worked on the East Coast at restaurants such as Charlie Palmer's Aureole in New York, and has also appeared on cooking shows such as Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. Pastas range from classics like rigatoni with spicy tomato, basil, Parmesan, and Burrata cheese, to original takes such as potato gnocchi with basil pesto and green beans. There are also creative antipasti like fried dough with tomato sauce and a Roman-style rice croquette.
Rakkan Ramen
First Dallas-area location of a ramen chain is now open at 3121 Olympus Blvd. #150, in a cool storefront between The Sound at Cypress Waters and North Lake. Founded in Japan and headquartered in California, Rakkan Ramen is known for its vegetarian broths, made from vegetables like mushrooms and seaweed, as opposed to the more common meat-based broths such as tonkotsu, made from pork bones. While the broths are plant-based, the restaurant is not vegetarian; many offerings contain grilled pork and chicken. The menu does feature four entirely vegan ramens, including Garnet Ramen, with noodles, mushrooms, green onion, corn, and tofu in a deep, creamy, savory broth. Beyond ramen, other offerings include rice bowls, gyoza, and sushi handrolls.
Sanjh
Upscale Indian restaurant in Las Colinas is from Dallas entrepreneur Sanjay Joshi and Prob Arora, former co-owner of The Saffron House, the Indian restaurant that was in Addison for 14 years. Chef is Balpreet Singh Chadha, who has a lustrous history working at hotels and restaurants around the world including India, United Arab Emirates, and Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain. They have strived to show every part of India on the menu wherever they could. It's not cheap - entrees run from $25 to $40, and there's a menu of craft cocktails to match. But how do you not love a dish like Shakargandi Amrak Chaat, a Delhi street food with sweet potatoes as the star of the dish.
Shivas Bar and Grill
After wowing Dallas diners with its expertly made Indian dishes since 2014, Shivas has spun off a second location at Watters Creek Village in Allen, where they've recreated their authentic Indian food in a pleasant contemporary setting. There are biryani rice dishes, meats cooked in the traditional tandoor oven, and loads of vegetarian options like dal Makhani, featuring lentils with tomato and garlic. It's also fun just to make a meal of the appetizers, with options such as battered cauliflower, chicken on skewers, and samosa dumpling-like pastries, in traditional options like potato & peas as well as variations filled with chicken.
Sigree Indian Restaurant
Addison restaurant is hosting a vegan buffet on Tuesday nights. Called Vegan Tuesdays, it's $20 for adults and $16 for kids and includes choices from sprouts with pomegranate, salad with chickpeas, stir-fried tofu, chutneys, vegetable pakora fritters, cauliflower bites, vegetable noodles, chickpea masala, fried okra, eggplant chaat, veg korma, veg pulav, lentil soup, and roti. It runs from 5:30-9:30 m, at 4145 Belt Line Rd. #218 in Dallas.
Taipo
Newly opened restaurant in downtown Arlington features Nepalese food, with the signature dish being the taipo: two jumbo, savory fried dumplings with chicken, pork, beef or potato fillings. They also have skewers in options such as potato, sausage, tofu, or enoki mushroom, served with tomato chutney; plus stir fries with choice of rice or noodles, veggies, and choice of sauces that includes a spicy habanero. BBy day, it's a cute fast-casual spot featuring pan-Asian food and Nepalese food, But it also comes with a hidden speakeasy, perfect for late-night gatherings or romantic dates.
Wagamama
The iconic global restaurant brand offering modern Asian cuisine has made its Texas debut in Dallas with a location at 2425 Harry Hines Blvd. Food is cooked to order and served straight from wok to table. Signature dishes include ginger chicken udon, Yasai katsu curry, and Bang Bang crispy cauliflower with firecracker sauce, plus craft cocktails like the Thai Chili Margarita and a selection of good sake. There are nine ramen options, plus salads, dumplings, and stirfries with noodles or rice, such as Avant Gard’n, featuring BBQ-glazed seitan with coconut and sriracha vegan‘egg’ on sticky white rice. It's not so much what they're doing but how: executing with a level of proficiency and sophistication that is distinctly not-Dallas, and that is a good thing.