Where to Eat
Where to eat in Dallas right now: 5 cool new restaurant discoveries
The arrival of August means a new edition of Where to Eat, CultureMap's monthly feature on best restaurants to try. The theme is new openings, but not just any run-of-the-mill newbie. These are new restaurants with a little twist.
Here's where to eat in Dallas right now:
Atipico
The name means "atypical" and it's an accurate description of this independently owned restaurant from Mexico City that just opened at the Union building near downtown. It boasts a sprawling, ever-changing menu including bowls, salads, and entrees, catering to a variety of dietary preferences, plus juice, coffee, wine, and cocktails. For breakfast, there's the Atípico Bowl, with fruit and granola. At lunch, it's a sirloin burger stuffed with cream cheese, cheese fondue, arugula, and dried tomato. Dinner is fettuccine with a three-cheese blend of Roquefort, gouda, and parmesan served on artisan bread.
Autonomous Society Brewpub
New craft beer spot just opened in a charming little brick building in the Cedars District outside downtown. Autonomous is the brainchild of Dean Weaver, a home brewer for more than 30 years who has earned accolades and awards for his brand, called Deanitude, which makes European-inspired beers such as pilsners, saisons, IPAs, and porters. The brewpub is an outgrowth of that venture and will create a place where beer fans can enjoy his beers as well as those from other craft brewers, along with some bites.
Brentwood
New concept from Dallas-based Vandelay Hospitality Group is in the former Houston's location near Addison at 5318 Belt Line Rd. and picks right up where Houston's left off, with dishes such as a brown rice veggie burger, French dip, Prime rib, San Francisco ribeye, filet with tomato gorgonzola salad, and Durango chicken topped with salsa verde. They're aspiring for a "sophisticated lounge" vibe and that includes a dress code of sorts: collared shirts and pants for men, no hats, no tank tops, no overly provocative clothing, athletic wear, and flip-flops as too informal.
Cathedral Italian Bistro
New restaurant in Plano is from chef Luke Rogers, an energetic enthusiast who appeared on Food Network's Chopped. featuring housemade pasta, pizza, Italian entrees, steaks, and desserts. Signature dishes include Bistecca Fiorintina, a 38-ounce Prime porterhouse steak, veal osso bucco with creamy mascarpone polenta, vegan roasted cauliflower with garbanzo beans medley, and whole branzino, roasted in their stone hearth oven with succotash, caper butter, and charred lemons. There are cool garlic knots by pastry chef Daniel Rosales, served with wagyu beef tallow "candles," which Rogers calls just a different highly creative take on bread and butter.
LimeHoney Modern Mexican Restaurant and Bar
New fast-casual Mexican restaurant from a pair of industry veterans just opened at The Shire at CityLine, the mixed-use retail and office property in Richardson, where it's doing a lighter menu than your run-of-the-mill Tex-Mex or Mexican establishment. Dishes include Elote Ribs, Chicken Skewers, Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, Ceviche, Tuna Crudo, and Brisket Enchiladas featuring brisket from sister restaurant 42 BBQ Smokehouse + Market.
