List News

Only one Dallas spot makes Bon Appetit's list of best new restaurants

Festive taco plate from El Rincon del Maiz.

Courtesy photo

Texas restaurants are well-represented on Bon Appetit’s list of America’s 50 Best New Restaurants for 2022. Seven Lone Star State establishments earn the magazine's approval.

They are:

Birdie’s, a counter service restaurant in Austin known for its seasonal menu and well-chosen list of natural wines
Canje, the Caribbean restaurant in Austin from star chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph
El Rincon del Maiz, a taqueria in Garland that serves vegan tacos on seven different types of corn tortillas
La Onda, chef Victor Villarreal’s Latin-inspired seafood restaurant in Fort Worth that includes dry-aged fish among its offerings
March, the Houston fine dining restaurant dedicated to tasting menus inspired by different regions of the Mediterranean
The Nicolett, a Lubbock restaurant that serves "High Plains Cuisine" in the form of dishes such as elk tartare and house-made pappardelle stuffed with avocado
Reese Bros. Barbecue, a San Antonio food truck that pairs classic Texas barbecue with Mexican-inspired sides

The strong showing represents an improvement over 2019, when only four Texas restaurants made the list. The magazine skipped a Best New Restaurants list in 2021, instead recognizing restaurants that showed leadership during the pandemic with its Head of the Table awards.

The magazine's editors express optimism about the state of dining in America. They note that a broader range of immigrant culinary traditions has spread across the country, writing that it means "more Guyanese and South Indian and Palestinian and Indigenous Mexican food for all of us." They also praise restaurants that are putting their staff first by offering improved working environments.

"I hope this list, divided by region and filled with our thoughts on what to order and what to know, acts as an invitation to shake off any skepticism as to whether going out is 'worth it' these days," writes restaurant editor Elazar Sontag.

Each restaurant on the list receives a brief profile along with a list of recommended dishes. For El Rincon del Maiz, a taqueria opened in a former Sonic Drive-In in 2021, they write:

Here, the Saporito family, hailing from Tabasco, Mexico, presses out a rainbow of seven different types of corn tortillas doctored up with homemade flavoring mixes—magenta beetroot, fiery orange guajillo, green nopal. Then, they fill them with clever blends of plant-based ingredients: juicy jackfruit quesabirria, crispy fried hibiscus with cauliflower, even chicharrones made of shredded coconut. Oh, and did we mention the creamy mushroom tamal bathed in salsa verde? There are plenty of excellent meat options too (and a very good horchata) but here, plants really deserve the spotlight.

Their recommendations for what to order include the Vegan Birria Taco, Hibiscus & Cauliflower Taco, and Mushroom Tamale.

From this list of 50 restaurants, Bon Appetit will reveal its ranked top 10 list on September 14.

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Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

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