Not Just Another Restaurant List

Two Dallas restaurants make the cut in Esquire's 2013 best list

Esquire called Spoon "the most exciting new seafood restaurant in America sinceNew York's Marea opened four years ago."
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
No mention was made by Esquire of the practice known as Tesar-ing.
Photo by Jerry McClure
Esquire acknowledged chef Stephan Pyles' 30 years of restauranting in Dallas.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Stampede 66 got a nod for its entertaining, witty atmosphere.
Photo by Brandon Ramsey of Brilliant Pixel Photography

Two Dallas restaurants have made a new "best" list, and that includes a comfort-food spot opened by chef Stephan Pyles. On Esquire magazine's list of Best New Restaurants 2013 are Pyles' Stampede 66 and John Tesar's seafood spot Spoon.

There are 18 restaurants on the list, and food writer John Mariani covers a lot of ground, both philosophically and geographically. One notable thing about his lists versus others in national magazines is that he is not as coast-centric nor as dismissive of the flyover states. He thoroughly covers the South, hitting South Carolina, Nashville, Atlanta and New Orleans.

About Spoon, which comes in at No. 15, he says that chef John Tesar bucks a trend in which "hard-won mastery of cuisine is fading," calling it "the most exciting new seafood restaurant in America since New York's Marea opened four years ago."

Tesar's restraint shines in dishes like raw yellowtail sweetened by chunks of Texas ruby-red grapefruit and roasted beets, and Singapore-style chile lobster on Texas toast. His classic French training shows in the intensity of his red-wine reduction with a swordfish steak in a wild-mushroom crust. His recipe for potato gnocchi with jumbo lump crabmeat and black-truffle essence should be required reading at every culinary school.

He praises its "coalescence of great, innovative food and sophisticated, casual ambience," describing it as "a totem of fine dining in Texas right now."

For Stampede, ranked No. 16, he acknowledges chef Stephan Pyles' 30-year history, dating back to his pioneering restaurant Routh Street Cafe. Mariani praises Pyles' "sublimation of down-home cooking into great cuisine" and admires Stampede 66's nifty gewgaws:

Pyles has culled all he truly loves about the old and new traditions of his home state and brought them to vivid life in a hugely entertaining restaurant. Video screens project rodeo scenes and Texas wit (Molly Ivins: "Next time I tell you someone from Texas should not be president of the United States, please pay attention") alongside sculptures by western artists and a wondrous collection of longhorns.

Favorite dishes include fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits and mashed-potato tots; beef brisket with potato salad; and all of the desserts, from butterscotch pudding with salted caramel to sweet-corn icebox pie to chocolate custard to an ice cream float with real-sugar Dr Pepper. "Anyone who can't wrap his arms around this food is likely without a pulse," Mariani writes.

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Bagel News

Cute shop Saved by the Bagel to bring hand-rolled bagels to Plano

Saved By the Bagel

There’s a new bagel shop rolling into Plano soon: Called Saved by the Bagel, it’s going into the former JuiceTime Cafe at 6921 Independence Pkwy. #170, where it will open on December 21.

Saved By the Bagel is a family-owned shop from Altrim Vinca, who co-owns the shop with his sister and brother-in-law, Fortesa and Thomas DiFonzo, and childhood friend Veton Hani.

The shop, which is inspired by New York City hand-rolled bagels, boasts an assortment of handmade bagels, bagel spreads, and breakfast and lunch sandwiches.

Though this is their first food shop that they’ve owned, Vinca says they previously worked in restaurants. The inspiration behind opening a bagel shop came from a desire for more family-owned bagels and variety in the Dallas area.

“We have always loved bagels,” Vinca says. “We started making our own bagels at home for our family to enjoy, and they loved it and encouraged us to bring our bagels to the public.”

Menu items include the tuna melt, the reuben with pastrami and Russian dressing, lox, bacon, egg, and cheese, and the avocado smash. For the spreads, they offer house-made plain, strawberry, scallion, honey almond, lox, veggie, and vegan.

"We grew up watching reruns of Saved by the Bell as kids, so it’s super nostalgic for our generation," Vinca says. "While we were brainstorming ideas, we had a random episode playing in the background and my brother-in-law said, “I got it— Saved by the Bagel.'"

Sandwiches typically range from $9 - $13, but they also have a couple of lox sandwiches that are about $19. For the bagel lovers who crave more than a couple bagels, a half dozen goes for $12.50 and a dozen goes for $21.

They'll also offer a selection of espresso, drip coffee, and soft drinks to wash down those bagels.

As far as the atmosphere of the shop goes, it's designed to have a "nostalgic, 90s-inspired vibe that brings back the 90s with a modern twist."

"We have many friends who live in and own businesses in Plano, so we know the area well," Vinca says. "Our goal is to not only offer a new, quick-serve breakfast spot for families to enjoy, but also to bring back memories of childhood with every bite of our bagels."

breakfast openings