Here today, gone tamale

Holiday hot list: Where to find the best tamales in Dallas

Tamales from El Ranchito on Jefferson Boulevard in Dallas.
Photo courtesy of El Ranchito
Blue Goose Cantina has tamales to-go.
Photo courtesy of Blue Goose Cantina
At Urban Taco, you can get your tamales to go or eat them in the restaurant.
Photo courtesy of Urban Taco
Hot Damn Tamales in Fort Worth is worth the drive.
Photo courtesy of Hot Damn Tamales

If you're part of a Mexican family that celebrates the festive tradition of making your own tamales during the holidays, then please give us a call. We'd like an invitation. If you're not, then you're like the rest of us: Buying your tamales from one of the many area vendors who ramp up production when December rolls around.

Below are some of the best tamales money can buy; most require pre-ordering but will do walk-up sales, depending on availability.

Blue Goose, all five locations, including Addison, Frisco, Lower Greenville Ave., Highland Village and Plano. 214-823-8339.
Open until 4 pm Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Fillings: Pork with chile con carne sauce, and chicken within jalapeno and jack cheese. $20 a dozen.

Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory, 309 N. Marsalis Ave., Dallas 214-821-8854.
Open until 8 pm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Fillings: Pork, beef, chicken, pork and jalapeno, beef and jalapeno. $8.95 per dozen warm, $7 cold.

Hot Damn Tamales, 713 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth. 817-926-9909.
Open until 2 pm Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Fillings: Tenderloin, shrimp, black bean and cheese, poblano corn, mushroom and goat cheese, cranberry-jalapeno, chocolate, and more. $20 to $36 per dozen.

La Popular Tamale House, 5004 Columbia Ave., Dallas 214-824-7617.
Open until 7 pm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Fillings: Pork, pork and jalapeno, spicy beef, chicken-tomatillo, mixed vegetables, beans and jalapeno. $10-$11 a dozen.

Lopez Tortillas & Tamales, 9727 Brockbank Drive, Dallas 214-353-9538.
Open Christmas Eve until noon; closed on Christmas Day.
Fillings: Chicken, pork, rajas (peppers and cheese), raisin. $9 a dozen.

Luna's Tortilla Factory, 8524 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas 214-747-2661.
Open Christmas Eve until 3 pm, but only for pre-orders.
Fillings: Pork, beef, chicken, bean, spinach, cheese-jalapeno, cinnamon-raisin. $12 a dozen.

Urban Taco, both locations at Mockingbird Station and McKinney Avenue in Uptown, are celebrating their annual "12 Days of Tamales," a special menu with a rotating flavor every day, available December 13-24. Place a to-go order for any flavor with 24 hours notice, minimum one dozen for $24. You can also order the daily flavor at lunch or dinner, as a tamale trio plate with black beans and roasted corn con crema for $9.75.

12 Days of Tamales Menu:

December 13 – pollo con mole poblano
December 14 – cochinita pibil
December 15 – guajillo pork
December 16 – potato zucchini con queso fresco
December 17 – frijoles y queso Oaxaca
December 18 – tomatillo serrano con pollo
December 19 – carnitas con mole poblano
December 20 – Dos Equis Amber barbacoa con chorizo
December 21 – guajillo piquin con pollo
December 22 – chicharron adobado con salsa verde
December 23 – green chile con picadillo
December 24 – chicken tinga & potato

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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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Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist