Gastro-Gluttony

From vegan benedict to Nutella mousse, our most memorable meals from 2012

Nutella mousse at Oak was part of Alex's favorite meal for 2012.
Teresa favored the Big Bend vegan benedict at Sundown at Granada, a place thatmakes it easy for vegans to dine alongside non-vegans.
Photo courtesy of Sundown at Granada
S&D Oyster Company goes down in this reporter's food hall of fame.
Photo courtesy of Nick Zukin
Jennifer still dreams about the crostini with lardo, peaches and arugula atLucia.
Photo by Jennifer Chininis
Rachael thought the sushi at Fujiyama was the best — and most generouslyportioned — meal she ate all year.
Photo by Vitali Azouz

With the end of the year, and the end of the Cowboys’ season, there’s a lot of looking back going on around our office. What can I say? We’re a contemplative bunch.

For now, we’re thinking about our favorite dishes from 2012. We’ve got fine dining, casual eateries, and new and firmly established food from all over the globe. Feast your eyes on our most memorable meals:

Teresa Gubbins
I’m going with the Big Bend vegan benedict atSundown at Granada. At the base is the house-made quinoa patty, and it's topped with sautéed spinach, sweet potato hash, and drizzles of spicy-sweet chipotle-avocado sauce. Obviously, if you're fixated on eggs, this wouldn't qualify as a true benedict, but it does an excellent job at re-creating those layers of flavor and textures.

Sundown at Granada will make vegan versions of anything on the menu, so vegans can eat with their non-vegan friends without it being a big fuss. Sundown is blazing a trail at bringing vegan dining into the mainstream.

Alex Bentley
My favorite meal was the Waygu cheek with sweet potato risotto and Brussels sprouts, with Nutella mousse for dessert, at Oak. With the buzz surrounding the Design District in the last year, it's no surprise that the food was stellar. But it was the ambience that truly elevated the experience, from the attentive waitstaff to the projection of a gently swaying oak tree on the back wall.

Rachael Abrams
I pick sushi at Fujiyama in Carrollton. Indulging in sushi at lunchtime is a serious luxury. The chefs are generous with the fish; the sashimi is double the size of most places. And knowing that they get their fish from a valid source makes me feel good. Miso soup, two rolls and eight pieces of sashimi later — yes, I shared — and I still got green tea ice cream.

Jonathan Rienstra
Consider this more of a lifetime achievement award, because I spent the first half of the year in Austin and the second eating at Capriotti’s and El Fenix. S&D Oyster Company’s fried shrimp will never not be my favorite thing to eat in Dallas. The perfectly battered shrimp, not-too-thick fries and finely shredded coleslaw is the best kind of comfort food. Throw in great service and a classic building in the heart of Uptown, and I'm there.

Jennifer Chininis
My favorite dish from 2012 was the crostini with lardo, peaches and arugula at Lucia. The truth is, many of my favorite meals in Dallas have come from Lucia. I dream about David Uygur's house-made salumi plates, which vary from visit to visit but never disappoint. This dish was spectacular in its simplicity, the sweetness of a peak-of-summertime Texas peach balanced by peppery arugula and unctuous fat.

Claire St. Amant
I really liked the brisket tacos at La Hacienda Ranch. The restaurant itself is very inviting, with a ski lodge-esque atmosphere replete with fireplaces and wood beams. The brisket tacos were as filling as they were flavorful. Put it this way: I got a doggy bag, which I never do, and the tacos were just as good the next day.

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Pizza News

Donatos Pizza totes its unique crust to new location in Flower Mound

dallas.culturemap.com

Donatos

A pizza chain with a quirky obsession on its crusts is coming to Flower Mound: Donatos Pizza, the franchise famous for spreading its toppings to the very edge of the pizza, will open a location at 1400 Long Prairie Rd. #160.

According to a release, it'll open on December 17.

Donatos Pizza was founded by Jim Grote in Ohio in 1963 from a single stand, and remains family-owned. Their signature is to place the toppings on their pizzas "edge to edge" — for clueless diners who do not like plain crust edges. (Come on, the crust is the best part.)

Their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza such as veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. Pizzas come in a 7-inch individual and go all the way up to a 14-inch large. Prices range from $15 to $25.

Fans appreciate their better-than-average ingredients and describe it as more flavorful compared to other corporate pizza chains, with a crisp thin crust and generous toppings.

In addition to pizza, Donatos' menu includes oven-baked wings, sub sandwiches, including meatball and Italian cold cuts, plus appetizers and salads.

The Flower Mound location will be a family affair, owned by Lynne and Ralph Pence, whose son Travis will oversee day-to-day operations. The Pence family has deep connections to Donatos including the fact that Lynne's sister used to work for the company, while her brother-in-law still does.

"We're from Columbus, Ohio — it is where our kids grew up and where our family is—it also happens to be the hometown and birthplace of Donatos Pizza," Lynne says. "Our daughter in Oklahoma found out Donatos was coming to Edmond, where she lives, and called us. She was so excited that Donatos was finally coming down south and we wanted to be a part of it."

This is the second Donatos in the Dallas area: a location opened in Frisco in November — the first in Texas.

There are currently 470-plus locations in 28 states. That includes 175 stores plus nearly 300 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants, sports, and entertainment venues.

openings pizza