20 Best Foods I Ate in Dallas in 2023

It's that time of year again. D's dining critic and online dining editor reflects on the food he's eaten over the past 12 months. Brian Reinhart has been filling out a giant spreadsheet of restaurants he's eaten at for six years. Nataly Keomoungkhoun is a “phone first” die-hard. (Sometimes she uses the Beli app to track her meals.) We ate at fancy restaurants and hidden gems and left with delicious meals.

Here are our favorites for 2023: In no particular order.

Cevapi at Balkan Garden Bistro

You'll never forget this dish from Balkan Garden Bistro. The restaurant opened in Grapevine in February and serves Balkan cuisine. This must be one of the few Balkan restaurants in North Texas. Cevapi his plate caught the attention for me. A sizzling platter with ground beef or lamb sausage, peppers, and onions. If the sound doesn't interest you, the smell of it baking on the plate will tempt you. Serve warm flatbread topped with Serbian clotted cream, onions and links. It was so delicious that I included it on my list of best new restaurants of the year. – Natalie Kemounkun

Via Toliozzi's Arugula Salad

As you can see in our review (featured in the magazine's February issue – subscribe to read it early!), Via Triozzi's arugula salad comes with a dressing that tastes like a series of exclamation points. It's taking place. The crumbled bresaola and shaved Parmesan aren't bad either. — Brian Reinhart

Starship Bagel Fermented Jalapeno Dip

While the quality of Starship's bagels has rightly gotten a lot of attention, and although they were voted Best in Show by expert judges at a festival in New York City, I found one of their flaws I would like to emphasize this. Fermented jalapeño dip gets more flavorful each day as the heat from the chili permeates the cream cheese from one end of the tub to the other. The first morning I thought it was pretty good. By the end of a week of fermented jalapeno dip, it was one of the best things I've ever had in my fridge. —BR

Dark chocolate sauerkraut cake on rye

I know, I know. I've written about this delicious sauerkraut before. (By the way, I said it was perfect.) The rich dark chocolate in the cake hides the fermented cabbage, making the dessert interesting. If you're concerned about the crunchy texture, think of it as coconut. At his Summer Best of Big D event, Tanner Agar and the Rye team served attendees with just this cake. It was a hit, it was really good. –NK

(Note from Brian: I was going to add sauerkraut cake to the list as well. It is our consensus choice. )

Mr. Charles' Lamb Loin Wellington

This sumptuous family-style main course was the ultimate dinnertime star this year. The menu lists his as $91 for two, but it's enough for four to share. I've seen a lot of Wellington on TV and this is one of the main achievements of Gordon Ramsay's celebrity. But I never realized how much fun it can be to get perfectly crispy, flaky, buttery pastry with rosy red meat. Additionally, this dish also comes with a side dish of vegetables. This is the ultimate dining power-up for 2023. —BR

Trompo Oak Cliff Mexican Hot Dogs

Trompo hot dogs are more than just hot dogs. Beef links wrapped in bacon and topped with potato chips, ketchup, chopped tomatoes, onions, pickles, and jalapeños. Yes, it's really great. Initially, hot dogs were only available on Mondays for service industry workers. Nowadays, it is offered every day as a menu that everyone can enjoy. –NK

Xiaolongbao from Xiaolins Kitchen

Xiaolongbao has a thin skin, and when you pick it up with chopsticks, you can see the juice splatter from inside. The wrapper is sturdy, the soup is flavorful, and Xiao Ling's other dumplings are equally delicious. Additionally, you can watch the chefs making food in the exhibition kitchen. —BR

oak cliff bread

Yes, that's the name of the entire store. The whole business is on my list. So far (as of this writing) he's been open for 10 weekends, and he's only bought a handful of bread for eight of those days. We'll have a more detailed report in the new year, but for now, here's what you need to know. This: There's a bakery that's setting a new standard in Dallas. —BR

New York Sub's Great Big Hot Dog

This spring, I volunteered to sample Dallas's best hot dogs. Trompo couldn't participate because that dog wasn't on the main menu yet, but he's definitely that dog. The kimchi dog at Okaeri Café was another standout, and what really made my co-workers jealous was the New York sub take-out order that I took to a staff meeting and ate in front of everyone. Because I'm a terrible person. —BR

Encina's summer tomato salad

That's healthy. Oh yeah, a super fresh tomato salad. Filled with thick, crispy bacon lardons, crumbled blue cheese, and crunchy, flavorful granola. Sometimes I wonder if I can eat an entire bowl and call it a meal. —BR

bobby's airway grilled crab cakes

Bobby's now has the best crab cakes in town. Basically everything is crab. No tethers were found. And because it's so fresh, the flavor is still mild and sweet, not funky. The lemon butter sauce around it is enough, but the vegetable side dishes are also great. —BR

Bamboo House Peking Duck

I've had this dish three times since the restaurant opened in Plano in May, and it's hit the mark every time. I think it's better than the Peking duck that was on last year's list of best dishes. There's a reason I wrote it twice! Please read here. –NK

The Monks Street Style Indian Chinese Noodles

Monk's was one of the most exciting discoveries when researching a new package for the best Indian food in the Dallas area. It doesn't look very inviting when you step inside, and in fact, the menu is disjointed, but the food is a thrilling fusion of Indian and Chinese flavors. Please pay attention to the noodle corner. You'll find all kinds of stir-fried noodles with Indian spices. —BR

Purepecha coranda tamal

Colanda tamal is a dish inseparable from its history and rituals. They were originally created for sacred events, to represent the souls of the dead and to honor them. So the tamales served at Purépecha this fall were not only delicious, garnished with round, edible flowers, but also served silently in the dark as a sign of respect. This ability to serve great food while reminding us that taste is not the most important part of a meal is why I continue to choose his Purepecha as the best restaurant in Dallas. —BR

Quarter Acre Hot Smoked Salmon

In a review from May of this year, I called this dish “an iconic dish that's sure to become a Dallas staple.” I won't back down. New Zealand salmon is so tender it almost melts in your mouth, and it's hard to believe that just lightly smoking it on the grill in your kitchen can achieve this. —BR

Fried Quarter Acre Quail

Yes, double the quarter acre. We have a menu that is nostalgic. Chef Toby Archibald puts a lot of creativity into his dishes, including this summer's fried quail. This dish combines fried chicken with peanut butter and jelly. I could have eaten the bird whole, but I wanted to enjoy it, so I tore a piece off, slathered it in whipped peanut butter, and popped a blueberry into my mouth. It was one of the most memorable dishes I've eaten in a long time. –NK

Nachos in a chip bag on the ruins patio

You don't have to eat this on the patio, but to more fully capture Doliloco's street food vibe, you should. A bag of old Doritos (or any other brand) is filled with chips and your choice of toppings, like shrimp, jalapenos, or mezcal caramelized onions. Taco meat and pico. Or crispy tripas and salsa verde. It's truly a flavor bomb. You will eat many more sophisticated and expensive dishes that you probably won't remember as vividly. —BR

The first night in the new location of “Petra and the Beast”

Originally, I was going to highlight my last night at Petra's original location. But it felt a little too nostalgic, especially after seeing this iconic restaurant make the move without losing any of its personality. (The new location will be the subject of his January restaurant review. Again, subscribe early to read!) The menu will be more extensive than ever and could be better than before there is. —BR

New chef RJ Yoakam, fresh from legendary California restaurant The French Laundry, is making waves at this uptown bistro. We'll have more on his cooking in the new year, but if you go before then, be sure to order the French Onion Consomme (a witty riff on a classic soup that's nothing quite like it seems) It is recommended. and amberjack (with breathtakingly crispy skin and one of the spiciest sauces I've encountered in a French restaurant). —BR

Saint Valentine's fried olives

Fried olives stuffed with Jimmy's Italian sausage. What else do you need to hear? —BR

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Natalie Kemounkun

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Natalie Kemounkoon joined D Magazine in 2022 as Online Dining Editor. She previously worked at Dallas Morning News.

Brian Reinhart

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Brian Reinhart became D Magazine's dining critic in 2022 after six years writing about restaurants for the magazine. dallas observer And that Dallas Morning News.