There was a lot our expert panel liked about Dallas 2023, but there was also a lot that bothered them. When we asked them to share the best and worst things about the city's food industry over the past year, they didn't hold back.
Michelle Carpenter Restaurant Beatrice:
“The best 'trend' is the media's focus on ethnic and immigrant cuisine. DFW has long been diverse. It was only recently that I decided to step in. Bad trends: When a customer makes multiple reservations for the same night and cancels on that night. This is not a consideration for the restaurant or other guests. You will not be able to enjoy the restaurant's service. For the restaurant, this often results in a loss of sales and is a hassle for scheduling service staff. It's okay to change your mind, but be more careful. Please change.”
Eater's Amy McCarthy:
“I’m always excited to see more natural wines on the menu!”
Didi Paterno, Eater Dallas Contributor:
“I love the explosion of Yemeni-owned and led restaurants and coffee shops. It took us 10 years to get to this point! It used to be that you had to drive to Houston to eat Yemeni food. But now it's within a short drive within the Metroplex. I love the expansion of regional Middle Eastern cuisine beyond the established Levantine cuisine.”
andy pham Le Reve Gelato & Patisserie:
“It's very exciting to see Dallas' food scene diversifying. It seems like Asian cuisine is making its way into more and more Dallasites these days, whereas it wasn't the case a few years ago. There didn't seem to be any.”
DeQuilla Henderson, Eater Dallas Contributor; da food buddy:
“Honestly, it's a fusion flavor!” Some are very delicious, while others are a failure. Fusion is a great way to combine flavors, but sticking to traditional flavors may soon be the end. Chris and John's are so popular that they now have a Chicken Mall Ramen Burrito that doesn't need fusion! Mole itself is insane, so why add it to ramen? ”
jenny kelly like:
“I guess I was a little annoyed by the espresso martini trend. It suddenly appeared everywhere and even though I love a good espresso martini, I ended up tasting something that was simply too sweet and unbalanced. . I worked at Terilli's for years while finishing college and they had the best of times. I like to say don't mess with what ain't broke!”
Benji Homsey duro hospitality:
“The restaurant industry is very exciting in 2023. Many of the new restaurants opening in 2023 seem to be focused on design. From large restaurant groups to small restaurant groups, design It seems to be more of a priority than it has been in years.”
Natalie Kemounkun D Magazine:
“Japanese omakase has been the most exciting trend for me. There's a huge influx of new Japanese concepts in Dallas, and I love it.”
Jill Bates Sugar & Sage Bakery:
“More mocktails. I really like the mocktail drink trend. I served pomegranate lemonade at Chef for Farmers and it was well received. New coffee drinks with spices like turmeric are also exciting and healthy. So I love it.”
Brian Reinhart D Magazine:
“The most expensive trend is probably the proliferation of high-end sushi. The market has boomed since Shoyo in 2021 and Ryu in 2022, and now Sushi Bar, Sushi by Scratch, which offers omakase-style tasting menus, In addition to Kinzo and Yujo, there are also Pearl, Maji, Kaiyo, Yellowtail, Nanohana, and Heian. I'd like to write a review article for new sushi restaurants, but how long would it be if there were too many restaurants? The expense would be huge. It will be.
“The opposite of that trend, but also an overall good thing, is that it's brought attention to casual neighborhood spots where people can hang out without getting dressed up and still have really good food. That's Dallas. It was a category that needed an upgrade, and we did it.”
terrence jenkins Restaurant Beatrice:
“Exciting: From farm to table, people are buying local and supporting local businesses. Infuriating: Restaurants just use expressions like that when they don’t actually serve farm to table.” . It's disingenuous to the guests. They don't understand the purpose and meaning of this movement.”
lee hutchinson Via Triozzi:
“The most infuriating thing was the wave of big names coming into town. Let's keep Dallas' food scene local and family-friendly.”
Rachel Pinn, Eater Contributor:
“There is still a lot of confusion and discontent when it comes to tips. Exorbitant automated tip calculations at the counter have gotten out of hand. I believe people in jobs deserve respect, but at some point I want it to go on my tab before tips and be paid by the company.”
Elias Pope UNCO Hospitality Group:
“Infuriating: Big suburban construction budgets come with even higher menu prices.” [that are] It's fun to experience it once or twice, but it quickly wears off. These spots steal the love from the local talent who spends their time with the plates, not the photos of them posted on Instagram. ”
