Born and bred in Cajun country (Lafayette, Louisiana) Nate's Seafood & Steakhouse is a family-owned business that has been serving the Dallas area delicious Gulf seafood and crawfish for the last 35 years. It's best known for its boiled crawfish, which is sourced directly from Louisiana, ensuring they are plump, tender and bursting with flavor. They are boiled with a blend of Cajun spices, garlic and other secret ingredients, creating a harmonious explosion of flavors. For those who want an extra kick of zest and fire, we recommend ordering it with the "turbo" seasoning sprinkled on top.

If you're a wing enthusiast, look no further than Bad Chicken. These wings are slow-smoked and then flash-fried, resulting in tender, juicy meat without greasiness. With 26 flavors to choose from, including traditional buffalo styles and unique options like sweet pepper jelly, hot honey habanero, sweet Thai and Texas dust, there's something for everyone. And try some of the 20-plus choices of dipping sauces, which range from peanut butter and jelly to marshmallow sauce and white BBQ. If bone-in chicken wings are not your thing, check out the boneless nuggets, bowls, salads and sandwiches. If it involves a bird, Bad Chicken has it.

The Blob at Parigi's might be the most iconic dessert in Dallas and lives somewhere between a mousse, a warm brownie and euphoria. Order it warm (duh) with a scoop of ice cream on top (for that hot meets cold experience). You can also order the half and half, which nets you peach cobbler. The great thing about Parigi's dessert menu is that the pie and cake offerings are updated weekly so everything is always fresh and new. It's hard to pass the siren call of The Blob, but we trust you can sort it out (and get two desserts).

Would you drive north of 635 for a cup of coffee? For Eiland Coffee Roasters, we sure would. Clay Eiland has helped build the foundation of specialty coffee in Dallas for over 25 years. What started as a 10-by-20-foot barn on his property has turned into a full-blown roastery (532 N. Interurban St), and a coffee shop (2701 Custer Parkway, No. 917) in Richardson. All of his beans are sourced directly and ethically from acclaimed coffee regions such as Ethiopia and Costa Rica, plus more offbeat regions like Papua New Guinea. Your first sip of his coffee will be similar to the experience Eiland had at Café Vita in Seattle, where he discovered what coffee could be.

Each season, all of Oak Cliff anticipates the old favorites and exciting newcomers of Hola Café´s specialty drinks. Owner Jeniffer Ávila is a wizard behind the espresso machine with her banana, tiramisu and red velvet lattes that only come around once a year. The fortune cookie latte, banana matcha and marshmallow fluff mochas are other perfect excuses to turn Hola into your go-to coffee shop. Not that you would need one, anyway. People mark their calendars for these bad boys, and soon you will too.

If you've been bitten by the cold brew bug, you might want to pay Halcyon in Lower Greenville a visit. The nitro cold brew at Halcyon is smooth and sharp. Brewed for 24 hours with beans from Houston-based Katz Coffee, this cup of joe will have you buzzing like a bee. It's made the same way as the shop's regular cold brew, but it's infused with nitrogen, making it even smoother. When it's first poured, it comes out with a head, like beer out of a tap. Try it black or with cream. There's really no wrong way to go on this one.

The drinks at Juju's Coffee are great; talking with Nick and Julia Rocha as they make them is even better. The couple opened their Lakewood storefront in April 2023 after serving out of a mobile Airstream trailer they call "Otis." Upon entering Juju's, it's immediately clear that meeting new faces is just as important to the Rochas as making a great latte. Their loyal cast of regulars is a testament to their kindness and should propel them to many more years in the Dallas coffee scene.

The original, on Fitzhugh Avenue in East Dallas, is the type of charming spot you take out-of-towners or friends who aren't yet aware how cool you are. It helps that the coffee is fantastic. LDU Coffee now has five locations spread throughout Dallas, each carrying bold Australian flavors no other coffee shop can match. Yet much of the local chain's charms lies in the other ways it adheres to its Australian roots, namely the exceedingly kind owners and staff and the laid-back atmosphere, which is largely accomplished by the complete lack of Wi-Fi. Those owners want their guests to sit back, sip on coffee or espresso and then head on their merry way. Or, better yet, strike up conversation with the people around them.

The first Haraz Coffee House opened in Irving, and recently another opened in Plano. Here they serve cardamon-scented lattes and honeycomb bread. Be sure to request Haraz spice to your coffee or latte, adding a slightly exotic flavor to your drink. The star of the show at this Yemini coffee shop are the milk cakes, which are light and fluffy milk-soaked cakes in pistachio, rose and saffron. The Turkish mosaic cake is wonderful as well. The place is packed on the weekends, so plan accordingly.

10009 N. MacArthur Blvd., No. 101, Irving, and 4341 14th St., No. 300, Plano

Small-batch gourmet ice cream is churned onsite at Sweet Firefly. It's been a go-to in the Richardson area for one-of-a-kind flavors and well-done classics. It's local and woman-owned with a welcoming atmosphere for friends and families. If you eye the small sign above the ice cream case, you'll spot adult ice cream options by Cow Tippin Ice Cream like the piña colada flavored "Caught 'n the Rain" and other boozy churns. One scoop is plenty, but you can't choose just one here. The honey lavender and lemon-vanilla are a match made in heaven.