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.

You don't have to blink to miss this under-the-radar doughnut shop in Oak Cliff. The sign "Donut Hot Donuts" didn't give the impression that we struck a gold mine, but trust us, we did. They serve all the classics, but they're just slightly different than your average doughnut shop. It's all in the details: perfectly fried but not greasy. You can walk in and be welcomed by the friendly staff and walk out with a massive doughnut that costs you only $1. What a spot. Even if you shut your eyes and point at something, you'll walk out with something good. Just get there early for the best selection.

Pastry chef Katherine Clapner founded Dude, Sweet Chocolate in 2009 with a mission to bend our perceptions of what chocolate can be. Using savory and sweet flavor profiles, along with quirky names, Dude will transform skepticism into addiction. Take FDA Chocolate Salami for instance, which has nary a bit of meat but rather figs, dates, almonds and dark chocolate mixed into a chocolate marzipan and formed into a salami-like tube. Fungus Amongus Soft Toffee goes great with a bit of cheese. And if you want to know why they call it Crack in Box, then try just one bite.

When you're standing in the warm, red-lighted embrace of Mike's Gemini Twin, a cocktail order is incomplete without an accompanying glizzy. The bar-top hot dog roaster is an unpretentious setup, but not much is better after a couple cold ones than the all-beef dog stuffed in a classic bun and served in a flimsy white paper tray. Drink deals — like the $12 dirty martini and dog combo offered on National Hot Dog Day — have solidified the weenies' rule over the swanky Cedars Bar.

Situated in an intimate and historic Uptown cottage, Si Tapas is ideal for a dressy date night or a casual happy hour. Spanish-style tapas offerings range from the traditional to the adventurous. Some of our favorite dishes include the cauliflower gratin, baby lamb chops and marinated baby shark. True to the Spanish ethos, Si Tapas' wine selection is as long as the food menu. If you find yourself out west, the restaurant recently expanded to a Fort Worth location.

As if we weren't already won over by the $15 mimosa carafes and house-made jams, the consistently low-to-no wait times on weekends make Crickles & Co. the best of the best. Open seating and the self-serve coffee bar make for an unpretentious dining experience. Everything is made from scratch, which is obvious from the first bite of buttermilk biscuit. The spicy bacon ciabatta, topped with bacon, fried eggs, tomato jelly, cheddar cheese and jalapeño aioli, was voted the best breakfast sandwich in Texas by Love Food.

4000 Cedar Springs Road

Located near the Katy Trail's famous Ice House, Tequila Social is just a hop, skip and a jump from the American Airlines Center. TVs and frozen margaritas are ideal for sipping through a pregame breakdown, and the crispy chicken flautas are some of our favorites anywhere. Tequila Social isn't the easiest to access by road, but if you're traveling to the AAC via The Katy Tail you won't miss the large, dog-friendly patio.

Croissants, cinnamon rolls, rye bread: it's all delicious at Oak Cliff Bread, but the sourdough loaves are the name of this bakery's game. The locally owned shop started out as a cottage bakery selling out of the Dallas Farmers Market and moved into a Tyler Station storefront last fall. The sourdough loaves are toasty on the outside and squishy on the inside and made fresh on the three days of the week (Thursday – Saturday) Oak Cliff Bread is open. Sourdough has become the trendiest loaf in recent years thanks to pandemic-era social media trends, but if you'd rather let the professionals handle bread baking, nobody does it better.