We're working backward here, with the most-read story at the bottom. Fair warning: be ready to riot.
Our feature about A Fight for the Soul of Deep Ellum looked at a crop of new restaurants — all centered around Bottled Blonde — drawing big crowds along Good-Latimer Expressway, while the original neighborhood struggles. This story got a lot of interest, which in itself is encouraging.
Angie Quebedeaux's roundup of best places to eat without going broke did well (and will soon be updated, as it's about a year old).
Hank Vaughn ventured down to Waxahachie for burgers at Pop's Burger Stand. Was it worth the drive? The burgers are "pretty spectacular," Vaughn writes, but don't sleep on the fried pies either. Vaughn's piece on Big Daddy's in South Dallas also did well. This grocery store with a kitchen in the back is a neighborhood favorite. The main draw appears to be the fried chicken, but the fried pork chop basket with fries, toast, jalapeños and pickles was "pretty ... pretty good," Vaughn wrote.
Mark Wahlberg came to Dallas on a stormy night to shake up drinks at the grand opening of La Neta. That story got a lot of eyes, but we suppose he always gets a lot of eyes. (Daddy's Home 2 is a top-5 Christmas movie, btw.)
Anisha Holla says she is going to spend all her money eating at every Indian restaurant in North Texas, and we're here for that. One of her discoveries was Desi Chowrastha. She writes that "the massive spread here is a fusion of food from almost every corner of the Indian subcontinent: from fried snacks to curries to chaats."
Below are the 10 most-read food stories of the year.
Order a fluffy piece of garlic naan to pair with over 20 different curries on the King Restaurant menu.
Anisha Holla
10. An Indian Palace
King Restaurant in McKinney Is Fit for RoyaltyKing Restaurant in McKinney is a palatial spot serving cuisine from the Punjab region of Northern India. The naan is baked-to-order in a tandoor, served warm — light and fluffy in the middle with crisp edges. Get the Amritsar Kulcha, stuffed with dried seeds and spices.
9. A Confusing Night Out
Komodo: $16 Water, A Service Fee and Sitting in Your Neighbor’s Lap. And So Can You!Dinner at Komodo was one of my most entertaining nights out this year (in part because Eva Raggio was my date). Given that it was one of the most anticipated openings in Dallas, we were ready to be wooed by the Miami import's sexy panache. But we just weren't feeling it, writing "the line between being a guest and a sucker was smudged."
8. Bagels for Everyone
Stuffed New York Bagels Land in Frisco Carbs are back, baby. Anisha Holla's story about New York-style stuffed bagels at Bagelology in Frisco struck a deep chord with many. "After traveling to the East Coast and training for two weeks in the art of bagel making," Holla writes, "the duo [owners] returned to open a Frisco bagel shop that carries an extensive menu of more than 15 varieties of bagels, all boiled and baked in-house, with more than 14 types of cream cheese schmears to adorn them with."
A sign on the window at E-Bar serves notice to customers that they won't be served if they are wearing eau de cannabis.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
7. No Weed Stink, Please
Dallas Restaurant Warns People They Won't Be Served if They Smell Like Marijuana This year, E-Bar in East Dallas had it with customers smelling like they hot-boxed on the way to the restaurant, going as far as to post a sign reading, "If you have the smell of marijuana on you we will not serve you." As one fan wrote online, "I always smell like weed tho…. & e bar queso was my favorite. Lame." In all fairness, there's no sniff test at the door. Owner Ernie Quinlantan explained to us it's designed for people who "reek of marijuana." Just don't hot box. The queso is worth it.
6. Raising Malone
A Look at the New Post Malone and Cowboys-Themed Raising Cane's in DallasRaising Cane's restaurants are a dime a dozen. But the new Raising Cane's on W. Northwest Highway is a tribute to the Dallas Cowboys, and their number one rockstar fan, Post Malone. This big chicken-strip love fest has a 32-foot blue star straddling the drive-through. Inside are displays of Cowboys memorabilia and wardrobe pieces from Grand Prairie native Post Malone. It's a combo box of Dallas energy; no slaw extra toast.
4–5. Lists of Bests
Our lists of best Italian food restaurants and best chicken fried steak in Dallas, both compiled by our rockstar list-maker, Angie Quebedeaux, naturally cracked the top 10 this year. We update these lists each year to keep them fresh with new discoveries, while tossing a few old hidden gems.3. Caffeine Crash
Dallas' Original Starbucks Will Close Next Year, After a 30-Year RunWe learned in late October that Dallas' first-ever Starbucks cafe, located in Highland Park Village, is closing after three decades. With neighbors like Hermes and Chanel, the simple bean pusher couldn't keep up with those Joneses. It doesn't help that this freestanding Starbucks has no drive-thru, which goes against the company's new focus on spaces that "enable increased throughput." You have through early 2024 to grab one last triple-frapped whatever-the-hell-people-get-there-now.
2. Tasty Gems
10 Hidden Gem Restaurants Around Dallas Everyone wants to know about that place that no one else knows about. Our freelance writer Hank Vaughn and his trusty sidekick (and wife) Cindy Ju have a knack for finding this type of place. So we asked Vaughn to update the previous year's list of hidden gems around Dallas. From gas-station Ethiopian food to Bangkok-style street food, this is the only guide you need in your life.
1. Let's Roll (or Riot)
Dallas is Getting an Adults-Only Roller Skate Rink and Restaurant, Ride OnDec. 24 Update: Happy to report we've made contact. Following is a brief statement from Ride On: "We’ve been held up in city permitting but getting closer to opening every day! We can’t wait to welcome you in soon. Stay tuned!"
Our most-read story of the year is actually a mystery. When Dallas heard about an adults-only skating rink, everyone went wild; even the ladies in yoga class were talking about it. This mix of skating, booze, food, a disco ball and a DJ is the very tonic we need. Besides supplemental insurance. At the time, they promised a fall 2023 opening date. Well, we're past fall, you guys. Their Instagram is crickets, and many many attempts to contact them through the website chatbot and Facebook messenger have gone unanswered. An email to [email protected] bounced back. Should we riot? We're down. Just organize it because we're always on deadline and aren't good at organizing citywide riots. Sometimes.
