Best Local CHEF
Abraham Salum

Salum Restaurant
4152 Cole Ave., Ste. 103, Dallas
214-252-9604
SalumRestaurant.com
Hopefully this award can be some consolation to Chef Abraham Salum: His eponymous Uptown restaurant had to be closed earlier this spring after the dining room suffered major storm damage. But the good thing is they do plan to reopen as soon as possible.

After 17 years, it is good to hear that the restaurant isn’t planning to go anywhere anytime soon, and Executive Chef and owner Salum can begin again on his New American cuisine with its rotating menu using seasonal ingredients.
Salum keeps his loyal customers on their toes with new and inspired dishes. With that approach, Salum has created a mainstay dining destination that is a mix of casual dining and upscale elegance — all anchored by his attentive and distinguished approach to cuisine.

But Abraham Salum began making an impression well before he opened his Cole Street restaurant. He moved here from San Antonio with his partner (now husband) to work at Parigi before striking out on his own.

“It felt like an obvious move to go from being a chef at another restaurant to owning my own. I felt established in Dallas, so it felt right to do so at the time,” he told Dallas Voice back in November.

Now, the chef and his team are on the rebuild for Salum Restaurant 2.0, and we can hardly wait.

— Rich Lopez

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A hand-painted cel featuring Mickey Mouse from the Arlington Museum of Art exhibit.

EDITOR’S CHOICE
Arlington Museum of Art

201 W. Main St., Arlington
817-275-4600
ArlingtonMuseum.org

Dallas and Fort Worth both have prominent art museums that overshadow some hidden gems around North Texas. And one of those is the Arlington Museum of Art,

Editor’s Choice for the 2023 RVA Hidden Gem Award.
Because the museum doesn’t have its own collection, it relies on special exhibits — a formula that has proven very successful for the museum through the years. Its exhibits never fail to be fun and surprising.

Previously, the museum attracted crowds with a rare Keith Haring exhibit. Over the last year, its star attraction was Disney Art from Private Collections, which included 250 sketches and cels. Hanging on the museum’s walls were 80 years of Disney art, from Mickey Mouse to Snow White and Cinderella to The Lion King and Aladdin.
That exhibit was followed by A Knight’s Tale, a collection of European armor on loan from a museum in Florence that included full suits of armor, mounted equestrian figures, helmets, swords — a breathtaking 130 rare objects in all.

And the next exhibit opening at Arlington Museum of Art is Uncrated: Reimagining the Arlington Museum of Art, 1950-2025. The retrospective will feature never-before seen art, artifacts and historic images from the museum’s own archives.

Like any good art institution, The Arlington Museum of Art has courted it’s share of controversy. Last year the museum hosted a Disney Drag Brunch in conjunction with its Disney exhibit. But protesters who had hoped to create trouble for the museum instead just brought a spotlight to bear on the wonderful Disney art on exhibit at the time. And really, is there really anything controversial about dressing up as Disney characters?

While Arlington may be most well-known around North Texas and even the country as the home to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field, this bustling city in the center of the Metroplex is more than its collection of sports stadiums. For 75 years, it’s also been a cultural center, bringing art that the larger museums have missed to downtown Arlington. And with Arlington native — and husband to the 2023 Best LGBTQ Community Role Model DeeJay Johanessen — Chris Hightower serving as president and CEO, Arlington Museum of Art isn’t likely to remain a hidden gem for long.

— David Taffet

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Best New Restaurant
Enoteca Italia
3102 Oak Lawn Ave., Ste.116,
(In the Centrum), Dallas
972-685-2112
EnotecaItaliaDallas.com

Best Diner
Mama’s Daughters’ Diner
2014 Irving Blvd., Dallas
214-742-8646
2412 W. Shady Grove Road, Irving
972-790-2778
6509 W. Park Blvd., Ste. 400, Plano
972-473-8877
111 East Main St., Forney
972-552-3463
MamasDaughtersDiner.com

Best Bakery
Eatzi’s Market & Bakery
3403 Oak Lawn Ave.. Dallas
214-526-1515
5600 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas
214-358-3100
1540 S. University Drive, Fort Worth
817-945-9095

Best Brunch
Snooze Eatery
3211 Oak Lawn Ave., Ste. A, Dallas
469-480-7250
2150 W 7th St., Ste. 108, Fort Worth
682-350-9970
8041 Walnut Hill Lane, Ste. 846, Dallas
972-972-8730
5100 Belt Line Road, Ste. 824, Addison
972-360-8990
snoozeeatery.com

Best Lunch Spot
Best Burger
JR.’s Bar & Grill
3923 Cedar Springs Road
Dallas 75219
214-528-1004
Caven.com
Menu at Places.SinglePlatform.com

Best Barbeque
Big Al’s Smokehouse BBQ
3317 Inwood Road
Dallas 75235
214-350-2649
BigAlsBBQ.com

Best Asian/Sushi
Oishii Sushi & Pan-Asian Cuisine
2525 Wycliff Ave., Ste. 100, Dallas
214-599-9448
5627 SMU Blvd., Dallas
972-863-8863
8448 Parkwood Blvd., Ste. 700, Plano
972-377-8448
OishiiRestaurants.com

Best Pizza
Zio Al’s Pizza & Pasta
3851 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
469-677-0016
15340 Dallas Parkway, Ste. 2010, Dallas
972-866-0001
3940 Rosemeade Parkway, Ste. 120, Dallas
972-820-0001
19009 Preston Road, Ste. 300, Dallas
469-372-5320
8608 Preston Road, Ste. 112, Plano
972-987-5577
ZioAls.com

Best Italian
Cremona Bistro Ristorante
2704 Worthington St.
Dallas 75204
214-871-1115
CremonaBistro.com

Best Taqueria
Taqueria La Ventana
3847 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
972-432-5945
1611 McKinney Ave., Dallas
214-484-6803
4180 Belt Line Road, Addison
469-828-2035
920 S Harwood St., Ste. 140, Dallas
214-646-8181
TaqueriaLaVentana.com

Best Tex-Mex
Ojeda’s Tex-Mex
4617 Maple Ave., Dallas
214-528-8383
2109 N. Hampton Road, DeSoto
972-709-0005
2001 Coit Road, Ste. 102, Plano
972-599-1300
OjedasRestaurant.com

Best Steak
Dunston’s Steakhouse
8526 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas
214-637-3513
5423 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas
214-352-8320
DunstonsSteakhouse.com

Best Dining Experience
Al Biernat’s
4217 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas
214-219-2201
5251 Spring Valley Road, Dallas
972-239-3400
AlBiernats.com

Best Patio
TMC: The Mining Company
3903 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
214-614-6018
TMCDallas.com

Best Beer
Hidden Door
5025 Bowser Ave., Dallas
214-526-0620
HiddenDoor.bar

Best Spirit
Tito’s Homemade Vodka
TitosVodka.com

Best Cocktail Menu
Roy G’s
4001 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
214-272-7127
RoyGs.com

Best LGBTQ Bar
The Round-Up Saloon
3912 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
214-522-9611
RoundUpSaloon.com

Friendliest Bar Staff
Hamilton’s at Lorenzo Hotel
1011 S. Akard St., Dallas
214-273-3000
HamiltonsAtLorenzo.com

Best Straight Bar for LGBTQs
The Ivy Tavern
5334 Lemmon Ave., Dallas
214-559-4424
TheIvyTavern.com

Hottest Hookup App
Sniffies
For the Curious
Sniffies.com

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EDITOR’S CHOICE
The New Kid On The Block

The View
525 S. Riverfront Blvd., Dallas
972-373-4011
EnjoyTheViewDallas.com

No this isn’t the Whoopi/Joy Behar View we are talking about. The newest addition to LGBTQ nightlife in Dallas is the nightclub The View. Situated just outside the Design District toward downtown on Riverfront Boulevard, this space is well outside of the Gayborhood, but it still attracts a huge crowd.

That may have something to do with its hunky, muscly cast of dancers who glisten and flex onstage as well as throughout the bar, interacting with patrons. Oh, what a view indeed!

The male dancers are certainly the venue’s calling card, but The View mixes things up, too, with its drag brunch events every Saturday and Sunday. Most nights have a theme — like Fuego Latino Wednesdays or Tasty Tuesdays — with drink specials. But — and not to objectify or anything — abs and pecs dominate the festive, fun ambiance at this spot. And if you’ve been working hard at the gym, you can try out your own sexy dancing skills at Sunday’s amateur night.

The View has certainly figured out its formula, and its one that had a continuous stream of cars coming in well before the later hours of a recent Saturday night.

— Rich Lopez