BEST DINING EXPERIENCE
Dish Restaurant & Lounge
4123 Cedar Springs Rd.
214-522-3474
Dish-Dallas.com
As soon as the ilume opened along Cedar Springs, it became immediately clear that the development would become a cultural hub of gay Dallas — not just for its luxury living accommodations, but for its anchor retailer, Dish. The trendy restaurant has embraced the community, not only with exciting menu items (for dinner, lunch and brunch) and a buzzy decor, but also by sponsoring a regular Drag Brunch on the last Sunday of each month. The entire concept has been so successful, owner Tim McEneny is slated to open a second Dish on Hillcrest and Northwest Highway later this year. It’ll be nice to have a sister restaurant, but Dallas’ gay community will always take some smug pride in knowing we helped make it work — and we really werked it!
— Arnold Wayne Jones
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BEST MARGARITA
Komali
4152 Cole Ave., Ste. 106
214-252-0200
KomaliRestaurant.com
When the votes were counted and we saw that Komali had won Best Margarita, the first thing to cross our minds was, “Which one?” Because if there’s one thing you need to know about this Uptown eatery, it’s that mixologist Leann Berry is an alchemist when it comes to tequila drinks. From the habanero marg (so spicy you’re not sure where the tequila ends and the chile begins) to the sweet tang of prickly pear and mango from the eponymous Komali (pictured), Leann is Dallas’ Patron-saint of margaritas. Add to that an engaging personality when making any drink, and we suspect it’s not just the margarita that people voted for — it’s the bartender.
— Arnold Wayne Jones
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BEST FOOD TRUCK
Easy Slider
Visit EasySliderTruck.com or
follow on Twitter @EasySliderTruck
for schedule
In the three years that partners Miley Holmes and Caroline Perini have operated their Easy Slider food truck, we’ve become accustomed to rethinking what a great burger should look like. It doesn’t need to be big — a slider, after all, is meant to be bite-sized — and it doesn’t need to be served in a formal restaurant. In can, in fact, arrive on wheels, served on a cardboard plate with a kitschy little cornichon skewered on top. Because when you run a food truck like they do — certified Angus beef, produce from the Farmers’ Market, all sauces made in-house (or rather, in-truck) — the term “gourmet” doesn’t seem misplaced. Oh, sure, there’s still a place for white-gloved service and dinner-jacket-required five-star dining, but Easy Slider brings excellence to the people.
— Arnold Wayne Jones
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BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Campuzano
2618 Oak Lawn Ave.
214-526-0100
CampuzanoMexicanFood.com
It’s best to understand this from the outset: Campuzano is not Tex-Mex — the words “Mexican food” proudly appear on its signage. For fans of authenticity, the difference isn’t merely one of verbiage; it’s a question of approach. Ever since the Dallas location opened on Oak Lawn Avenue last year, we’ve been impressed by a menu that celebrates seafood, fresh sauces, produce and the appeal of the simple taco. And we also appreciate a staff that’s invariably friendly (and often on the cute side). If that’s what eating Mexican food does to ya, we’re sold.
— Arnold Wayne Jones
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BEST LOCAL CHEF
Abraham Salum
Chef/owner of Salum and Komali
4152 Cole Ave.
BEST BRUNCH
(TIE)
Dish Restaurant & Lounge
4123 Cedar Springs Rd.
214-522-3474
Dish-Dallas.com
Jonathan’s Oak Cliff
1111 N. Beckley Ave.
214-946-2221
JonathonsOakCliff.com
BEST DESSERT SPOT
Emporium Pies
314 N. Bishop Ave.
469-206-6126
EmporiumPies.com
BEST BARBECUE JOINT
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
2525 Wycliff Ave. (and additional locations)
Open for lunch and dinner Monday–Saturday
214-780-0999
Dickeys.com
BEST TAQUERIA/TEX-MEX
Ojeda’s Mexican Food
4617 Maple Ave.
214-528-8383
OjedasDallas.com
BEST VEGETARIAN SPOT
Cosmic Cafe
2912 Oak Lawn Ave.
214-521-6157
CosmicCafeDallas.com
BEST STEAKHOUSE
Bob’s Steak & Chop House
4300 Lemmon Ave.
214-528-9446
Bobs-SteakandChop.com
BEST LATE NIGHT BITES
Cafe Brazil
3847 Cedar Springs Road
Open 24 hours
214-461-8762
CafeBrazil.com
BEST PATIO
Hunky’s
3940 Cedar Springs Road (and other locations)
214-522-1212
Hunkys.com
BEST LUNCH SPOT
Hunky’s
3940 Cedar Springs Road (and other locations)
214-522-1212
Hunkys.com
BEST DINER
Mama’s Daughters’ Diner
2014 Irving Blvd. (and additional locations)
214-742-8646
MamasDaughtersDiner.com
BEST ITALIAN/PIZZA
Italia Express
4000 Cedar Springs Road
Open for lunch and dinner daily
214-521-3300
ItaliaExpressCS.com
BEST ASIAN/SUSHI
Thairrific
4000 Cedar Springs Road, Ste. E
Open for lunch and dinner
daily and late night weekends
972-241-2412
Thairrific.com
BEST GOURMET BURGER
Maple & Motor
4810 Maple St.
Open daily for lunch and dinner
214-522-4400
MapleAndMotor.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition March 21, 2014.