The January Hit List: D.L. Mack’s, Lucia, Cry Wolf, and More

At this sunny west Fort Worth favorite, the menu is seasonal and the food is always more-than-dependable. Owner Marcus Paslay places an importance on scratch-made, authentic fare and ingredients. Here, fried calamari comes with meaty, fried castelvetrano olives, saffron linguine has a hint of salt from speck, and the roasted chicken, with salsa verde and brussels sprouts, is probably not the format your nonna would have made. Other unusual interpretations also await, like butternut squash agnolotti and cacio e pepe made with elusive mafaldine pasta. Indeed, this isn’t your nonna’s restaurant, and we mean that in the best way.

This Dallas offshoot of the popular Austin concept, a Tyson Cole (Uchi)-Aaron Franklin (Franklin Barbecue) meaty mash-up, brings Asian smokehouse fare to the fore. There’s coconut rice, but with brisket; kettle corn studded with brisket burnt ends and togorashi; and oak-smoked salmon with a cucumber-yuzu broth, among other fusion food. With an inviting patio and communal tables, diners are digging in with steak knives and chopsticks at the soon-to-be iconic old East Dallas location as, already, preparations for another location in Addison next year kick into high gear.

Lucia has long been known as one of the hardest reservations to come by in Dallas. After closing at COVID’s onset, the beloved Bishop Arts haunt reopened, and we’re thankful that’s still the case. Now housed in the former Macellaio space, tables are even tougher to score as the new dining room is set up for social distancing. But expect the same pre-pandemic array of delicate handmade pastas, plus a spring chef’s choice salumi plate with capicola, mortadella, and their kin, and some of the best chicken liver mousse around. Even better: There’s no bucatini (with guanciale and spring onion) shortage here!

This new outpost of the beloved Dallas restaurant has brought the carne asada fries and masa ball soup to Flower Mound, as well as its full slate of reliable standards. Jalapeño-citrus-marinated mahimahi tacos rub shoulders with ancho pork tenderloin on the menu, while the combo plates are here for the indecisive diner. The modern space is already a hit thanks to its setting: Flower Mound’s new River Walk at Central Park development is home to Sfereco and, soon, a pingpong and foosball bar called Scout.

Rye did the rare suburb-to-big city transition last summer, opening a location on Lowest Greenville after three successful years in McKinney. Now we know why: With an innovative menu that seeks to surprise and delight, the restaurant is winning over Dallas diners one churrote at a time. What’s a churrote, you ask? Like a churro, but corn-based, the fritters are served in a tequila-lime beurre blanc sauce, with jalapeño aioli, cotija cheese, micro cilantro and salted popcorn. It’s all a welcome assault to the senses, from the Blue Cheesecake, an earthy dish fusing blue cheese, enoki and portobello mushrooms, and a brandied cherry gastrique, to the molasses-glazed nopales entrée, served alongside bocoles (fried masa cakes) and panko fried artichoke hearts.

Call 972-803-3391 for more info.

This new steakhouse is the latest addition to the resurgent quarter just adjacent to Uptown, but its owner is hardly new to the neighborhood. Richard Ellman owned the now-shuttered Oak, but still operates Design District OGs Pakpao Thai and El Bolero. Wits derives inspiration from Ellman’s native South Africa, with Braai chicken on the menu plus steakhouse sides like pork belly mac ‘n’ cheese, a wedge salad, and truffle fries. Entrees are not as expensive as one would think ($20-$40) but they still bring the decadence to the table. Yes, those lobster dumplings are calling your name.

This breakfast-for-nearly-all-day (plus lunch) counter inside The Statler hotel is a welcome addition to the near-East Quarter neighborhood. It also has an ambience and menu that goes down easy, from its elevated avocado toast and chicken-fried steak and eggs to Texas tortilla soup and patty melts. A full bar with signature cocktails like a white peach bellini and Peanut Butter Pie (peanut butter whiskey and horchata) entice, while the restaurant also sells killer to-go cocktail kits to make Ranch Waters or Moscow Mules at home.

The newest restaurant from Vandelay Hospitality (East Hampton Sandwich Co., Hudson House, Drake’s Hollywood) continues to build upon the brand, with its off-the-charts cool factor and, even better, delicious food. Here, the focus is on Chicago-style pizzas, but with an emphasis on a crispy crust and unusual ingredient combinations. The Harry Caray Special has pepperoni with pickled jalapeños; the Honey Truffle Chicken has white truffle oil, honey, and chopped chicken tenders. But first: Make sure to start your meal with the garlic knots with marinara or the Mack’s Fries (garlic potato wedges and a condiment trio).

This exciting East Dallas entry from chef Ross Demers (Oak, Mi Piaci) is a grown-up, handsome space… that happened to once operate as a Subway. Think of the new restaurant as something that might be the complete opposite of a place that sells six-inch subs, and you’re on the right track. Early menu items include parsley butter prawns, gnocchi with beef cheeks, and linguine with black trumpet mushrooms, all in a eclectic, dimly lit dining room that seats 28. All of which might have you calling the babysitter, a best friend, and/or your boyfriend, and programming the Batmobile for Junius Heights.

All-you-can-eat sushi? Heck, yes, at this newish Carrollton restaurant, which gained early notice thanks to a visit by a certain YouTuber named Mikey Chen. But possibly more importantly: The sushi here is a fresh bounty that’s a terrific deal at $35 per person. From fried tempura rolls to nigiri, baked mussels to the unusually named Monkey Brain, the options are near-limitless. Just bring your appetite.