I'll Chicken Scratch Yours If You Scratch Mine

As the proud father of a 16-month-old boy, I can attest that trying to find a “family-friendly” restaurant that actually gives a $#% about the quality of their food is no easy task in Dallas. And taking a kid to a fine dining joint is just not working out either. I mean, the last time I tried to take my kid to Lucia, the lil’ stinker spit out his foie gras and fig crostini like it was just another animal cracker and kept asking for hot dogs. The little ingrate. Well, lesson learned.

Needless to say, I was excited at the prospect of a family-oriented joint headed by one of the greatest chefs in Dallas (and probably in America), The Wizard of SMOKE, Mr. Tim Byers. Chicken Scratch attempts to reignite memories of childhood family picnics and communal eating, a happier time when eating was more than merely sitting down filling your pie hole. A time where the success of a meal was not merely measured by what’s happening on your plate but also by what is going on with the people you care about who are sitting at your side.

But don’t let Chicken Scratch fool you. While the thought of a “family-friendly” restaurant often conjures up nauseating memories of Cici’s pizza buffet, Chicken Scratch is nothing of the sort. In fact, it comes across less like a “family restaurant” and more of a community dining experience, an atmosphere free of pretense and Dallas glitz, where all comers feel welcome and comfortable regardless of age, social status, net worth, and number of plastic surgeries. Tim Byers is daring to challenge the Dallas norm.

(Tim's new backyard. That thar's a killer stage and lots o' picnic tables)

(Shaded outdoor space, for when it's 452 degrees outside in Dallas)

But how is the food? Dudes, the food is excellent. If it wasn’t any good, all this philosophical rambling would be a complete waste of time.

The fried chicken? One word: CRISPY! This stuff makes the Colonel’s original recipe seem like chicken coated in Jell-O. Byers know how to fry a bird. He made me a believer in cast iron skillet-fried chicken. You’ve probably read that Byers did a crap-load of research developing his chicken recipe, traveling the country to sample the various iterations of this classic dish. Well, he certainly found a winning recipe. Juicy, salty, tender, luscious.

The sides are no afterthought either. The biscuits are delicate and delicious with a smear of butter and honey. The mac and cheese is tangy and far from the gummy mess you would expect from the likes of Luby’s or Golden Corral. The mashed potatoes and fries are no slouch either. May I also suggest grabbing a side of their tangy and herbaceous buttermilk ranch. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the salty crust of the chicken.

Chicken Scratch’s website boasts these words: “Honest, Genuine, & Real. We are Slow Fast Food.” With most places, I’d say they are just blowing steam up your arse, but not with Chicken Scratch. These dudes are the real deal. Dallas needs more joints like this.

(Personal photo indulgence: The little rascal loves tetherball)

Chicken Scratch

2303 Pittman St., Dallas

214-749-1112

The Burgers of Dallas

Just felt like posting some burger love...

Chili Cheese from Maple and Motor

RedFork

Black and Bleu from Kenny's

Whiskey Cake

The Grape

The Grape

Neighborhood Services Tavern

Company Cafe

Maple and Motor

more M&M

Enjoy.

These are a few of my favorite things: Mushroom Soup from The Grape

Rumor has it that within the dark, dank cellars of chef/owner Brian Luscher’s The Grape lies a secret chamber known only to faithful devotees and close loved ones, a room known only as “the sanctuary.” In the corner of this room sits a single ornately carved stone pedestal, standing a few feet tall, bathed in the dim glow of a few flickering candles. While the revered relic that rests upon this pedestal is still in question, most experts agree that it represents only one of the great culinary achievements Luscher has presented to mankind.

Some assert the object has ties to his now legendary Grape cheese burger, a plausible claim, however, reliable sources have made it known to me that, most likely, upon this alter lay the first spoon ever to have touched The Grape’s exquisite mushroom soup. All who have sampled this beautiful gastronomic gift, will not have a difficult time believing that dozens flock to the feet of this humble pedestal to leave bouquets of flowers, burn candles, and kneel before this legendary shrine of soup.

Soup may not be the first thing that comes to mind when it is 106 degrees outside, but I could enjoy a soup this good even if I were sitting inside a volcano. No matter how often I indulge in this luscious liquid, I leave the table a happier man.

Button mushrooms are chopped and tossed into a base of butter, cream, and stock flavored with bay leaf, thyme, and garlic. The soup remains hearty and filling even without the addition of any protein as the mushrooms add a meatiness any carnivore could enjoy. It also remains delicately light and smooth, while still managing to be rich and flavorful from the cream and butter. Its near perfect consistency, its depth of flavor, and brilliant simplicity make this dish almost unfit for mere mortal tongues.

The warm and freshly-baked bread basket provides the perfect tools for sopping up every last drop of this legendary soup, as you will likely not be able to bare sending away the bowl with even a speck of broth left on your dish. Best soup in Dallas? Name a better one.

These are a few of my favorite things: Crab Dip at Hibiscus

This week, I feel as though I should share with you a Dallas classic, a dish that you should not miss tasting at least once while you live in Big D. So I introduce you to or remind you of my old friend, the baked Dungeness crab dip at Hibiscus. Please excuse all typos or mistakes in the words to follow, as I am already drooling heavily on my keyboard.

Henderson Avenue is an utter smorgasbord of delicious food. Driving down this street on an empty stomach can be sheer torture, with each new restaurant pulling gently at your insides, enticing you to stop the car immediately to indulge. But none of these sultry Sirens sing a more seductive song than Hibiscus.Though she boasts an array of unworldly dishes, the crab dip has never been absent from my table.

It’s really difficult to say what makes this dip excel over all other crab dips. I’ve never been able to decipher any secret special ingredient. It is simply the perfect blend of Parmesan and Fontina cheeses, cream cheese, and sweet Dungeness crab. Where most crab dips tend to be overly rich and heavy leaving the eater feeling like they swallowed a bowling ball, the dip at Hibiscus manages to remain surprisingly light yet sinfully creamy. Each bite glides across your tongue, like each taste bud is getting a Swedish massage on its way down. The delectable dip is paired with thin, crisp, wood-oven-fired crackers, the ideal vessel for delivering more crab and cream into your mouth. When the entire dish is garnished with a squirt of lemon, the finished product is a magical kaleidoscope of flavors and textures.

If it’s been a while since you dropped in to Hibiscus, or perhaps you have never had the pleasure of meeting before, now is the time. Shake hands with one of the best appetizers in the city, just try to remember you are in a public place when you feel the sudden urge to lick the dish clean in order to savor every last drop of the finest crab dip you may ever eat.

Good 2 Go Taco: Truly the Place 2 Go for Tacos

I have driven more around this city searching for the perfect taco than perhaps any other food. I am not alone, I think, as Dallas seems to be full of absolute taco nuts like myself. The seemingly endless stream of new taco joints does seem to get a little monotonous at times which is why it is nice to know where a tacophile can go, assured that they will absolutely not be let down.

Good 2 Go is definitely such a place. At just under a 40 minute drive from my house (each way, without traffic) getting my taco on at G2G is not mindless commitment. However, I am so smitten with the offerings of this quirky little taco shop, there is never any remorse when I return home after a pork-fest at one of my favorite taco shops in the city.

There was a point in my life where I was obsessed with following the suggestions of TV personalities for places to eat. Until I realized that most of them sucked. It is easy to be suckered into believing a place is exceptional simply because it is on TV. And despite what you think about Guy Fieri, of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, the dude can make eating an old piece of shoe leather seem like a good idea. So if you've seen G2G on Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate," you may or may not have been too impressed. However, I assure you, this place is not just some tasteless media darling, unable to deliver the flavor where it truly matters (ie Twisted Root). This place is actually "legit."

What to order? Really pretty tough to screw this one up, but no one should ever leave without at least trying a few items at some point:

The Paris, TX. (as seen above) Flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, flank steak, egg, spinach, and fried potatoes. The item which stakes the claim "As Seen On TV." But really, this thing deserves it. The best breakfast taco I have ever eaten in my whole entire measly little life. Ever. The difference is in the sliced steak. This is not some dried out, lifeless, piece of gray rubber like you'd find on other breakfast/steak tacos around town. The steak here is grilled to perfection, still a little pink on the inside and oozing with flavor. Truly a masterpiece in a tortilla.

The Hotlanta. Here you really get to see the genius of G2G. Waffle-battered fried chicken, chunks of fried sweet potato, feta cheese, and a drizzle of honey. Freaking brilliant I'd say. Another not to be missed.

The Honey Bear. Another personal favorite of mine. Egg, spinach, goat cheese, and sweet honey bacon. Lovely.

Like I said, pretty tough to screw up your order at this place. Everything is made with genuine love. Be adventurous, it usually pays off. Be warned, lines can get long, especially on a weekend around lunch time. Best thing about Good 2 Go? They really are good to go. Especially when you grab them to go and sit around White Rock Lake with loved ones eating some of the finest tacos in Dallas. That, my friends, is what life is all about.

Luna's Tortilla Factory: Everything is better inside a tortilla

So, imagine it’s 10 AM Saturday morning, and you have tried just about everything short of water boarding to get your kids out of bed and doing their chores. Well, all you diligent parents, I have found your solution. Breakfast tacos from Luna's Tortilla Factory.

It seems simple enough, but with the prospects of wrapping their lips around these breakfast beauties first thing in the morning, no punk teen could even dream about staying in bed.

I have always held the belief that a truly exceptional taco comes down to the tortilla. Sure, tacos can be filled with a number of exotic flavors, but the humble tortilla is the foundation upon which the entire success of a taco is built. Luckily, tortillas are something the Luna family knows a thing or two about. For over 80 years, this family has been producing some of the finest tortillas in the city. They are tortilla suppliers for over 200 local restaurants, yet, to me, there is nothing like going directly to the source to get my fix.

Luna’s only offers four types of breakfast tacos: bacon and egg, chorizo and egg, bean and cheese, and potato and egg. However, with tacos this fantastic, there really is no need for anything more. Each is simple yet elegant, unadulterated by wacky ingredients which are often the bane of other tacos’ feeble attempts at perfection. The bacon is always crisp and salty, the chorizo carries the perfect amount of atomic glowing orange grease, the beans and cheese blend together so smoothly it is like they were always destined to be together.

But what truly pushed these tacos over the edge was my recent discovery that they offered an “off-menu,” hand-pressed flour tortilla. These little delights come to you hot, thick, chewy and soft as a cloud. As these tortillas gently caress the taco filling resting comfortably inside, you almost feel like you are disturbing some peaceful Zen moment by biting into one. But it must be done; these masterpieces were made for the mouth and not the museum.

You may find dozens of variations of the breakfast taco in this town, but you will be hard pressed to find one as perfect as this. Make Luna’s a part of your balanced breakfast and you may never eat that boring oatmeal again.

Luna’s Tortilla Factory

8524 Harry Hines Blvd.

Dallas, TX 75235

Best Donuts in Dallas

My "Best Donuts in Dallas" list was posted today here on D Mag's SideDish..

It was a long, difficult journey, making this here list. Many early mornings were spent driving around this entire city sampling fried dough from nearly every place I could find. Many mornings I was up before the sun, in order to sample the freshest offerings each establishment could provide. More often than not, the results of these excursions were disappointing rather than, enjoyable. There are at least 200 donut shops in this city making the exact same cookie cutter donuts from the exact same pre-made mix as the next guy. It's pretty sad really. Dallas is so far behind the donut curve compared to other great donut cities. But in the end, I firmly stand behind my choices. These represent a handful of places that really take pride in what they do. Here's some pictures that weren't included in the article:

Jerry's Donuts in Farmer's Branch

Hypnotic Donuts

More Hypnotic

Shin's Donuts in Irving

More golden beauties from Shin's

The zeppole from Cane Rosso

A smattering from Mustang Donuts

Some wild creation with peanut butter, marshmallow cream, marshmallows, and white bread at Hypnotic

The mint and chocolate masterpiece at Hypnotic

The Evil Elvis- Peanut butter, bacon, honey, bananas at Hypnotic

The Legendary Canadian Healthcare from Hypnotic