Buccatini with trumpet mushrooms, petite mustard greens, chicken skin, scape puree and garlic blossoms: Elliott Muñoz
Chef Justin Holt is in charge of the Driftwood kitchen while chef/owner Omar Flores is busy starting up Casa Rubia, which could open as soon as October in Trinity Groves. Holt was a cook at Lucia, and he initiated a pop-up restaurant trend in Oak Cliff after he asked Ten Bells Tavern to let him use their kitchen for ramen nights earlier this year. Holt sometimes runs ramen as a special at Driftwood, but the menu largely is Flores’s. “I’m excited to work for Omar,” Holt says. “He’s super intelligent.” Holt says he also enjoys working in a seafood-focused kitchen, rare for Dallas, he says. And even though he lives in north Dallas, he says he likes the people in Oak Cliff. The menu at Driftwood changes about four times a year. One thing that’s always on the menu is Flores’ signature char-grilled octopus. A three-course tasting menu costs $35 on Tuesdays. Follow Justin Holt on Twitter, @j_holt83, to be in the know on his pop-up dinners.
Driftwood
624 W. Davis
214.942.2530
Ambiance: Casual fine dining
Price range: $10-$29
Hours: 5-10 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday
More spots for a fish fix
1 The Fish
This restaurant, from Oak Cliff resident Christopher Stanford, has been open only a few months at Jefferson and Polk. Excellent fish tacos and decadent crabmeat hushpuppies will have you craving more.
1001 W. Jefferson
214.942.6000
2 Zen
The sushi is among the best in Dallas, but Zen is more than just a sushi place. Entrées include miso-marinated Chilean sea bass, ginger risotto with sashimi-grade salmon and Tokyo ramen with pork and vegetables.
380 W. Seventh
214.946.9699
3 Mesa
If the lobster enchiladas are good enough for Beyoncé, they are good enough for us.
118 W. Jefferson
214.941.4246
