Our neighborhood has these eleven awesome new restaurants that opened in 2013. But a few places closed this year, and it’s so hard to say goodbye …
1. El Padrino taquerÃa
The taco stand in Bishop Arts lost its lease and had to move to Pleasant Grove. The good news is that the owner of Hattie’s has plans for the space. And El Padrino restaurant is still open on Jefferson.
2. Inforzato’s
The old Hula Hotties opened in 2009 and changed to an Italian concept called Inforzato’s in 2011. They closed this year after struggling to stay afloat. We liked their pizza and pasta, but it was mostly about dessert — pies, cookies and other treats made with love from co-owner Jill Inforzato. She still does some catering, but there will never be another Inforzato’s.
3. Cafe Maya
Cafe Maya had these wonderful crispy carnitas tacos that I still crave. The restaurant closed after a little over a year in business at Jefferson and Polk. The Fish is now giving it a go in that space.
4. Best Enchiladas Ever
BEE: Best Enchiladas Ever was a concept from restaurateur Monica Greene, her first Oak Cliff restaurant, and she had hoped it would be the next Which Which or Chipotle. Unfortunately, BEE closed last January. Fortunately, Zoli’s is in that space now.
5. The Truck Yard
This is one that got away. We had predicted that Oak Cliff would be at the forefront of the whole food truck thing once it arrived in Dallas, but that hasn’t happened. Monte Anderson of the Belmont Hotel recruited a couple of food trucks to the Dallas West RV and Trailer Park. But now that property is set to become high-end apartments. Lower Greenville got the Truck Yard. And we’ve still no food truck center in Oak Cliff.
