Photo by Lori Bandi
The opening of another Voodoo Doughnuts-type place not in our neighborhood brought to mind that Oak Cliff still isn’t part of the tricked-out doughnut craze.
Oak Cliff’s culinary renaissance leaves us with no shortage of brew pubs, brunch hot spots and fancy cocktails. We have top notch barbecue, a Cuban sandwich stand and the only cidery in North Texas. Two craft breweries are in the works. Lots of trendy eating and drinking places, for sure. But Oak Cliff doesn’t have it all.
Here are some restaurants our neighborhood is wanting:
Tricked-out doughnuts. But thank goodness for the old-school doughnut places Oak Cliff does have, such as Lone Star Donuts and Oak Cliff Doughnuts.
Ramen shop. What we do have is chef Justin Holt’s occasional pop-up ramen dinners. Plus, chef Teiichi Sakurai of Tei An is planning a ramen shop at Sylvan Thirty.
Buzz Brews. This East Dallas-based restaurant expanded to Oak Lawn and Deep Ellum, and we think their next move should be to the O.C. As much as we love Metro Diner and Cesar’s Tacos, another 24-hour option would be welcomed.
A bakery. Oak Cliff has La Maroches, Vera’s and several other nice panaderÃas. It is the home base of Rush Patisserie. And Bolsa Mercado carries a selection of Village Baking Co.’s offerings. But we would like to see some sleep-deprived entrepreneur create something like the Village retail store in East Dallas.
Vegan. Don’t yell at me! Of course I know about Spiral Diner. It’s great. But this is 2014, can we have more vegan options now, please? For example, in Dallas there is a Chinese/Korean vegan buffet called Goji Cafe.
Thai. If Old East Dallas can have good Thai food, why can’t we?
Indian. The nearest decent Indian food to Oak Cliff is so far away, it might as well be in actual India.
What did we miss? What restaurants are worth crossing the river?
