Lamb rack with goat-cheese gnocchi, pigeon peas, chanterelles and charred shallots at Nova. Photo by Kathy Tran.
The 2023 Summer Essential Dallas Restaurants list was released by Eater this week, and it says what our neighborhood already knew: Oak Cliff is a hotbed for good eats.
Of the 38 restaurants highlighted from across the DFW metroplex, five are in Oak Cliff.
“This list aims to guide visitors and locals alike to great new locations, up-and-coming eateries, and established restaurants at the top of the food game, all at various price points and featuring the numerous cuisines that shine in DFW,” Eater says about the list, which is updated quarterly.
Here are the restaurants from Oak Cliff that were honored as “essential.”
Nova – 1417 W Davis St.
Demi-glace rainbow trout on roasted-garlic parsnip puree, topped with grapefruit, arugula and pistachio salad from Nova. Photo by Kathy Tran.
“It’s probably been too long since the last time all of us visited Nova, the little midcentury gem in Oak Cliff,” Eater wrote of our neighborhood Gastropub.
The Advocate knows how much our neighborhood loves Nova; the late-night spot regularly claims a spot on our annual “Best Of” list, voted on by you.
With fine-dining quality plates and a casual bar atmosphere, there isn’t much to dislike about Nova, and we’re glad they’re getting the recognition they’re due.
Something else to love: the restaurant has been philanthropically involved in our neighborhood.
In 2021, Nova hosted a Christmas-time food drive for pantry items, and when the pandemic shut down restaurants, Nova gave out perishable food before closing.
Lucia – 287 N Bishop Ave.
Lucia, ever heard of it?
Perhaps our neighborhoods most awarded Italian restaurant, Lucia was a shoo-in for the essential list.
Earlier this year, Lucia was named among five James Beard Award finalists in the Outstanding Restaurant category. In 2019, Chef David Uyghur received a semifinalist nod in the Best Chef category.
Lucia is closed for summer break until July 17, but if you are looking ahead for an opportunity to get your hands on some house-made charcuterie, it’s best to know reservations for the beloved but intimate restaurant are difficult to come by.
According to the restaurant’s website, a new day of reservations is opened at 9 a.m. 30 days in advance.
Taco Y Vino – 213 W Eighth St.
“Just because of the name alone, I think half the people who come in here don’t know whether to take it seriously,” Taco Y Vino owner Jimmy Contreras told the Advocate in 2019.
But there isn’t much we take more seriously than tacos and wine, and we are glad to see Eater agrees.
Eater was sure to highlight Taco Y Vino’s current special, arguably one of the best deals available in Bishop Arts right now.
For $40, diners can select any six tacos, plus a bottle of wine. Talk about serious.
Restaurant Beatrice – 1111 N Beckley Ave.
Restaurant Beatrice shrimp and grits. Photo by Kathy Tran.
The last year has surely been a whirlwind for Restaurant Beatrice; the Cajun and Creole restaurant joined Lucia as a James Beard semifinalist earning a nod in the Best New Restaurant category.
Restaurant Beatrice has been showered in other praises, as well, including Dallas Eater’s best restaurant award for 2022.
Neighborhood restaurateur Michelle Carpenter opened the restaurant in honor of her Cajun and Creole heritage, and chef Terrance Jenkins grew up in New Orleans and was a gumbo chef at Commander’s Palace, one of the most famous restaurants in a city known for its famous restaurants, before bouncing around the Dallas food scene.
Essential dinner menu options include the vegan red beans and rice, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, oysters and the fresh catch.
Written by the Seasons – 380 Melba St.
An outdoor cafe setting on Bishop Arts’ mini plaza at Bishop and Melba, Written by the Seasons is one of the best restaurants for people watching, Eater says.
But with a dependably fresh menu and “work of art” cocktails, we think it’s good for a lot more than that.
Written by the Seasons was named best new restaurant by Eater in 2022.
Executive Chef Melody Bishop told the Advocate that Written by the Seasons’ menu is “very approachable” last summer.
“Take advantage of its menu of sharable bite-sized dishes, an impeccable wine list, and as many cocktails as you can handle while watching the crowds amble by,” Eater wrote.
Updated 8/13: At publication this story stated that Melody Bishop is the owner of Written by the Seasons alongside her husband, Dennis Kelley. Bishop and Kelley are the restaurant’s executive chefs.
