Closed Dallas Restaurants That Are Worthy of Mourning

The revolving door of the Dallas dining scene means there's always something new and hot to look forward to, but it doesn't stop diners from occasionally pining for restaurants of days gone by.

City of Ate rounded up ten restaurants their staffers really miss, triggering a wave of nostalgia for places like the 24-hour Metro Diner on Gaston and Avner Samuel's mid-2000s hot spot Urban Bistro. (Be sure to scope out the comments section for more nostalgia.)

Below, a few more long-lost ghosts of restaurants past:

· La Casita. This tiny late-night spot on Lowest Greenville served up homestyle Mexican food cooked by an actual abuelita — and if you knew how to ask, you could even get a margarita well after the 2 a.m. cutoff.

· All of Monica Greene's restaurants. Okay, so B.E.E. wasn't that stellar, but Ciudad, Monica's Aca y Alla and the most recent Monica's Nueva Cocina were all pretty solid, and Monica's presence always made any meal more fun. Monica, wherefore art thou?

· Lumi. The McKinney Avenue spot that now houses Belly & Trumpet used to offer interesting Brazilian-Asian fusion fare and some excellent cocktails. Remember that blue crab fried rice?

· Trader Vic's. The food at this tiki bar next to the Hotel Palomar was nothing to write home about, but the over-the-top kitschy decor and the absurdly large fishbowl drinks were. It closed after the restaurant was flooded by a busted pipe, never to return.
What Dallas restaurants do you mourn? Leave 'em in the comments below.

· The Dearly Departed Restaurants of Dallas [City of Ate]

Monica's lives on as Maracas — but it's not the same without Monica. [Photo: Foursquare]