'Wet, Pinkish Chicken' Derails Critic's Brunch at Top Knot

Last week, Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner filed a rave review of Top Knot. This week, Dallas Observer's Kathryn DeBruler takes a look at the brunch from Uchi’s more casual offspring and declares, "All is mostly well at Top Knot." Why the emphasis on "mostly"? Well, after sampling the miso-caramel pull apart nabe and onigiri, DeBruler and pals come across an undercooked hot chicken sandwich:

Two bites into this five-bite sandwich, we realized that the chicken was not done. No Parker House roll or cornichon gastrique can compensate for wet, pinkish chicken. Had they been made aware of the situation, the kitchen would undoubtedly have made it right. With or without correction, instances like these may give diners pause.

That "pinkish" bird haunts the rest of the review, even after a palate cleanser of katsudon. DeBruler concludes, "Top Knot’s brunch proves less masterful and more conceptual. Some of these concepts work and some simply need work. Others, still, just need more time in the fryer."

"No, House of Gyros is not the best restaurant in Dallas," writes Dallas Observer's Brian Reinhart, "But it is a very special place." Reinhart sets out to discover why family restaurant House of Gyros has the highest Yelp rating of any restaurant in Dallas. It's love at first lamb souvlaki. The menu does have "hits and misses," but Reinhart appreciates the Greek comfort food classics done right — he just doesn't think it the best Dallas has to offer.