Those who live in Far East Dallas know there aren’t enough good places to eat around these parts. Mike McRae, who has Table 13 in Addison and Stan’s Blue Note on Greenville, opened this bistro and it covers the gamut, food-wise. While the menu is very Texas-forward with a good dose of bar food, the mains are classic American fare: salmon, pork chop, filet mignon, halibut, and quail.

Number one with a bullet on the list this month is a restaurant the city can’t seem to stop talking about — for its menu, for its operators, the Duro Group, and for its prices. It’s fine dining at Mister Charles with French, Italian, and American influences. Lobster Thermidor makes a return, a lamb Wellington for two is a splurge, and the tiny egg sandwiches served in single bites intrigue. The room is somehow both majestic and intimate, split into a few different spaces, and that it inhabits the former Highland Park Soda Fountain gives it the pomp of local history. 

What is contemporary Chinese cuisine, we asked when speaking to the chefs and owners that created this new restaurant. The best answers might be found on its menu, among the American Chinese dishes that diners already know. It’s the roasted Berkshire pork char siu, crispy pastrami egg rolls, Alaskan king crab salad, and wok-fried lamb shoulder. It’s contemporary cooking done with Chinese traditional methods with flourishes to style it.

When we went to Via Triozzi before it opened for a photo shoot, we got to try several dishes. The bolognese served with tagliatelle became a dish we obsessed over. It’s that good. Owner an executive chef Leigh Hutchinson oversees a kitchen with daily house-made pasta (it makes a difference) and breads, and has crafted a menu from family recipes and her favorite tastes of Italy.

Making the jump from taco truck to a restaurant space in Oak Lawn. The family-run spot will serve the tacos and empanadas they’ve become known for, in a 24-seat space. Diners can expect to continue enjoying the mix of passed-down family recipes and recipes the Rodriguezes have developed to be on the menu.

Joining the options on the Katy Trail is this tacos and margs spot from Harwood Hospitality. When the weather cools down, it’s got a dog-friendly patio that holds 200 (people and dogs, right?) and a full Tex-Mex spread of fajitas, enchiladas, flautas, and a chimichanga. Empanadas, too, because why not bring a little taste of Spain into things, as long as it’s delicious? The tequila selection is extensive, with over 50 tequilas on offer (plus Mezcal, sotol, vodka, gin, and brown liquors — the gang’s all here).

Cozy up in a velvet chair for a steak at Stillwell’s — and so much more. It also has one of the longest and most thorough wine lists in town and beef from Harwood Hospitality’s proprietary line of ultra-high-end cattle. There are, of course, caviar services and seafood towers, but some less gems are there for the taking, like the rich beef dumplings and lobster corn dogs. 

The Arts District adds another restaurant (three, actually) as the JW Marriott opens. Margaret’s, it’s flagship, is focused on local ingredients and a seasonal menu that sounds tantalizing, including a locally sourced beef carpaccio paired with grapefruit zest, 72-hour hickory smoked prime bone-in beef short rib with house barbecue sauce and Texas jalapeno elote, and a confit yolk with brown butter toasted oreganata. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and features a bar that overlooks the city from it’s 11th floor perch.

French fare (and chef Graham Elliot) are upon Fort Worth. This restaurant opened in the seemingly unlikely space formerly occupied by a Corner Bistro — unlikely because it means the kitchen is limited. But Elliot has cleverly crafted a kitchen and a menu that suits the spot. Visit for lunch, brunch, and dinner and munch on the flatbreads (there are numerous options), but do not miss the Bistro Steak served with Le Margot butter or the Royale with Cheese, a burger smothered in melted cheese that’s just made for an Instagram moment.