things to do in dallas - bishop arts dishcrawl.

Remember that DishCrawl I went on in April?
Well, I went on another and you totally missed out twice in a row! You have to come next time.

This one was in the Bishop Arts District in Oakcliff and was equally as awesome as the last.
My friend, Alethea, came with me and we had a great time! The best part about dishcrawls (excepting the food, obviously) is the fun people you meet. Generally, there's an influx of people into these restaurants all at once, so you end up inviting or being invited to sit with people you don't know. Nothing better than meeting new people over great food.

 

First we went to WhiteHall Exchange. They served us Korean BBQ Sliders and I will definitely be coming back here to check out the rest of what they offer. The brunch menu alone had me salivating. The food was really tasty, too!

Next, we walked over to Waldron Lodge where they served us pulled boar's meat BBQ with black beans. They offered a Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita here, too, that was incredibly refreshing and had a nice kick to it. The menu has lots of different game meats, so I liked the concept.

Next, we headed to Espumoso Caffe. It was a small, Colombian-style coffee shop. They gave us an acai bowl which I was especially excited about because, in California, Pete and I got Banzai Bowls several times and I've been craving them since. They gave us a small portion, but the large bowl which includes acai berries blended with juices and topped with granola, fruit, and honey was only $5.50. So happy to know there's an option like this near me! Yummm.

After that, we walked across the street to Dude, Sweet Chocolate. This was a place I'd been wanting to check out for a while. They make their chocolates in-house and have some seriously wild flavors. The chocolate they made specially for us dishcrawlers had sea salt and Szechuan peppercorns. It was tart and bitter, but not bad.

We made our way to the Simply Dosa food truck after that and ran into some dishcrawlers who told us this stop was by far the best one. It was super tasty Indian butter chicken tacos and it certainly packed a punch as well. I always forget butter chicken can be pretty warm because I request a "zero" level of spice when I order it. Hah.

Next, we crossed Davis St to visit 303 Bar & Grill. They gave us a lemon chicken and orzo sampling that was tasty. I'd been looking forward to this one, but didn't really get to peek at their full menu. I'll have to go back another time.

Finally, after skipping over Cafe Brazil's offering of migas (crazy, I know!) only because we were very full and had both eaten there before, we headed to La Original Michoacana. This was a basic paletera, but they dipped the ice cream pops in warm chocolate and rolled them in sprinkles or nuts before the chocolate froze. Yum! It was a good way to end the hot day.

I can't wait til the next one. They have a few coming up on Knox-Henderson that I would love to do, and one on Lower Greenville. So, you know. Holler if you wanna come.
-e.

things to do in dallas - dishcrawl.

Today was the ultimate "get-to-know-your-city" adventure.
I, along with 5 friends, bought tickets to a Dallas dishcrawl. The idea is that the event allows you to experience restaurants that maybe you always pass, but have never gone in to try. You get a small sampling of what's on the menu, all while exploring the city, walking from place to place. Plus, it sort of has a sense of mystery. You don't find out which restaurants are participating (or even where to start your city scavenger hunt!) until 48 hours before the crawl.

Typically, the crawls are accompanied by guided tours of the area. This particular dishcrawl had us explore on our own, but we got to taste from 8 different eateries, rather than the usual 4.

I tried to document along the way, but mostly got caught up chasing down the McKinney Ave Trolley (YES! Crossed that off my list!), complaining about my feet hurting, and tasting some seriously awesome food.

First on the list was Meso Maya, a Mexican restaurant near the original El Fenix. They served a fish and shrimp ceviche that was excellent. Will definitely be going back to check out the full menu.
Next, we went to Shooters, a sports bar type place in Victory Square. Decent tacos, outrageous prices. Probably won't go back.

After that, we headed to 6th St Bar which had a great chicken sandwich, but was loud and didn't really fit in with the other restaurants. I'm sure it's a different atmosphere when it's not 3 in the afternoon.
Next was Momo's Pasta. I could have drowned in their vodka sauce and died happy. Yum.
Practically next door was British Beverage Co which was a cool little pub. We met some older ladies also doing the crawl here and became BFFs. The drink selection was excellent and it had a cool vibe. I'd check it out again during nighttime and see what that scene is like.

Across the street was JoJo's Eating House and Bar where we had an incredibly fishy bouillabaisse and a fantastic waitress. Dallas seems to be lacking in the wait service department as a whole, so it's always really great to find a place that hires well. I'd go back to check out the rest of the menu.

If you're wondering how full we were at this point, think Thanksgiving Dinner. Woof.

Only two left! This is when we ran down McKinney Ave to catch the trolley and hopped off a few blocks later at POP Diner. Hands down my favorite place for the ambiance alone (winner of taste goes to Meso Maya). I will definitely be going back to check out their breakfast or late-night eats (they're open 24 hours!).
Finally, we caught the trolley back to Klyde Warren Park where we began our adventure at the Trailercakes food truck. I'd actually heard of this one and had been wanting to check it out, so I was glad they let us take their extra cupcakes even though we were an hour and a half late.

8 restaurants in 3 hours on foot is no easy feat!
Overall, fantastic day. I already look forward to the next one. You should totally come with me next time.

-e.