A Few Spots In Dallas To Find Good Bar Food

by Steven Doyle

Sitting at a bar in either a restaurant or a pub you get to know the line on the action at the establishment. This is the very heart of the operation, and your friendly barman has the scoop on everything happening from their vantage point.

This is also the best place to score some fine vittles while soaking up your gin and tonic after an exhausting day of drinking gin and tonics. Sometimes a meal is not in order, but sharing a truly interesting bite at the bar hits the spot before moving on to your next task for the evening.     

I want to share with you a few really tasty bites I have had out in recent weeks. This is by no means a comprehensive or best of list. Just recent finds that you might want to try out. I think this would make a nice periodic piece to run on a Friday afternoon. What do you think?

Snails on a Stick: Nova is located on West Davis in Oak Cliff where they serve up some fine menu items. But there are a few selected bar bites worth checking out like such as this plate of snails. On a stick. The snails are grilled along side their friends the mushrooms where they no doubt spent much of their previous life.  Anything on a stick is delicious, this just happens to be extra good.

Luschers Post Oak Red Hots: If you follow Chef Bryan Luscher on facebook you can see him running about to various venues that we predict his dog will show up next on the menu. These bite-sized dogs were found at the new East Dallas spot, The Lot. Throw ’em back by the handful.

Seafood Tower: There are seafood towers at many of the better restaurants serving fish on their menu. This cold tower was found at Boulevardier in Bishop Arts and had all the sealife food groups represented including several versions of the oyster, clams, mussels, shrimp and baby octopus. The latter is a joy and well worth battling over when sharing this tall platter of flavor.

The Foie Burger: Never heard of a Foie Burger? Go check out JoJo’s Eating House for this amazing feat of culinary genius. That is a grilled apple with a healthy slice of foie chirped inbetween. Thank us you will.

Scallops: Who puts scallops on a bar menu all delicious-like and ready for some forking on a Friday night? These came from Ten Bells Tavern, home of the best wings in Dallas (in our opinion).  When these arrived at our table no one kept calm, nor carried on. We just ate.

Quail ‘Wings’: Chicken wings will always be all the rage in bars because they are so easy to make as they are to eat. Flavor delivered on its own natural stick, if you will. Somewhere there are a ton of quail scurrying about without the use of their legs, and we are all the better for it. These are very meaty and spicy specimens found at Bowl and Barrel.

More Play on the Chicken Wing: P/S gives us this delightful version of the chicken wing which is nothing more than a Frenched chicken leg (more meat!) with the whole kicked up Buffalo treatment.

Charcuterie: These boards are popping up all over town. Some are merely procured meats from a local supply house that is hedging you do not know the difference between housemade and a factory blight. Well, we know. This board is housemade at FT33 in the Design District, and one of the very best in Dallas.  Read: Do not go to FT33 without ordering this gem.