The Best Dishes Eater Dallas Ate in June

The steak frites lunch special at Dakota’s

The amount of excellent food available in Dallas is dizzying, yet mediocre meals somehow keep worming their way into our lives. With your Eater Dallas editor dining out frequently, that means coming across lots of standout dishes and drinks that need to be shared.

A swordfish special at Goodwins.

Goodwins

2905 Greenville Ave.

The entire meal at this new restaurant on Greenville Ave. was excellent, but if forced to choose one course, this swordfish, on special, atop buttery couscous and cauliflower with chimichurri was so flavorful and well-prepared that I’ve been thinking about it ever since. For a recommendation that’s always on the menu, order the crispy zucchini chips with green goddess dressing and parmesan. They were just as excellent. The Lady Ridgedale cocktail, made with Tanqueray, lemon, orgeat, pineapple, creme de Violette, and thyme, was not the average gin cocktail — it was almost creamy and made for a stellar summer drink.

Lunch steak frites at Dakota’s

Dakota’s Steakhouse

600 N Akard St.

Did you know that Dakota’s has a lunch deal wherein diners can get steak frites with a small salad for $29.99? It just might be the steal of the town. I popped in to enjoy the beautiful underground dining room on a scorching day. The serving was small enough to suit lunch very well and was perfectly prepared to medium rare — as expected. It’s pretty empty for lunch, so this is a great spot to try for solo diners or business meetings.

Croque madame at Knox Bistro

Knox Bistro

3230 Knox St. #140

One fine weekend morning, when making breakfast sounded like a lot of work, a stop by Knox Bistro before the brunch crowds hit was just the ticket. The masterful croque madame was excellently made, with crispy cheese toasted outside of the soft bread made in-house. More cheese was inside the breakfast sandwich, along with savory ham. Shortly after taking this photo, I made a delectable mess of that over-easy egg atop it.

Milk and cereal at Uchiko

Uchiko Plano

7801 Windrose Ave., Suite H150 in Plano

At the opening of Uchiko’s latest location in Plano, so many dishes hit the table that it was impossible to pick a favorite bite. Suffice it to say this is an excellent spot for sushi, fish, and steak. And it’s just as fun as Uchi and Uchiba in Dallas proper. The milk and cereal dessert was so good that one had to dive in, even after a robust meal. It’s made with small balls of fried milk, chocolate mousse, toasted milk ice cream, and a sprinkling of Cap’n Crunch cereal. It’s a charming array of sweet flavors with enough variations in texture to be unlike most desserts.

Burrata e pesche at Terra

Terra

8687 N. Central Expy, #2172 inside NorthPark Center

We’re in the throes of peach season, and Terra in Eataly’s burrata e pesche plate is one of the best uses of the peach we’ve encountered this year. It combines house-made burrata, grilled yellow peaches, pistachio pesto, rucola, and sea salt with a side of grilled otto bread to scrape the cheese and every other little thing up. The combination of pistachio and herbs with peaches is heavenly.