The New Dallas Restaurants We’re Loving Now — And What To Order at Each Hot Spot

Opened by Milagro Taco‘s Jesús Carmona at Trinity Groves, this new seafood spot took over the former Amberjax space. It kept a lot of the remaining decor including a neon “Fish Market” sign above the bar and a large swordfish hung on the wall towards the back.

We enjoyed the yellowfin tuna crudo with sliced avocado, passion fruit, and habanero sauce, as well as the pork belly ceviche (Carmona noted that he served around 20,000 of this dish at the most recent State Fair of Texas). Served with sweet plantains, fried yucca, pico de gallo, and a jalapeño glaze, we can see why it’s so popular. Another favorite is the grilled salmon succotash with bacon & sweet corn, bell pepper, and spinach. We also loved the crispy fried chicken with jalapeño glaze, but we can’t wait to go back and try some more dishes like the golden fish & chips and lobster roll.

Pesca also recently launched a weekend brunch menu available from 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Our eye is on the pork belly Benedict and cuatro leches French toast.

The newest debut from Dallas restaurateur Greg Katz (Beverley’s, Green Point), this new neighborhood restaurant took over the former Suze space in Preston Hollow. The cozy spot offers a large bar with TVs to catch the latest sports games and a main dining room with booths and tables.

On a recent visit, our favorite bites included the tuna tartare tostada with avocado, chile lime vinaigrette, and cilantro, as well as the grilled chicken drums with two dipping sauces — a creamy honey mustard and roasted poblano ranch. The menu also offers other intriguing options like deviled eggs and pimento cheese, along with spicy chicken tortilla soup and Texas red chili. We opted for the pan-roasted crab cake — a citrusy mix of jumbo lump crab, tartar sauce, and lemon. The slow-smoked pork ribs are also a stunner, particularly the house barbecue sauce it comes with. We also can’t forget to mention the mac & cheese. Shells are slathered in a steaming white cheese sauce (it’s served in a small cast iron) and topped with parmesan gratin.

This new seafood spot in Bishop Arts comes from chef Hugo Galvan and mixologist Hugo Osorio (La Vuida Negra). Taking over the former Greek Cafe space on Davis Street, the new restaurant boasts an intimate, moody interior with a small bar, a handful of tables, and a fun octopus mural on an exposed brick wall.

The menu is not available on their website, so we had a friend who recently raved about Hugo’s send us a photo she took of the paper version. It’s quite small, offering a few oyster bar options, just five “For the Table” apps, a soup of the day (lobster bisque this Tuesday), crab Caeser salad, and three entrees.

But when we visited, we found out there were several “off-menu” items available. One of these was a flavorful pork belly appetizer served with a couple of fried oysters. The other special item that we enjoyed was from the raw bar — a delicious Hawaii-sourced yellowtail crudo. Other rotating items found written on a chalkboard behind the bar included Baja clams, crudo, sashimi, and caviar. We ordered two of the three entrees, the lobster roll and the cheeseburger. The former was cold, light, and fluffy, and the latter was toasty with Angus beef, caramelized onion, gruyere, and Swiss cheese. Both were served with crispy wedge fries. The one entree that will have to wait until next time — a seasonal pasta (currently gnocchi).

But overall, the stunner of the evening was the ahi tuna tostada. For this dish, hefty scoops of ahi tuna mixed with cucumber, green apple, and an Asian-inspired sauce sit atop two large toasted tortillas slathered in avocado.