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I hope your Thanksgiving was smooth and the leftovers are treating you right. If you’re looking for ideas of where to eat out over the holiday weekend, I bring you some great bites I had in the month of November from the Heritage Table and Dee Lincoln’s Prime in Frisco, Lounge Here and Domodomo Ko in Dallas, Bar Bludorn and the Original Ninfa’s on Navigation in Houston, and Heritage East in Tyler.
The Here burger at Lounge Here in Dallas, $18
I’ve been eating at Lounge Here since it opened in 2017, when it was the only such spot in Far East Dallas — and it still doesn’t have much competition. Not a lot has changed on the menu over the years, from the ahi tuna salad to the unbelievably good pimento cheese, and the Here burger is another item this spot has had right all along. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Nearly a decade on, it is still served on a wooden butcher block with house-made pickles, sterling containers with ketchup, and a giant serrated knife to cut it. While $18 is on the pricey side for a burger, it’s a good-quality, thick, satisfying burger, served in a beautiful place with a great wine list (I prefer my burger with a red wine, as you can see). To me, it is worth every penny.
Parker House rolls at Bar Bludorn in Houston, free with a food order
Some of the best things in life are free, and that is what I found when I stumbled on the Parker house rolls at Bar Bludorn. I stopped by for happy hour and ordered a gorgeous cocktail with lilac petals on the side and the ham croquette, just to try it. I was eating light because I was in Houston on a food research trip that included eating two lunches already that day and would soon conclude with a big dinner. I didn’t expect the rolls, and pressed on with trying them in spite of my stomach’s objections. It was so good that I ate the whole thing. The soft, spongy texture and yeasty flavors, with a swoop of herbed butter on top, were too good to resist. Each roll came with a large pat of butter, which I spread on generously. I will go back just to have them again.
Oysters on the halfshell with Santa Monica uni, yuzu ponzu, and caviar at Dee Lincoln Prime, market price
This is one of several meals in October that came about because I was sitting down to speak to a chef for a story, or potential story in this case. Julian Rodarte has already worked at many big places in DFW, even though he’s only 32. He’s currently at Dee Lincoln, the eponymous restaurant owned by a Dallas steakhouse legend. Part of the research was staying for dinner to see what Rodarte is up to in the kitchen these days. His message with the meal was simple: luxury, luxury, luxury. I asked him to bring me anything on the menu he thought I should eat, and his first question was whether I liked oysters. Love them. However, I did not expect an oyster topped with fresh uni from Santa Monica, where it is in season, and caviar. Through the roof decadence. The rest of the meal was just as over-the-top, which is fun for a splurgy night.
Fried farm zucchini at the Heritage Table in Frisco, $14
Another visit to a chef — Rich Vana asked me to come have a chat at his Frisco spot because he has been expanding his Blackland Prairie cuisine concept, which I wrote about in a piece on his tasting menu for Eater Dallas. I happen to love fried zucchini and will always order it on a menu, and I was delighted when it hit the table and found it wasn’t the chip-style dip-and-fry that chefs usually go for. Instead, Vana has hollowed out the zucchini, using the hearts in other dishes, and treats this dish like onion rings. It uses the zucchini's firm skin, offering a different kind of bite that’s still excellent. It is served with dollops of caramelized onion jam and an herbed sauce that’s a milder take on ranch dressing.
Combination chicken and beef fajitas at the Original Ninfas on Navigation in Houston, $38 for the medium plate
Where should you go for Tex-Mex in Houston, a city full of killer Tex-Mex? If you haven’t been there, the Original Ninfas is still the answer. The thing you want to order is fajitas. I prefer beef, but if you’re a chicken person, it’s nice and juicy, too. What Ninfas gets right, and the thing that makes it a classic that stands head-and-shoulders above the rest, is a combination of a great marinade and grilling its meat in such a way that it takes on a beautiful, smoky flavor. They are served on a sizzling skillet, floating in an ocean of butter. The tortillas match the meats, and each bite is better than the next.
Chicken-fried steak with horseradish gravy and a side of chicken liver mousse, charred sweet onion, and Parmesan at Heritage East in Tyler, $34
Heritage East is a restaurant worth driving to and planning a whole dinner around. I got to sit with chef Lance McWhorter to hear his story, and it’s a doozy. He’s a veteran who discovered a love for Middle Eastern and North African foods while working as a security guy for hire in Iraq. He brought that food to Tyler at first, dubbing his restaurant Culture ETX and opening minds about fine dining. After leaving the armed forces, he worked as a chef in Dallas restaurants for notable chefs, including David Uyger and Matt McAllister, where he learned to level up and cook that kind of food. About a year ago, he decided to explore the food he grew up with: East Texas cuisine. It’s a mix of Cajun and Creole dishes from Louisiana and all-day cafe standards from Texas, dressed up to make them more than the sum of their parts. I had some excellent dishes, including the best bowl of stewed okra that I’ve ever had. The chef sends out complimentary bowls of it during okra season. Also impressive were the 24-hour aged country ham and “Texas caviar” (okra seeds). I had to order the chicken-fried steak because when I told the chef my family’s restaurant in Onalaska, Texas, serves the best plate of it in the state, he said his was pretty great too. It is! I’ve never had cream gravy with horseradish before, and it adds a note of umami that this rich dish doesn’t usually take on. The exceptionally decadent side of chicken liver mousse with charred onion is a melt-in-your-mouth slip into heaven. It’s rich on rich on rich all over the plate.
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