Taco Ocho in Richardson

Order and pick up at the counter

The IttyBittyFoodies have discovered the joy of tortas, the Latin American version of the baguette that is so popular on the streets of Mexico City. We recently lunched at the Latin-inspired Taco Ocho in Richardson where the menu features eight tacos, eight tostadas and eight tortas.

Carbone’s Fine Food and Wine at The Shops of Highland Park

Julian Barsotti’s new Italian-American eatery, Carbone’s is as hot as the meatballs he serves right now. Carbone’s joins the popular dining row at The Shops of Highland Park  next to La Duni Latin Kitchen & Baking Studio, Nosh and Asian Mint on Oaklawn. We’re fans of Barsotti’s first venture, Nonna and when we heard, he was opening a casual over-the-counter Italian cafe, Ittybittyfoodies visited in the first week (twice).

Chicken Scratch in Oak Cliff

 

Chicken Scratch at dusk

It’s 6.30pm on a Saturday night when we spontaneously decided to head down to Chicken Scratch in Oak Cliff. We called to ask if we needed to book a table but the voice on the phone said almost prophetically, “There’s no reservations but there’s tables right now but who knows… there might be a line out the door in 15 minutes time”.

Tei-An (with kids…gasp!)

One Arts Plaza

Pikelet would sooner have a platter of sushi than a tray of cupcakes. For his 6th birthday we did the unthinkable. On a whim we decided to whisk the whole family off to Tei-An at One Arts Plaza, on a busy Saturday night without a reservation! We were playing with fire taking kids to a place we only reserve for date night.

Better than cupcakes!

Upon arrival, we sheepishly told the hostess we didn’t have a reservation but Pikelet just had to have their stellar sushi for his birthday dinner.

Pho Colonial

Spring Rolls & Egg rolls - yum

The opening of Pho Colonial Vietnamese Diner is a welcomed addition to downtown Dallas which is speckled with great but expensive restaurants like Charlie Palmer at The Joule or greasy spoons and pizza joints. Pho Colonial, located just opposite the flagship Neiman Marcus store on the corner of Main and Ervay provides the population with a fresh alternative, great food at a mid range price point.

Oddfellows in Oak Cliff

We have a love hate relationship with Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District. We love the food but hate the long waits. But they have this wonderful fried tomato sandwich that beckons me and as a result, I’ve subjected my IttyBittyFoodies to the brutal waits – three times. On a fine day, diners can wait outside sipping coffee or hot chocolate made with their super expensive La Marzocco Strada Espresso coffee machine and the kids just wander about and playing with the piano outside.

IttyBittyFoodies & Tiny Dallas

IttyBittyFoodies has a new gal pal named Tiny Dallas. She’s that resourceful friend you turn to when you’re looking for an awesome activity for the kids whether it’s DIY, galleries, performances, music or travel. She makes great suggestions for restaurants, cool toys, great shops and artsy finds. How? Because the people behind Tiny Dallas are

Tom Fleming’s Crossroads Diner

View from the waiting room

The Confession - I’m going to come right out and say it, we have not fallen in love with Crossroads Diner’s cinnamon buns. Ok now that it’s off my chest, more about it later. It is noon on a Saturday and there are at least 10 tables infront of us. Ugh it’s a 30-45 minute wait. Thank goodness there are children’s books to keep Pikelet & Lollo occupied in the waiting area. If spotting chef Abraham Salum of Salum and the gorgeous new Komali waiting patiently like the rest of us pedestrians is any indication of what’s to come, then wait we shall. 

Royal China Dallas Restaurant

You may wonder why we chose Royal China as the venue for a celebratory meal on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Tucked on the corner of Preston and Royal, Royal China’s customers are predominantly non-Asian dining on the ubiquitous American Chinese favorites like orange chicken or beef and broccoli. Even the children’s menu features nuggets and rice.  But Royal China surprisingly has some of the most authentic Chinese dishes in Dallas and the answer lies in the hands of Zhang Xue Liang, Royal China’s noodle chef and his crew of dumpling makers.

Ratatouille or Chuck E. Cheese? An open letter to Dallas Child Magazine

I picked up the December issue of Dallas Child today and excitedly flipped to Pg.30 to see the featured article ”Best for Families – Dining and Destinations” article and boy was I shocked. On the list were Tin Star for Hottest Taco Joint, Babes Chicken for Ultimate Eatery to Share a Meal Family style, Chuck E. Cheese Best Pizza Pie with a Side of Playtime, Rainforest Cafe for Coolest Themed Dining Experience. There were two that I thought were ok, eatZi’s Market & Bakery for Best Healthy Dining and Paciugo’s Gelato & Cafe for Best Spot to Snag  a Frozen Treat. What a sad city we live in if this is considered Dallas’ Best?