With dinner spreads worthy of that social-media dinnertime selfie, you’ll be sure to bust out the camera at Wild Salsa. Wild Salsa’s tradition and décor are imbued with the Mexican Día de los Muertos, a holiday time where families share loved ones’ favorite foods and drinks and celebrate life. Wild Salsa does so in style, with scrumptious food and tasty cocktails. The fare features dishes such as à la carte street tacos at lunchtime, and hearty meals like Lamb Shank Barbacoa for dinner. It’s all made from scratch every day, with local, fresh ingredients. Sit at the bar and try a Wild Rita, which features perfectly roasted pineapple and jalapeño-infused tequila. Andale to Wild Salsa!
Want to catch a Cowboys game or see the Mavs throw down? A gloriously casual sports bar in a ritzy, Renaissance-inspired building, Press Box Grill lets you do that via big-screen while eating great food in style. This friendly neighborhood pub features architecture inspired by the Paris Opera House. The building was completed in 1904, making it the first 8-story building in Texas — and a notable landmark. Whether you prefer ale, lager, dark or IPA, with 36 beers on tap, there’s something for everyone. An extensive food menu with bar favorites, great sandwiches, superb salads, and burgers to boast about is what sets Press Box apart from other pubs. Out late? A Press Box offers a late-night menu, available for dine-in and pick-up, through 1 a.m., 7 nights a week.
For the best street-side dining in downtown Dallas, try Campisi’s Restaurant at the heart of the Main Street District. Campisi’s sits along the quiet Stone Street Gardens pedestrian path. This little urban eatery offers great views of downtown’s lovely sculpture garden as well as views of iconic downtown architecture, too. Get here for happy hour Monday through Friday and enjoy discounted pizza and beer on top of cheap drinks. Boasting a great menu, try Campisi’s toasted ravioli and calamari! If happy hour isn’t an option, get on down here for half price wine nights every Monday and Tuesday, where you get 50-percent off bottles of wine with any meal.
Offering delicious New Orleans food and culture in the heart of Dallas, NOLA Brasserie features a menu complete with Cajun Creole seafood delicacies and hand-made roux for etouffee and gumbo. Tasso and bacon are slow-cooked into red beans and rice for that authentic New Orleans cuisine taste. NOLA also hand-breads exquisitely fried Louisiana seafood, so trying any shrimp dish or the fried catfish is a must-do. Hand-kneading and stretching 5-ingredient dough for tasty and authentic Louisiana pizzas, such as its famous Swamp Stock Pie, is what makes NOLA the popular place for Cajun that it is. Save room for dessert, with baked individual portions of bread pudding and Southern Comfort Pecan Pie. The spices are well-balanced, the portions are big, and the music is loud, authentic New Orleans style!
Brian Olson 