Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/996854
74 PIZZA, TACOS, AND A RESTAURANT REINVENTION, WITH COCKTAILS THAT MAY PROVE EVEN MORE ENTICING THAN THE CUISINE. HERE'S OUR PICK OF THE NEWEST NOSH SPOTS — OPEN JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER'S SWELTER. SOMETHING TO SUMMER EATS TACO W hen a foodie friend tipped us off that a must-try taco spot was opening in Fort Worth's WestBend, our ears perked up. The concept is Bartaco, the New York-based restaurant with locations throughout the south (Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville) and a few on the East Coast, including New York, with a focus on fresh, inventive tacos, salads, rice bowls, and a menu dubbed "Not Tacos." Served on petite corn tortillas or bibb lettuce, tacos range from Yucatan redfish (achiote-crusted, with jicama- carrot slaw) and sesame rib eye (Angus rib eye served with kimchi) to the more traditional Mojo pork carnitas (slow-roasted pork with tangy mojo sauce) and vegetarian options such as falafel served with Greek-style tzatziki. From the Not Tacos menu, order duck quesadilla, with hand-pressed blue-corn tortillas, roasted duck, tomatillo sauce, caramelized onions, and Oaxaca and Cotija cheese. While Bartaco had us at food-forward tacos that start at $2.50, the interior is what first caught our eye. A fresh mix of Brazilian, Uruguayan, and SoCal style, garage doors open to an outdoor bar with circa- 1940s pendant lights found in Round Top, and photographs by Mahr-Batuz. Here's hoping sights are set on a Dallas location next. Bartaco, 1701 River Run, Fort Worth, 817.663.8226, bartaco.com. Christina Geyer HUMBLE PIE L ong impressed by one of his favorite L.A. restaurants, Pizzeria Motta, Dallas restaurateur Robert Colombo (Sfuzzi's, The Standard Pour, the recently shuttered Villa-O) opened his Oak Lawn Peasant Pizzeria with a similar concept: dough that ferments for 48 hours before baking. "It rises much crisper, with almost a bagel taste," he says. For the East Coast Hot Oil pizza, serrano peppers, Calabrian peppers, and red-chili flakes are slow-cooked in olive oil for nearly four hours, creating a spicy sauce that's drizzled on the dough, then brushed on the crust after it leaves the oven. Fennel sausage, scallion, and red onions are sprinkled atop the Peasant pizza, which has an alfredo panna cotta base with mozzarella and fontina cheeses. But it's not all about pizza — there are robust salads, including Rozie's Chopped, named for Colombo's wife, Roz, topped with tomatoes, aged Italian salami, provolone, and Sicilian oregano dressing; fish (grilled branzino, sautéed salmon); parmesan-crusted tenderloin; and pasta. Want to relive those boozy, dance-till-dawn party days at Sfuzzi's? Colombo's famous frozen Sfuzzi makes a return on the cocktail menu. Peasant Pizzeria, 3900 Cedar Springs Road, 214.443.8351, peasantpizzeria.com. Linden Wilson F riendly baristas who know your name and your usual order … The aroma of freshly ground coffee roasted on-site six days a week … The sound of friends chatting — and certainly not plugged into laptops. These are but a few of the things that have drawn a loyal crowd of Park Cities-types to the Lovers Lane cafe Drip Coffee. After 13 years, Drip is opening a second outpost, this one in Oak Lawn's bustling restaurant and retail development Turtle Creek Village. That's much closer to PaperCity HQ; we already swoon at the thought of our favorite cold brew mere blocks away. Drip Coffee, Turtle Creek Village, dripcoffeeco.com. Lisa Collins Shaddock COOL BEANS 'BOUT Robert Colombo, Peasant Pizzeria