Special Section

Dining Guide 2014-2015

Claire Kelley

October 30, 2014

Inside:

10 Meals you must eat before graduation
Greenville Avenue Pizza Company
Dish
Pumpkin everywhere
Chicken Express
Pony locations
JD’s Chippery
Firecrust Pizzeria

by Claire Kelly (Copy Editor)

From classic fried eats to one-of-a-kind gourmet plates, these are the 10 meals you are required to try before you leave the Big D.

From classic fried eats to one-of-a-kind gourmet plates, these are the ten meals you must eat before you leave the Big D.

1. Fried Chicken and Biscuits – Bubba’s Cooks Country

Bubba'sChicken.jpg

If you’re into comfort food (hint: you are), you’d probably be pleased with any Bubba’s order. They’re famous for frying chicken right, though, so ordering that with biscuits and gravy is the way to go. They stop serving breakfast at 11 a.m., so the trick is to arrive at or around that time, then sweet talk the cashier into making that combo happen, which isn’t hard. My dad once said of Bubba’s fried chicken (in a very Billy-Rae-esque moment), “It’ll make your tongue slap your brains out!”

2. Smoked Ham Mac & Cheese Casserole – The Porch

Knox-Henderson is full of delicious restaurants of all genres, and The Porch is no exception. Order their macaroni and cheese from the sides section of the menu and plan to share. It’s heavy and rich in the best way and topped off with breadcrumbs like any good macaroni casserole should be.

“There isn’t a creamier mac and cheese in town!” said junior Charlie Weber.

3. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – Chuy’s

Chuy’s is nothing new, but you might not know about the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It’s roasted pulled chicken and cheese with their famous Boom Boom sauce, with a bunch of other yummy Tex-Mex ingredients, including New Mexican green chiles. Alumna Sami Williams (’13) swears by it, and it satisfies her appetite while accommodating her gluten-free lifestyle.

“Everything is amazing with queso, but it shines above everything else with the green chiles,” said Williams. “I dream about it. Awkward.”

4. Rotisserie Corn/Whole Rotisserie Birds – Velvet Taco

If you’re dining in, order any taco and a side of the rotisserie corn. It’s cheesy, a little bit spicy, and the perfect complement to the tacos, organic soda and red velvet cake.

If you’re in the mood to cook (as in, assemble your own taco), order the whole rotisserie bird. On Mondays, you can knock three times on the back door for this special, which is fun and makes you feel like you’re in on an exhilarating foodie secret. It’s one whole rotisserie chicken, two sides of the afore-mentioned corn, six corn tortillas, and pico de gallo and Korean barbecue sauce. Make a picnic of it on the Dallas Hall lawn or take it back to your apartment for personal grazing. Your choice.

“Velvet Taco is my favorite place to eat in Dallas,” said senior Kate Roberts. “It’s local, fresh and I can eat for about $10-15, which is hard to come by. The corn is the best side and the tots are the best hangover cure ever.”

5. Pumpkin Pancakes – Café Brazil

Most of you have probably eaten at Café Brazil or loitered there for free Wi-Fi. You’ll get the same menu and quality of food at either venue, but the one on Greenville has an extensive coffee bar with up to 10 flavors at a time, and a better atmosphere in general. Café Brazil does breakfast so right. Do yourself a favor and let their pumpkin pancakes and hot java put you in the mood for fall.

“Pumpkin is the greatest flavor for always and eternity,” said junior Greg Peterson. “Anything off the seasonal menu at Café Brazil is muy delicioso.”

6. The Fast Food Trifecta

Everyone has a favorite dish from each fast food chain. If you’ve gotten your ass kicked by a week full of papers and exams, treat yo’self (in the wise words of Retta and Aziz Ansari). Grab a burger from In-N-Out, fries from Whataburger, and sauce and a sweet tea from Raising Cane’s for your own carbo-loaded feast. This can be edited based on your current fast food love interests, but if you’re not feeling too creative, the list above is a solid trio.

“Cane’s is the one fast food that makes me excited no matter what time of day,” said senior Geenah Krisht. “The sauce is so addicting it’s dangerous. Their motto is one love because it is everyone’s one true love.”

7. The South Beach Roll – The Blue Fish

There are several great sushi joints near campus – shout out to the SMU Roll atSushi Kyoto – but the South Beach, or SoBe, holds a special place in my heart. It’s salmon, crabstick, shrimp, avocado and masago, wrapped in cucumber, served with vinaigrette, and perhaps the most refreshing piece of sushi you’ll ever eat. When the Texas heat becomes too much to bear, which is often, make your way down Greenville to try this delightful, summery roll.

8. Truffle Fries – Hopdoddy

Hopdoddy has a lot to offer, including more than a dozen different mouth-watering burger options. But it’s their truffle fries that students are hooked on.

“They’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life,” said senior Rachel Reid.

9. Brunch – Bread Winner’s Café

Head over to the Uptown location this weekend for Eggs Benedict, crab cakes, cinnamon rolls or really anything from the menu. Unfortunately, Bread Winners doesn’t do any drink specials, so a mimosa will cost you $10. But the food, friendly service and lovely leafy atmosphere make up for it.

10. Cupcakes and/or Ice Cream – Sprinkles

Yes, it’s a meal. You have three options when you’re craving this sweet treat – Sprinkles Cupcakes, Sprinkles Ice Cream or the Sprinkles ATM. All are the right choice. In my opinion, the best cupcakes are vanilla and red velvet, and the best ice cream flavors are salted caramel and Cap’n Crunch.

by Emily Heft (Food Editor)

As soon as that last square of September has been checked off planners, the pumpkin craze begins. With everything from pumpkin beer to pumpkin hummus available, it’s hard to navigate the world of fall-inspired treats. Here’s the ones you can’t miss.

Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Ravioli

butternut squash.jpg — (Courtesy dashandapinch.com)

Available at Trader Joe’s, this ravioli is hard to beat. Bursting with fresh flavor, the pasta is delectable even on its own. The creamy filling goes well with olive oil or parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. True aficionados can mix canned pumpkin with tomato sauce and simmer for a uniquely sweet-and-savory topping.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

While Sprinkles makes beautiful pumpkin cupcakes this time of year, the best of the best are found at Smallcakes, an often overshadowed cupcakery in Mockingbird Station. True to its name, the bakery serves bite-sized cakes that you can mix and match. The pumpkin cupcake’s cream cheese frosting is hard to beat, and they go nicely with a Lemon Poppyseed or chocolate to keep the richness going.

Pumpkin seeds

Keep the fun of pumpkin carving going by roasting the seeds. After rinsing and drying them, roll them in sea salt and pop them in the oven on Broil for a few minutes until golden brown. They’re a perfect crunchy snack.

Pumpkin butter

Many stores like Williams Sonoma carry pumpkin butter, which is a good topping for almost anything you can think of. It’s sweet and thick like jam, and tops off toast, bagels, cookies, muffins, and even vanilla ice cream nicely.

Pumpkin Popsicles and Ice Cream

Steel City Pops’ creamy popsicles aren’t overly flavorful, but have a hint of pumpkin and nutmeg that tastes like pie on a stick. Meanwhile, Ben & Jerry’s makes a delectable pint-sized pumpkin cheesecake ice cream with a graham cracker swirl. It’s divinely thick and the crust-like graham cracker is crunchy and sweet.

by Kelsey Cordutsky (Production Manager)

What is PONY? Pony makes life on and off campus so easy! PONY is a stored-value account that can be activated on your SMU ID card. Use it in lieu of cash or a credit card to make purchases on campus and at select off-campus locations.

Add money to your PONY account throughout the school year at smu.edu/parkingID. Click on the “My PONY Account” tab under the “ID Card Services” pull-down menu. PONY dollars carry over from semester to semester until you graduate.

PONY is accepted at the following locations: