Knox/Henderson

A seat on the sunny patio at Ziziki's with a tableful of salty, tangy, fresh traditional Greek food is a pretty ideal way to spend a summer afternoon. The spanakopita—flaky filo pastry stuffed with seasoned spinach and feta—is a fail-safe crowd-pleaser. The keftedes (lamb meatballs in a sharp tomato sauce) are ideal to share, as are the souvlaki skewers. No meal here is complete without a bowl of Ziziki's heavenly baklava-flavored ice cream to round it off. All the buttery, sweet, nutty tastes of baklava in creamy, cold form.

Distilling down to the essence of American cuisine these days is tough, especially with the new crop of chefs redefining it into a type of New American fare. Origin, however goes back to basics, serving the traditional, hearty American food that fueled our childhood dinners. Tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs on a bed of creamy, goat cheese grits, burgers made with the finest American bison, buttery Brussels sprout salads. Come hungry—and we mean hungry—and start with predinner drinks at the white subway-tiled bar. Appetite whetted, scoot into one of the cozy booths for what can only be described as an all-American feast, accompanied by a robust wine list.

Pancakes the size of your face, with that airy, fluffy texture—the kind that readily soaks up generous pours of maple syrup and pats of butter—can be hard to pull off. Kozy Kitchen, however, gets it just right, with the added disclaimer that these perfect pancakes are gluten-free. In fact, the entire menu is gluten-free—quite a feat given the menu is loaded with classically glutinous bread, French toast, and hearty pastas for dinner. Kozy Kitchen is that reliable, health-centric, sustainably minded spot you wind up eating at over and over. The coffee is excellent (try their bulletproof version with coconut oil), the juices are freshly squeezed (we're partial to the grapefruit), and the atmosphere is casual enough to bring even the rowdiest group of kiddos.

Sadly, Forty Five Ten's Number 1 café shuttered, so to soften the blow they've expanded the in-shop café, T Room. It's a cozy space with cast iron chandeliers and an outdoor patio—perfect for bridal and baby showers and birthday lunches. The in-house event planner Missy, can handle the details (invites, flowers, favors), all you have to do is show up.

Grange Hall's unusual arrangements definitely feel like they're in a class of their own. Keeping in theme with the otherworldly nature of their shop (one of Dallas's best), their floral arrangements look like they could be found in a cabinet of curiosities. They're excellent at incorporating unusual props like feathers, ribbons, and oddly-shaped vases.

HG SPLY CO. offers all the benefits of a healthy menu without any white-washed "healthy" restaurant aesthetic, making it the perfect place to take your boyfriend when he wants a beer and you're craving a green juice. Their paleo-inspired menu is light and clean yet substantial—favorites include the tex mex quinoa bowl, pulled pork nachos, and texas steak bowl. The fire pits, twinkle lights, and red picnic tables, plus the well-chosen beer list, make their rooftop a pretty perfect place to spend a long, drawn-out evening.

Brian Bolke and his late partner, Shelly Musselman, revolutionized retail in town back when they opened in 2000, bringing some of the world’s best designers, homeware, and a restaurant— T —all under one beautiful roof. You’ll find Proenza Schouler, Marni and Delpozo, to Kelly Wearstler home accessories, and Diptyque candles—and most recently, the goop line of organic skincare.

Grange Hall, with its gothic, cabinet-of-curiosities vibe, is the yin to Dallas’s glitzier yang. There’s a pretty gorgeous range of home goods—Ted Muehling candlesticks, Astier de Villate ceramics, Cire Trudon candles—along with really stunning jewelry. They just opened an on-site café, too, that serves artfully arranged food and an encyclopedia's worth of teas. This is inarguably one of Dallas’s very best stores.

Owners (and lovebirds!) Allison Yoder and Stephen Rogers brought their passion for friendly fine food and wine with them when they left their posts running Press—one of Napa Valley’s must-go dining destinations—to return to Rogers’s hometown. They poured it all into Gemma and opened the restaurant earlier this year. Always expertly executed but never too fussy, the menu covers a lot of ground, from crudos to duck confit with fried rice, so come late when reservations loosen up and the $2 oysters make an appearance.

Grange Hall, with its gothic, cabinet-of-curiosities vibe, is the yin to Dallas’s glitzier yang. There’s a pretty gorgeous range of home goods—Ted Muehling candlesticks, Astier de Villate ceramics, Cire Trudon candles—along with really stunning jewelry. They just opened an on-site café, too, that serves artfully arranged food and an encyclopedia's worth of teas. This is inarguably one of Dallas’s very best stores.