Time is running out! If you'd like to weigh in with your choice or choices for The Best in DFW: New Restaurants of 2011, please let us know now! We will be publishing a selection of reader's faves in the January 20 issue of Guide.

We have a nice handful of comments, but only a few are about restaurants that actually opened in 2011. A few others are great ideas, but not worded in a way that lends itself reprint (even with some editing.) If you do have a favorite or favorites that you'd like us to hear about, please tell us here, or on the Best in DFW: New Restaurants of 2011 story. Or you can send me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews.com.

Surely there was someplace you loved that I did not include in my story, yes? Do tell!

Now that 2011 is safely behind us, let's take a look back at the most compelling restaurants that opened last year. Here is our Best in DFW: New Restaurants of 2011 story.

No doubt you have your own ideas about what the best new restaurants were, and we'd love to hear about them. Please let us know here in a comment, or send an email (including your real name and city of residence) to lbrenner@dallasnews.com. We will publish a selection of readers' picks, focusing on establishments not mentioned in this story, in the January 20 issue of Guide. If you can tell us what you loved about the places you're choosing, so much the better. Don't forget -- to be included, the restaurants must have opened during 2011.

Happy New Year!

Photo of the quesadilla de huitlacoche from Mi Dia From Scratch by Taylor Glascock/Staff Photographer

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to present the 2011 Best in DFW: Chefs.

For me, the best part of reporting and writing this story was the sense I had that there is so much creative energy in Dallas area kitchens at the moment. When I compiled the Best in DFW: Chefs list for last year, there were only seven chefs whom I felt merited inclusion. This year there are 10, including four who have never been on the list before. (You can find the 2010 list at the end of the new story.)

Please be sure to click through the slide show; out talented photographers have outdone themselves on this one.

Whoa -- something's wrong with me! I almost forgot to say of course we would LOVE to know your choices for the best chefs in town -- please let us know here in a comment, or send an email (including your real name and city of residence) to lbrenner@dallasnews.com. We will publish a selection of readers' picks, focusing on chefs not mentioned in this story, in the December 16 issue of Guide. We'd especially like to know what you love about their cooking.

Photo of the Pyramid Restaurant's Andre Natera by Lara Solt/Staff Photographer

Ladies and gents, after many happy months of twirling pasta and squeezing lemons on branzino, I am happy to present the Best in DFW: Italian Restaurants. It includes a super-deluxe slide show. Warning: the slide show may make you faint with hunger.

What's your favorite Italian restaurant, and what do you love about it? Please tell us in a comment -- either here, or on the story itself. Or send me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews. We'll be publishing a selection of readers' picks, focusing on those not included in the story, in the October 7 issue of Guide.

Photo of Nonna's spaghetti with bottarga and charred shiso by Nathan Hunsinger/Staff Photographer

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Want to weigh in on your favorite place in or around Dallas for cocktails? Now is the last chance. We'll be publishing readers picks, focusing on bars and restaurants not mentioned in the Best in DFW: Cocktails story, in the July 29 edition of Guide.

How to weigh in? Tell us here or on the story in a comment. We'd love to hear where your favorite cocktails are, and what's great about them. Or you can send an email to lbrenner@dallasnews.com.

Photo of the Mansion Bar's Miami Splice by David Woo/Staff Photographer

Yes, I know it's a little early in the morning to be thinking about such things, but we just couldn't wait to tell you about the latest installment of the Best in DFW dining series. I've been seeking out the best house cocktails in and around Dallas for months and months, and what I've found has been positively exciting. That's why we're so happy to present the Best in DFW: Cocktails.

Have we missed one of your favorite spots for drinks? Of course we'd love to know about it. Please tell us in a comment -- either here, or on the story itself. Or send me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews. If you mention particular cocktails, or what about a bar's drinks makes them so wonderful, so much the better. We'll be publishing a selection of readers' picks, focusing on those not included in the story, in the July 29 issue of Guide.

Photo of Bailey Prime Plus Park Lane's Jasmine cocktail by Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor

In case you missed it, here's a little story about a terrific new book about sushi. Published by Kodansha USA, "Edomae Sushi," by Tokyo sushi master Kikuo Shimizu, will make a connoisseur out of anyone -- and it's gorgeous to look at, too.

Kodansha also sent me a book not mentioned in the Best in DFW: Japanese Restaurants package. It's called "What's What in Japanese Restaurants: A Guide to Ordering, Eating and Enjoying," by Robb Satterwhite. The terrific little book includes chapters describing the various styles of Japanese cuisines (yakiniku, okonomiyaki, kushiage, soba and udon, etc.), and there's a chapter about the evolution of the izakaya. For sushi lovers, there's a concise explanation of proper sushi-eating etiquette (only a small amount of soy sauce in the dish; dip only the fish part of the sushi, not the rice; it's OK to eat with your fingers, etc.), plus some good tips, like eat anything with nori first, so it stays crisp. The one thing that surprised me was it says when eating sashimi, you should add wasabi to the soy sauce. In Japan, I always saw people putting a bit of wasabi directly on the fish, not in the soy sauce. Anyway, the updated 3rd edition is available in paperback for $16.95.

Meanwhile, time is running out: If you'd like to have your favorite Japanese restaurant included in our Best in DFW: Japanese Restaurants readers' picks, to be published in the June 24 issue of Guide, speak now, in a comment. We'll do our best to include your fave.

Photo by Evans Caglage/Staff Photographer

Here's a little extra to go with the Best in DFW: Japanese Restaurants story. Sake lists in restaurants can be overwhelming. It's sometimes hard to know what to order, and servers often have difficulty describing the qualities of a particular sake. But here's a tip: The best strategy might be to order whichever sake is freshest. That's right -- many sakes have sell-by-dates. Well, they're not exactly sell-by-dates; they're really the dates the sake was shipped. But it gives you good insight into how fresh the sake is. And as this little story explains, when it comes to sake, you want it fresh.

Another note: The story refers to ordering sake in restaurants. But I also made the rounds of various retail places you can buy sake, and was interested to learn that it's not always so easy to find it fresh in stores. I did find a couple of fresh bottles at 99 Ranch Market in Plano, but the best selection I found was at Sigel's -- particular the store on Greenville (though I didn't check all of their stores).

Photo by Evans Caglage/Staff Photographer

Ladies and gentlemen, after months and months of sampling sushi, slurping soba, sipping sake, savoring sashimi and yakking over yakitori, I am happy to present the Best in DFW: Japanese Restaurants. Japanese food lovers are lucky to live in or around Dallas -- there's so much to discover, if you look beyond the corner sushi bar.

What's your favorite Japanese restaurant, and what do you love about it? Please tell us in a comment -- either here, or on the story itself. Or send me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews. We'll be publishing a selection of readers' picks, focusing on those not included in the story, in the June 24 issue of Guide.

Photo by Ben Torres/Special Contributor

Do you love seafood? Whether it's slurping oysters that's your passion, or digging into a huge platter of crawfish at the height of the seasons, or cutting into the most delicate fillet of perfectly grilled wild Alaskan halibut, you'll find a spot in our Best in DFW: Seafood Restaurants story that's bound to appeal.

But the restaurants included just happen to be the ones I feel best represent the genre. No doubt you have your own favorite seafood spot that my list doesn't include. Please tell us about it here in a comment -- or comment on the story itself -- or send me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews.com, and let us know the restaurant you love and what you love about it. If you do send an email, please include your full (real) name and the city in which you reside, and tell me that we have your permission to publish your comment. We'll be printing a selection of them, focusing on those that mention restaurants not included in my story, in the May 13 issue of Guide.

Photo of boiled shrimp at S&D Oyster Company by Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor

We are very excited to present the latest in the Best in DFW dining series -- Best in DFW: Chinese Restaurants. I have been eating Chinese food for months and months, and I feel as though I'm just getting warmed up. A number of our places are pretty amazing. Others may have a few incredible dishes even if the whole menu doesn't rock. And some places have menus so long and interesting it looks like it could take a year of dedicated eating to get through them.

We're pretty sure that you have a favorite Chinese restaurant that was not chosen for this story. If so, we'd love to hear about it. Please let us know in a comment here, or a comment on the story -- or send an email (including your full name and the city in which you reside) to lbrenner@dallasnews.com and let us know which Chinese restaurant you love and why. We'll feature a selection of your picks, focusing on places not mentioned in this story, in the March 25 issue of Guide.

Photo of Little Sichuan's shredded duck with ginger by Lara Solt/Staff Photographer

Valentine's Day always brings sweet thoughts, and so we turned ours to desserts. Which restaurants serve pastries that thrill? We're happy to present the Best in DFW: Desserts.

Of course desserts are a very personal thing, and we know you have your favorite places for sweets. Please tell us about them here, or in an email to me at lbrenner@dallasnews.com. (Please let me know your full name and the city in which you live in the email.) We'll publish a selection of your comments, focusing on restaurants not mentioned in the story, in the February 25 issue of Guide.

Photo of Lucia's milk chocolate pannacotta with bittersweet chocolate budino by Mona Reeder/Staff Photographer

Eats commenters, you've been keeping curiously mum about your favorite new restaurants. On the heels of my Best in DFW: New Restaurants story, we'll be publishing comments about the new places you love in the January 14 issue of Guide.

So, what's the best restaurant that opened in 2010? Please let us know in a comment here, or here, or in an email to me at lbrenner@dallasnews.com. If you do send an email, please let me know your full (real) name and the city in which you reside. Thanks!

Photo of ravioli being made at Lucia by NATHAN HUNSINGER/Staff Photographer

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As a truly delicious year comes to a close, we present our Best in DFW: Best New Restaurants list for 2010.

Take a peek inside some of the best places with our slideshow here.

Of course we'd love to hear about your favorite new restaurants (meaning local places that opened in 2010) too. Tell us about them in a comment here, letting us know why you love them and where they are, and we'll publish a selection of your picks -- focusing on places not mentioned in my story -- in the January 14 edition of Guide.

Happy New Year!

Lots of things are being written about my Best in DFW: Barbecue story on this blog and others. Clearly, in my position as restaurant critic for the Morning News, it's natural that my work is scrutinized. My job involves holding restaurants accountable for what they're selling, and certainly readers and others should hold me accountable as well. Daniel Vaughn has drawn attention to the fact that I made a reporting error in my story. It was an honest mistake, and I appreciate him pointing it out.

In a nutshell, I wrote that Bartley's B-B-Q smokes its meats over oak; in fact Bartley's uses hickory. Here is how the error occurred: I made notes before I visited Bartley's, including the address, so I could find the place, along with the detail, noted from the Vaughn's D Magazine story (which is how I learned about Bartley's, and where I found the address), that they use oak. I dined at Bartley's and had a completely different experience -- and different take on it -- than Vaughn did. The oak detail was something that I intended to check when I did the fact-checking for the story, and I somehow missed it. That was my mistake. A correction will appear in tomorrow's Dallas Morning News, and we have corrected the error in the on-line version of the story.

Yesterday, before that error came to my attention, Mr. Vaughn contacted me by email, upset that I didn't give him a "shout out" in my story. Here is what I responded to him:

The Morning News' wonderful photo department has put together a mouth-watering slide show to go with the Best in DFW: Barbecue story. This is not a word I use a lot, but I have to say, the slide show is totally awesome. Check it out here, and please let our talented photographers know what you think.

Photo of rib and chicken combo plate at Off the Bone BBQ in Forest Hill by COURTNEY PERRY/Staff Photographer

Follow Leslie: http://twitter.com/lesbren

Woo -- hoo! I definitely had to loosen my belt after the research for this story: The Best in DFW: Barbecue. Who says there's no good barbecue in Dallas?

We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'll have missed some of your favorite spots. Please let us know in a comment here -- or drop me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews.com -- and we'll publish a selection of them (focusing on places not mentioned in this story) in the Dec. 17 issue of Guide.

Photo of Off the Bone BBQ's sliced brisket and ribs combo plate by COURTNEY PERRY/Staff Photographer

Follow Leslie: http://twitter.com/lesbren

This morning on The Gene and Julie Show on 103.7 Lite FM I'll be talking with Gene and Julie about Best in DFW: Chefs. Tune in at 8:15, then weigh in with you own picks here.

Photo of Bruno Davaillon's Flavor of Duck by G.J. McCARTHY/Staff Photographer

Here it is: The latest in our Best in DFW dining series -- our most outstanding chefs. Click here for the intro and here for the list (in alphabetical order).

No doubt I left off your favorite chef, and of course we'd love to know about it. Please tell us in a comment here whose cooking most impresses you (and why!), and we'll publish selections in the October 29 edition of Guide, focusing on comments that mention chefs not included in this story. Or maybe you disagree with someone I've included -- we'd love to hear your thoughts on that too. Or anything else on the subject.

Photo of Craft's Jeff Harris (left) by BEN TORRES/Special Contributor; photo of Tei-An's Teiichi Sakurai by ROBERT S. HART/Special Contributor

Hey, here's one last chance to jump in the fray with your picks for the Best in DFW: Southern and Texan. Who makes the best chicken fried steak? The best biscuits? The best grilled quail? We want to know what you think!

Did you escape for Labor Day weekend and miss the story? Here's the post, and the place to tell us about your own faves. We'll publish a selection of your comments in the September 17 issue of Guide.

Photo of Brownstone's "Grandma" biscuit basket with venison sausage and house-made strawberry preserves by COURTNEY PERRY/Staff Photographer

Here's one of the most delicious round-ups yet -- Best in DFW Southern and Texan restaurants. Here's the intro, and here's the story.

Of course, we're excited to hear about your own favorites. Where do you like to tuck into chicken fried steak or King Ranch chicken or shrimp and grits? Please note: This category doesn't include places that are primarily Tex-Mex or primarily barbecue, though some of the Texan restaurants do include some Tex-Mex or barbecue dishes, among others.

Anyway, please let us know the Southern and Texan spots that you love in a comment here, and we'll publish your selected comments (focusing on those mentioning restaurants not included in this story) in the September 17 issue of Guide. And while you're at it, please let us now what you think!

Photo of Smoke chef Tim Byres' smoked pork jowl bacon with half-sour cucumber salad by MONA REEDER/Staff Photographer

Continuing our Best in DFW updates, we proudly present Leslie Brenner's Best in DFW: Burgers.

Here's the intro. And here's the list.

We want to hear about your favorite burger place, too. Please tell us below in a comment. if you want to be super helpful and possibly appear in a future Guide story, please send a copy of your comment, along with your full (real) name and the city in which you reside to Leslie Brenner at lbrenner@dallasnews.com.

Photo of a cheeseburger from Wingfield's Breakfast & Burgers by KYE R. LEE/The Dallas Morning News

If you still haven't checked out the list of Best in DFW: Steakhouses, now's the time! The page has been updated with a three-part video of Chef Richard Chamberlain, offering advice on grilling the perfect steak.

See it here or check out the Best in DFW: Steakhouses listing.

Thank you to everyone who commented on the Best of DFW: Steakhouses story. That was a nice response, and we appreciate it!

I also had an email from Russ Vandeveerdonk, who sent this photo. "I read the 'weekend Guide,'" he wrote, 'and then had to cook a steak for myself. Looks just like the picture on the cover!"

Indeed it does! Thank you, Russ.

Photo by RUSS VANDEVEERDONK

Get ready for one of the juiciest Best in DFW stories yet: Best in DFW: Steakhouses. This is the first time we're updating any of the Best in DFW categories -- steakhouses just seemed so...Dallas!

Here's the intro. And here's the list.

Of course we're excited to hear about your favorite steakhouse too. Please tell us below in a comment, and we'll publish a story, focusing on those not included in my story, to be published in the July 9 issue of the Guide. And if you want to earn my undying gratitude, please send a copy of your comment, along with your full (real) name and the city in which you reside to me at lbrenner@dallasnews.com. Thank you!

Photo of Pappas Bros. bone-in New York strip by EVANS CAGLAGE/Staff Photographer

Readers have asked for more Best in DFW selections, and this week Leslie presents the Best in DFW: Middle Eastern restaurants. Here's the intro, and here's the list.

Surely you have your own favorite. We'd love to hear about it - and what you like to order.

PHOTO: Turkish Sausage at Cafe Istanbul (Xiaomei Chen / staff photographer).

Melissa had a great question in the comments on the shrimpers post.

She asks whether we're continuing the Best in DFW dining series, and if so, what's coming up.

We're absolutely continuing the Best in DFW dining series. But we don't announce in advance what's coming up nor when -- just keep your eyes peeled! Actually, we do announce it, but usually only a few days or a week before the article appears in Guide. We don't want to alert restaurants that the story is coming until I'm done making all my visits. I don't want them to suddenly change what they're doing in hopes of being covered favorably.

I will tell you that we'll be stepping up the frequency of the series a bit. Great news, right?

A friend and I made it today to The Grazing Cow, the new grass-fed burger joint in Plano that Leslie Brenner had on her recent piece about some good new burger spots. FWIW, I can second everything good she had to say about the beef. My pomegranate lemonade was also a highlight. Wonderfully bright, fresh flavor.

But there was this odd notation on the menu: No cash accepted. Credit and debit cards are all good. I didn't really mind, and the owners were happy to give me an explanation (has to do with ease of bookkeeping). But I wondered if this is a one-off or the bleeding edge of a trend. Anybody out there running into other eateries doing likewise? I've run into plenty of places that won't take plastic. But no folding money? That's a first for me.

After many months of slurping pho and dipping goi cuon and tearing up beautiful aromatic herbs to drop into hot pots and sipping incredible coffee, I'm very happy to present The Best in DFW: Vietnamese restaurants. Here's the intro (with a glossary of terms), and here's the list.

Many thanks to friends who have suggested places to check out, and particularly to Shane Stephens, whose palate and taste led me to a few of my favorite spots. Thanks too, to An-My Le, for helping me with the glossary pronunciations, and more than that, for treating me to my first bowl of pho sometime in the late '80s and teaching me how to make goi cuon. (Thanks too to An-My's mom for treating me to some of the most fabulous Vietnamese cooking in Southern California's Little Saigon.)

But enough about me. We're very eager to hear about your favorite Vietnamese restaurants in and around Dallas. Please let us know in a comment here. We'll publish a selection of them, focusing on places not mentioned in my story, in the April 23 edition of the Guide.

Photo of beef sausage from Saigon Block's seven courses of beef by Laura Solt/DMN

If you've grown tired of this crazy winter, fret not: spring is almost here. And with that come all the area's various spring festivals.

Guide's Joy Tipping, Bindu Varghese and Ann Pinson put together their own Best in DFW list of Best Spring Festivals, where you can find enormous turkey legs (like the man pictured above at Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie), hear music from different cultures and enjoy great works of art. Plus they often feature local celebrities and personalities, and sometimes even a "big name." One of their picks, Savor Dallas, just ran over the weekend.

You can read over all of their selections here, but don't stop there. Let us know if we missed one you go to every year, what treats you have to eat, share memories or just tell us what you're looking forward to this season. E-mail us at guide@dallasnews.com. And whether or not you go out, follow some of our Guide staffers on Twitter as they nibble on grilled corn on the cob and meander through the crowds themselves.

PHOTO: Courtesy Scarborough Renaissance Festival

For the better part of a year, I've been slurping oysters and spearing escargots, assessing frites and diving into Dover sole. And now, we're happy to present Best in DFW: French Restaurants.

Have I snubbed one of your favorites? (I probably haven't simply missed it, as I'm pretty sure I dined at each and every French restaurant in Dallas.) Of course we want to hear about it. Please tell us your favorite in a comment here. We'll be putting together your selections (focusing on restaurants not included in my list) in a story that will appear in the March 12 edition of Guide. We'd also love to hear what you think of our list.

If you'd like your comment considered for publication, please copy it and send it to me at lbrenner@dallasnews.com in an email message that includes your real name and the city in which you reside. We'll do our best to include it in the print story.

Also, I'll be following up with a series of blog posts on various aspects of French dining. We hope you'll jump in and join the conversation!

Photo of The Mansion Restaurant's lobster salad by Courtney Perry/DMN

Hey folks, it's not too late to let us know your favorite new restaurant -- or restaurants -- of 2009. This means places that opened in 2009.

Surely there are places you've loved that I didn't mention in my Best in DFW: New Restaurants story. Now's your chance to tell us all -- and we'd love to reprint your comment in the January 15 issue of Guide.

We've already heard a whole lot about Rock-N-Rogers and a few comments about Cedar Mountain Lodge, and a couple votes for Chapman Chile Kitchen, but not much else.

Need some help remembering more places that opened last year? Find a list of noteable 2009 openings after the jump. If you'd like your comment considered for print, please shoot me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews.com and be sure to include your full (real) name and the city in which you reside.

We're pleased to present Best in DFW: New Restaurants for 2009, complete with two gorgeous slide shows. One, with amazing photographs by Mona Reeder, celebrates the New Restaurant of the Year. (You'll have to click on the story to find out what it is!)

We're anxious to hear what you think. And furthermore, we'd absolutely love to hear your picks for best new restaurant of the year. Please tell us in a comment here. We'll be putting together your selections in a story that will appear in the January 15 edition of Guide.

If you'd like your comment considered for publication, please copy it and send it to me at lbrenner@dallasnews.com in an email message that includes your real name and the city in which you reside. We'll do our best to include it in the print story.

Thanks! And Happy New Year.

Mr. Dallas and Quick's Farah Fleurima have scoped out the tops in tippling, including best ultra-lounge, cocktail spot and patio scene, here.

Go to Best in DFW and tell us your favorite nightclubs, lounges and "meet markets." Then look for your picks Dec. 11 in Guide or online.

You can find great service anywhere -- taqueria, bistro, five-star dining room -- and when you do, all is right with the world. I'm always impressed when I find it, and so I've been keeping track of the places with the best service I've come upon in the eight months I've been covering the DFW scene. I also tapped the deep experience of other Dallas foodies for the places they've been treated best, checking out those places too.

Here, then, is the latest installment of the Best in DFW dining series, Best in DFW: Service.

Of course, we want to know the restaurants where you've been impressed with the service, so please tell us here, in a comment. We'll compile selections from your picks, focusing on places that weren't mentioned in the original story, and publish them in a story two weeks from now in Guide.

And now I have a favor to ask: If you would like to have your comments considered for publication, please go ahead and post them here, and then send me a note indicating you'd like them considered for publication at lbrenner@dallasnews.com. Tell me your full (real) name and the city in which you reside, along with a copy of your comment. It's not necessary for you to send the note for your comment to be considered, but it'll make my job a whole lot easier.

Photo by David Woo/DMN

I'm very happy, after eating 9,272 tacos, 477 sopes and 376 tostadas and downing 93 aguas frescas (OK, maybe that's a tiny bit exaggerated) to present the latest in The Best in DFW dining series.

• Read the intro and the full list of the best taquerias.
• See a slide show of the best taquerias.

I know, I know. You'll read it and say to yourself, "How could she have missed that great little place that does the fanastic barbacoa?" Well, now's it's your turn to sound off: What's your favorite taqueria? Tell us here, in a comment. We'll compile selections from your picks, focusing on places that weren't mentioned in the original story, and publish them in a story two weeks from now in Guide. If you would like to have your comments considered for publication, please send me a note indicating that at lbrenner@dallasnews.com. Tell me your full (real) name and the city in which you reside, along with a copy of your comment.

Photo of cochinita pibil tacos at Taquerias El Fuego by Jim Mahoney/DMN

In Dallas, being under 21 shouldn't be an obstacle when it comes to finding something exciting to do. There's always a new place to discover to spice up your usual Friday nights, whether your interests include watching movies or playing laser tag.

The high school interns for The Dallas Morning News decided to do the work for you. They searched high and low for unusual places that'll give you a nice escape from the norm, and we're showcasing them here, as part of the Best in DFW series. We're not ranking the venues and restaurants, and they're not listed in any particular order (and if the place listed has multiple locations, we've listed the location our interns visited and Web sites for more info on other locations).

Here's the scoop on our 15 spots to check out if you're under 21 and looking for fun.

Photo: Burger House on Hillcrest Avenue is a popular spot for teens.

We're having trouble reaching people who commented with their favorite cocktails for the Best in DFW series. Pseudonyms, emails that don't work...

If you'd like us to consider your favorite cocktail for publication, here's your big chance. If you haven't offered your pick yet, you can do it right here. Then shoot me an email -- lbrenner@dallasnews.com -- telling me we have your permission to publish your comment. You'll have to provide your real full name in the email, along with the city in which you live, and let me know which comment was yours, so we can match up your name and comment.

Or, if you already posted your choice and haven't heard from us requesting permission, please shoot me an email with that info just the same.

We can't guarantee we'll publish your comment, though we'll do our best. And comments are subject to editing, natch.

Thanks!

Restaurant Critic Leslie Brenner has named her picks for the 10 best cocktails in Dallas-Fort Worth. Want a spicy but citrusy margarita? A spectacular Sazerac? A traditional Mai Tai? We've got you covered.

• Read her intro and the full list of the best cocktails.
• See a slide show of the best cocktails.

Now it's your turn to sound off: What are your favorite cocktails and where do you order them? Tell us here, in a comment. We'll compile selections from your picks, focusing on places that weren't mentioned in the original story, and publish them in a story in Guide.

Photo of Shinsei's Saketini by Ben Torres/Special to DMN

It's back! We're thrilled to announce the return of the Best in DFW series. It starts right now, with the best places to take out-of-towners, from a food-lovers perspective, of course.

The series will work a little differently than it did last go-around. This time, I'll present a story that offers my choices in a dining category; the story will go up on the web that Wednesday night -- along with a boffo slide show -- and it will be published in The Guide (print edition) on Friday morning.

It's still just as important to us to include your favorites too, and now they'll be published in a separate story two weeks after my story runs.

We'll be publishing installments about once a month, but we won't adhere to a strict schedule. We're very excited about this, and we hope you are too.

So...what are your favorite places to take visiting food-lovers in and around Dallas? Tell us here, in a comment. We'll compile selections from your picks, focusing on places that weren't mentioned in the original story, and publish them in a story in Guide (and on our online Restaurants page, of course) on July 10.

Photo by Nathan Hunsinger/DMN

• Best in DFW: Places to Take Out-of-Towners
• See The Best in DFW slideshow

Restaurant Critic Bill Addison has named his best new restaurant of 2008: Tei An, the soba house in One Arts Plaza. Read the rest of his top 10 new restaurants here. And be sure to watch a video of Tei An's Teiichi Sakurai making soba here.

Want more Year in Review goodness?
• Four more faves that are worth the trip
• Five upscale standouts
• 2008 closings
• Coming in 2009

On October 3, we listed our critics' picks for the 10 best pizzerias in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW.

Read the full list of readers' comments about pizza here.

Photo of Eno's Pizza Tavern's Northside Pie by Louis DeLuca / DMN

This Friday's Guide section covers the best of Fort Worth, and Restaurant Critic Bill Addison tackles Cowtown's dining destinations. Here are a few of his picks in his own words: "A sophisticated burger joint, an award-winning vegan eatery, a tiny paean to true Italian cooking, a fine-dining pillar serving a unique blend of Mexican and American cooking that reflects place and family: Some work with long-held conventions and mold them to a chef's fresh culinary inclinations, some break from the pack altogether." Read all of his picks here.

Now tell us: What are your Fort Worth faves? Where should Bill eat his next meal in Tarrant County?

Photo of Love Shack's Double Dirty Love burger with with onion rings and a strawberry shake by Tom Fox / DMN

These will no doubt incite more fighting words, but here they are, gang: Our choices for the best pizza in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Share your thoughts in the comment area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

We've strived with this project to keep the critics' focus on those we felt were the finest, without calling out those that didn't make our cut. But knowing that this list will rankle some folks, I'll offer some insights into our selection process:

Yes, this list overwhelmingly favors more recently opened pizza places. We absolutely did our due diligence and visited many of the standard-bearers with decades of loyalty behind them, but we felt that the new wave of pizza restaurants (popping up at exciting, disarming rates) are in many cases putting out a superior product. We know many of you will disagree -- by all means, express yourselves.

Also, we did not include Chicago-style pizza in this roundup. We visited a couple deep-dish spots in Plano and environs, where the style seems to flourish locally, but we ultimately decided to make it its own category for another time. (Please, feel free to throw out your fave deep-dish spot. I'm curious to continue investigating.)

Speaking of which, this is the last Best in DFW category for the year: The project will return in 2009. If you have suggestions for topics you'd like to see us tackle, please email me at billaddison@dallasnews.com. It'll help us get an early start.

Thanks for participating all these months, and click to see the critics' favorites for pizza:

On September 12, we highlighted the chefs in upscale/special occasion restaurants that we think are doing some of the best work in the area and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW.

Read the full list of readers' comments about here.

Photo from Aurora by Evans Caglage / DMN

On August 29, we listed our critics' picks for the 10 best places for Tex-Mex in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about Tex-Mex here.

Photo of enchiladas verdes at Escondido by Vernon Bryant / DMN

Fine dining is the next topic for our Best in DFW series -- but fine dining is a mighty broad category. After much deliberation, we decided to use the opportunity to highlight chefs in upscale/special occasion restaurants that we think are doing some of the best work in the area.

Turns out, when we really thought it through, there were quite of few of them: We've got high-end dining covered around here. It was difficult to whittle down this list, so we simply made it longer than usual. Important note: We left out high-end steakhouses and Italian restaurants from this round, since we've covered those in other topics.

Your turn. Tell us where you go for a local special occasion meal, and/or which upscale chef you think turns out the most memorable meals. Post a comment in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

Click to see our favorites.

On August 15, we listed our critics' picks for the seven best places for Italian food in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about Italian restaurants here.

Photo of Arcodoro and Pomodoro's Maccarrones de Puntzu by Mike Stone / Special to DMN

Tex-Mex generated mucho discussion on the Eats blog last year, but one suspects that, like burgers, it's a subject not easily exhausted in this town. (We'll tackle strictly Mexican restauants next year, after we've combed the area taquerias in earnest.)

As for our critics' picks on this ever-debatable topic: I, being a Tex-Mex outsider, wanted more than to simply consult my colleagues for their opinions and recent experiences on this one. I wanted them to talk about their favorites in their own words, which you will find below.

I add four to the roundup, including two I reviewed last year that impressed me above many others then and continue to do so now, and two in Fort Worth that any Tex-Mex-loving Dallasite should find rewarding to investigate.

So let's continue the conversation. Post a comment in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. If your beloved spot is not on our list, tell us what makes it exceptional and what the standout dishes are. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

Click to see our favorites:

On August 1, we listed our critics' picks for the eight best places for seafood in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about seafood here.

Photo of a Dallas Fish Market's swordfish steak by Elizabeth M. Claffey / DMN

Italian food, probably more than any other ethnic cuisine, inspires fierce loyalties and obstinate opinions in American diners.

So let's hear it, gang: Tell us about your favorite local Italian spot, from red sauce joints to the pricier fine dining venues. Post a comment in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version that will appear in a future issue of Guide.

We certainly performed our due diligence on this topic, power-eating through a slew of Italian restaurants in the last few weeks to compose this list. As always, some of you may be surprised at what we included and what we didn't. The inspirations behind Italian restaurants come from many different sources: Some focus on specialties true to a region in Italy; some embrace the tomato-rich fusion that typifies Italian-American cooking. These were the spots that, for us, lived up to the intentions behind the restaurant and its menu.

Here they are:

On July 18, we listed our critics' picks for the eight best places to get a burger in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments – nearly 600 so far – about burgers here.

Photo of a Wingfield's burger by Kye R. Lee / DMN

North Texas may be landlocked, but that doesn't mean we don't love seafood. Do you have a go-to spot for fried catfish and shrimp, or oysters, or an indulgent dinner of in-season salmon?

Post a comment on your thoughts about the best seafood restaurant in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version that will appear in a future issue of Guide.

It took a hefty amount of driving and chowing for us to select our critics' picks: Seafood restaurants are more prolific here than one might expect. And since seafood spots are generally divided into three price and style tiers - seafood shacks/oyster bars, mid-level eateries and fine dining ventures - we took care to sample and ultimately include a broad mix. We're sure you'll have plenty to say about those we did and didn't include.

Here are our faves:

On July 4, we listed our critics' picks for the nine best frozen treat spots in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about frozen treats here.

Photo of Natsumi's froyo by Carter Rose / Special to DMN

That's a question we've spent considerable time researching and pondering for ourselves the last few weeks, and we're sure you'll have plenty to say about who we've included in our critics' picks and who we haven't.

So let's discuss. Post a comment in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

For us, the criteria for an outstanding burger were simple: Did the essential taste of the burger patty impress us, and did the ingredients around it reveal quality and balance? Know that, in trying the slew of sacred cows in the local burger business, we started by sampling a basic burger, but we also didn't consider ourselves purists. Bacon, cheese beyond the standard processed American variety and, occasionally, even controversial toppings like guacamole were not only acceptable but also sometimes preferred.

Also (and I know we don't really need to make this disclaimer in Texas), this is about beef burgers. Turkey and veggie burgers occupy other realms altogether.

Here are our favorites:

On June 22, we listed our critics' picks for the eight best brunch spots in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about brunch here.

Photo of La Duni's Huevos Finos by Courtney Perry / DMN

It's officially summertime, so when better than now to pose the question: Who makes the best frozen treats in the Dallas-Fort Worth area? And by frozen treats, we're talking ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, sorbet and frozen custard (and any of its ilk we've neglected to mention).

Post a comment in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

To settle on our critics' picks, Kim Harwell, Shannon Sutlief and I spent the last couple weeks battling brain freeze as we scoured the area, focusing mainly on independent and small chain frozen treat operations. We each finally chose three, presented below alphabetically. Look forward to reading your favorites.

On June 6, we listed our critics' picks for the eight best sushi spots in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about sushi here.

Also check out Bill Addison's column, Hot sake deserves the cold shoulder.

Photo of Zen Sushi's Nouvelle Yellowtail Sashimi by Sonya N. Hebert / DMN

Brunch is next up among the subjects we're exploring for our new series on Dallas-Fort Worth's best restaurants. Dallas, in particular, strikes me as a brunch town: Do you have a favorite Sunday (or occasionally Saturday) late-morning hangout? Post a comment in the area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

Winnowing down the critics' choices for brunch made for a fun bit of weekend research over the last few months. Our eight picks are a diverse lot, though we also throw in one restaurant that doesn't technically offer this American crossbreed meal. But we think it's appropriate to include nonetheless.

Our critics' selections are presented alphabetically, without ranking:

On May 23, we listed our critics' picks for the eight best patio dining spots in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about patio dining here.

Photo of Joe T. Garcia's patio by Michael Ainsworth / DMN

Sushi is the next subject we're exploring for our new series on Dallas-Fort Worth's best restaurants. Do you have a favorite sushi spot that stands out from the area's many, many options? Tell us what you love about it in the comments area below, or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

Admittedly, this was a hard category to narrow down for our critics' picks. We did a bit of extra research, revisiting a few places that hadn't been formally reviewed recently (or, in the case of Sushi Axiom in Fort Worth, not even formally reviewed yet). Ultimately, these eight stood out as examples of restaurants that serve pristine, often interesting varieties of fish. Their preparations respect the inherent simplicity of sushi and sashimi and also exhibit inventive but appropriate creativity with cooked Japanese dishes.

Our critics' selections are presented alphabetically, without ranking:

On May 9, we listed our critics' picks for the eight best steakhouses in DFW and asked readers to share their favorites. Now it's time to reveal the results.

Visit the Best in DFW page to read the extended critics' picks and find out more about Best in DFW, including upcoming topics.

Read the full list of readers' comments about steakhouses here.

Additional steakhouse stories:
• Dry-aged steaks are uncommon in these parts but still mouthwatering to some
• A robust wine or even a Bloody Mary can be a good match for a steak

Photo: Bob's Steak and Chop House's bone-in rib eye by Evans Caglage / DMN

Hey, gang: We're tackling al fresco dining next for our new feature on Dallas-Fort Worth's best restaurants. Do you have a favorite restaurant patio? Give us the low-down. Comment below or email us at dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

For our critics' top spots, we were looking for qualities in patios (serene, romantic, opulent, family-friendly) beyond great people-watching, which is why none of the basic though often eye candy-filled patios of the West Village made our list. Click the link below to read our suggestions.

Photo: Mansion patio by Rex C. Curry / Special to DMN

Hey, gang, we're launching a new dining feature to spotlight Dallas-Fort Worth's best restaurants.

Every two weeks, we'll present a list of top restaurants in one category (ranging from burgers to Thai and late-night joints to ice cream shops) selected by our squadron of dining critics. We're kicking it off with - what else in Dallas? - steakhouses.

But, as has become the tradition during the Eats blog's inaugural year, we're looking for your opinion, too. So let's hear it: What chophouse most sets your carnivorous heart atwitter?

Post your picks and feedback here. Or e-mail dining@dallasnews.com. We'll publish some of these comments in a print version, which will appear in a future issue of Guide.

Click the link below to read our picks.