Cozy up to crazy good Mexican food at El Carlos Elegante, the Dallas Design District newcomer

With last month’s opening of El Carlos Elegante, restaurateur Chas Martin and his Duro Hospitality group lay out a blueprint for elevated Mexican food and swanky design that both dazzle. Think of El Carlos Elegante as the owners do: the fancy, elegant, Latin American sibling of The Charles, which sits a few doors west.

Frame a meal around any of the wood-fired grilled meats, citrus-punched crudos and tortillas constructed with house-made masa. Follow it with a wine from Baja Mexico. You’ll swear you’ve been transported to a fancy hacienda dining room deep in Mexico, especially if you sit by the fireplace on a chilly night.

1400 North Riverfront Blvd., Dallas, (214) 277-1800, elcarloselegante.com

A version of this story appears in the January issue of 360 West Magazine