Best things we ate this week: Pan de muerto, a Sunday brunch buffet, and duck tacos – The Dallas Morning News

This week, our favorite meals were a Sunday brunch spread that puts other buffets to shame, a pan de muerto blackened by charred corn husks, duck tacos, and a spicy rigatoni vodka that really is as good as people say it is.

Pan sobre Muerto at Lubellas Patisserie

I lucked out the other day plus happened to walk into Lubellas Patisserie, a new bakery in Dallas’ Odaie View neighborhood, as a fresh batch of pan sobre muerto came out of the oven. The Mexican sweet bread is traditionally made in the weeks leading up to Día de los Muertos, and is decorated with bone-shaped pieces of dough on top. Lubellas’ version is flecked with orange zest and brightened with orange blossom essence. The rounds of bread are brushed with butter and coated with granulated sugar that’s either left white or incorporated with totomoxtle, the ashes of charred corn husks, to give the bread a black hue. Owner and pastry chef Maria Becerra’s pan de muerto is impressively fluffy and fragrant with a springy gluten structure that, especially when paired with the gritty sugar on top, is a textural dream. Lubellas will have skillet de muerto in its pastry case until Nov. 4. — Claire Ballor, food reporter

Lubellas Patisserie is at 10323 Ferguson Road, Dallas, and is open Monday in order to Saturday from 8 the. m. to 7 p. m. plus Sunday through 8 a. m. in order to 6 g. m. lubellaspatisserie. com .

Sunday Brunch Buffet at Revolver Gastro Cantina

I was giddy, surveying the new brunch buffet from Revolver Gastro Cantina . The fixed-price spread offered more traditional Philippine dishes than my belly could hold, plus pan dulce, dessert and cafe de olla. I loaded my plates with small servings associated with just nine dishes and marveled at my good fortune (If there’s a similar, authentic Mexican buffet in town, please tell me). We enjoyed the medley of sautéed mushrooms, which are terrific with the fork-tender braised pork ribs; a righteous, gentle menudo having a restorative broth that could well be a hangover cure; plus comforting chilaquiles, to name a few dishes. Two plates in particular delighted me. The first was Bistec the la Mexicana made with Wagyu beef chuck strips cooked in a delicious sauce made of tomatoes, green chiles, and onion to represent the particular colors of the Mexican flag, hence the name. I tucked spoonfuls from the stew into pillowy, housemade corn tortillas. Another favorite was the chicken in mole rojo. Complex, earthy plus mildly spiced, the red chile skin mole coated a large, tender drumstick served over Mexican rice. I’ll be back to try the handful of dishes I missed. — Tina Danze, contributing writer

Weekend Brunch Buffet, $35 with Revolver Gastro Cantina, 2646 Elm Street, Dallas. revolvertacolounge. com .

Spicy Rigatoni Vodka at Carbone

I’m almost embarrassed in order to admit I actually finally caved to trends and tried the spicy rigatoni vodka at Carbone this week. But the truth is I did, and I liked it. I lacked a reservation and the will to wear heels, so I opted to enjoy this on Carbone Vino ’s patio, where the luxuriously-appointed surroundings and the dish swept me into a heavenly moment. The vodka sauce glistened in the breezy sunlight, as well as on my tongue, where it straddled the perfect boundary between spicy and starchy. Since I was already on trend, I also had a pre-dinner sip associated with Carbone Vino’s Negroni sbagliato — along with prosecco in it. Like the hot and spicy rigatoni, the particular drink is also having a trending moment. It’ll probably be a long time before I’m led to pay $34 for vegetarian pasta again, but in the meantime, I’ll experiment with the many copycat recipes, mix my own Negroni sbagliato, plus try Tina Danze’s Carbone gelato hack . — Amanda Albee , contributing writer

Carbone is located at 1617 Hi Line Drive, Dallas. carbonedallas. com .

Taco specials in Resident Taqueria

Pretty much any taco on the menu from Resident Taqueria in Lake Highlands is perfect – fresh and flavorful and just the right size – but it’s always a delight to see what’s upon special. Recently I ordered the carne asada taco as well as the special sweet breast taco, with a side of apple and celery slaw. The duck was tender plus rich, and the carne asada was a big bite of comfort. The particular slaw, the (very cold) cup associated with yuzu agua fresca, and Frank Sinatra tunes had been the perfect complements to a relaxing lunch around the patio.

Resident Taqueria, 9661 Audelia Road, #112, Dallas. residenttaqueria. com .