Chris Christensen, The Amateur Traveler, was in Dallas for business, so Cali asked him to stop by for an interview and dinner. In preparation for our Big Trip to all 50 States, frugality has been the watchword, so yuppie burgers have been nearly banned from the options list.

Dinner with Chris was at State and Allen Lounge, an urban bistro in Uptown Dallas. Having not reviewed a burger in over a week, I felt obligated to order a Mushroom and Swiss burger, which came with a side of fries.

I need to do some morethinking to make a call about the importance of Burger to Bun Ratio (BtBR). For now I’ll just throw out the ratio that feels right in my heart. The burger experience is at least 60% about the meat, 15% about the toppings, and 25% about the bun. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts about the proper BtBR in the comments.

The Mushroom and Swiss burger I ate at State and allen Lounge last night flips my loose BtBR on it’s head. This burger might be as much as 60% about the bun. The bun had to have been made with a good amount of butter because that was the taste that made this burger experience so uniquely good. The meat was excellent, although, I have yet to eat a burger in Dallas that is served truly medium. Medium in Dallas tends to be what I would call medium-well.

State and Allen has a very strong yuppie vibe. Dogs are welcomed at outside tables. Service is great, and they offer an impressive a la carte cheese and meat board.

This might be my second favorite yuppie burger, ever. The first is the Bluegrass Burger from Bluegrass Restaurant in Highland Park, IL. Dave, the chef at Bluegrass is THE starting point for most of what I believe about burgers, and he knows what it means to cook a burger medium.

It’s off topic here, but there are three places in North America with unforgettable Mac and Cheese. One is Nob Hill Restaurant in the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. It is served with Blue Cheese crumbled on top. One is The Beaconsfield on the corner of Beaconsfield Ave. and Queen Street W in Toronto. It has a chipotle corn flake crust. The other is this place, State and Allen Lounge. State and Allen’s Mac and Cheese has toasted croutons on top.

Cali ordered the Al’s Love Love Spicy Chicken Bowl. It’s worth mentioning because of the name. Chris Christensen picked up the tab so our Big Trip frugality could remain in tact. Thanks, Chris!

Chicken ‘n’ Dumplins aren’t really a carnivore thing at all. It’s basically dough soaked in Chicken stock, so it’s carbolicious. Mama’s Daughter’s Diner in Dallas sells southern cooking in the most non-pretentious setting you can imagine.

I’m writing about the Dumplins because they’re too good not to write about. I compare them to my memory of my grandmother’s dumplins and that’s very different than comparing them directly. My grandmother’s dumplins don’t live up to my memory of what they were like when I was little. I don’t know if it’s a white-washed memory, if my grandmother has lost something along the way, or most likely, has just changed the recipe.

Mama’s Daughter’s Dumplins live up to my MEMORY of my grandmother’s, so I just had to share.

Mama’s Daughter’s Diner
2014 Irving Blvd.
Dallas, Texas

214-742-8646

M-F 6am-3pm Saturday 7am-3pm SUNDAYS 8am-3pm
Breakfast served all day on Saturday and Sunday!Â