17 minute read
CATCH ’EM WHILE YOU CAN
By David Muscari By David Muscari
Catch ‘em on the way up
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Three hot Texas performers are getting a ton of traction with their original music, growing impressive fan bases, wooing critics, and creating a frenzy among industry executives. What’s next for Troy Cartwright, Mickey Guyton, and Randall King?
TROY CARTWRIGHT
And he should know. Growing up in Dallas, Cartwright gravitated to country music at an early age.
While his career has been inspired by a range of artists, including the late John Prine and contemporary singer-songwriter Pete Yorn, his musical identity is clearly rooted in the heart of Texas.
Cartwright won the esteemed B.W. Stevenson Songwriting Competition in 2013 at Poor David’s Pub in Dallas, which set a definitive tone for the singer-songwriter.
Four years later, Rolling Stone named Cartwright one of "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know,” extending his reputation among fans as well as influential music executives. He was also named the Sirius XM Highway on the Horizon artist with his track, “Love Like We Used To”
Cartwright is a member of an elite group that includes many of the biggest names in pop, such as Quincy Jones, John Mayer, Wyclef Jean, St. Vincent, Charlie Puth, and Natalie Maines. They are all graduates of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music.
Intense, extreme, and exacting, the academic experience supercharged the young Texan and solidified his path as a singer-songwriter.
He says that years of listening to established acts like Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard at Poor David’s Pub and the Kessler Theater in Dallas and Tulips and Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth inspired him.
“I realized there were people who lived lives like mine, who loved music the way I do, who have the same stumbles and
Rolling Stone placed singersongwriter Troy Cartwright on their list of “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know”
troubles,” he says. “I wanted to write songs for them. It’s what gave me a pretty good living, but it made me want to write for anyone looking to make sense of the rush a certain girl gives you, or the way your mind sometimes won’t stop.”
Now based in Nashville with a career that’s taking off more each day, Cartwright is carving out a deeper position for his unvarnished style of neo-traditional country music through fresh recordings, tours, and performing on the same stages with artists including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Stoney LaRue, Wade Bowen, and Turnpike Troubadours.
Playing gigs all over America, Cartwright is a true road warrior. Plus, he is penning sparkling originals such as “Hung Up On You,”“Cake For Breakfast,” “Round & Round,” and “My First Beer,” providing solid evidence that he has indeed arrived.
MICKEY GUYTON
Reared in Arlington, Mickey Guyton grew up around a mélange of musical styles, a diversity that has served her well.
Her debut album, "Remember Her Name", was released last year, delivering her polished, textured voice on a variety of evocative songs from an African American perspective that’s uncommon in contemporary country.
At 38 years of age, she has Grammy, Country Music Awards, and Academy of Country Music nominations to her name and a series of successful singles.
Paradoxically, she’s yet to score that first runaway country radio hit. But as one country record executive said, “Mickey’s so close, you can almost touch it.”
Her debut single, “Better Than You Left Me,” set the stage for successes such as “Black Like Me.”
Released in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Grammynominated song deftly connects exposed nerves to deep societal issues.
Then there was her nifty collaboration with Canadian Juno Award winner Dean Brody. “Boys” went to number one on the Canadian country chart. Mickey Guyton performs during the 89th annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 2021 "HER DEBUT ALBUM, "REMEMBER HER NAME", WAS RELEASED LAST YEAR, DELIVERING HER POLISHED, TEXTURED VOICE." Guyton adroitly blends a number of styles in her country songs – pop, soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel — something she learned singing in an Arlington church. She says some of her inspiration includes influences such as Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and LeAnn Rimes, which is evident on her debut album. At the same time, her own sphere of influence is expanding. Last April, Guyton earned rave reviews when she joined Keith Urban to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards. Then she performed her emotional hymn of positivity, “Love My Hair,” in November at the CMAs with guests Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, all outfitted in flowing dresses, garnering a standing ovation. In February, Guyton sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LVI at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, exposing her musical talents to an even larger audience at one of the most-watched NFL championship games of all time.
Randall King co-wrote eight of the 11 tracks on his latest album, “Shot Glass” and says, “We’ve got a whole lot of momentum behind us, a whole lot of heat”
RANDALL KING
Count Garth Brooks as a fan.
“This kid is what country music is all about,” he says.
One of the genre’s new crop of modern traditionalists, Randall King is pure Texan.
The Hereford native grew up mimicking the greats including George Strait, Alan Jackson, John Anderson, and the late Keith Whitley.
King, who now lives in Nashville, co-wrote “The Road I’m On” in 2018 with Brooks, which fits nicely into the legendary country artist’s concert sets.
King’s sound has since matured, organically fitting into country music’s mainstream with songs loaded with steel guitar, wide-open vocals, and hard-rockin’ rhythms.
With over 80 million career streams to his name and more new music on the horizon, King is the essence of a singer-songwriter who doesn’t shy away from being his own man.
Rolling Stone says King sings “with delicious gusto, curling his voice around notes in impressive — but not flashy ways — and demonstrating why he’s a talented newcomer to watch.”
Other industry outlets agree. Pandora and Country Now put him on their 2022 Country Artists to Watch lists.
King’s debut major label release las year, Shot Glass, took four years to produce.
He co-wrote eight of the album’s 11 tracks, which are filled with steel guitars, tasty licks, and King’s dynamic vocals on songs like “Roger Miller Lite & Me,” “You in a Honky-Tonk,” “Record High,” and “Baby Do.”
King is scheduled to hit another career milestone this year – he was booked to appear on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time.
Incessant touring is his reality, and the tumbleweed lifestyle isn’t slowing down any time soon.
In April, he’ll play large and small venues all over Texas in markets like New Caney, Lubbock, Waxahatchee, Larry Joe Taylor’s annual music festival in Stephenville, and more – a grassroots approach that is gritty, graceful, and yielding results.
“If there’s any kind of manufactured, fake aspect to it, it’s not gonna work for me,” says the country performer, who says he would have been a third-generation trucker had music not intervened.
FEED YOUR NEEDS
Forget Chinese, French or Italian. You’ve come all the way to Texas — home of the steer — and you want some meat. From mouthwatering rib-eyes to succulent strips, the best steaks in the country can be found right here. Because there’s nothing better than that first bite of premium beef grilled to perfection, we’ve rounded up a list of some of the best steakhouses in Dallas. At each one you’ll find fine dining, excellent service, extensive wine lists and prime cuts of beef you will be raving about for days.
Dallas: The Prime City FOR Prime Beef
AL BIERNAT’S
Offering upscale American cuisine, Al Biernat’s specializes in prime steaks and seafood. Enjoy a semi-casual atmosphere and an award-winning wine list featuring more than 650 selections from around the world.
4217 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas 214.219.2201
NORTH 5251 Spring Valley Rd. 972.239.3400 albiernats.com
ARTHUR’S PRIME STEAKS & SEAFOOD
Designed to be dazzling but not pretentious, Arthur’s invites you to dine in a setting as comfortable as your own home. The menu features prime aged steaks and fresh seafood flown in daily. Desserts are made in-house, and an extensive wine list is featured. Service always is attentive and professional.
15175 Quorum Drive, Addison 972.385.0800 arthursdallas.com
VILA BRAZIL
This family-style restaurant serves up Brazilian flavor in an all-you-can-eat meal that includes meats prepared as they are in Brazil. The table side presentation includes samples of 11 varieties of meats, along with side dishes and salad, all for a fixed price.
518 W. Arapaho Rd. #133, Richardson 469.206.0036 vilabrazilrichardson.com BOB’S STEAK & CHOP HOUSE
Ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the country, Bob’s offers experienced service and an extensive wine list to complement the best prime steak around. Come by and let the staff prove why they’re so proud of what they do at Bob’s.
4300 Lemmon Ave., Dallas 214.528.9446 bobs-steakandchop.com
THE CAPITAL GRILLE
One block from the Arts District, this restaurant offers edible works of art, including steaks dry-aged onsite. With a superb wine list, Capital Grille surrounds diners with the very best. Rich African mahogany paneling and warm lighting set the tone for a comfortably elegant evening at this upscale spot.
UPTOWN 500 Crescent Court, Dallas 214.303.0500
7300 Dallas Parkway, Plano 972.398.2221 thecapitalgrille.com
CHAMBERLAIN’S STEAK & CHOP HOUSE
This Addison steakhouse only serves premium ingredients, including the finest cuts of beef, beautifully marbled and prepared to perfection. Its dedication to quality cuts ensures that every meal at Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House is memorable.
5330 Belt Line Road, Dallas 972.934.2467 chamberlainssteakhouse.com CORRIENTES 348
This fabulous restaurant brings people together with its culinary dedicated flavors and family style menu. The menu depicts classic dishes with a special hand-made touch prepared with superior ingredients and signature meats. The same attention can be found on the wine list composed of reds and whites from the Old and New Worlds. You will be transported to Argentina once you taste their signature cuts, charcoal grilled to perfection.
1807 Ross Ave., Dallas 214.220.0348 corrientes348.com
DAKOTA’S STEAKHOUSE
The premiere underground steakhouse in downtown Dallas, Dakota’s Steakhouse, offers a modern approach to the standard classic steakhouse menu. Patrons descend 18 feet underground in a canopied elevator for a dining experience unlike any other. The American steakhouse offers an expansive subterranean courtyard allowing patrons to dine al fresco and enjoy a New Orleans-inspired patio with an extraordinary culinary experience.
600 N. Akard St., Dallas, TX 214.740.4001 dakotasrestaurant.com
DEL FRISCO’S DOUBLE EAGLE STEAKHOUSE
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse is an ultra-premium steakhouse providing a distinguished dining experience with personalized service in a breathtaking atmosphere, offering bold, delicious fare complimented by an expansive, award-winning wine list. Serving lunch and dinner daily.
2323 Olive St., Dallas 972.490.9000 delfriscos.com DUNSTON’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE
The new Dunston’s Prime Steakhouse has the look and feel of a comfortable, high-end steakhouse, but without the high prices. The menu includes many choices in USDA prime steaks, along with choice cuts familiar to regulars. Also making the transition to the new building are traditional home-cooked favorites, including the chicken-fried rib eyes and fried catfish for which Dunston’s is famous.
8526 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas 214.637.3513
dunstonssteakhouse.com
EDDIE V’s
Eddie V’s features fine seafood expertly prepared and a charismatic vibe that words are powerless to define. But we invite you to try. With a live jazz schedule, enjoy cocktails poured with precision and musical artists fresh from the local and national scene.
4023 Oak Lawn Avenue 214.890.1500 eddiev.com
FEARING’S RESTAURANT
Chef Dean Fearing, known as the “father of Southwestern cuisine,” has made his culinary home inside the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, and can often be spotted in his chef coat and cowboy boots, chatting with customers. Fearing’s innovative and award-winning menu includes Texas farm-to-market specialties that change regularly. The restaurant is also known for its gracious, attentive service and its seven distinctly different dining settings in one restaurant.
2121 McKinney Ave., Dallas 214.922.4848 ritzcarlton.com
KENNY’S WOOD FIRED GRILL
This Addison hotspot is reminiscent of a 1940s Chicago-style chophouse—classy and relaxed with a warm atmosphere. The menu features wood-grilled seafood, prime-cut meats and American classics with a twist. Every meal begins with its famous popovers, which are warm, flaky and fresh from the oven with a crispy outside and soft center that’ll have you begging for more.
A cut above the rest.
Bob’s Steak & Chop House is ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the country for a reason. We serve the best prime steak you’ve ever had. Our service is experienced, the wine list is extensive and the drinks are stiff. If you’re not a regular already, come by and let us show why we’re so proud of what we do and why you should be. bobs-steakandchop.com
At our original location, founder Bob Sambol will help ensure you have a perfect dining experience.
Since 1954, this steakhouse has served the finest grain-fed, aged Midwestern prime beef and fresh seafood, daily chef features and a spectacular collection of Old and New World wines. Kirby’s elegant yet casual atmosphere, superb service and consistent cuisine keeps it among the best steakhouses in the area.
3305 E. SH 114, Southlake 817.410.2221 kirbyssteakhouse.com
KNIFE
The menu melds classic and modern steakhouse dishes with all-natural beef, pork, lamb and dry-aged prime cuts. Additional specialty cuts include chuck flap, outside skirt, tri tip, culet, beef cheeks, beef tongue, oxtail and rich, exotic Akaushi beef. Other meats include grass-fed bison and lamb, specialty breeds of pork, chicken and seasonal game birds; and house-made sausages, hotdogs and brats.
The Highland Dallas 5300 E. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas 214-443-9339
LAWRY’S
In Texas, where beef is serious business, this restaurant has earned its reputation. Its famous roasted prime rib is carved tableside in a luxurious club-like setting. Expect to find the warm hospitality, exceptional service and award-winning food that has made Lawry’s a Dallas favorite since 1982.
14655 Dallas Parkway, Dallas 972.503.6688 lawrysonline.com
MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE
Morton’s The Steakhouse in Uptown combines generous portions of high-quality food prepared to exacting standards with exceptional service in an enjoyable dining environment.
2222 McKinney Ave., Dallas 214.741.2277 mortons.com
NICK & SAM’S
Founded in 1999 by restaurateur Phil Romano, this Uptown steakhouse features some of the city’s finest cuts of meat, seafood and pork chops, which pair well with its extensive wine list of more than 450 selections. Also featured is a chef’s table, raw bar and wine bar with complementary caviar.
3008 Maple Ave., Dallas 214.871.7444 nick-sams.com
Steak or seafood? Here you can choose the best of both. Add in world-class wines, award winning, handcrafted cocktails, timeless elegance and take-your-breath-away service. Ocean Prime’s passion is to provide an extraordinary supper-club experience. Located at Rosewood Court in Uptown, Ocean Prime is open weekdays for lunch and nightly for dinner.
2101 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas 214.965.0440 ocean-prime.com
OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE
Overlooking the winding river in the two-acre atrium, Old Hickory Steakhouse is one of Gaylord’s signature restaurants featuring a stylish, contemporary design. After dinner, visit the secluded lounge for signature cocktails or indulge in a fine cigar from a traditional Spanish cedar humidor on the cigar terrace.
1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine 817.778.2215 gaylordhotels.com
PAPPAS BROS. STEAKHOUSE
Pappas Bros. is the premier steakhouse in Texas with locations in Dallas and Houston. Named one of “Top Five Steaks in America” by Food Network, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is widely recognized as one of the highest quality and best restaurants in the nation. Prime beef steaks are dry aged in-house for at least 28 days and accompanied by succulent side dishes and savory desserts. The award-winning wine list boasts over 3,900 selections and wine cellars inventory totaling over 35,000 bottles from every major fine wine producing region in the world.
10477 Lombardy Lane, Dallas 214.366.2000 pappasbros.com
This award-winning menu is offered in a comfortable, casual elegant setting. The restaurant serves hand-selected USDA-aged prime beef cuts that are brought in fresh daily. For a memorable dining experience, try one of its specialties such as Perry’s Famous Pork Chop, chateaubriand and flaming desserts. Here you will find a spectacular selection of world-class wines.
2000 McKinney Ave., Dallas 214.855.5151
perryssteakhouse.com
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE
This well-known Dallas steakhouse provides guests with a warm, comfortable atmosphere and some of the best steak in the country. Whether it’s dinner for two, a business meeting, or a private party, Ruth’s Chris Steak House can accommodate your needs.
17840 Dallas Parkway, Dallas 972.250.2244 ruthschris.com
SALTGRASS STEAK HOUSE
The story of this award-winning steakhouse began when Longhorn cattle were driven to the Texas Gulf Coast to graze on the rich coastal salt grass. They soon became known for creating the best beef Texas. The restaurant offers great food and legendary hospitality and is one of many restaurants owned by Landry’s, Inc. The menu features only prime cuts of meats, campfire-style favorites and succulent desserts made from scratch daily.
13561 N. Central Expressway, Dallas 469.330.0152
3000 Dallas Parkway, Dallas 972.781.2202
4101 LBJ Freeway, Dallas 972.243.9440 saltgrass.com
Welcome to S
ER—an exciting breed of Dallas steakhouse. Poised atop the iconic Hilton Anatole and boasting unparalleled views of the Dallas skyline, S
ER offers a sophisticated urban dining experience unlike any other. You’ll be treated to bold, chef-driven cuisine featuring the finest steaks, chops and market-fresh seafood paired with handcrafted cocktails and expertly selected wines.
Hilton Anatole, Floor 27 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas 214.761.7479
sersteak.com
TOWN HEARTH
Town Hearth is the expression of Nick Badovinus’ unedited imagination and unchecked ambition; the place itself is the definition of a mic drop. Here you’ll find classic steakhouse cuts–strip, tenderloin filet, rib-eye–alongside meaty behemoths with names like Bistecca, a 48-ounce porterhouse anointed with olive oil or Battle Axe, a long-bone rib-eye, dry-aged 90 days. Town Hearth is a Dallas must for any steak lover.
1617 Market Center Blvd., Dallas 214.761.1617 townhearth.com
Y.O. RANCH STEAKHOUSE
Savor the finest cuts of steak, chops and fresh fish cooked to perfection in a relaxed, elegant atmosphere at the chef-owned Y.O. Steakhouse. You’ll discover for yourself why Jim O’Connor of the Food Network declared the Y.O. Steakhouse “one of the nation’s finest steakhouses.”
702 Ross Ave., Dallas 214.744.3287 yoranchsteakhouse.com
12 CUTS BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE
A local family-owned churrascaria-style restaurant with South American influences serves Brazilian Prime Cuts, Fresh Organic Salads, Specialty Sides and Homemade Desserts. Open for lunch and dinner daily for dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering. They also accommodate a variety of groups and special events, from small personal gatherings to large, sophisticated affairs for 10-350 guests. Flexibility to customize menu according to your budget and/or dietary needs.
