Start at the Top - Toulouse

The French love their dogs, we daresay more than Americans. In Paris, it is quite normal to see perfectly behaved dogs sitting in cafes at their owner's feet. In America, on the other hand, nervous public health officials ban dogs from restaurants for the most part presumably because the dogs might spread disease. Yet, in Paris, we cannot recall ever hearing of a person getting sick from a dog-borne illness in a restaurant.

It is no wonder then that one of the dog-friendliest restaurants in Dallas is French cafe: Toulouse. At the end of Knox Street where the Katy Trail crosses the road, Toulouse gladly accepts dogs on their large bistro-style porch. One or two dogs are almost always present during peak hours, as dog-walkers from the trail will stop in Toulouse for a nosh with the pooch in-tow.

The food is good, sometimes great. The pomme frittes are some of the best in Dallas, especially when paired with mussels for a traditional moules frittes (we prefer the uber-traditional poulette style). Other menu stand-outs are the salade Niçoise, duck confit (rich and crispy) and the seared diver scallops served with Meyer lemon risotto. Sadly, the onion soup gratinée has consistently been weak on the few times we've ordered it, either not being richly onion-y enough, not hot enough, or both. On the other hand, the "bouillabaisse" has consistently pleased us in cooler months despite often being filled with (easier to find) salmon instead of monkfish or bream.

Toulouse is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves a brunch on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9 AM. It is very crowded on weekends during the rush, especially when the weather is nice. The porch is completely weatherized, rain-or-shine, hot-or-cold.

Toulouse Cafe and Bar
3314 Knox St, Dallas