Pasta in Dallas

Since 2001, this downtown slurp castle has been at the confluence of Asian and Italian pasta dishes. Spaghetti Bolognese, anyone? Why not cheesy ravioli? The décor may seem ultra-modern to the point of space-age sleekness but really it's just in keeping with the style of Asian cafés. (This café is in the Republic Tower.) The counter service is as prompt and efficient as the noodles are steaming. The udon bowl comes with spinach, tofu and shitakes, while the kimchi noodle soup is a mix of kimchi, shrimp, scallops, imitation crab legs and tofu. A pantheon of noodles joins these options, including Korean chap chae, lo mein and pad Thai. Yes, Vietnamese pho is on the menu, along with noodles, appetizers like spring rolls and edamame, and salads like the Vietnamese vermicelli.

There's a time and place for fancy gourmet thin-crusts or pricey wood-fired pies with goat cheese and pine nuts. But when you just want a simple, New York-style big, floppy, chewy slice with house-made sauce and fresh high-quality toppings, Oak Cliff Pizza is the place to go. Be sure to get sausage, as the place offers nice thick slices of Jimmy's Italian sausage rather than the crumbled generic stuff so common at lesser pizza joints. Also recommended is roasted red pepper. Best of all, they offer single slices, with two costing you less than a five-spot, or a full meal deal with two slices, a soda and salad for $5.