Read any description of a food city and it’ll say how diverse it is. How many family recipes and neighborhood joints there are, and all those other soul-touching truths that somehow get lost in truly capturing a city’s food scene.

Come visit the Ethiopian restaurant with less than 10 seats, where you bond over a massive gebata, a beautiful traditional tray attributed to the country. Fight like real Texans over which barbecue spot in Dallas is the best. Skip the handbag store and head right over to Chocolate Secrets for your own designer purse—just don’t leave it out too long in the Texas heat!

Of course there is Tex-Mex. Dallas invented the frozen margarita, you know. But you’ll discover how the city’s blended culture dips into other foods, like an elote pizza. Go on a taco tour where you’ll try traditional favorites like birria or grasshopper, then go all Texan with a cowboy taco made with Texas toast instead of a tortilla. Will you be brave enough to try a cheesecake pickle cocktail at an experimental lounge? Discover how Senegal and Nigeria both serve jollof rice, but with two very distinct tastes. Then save room for dessert with blow-torched paletas!

When you can’t travel far, find the magic in your own backyard. Unique Eats and Eateries of Dallas by local authors Jessica Serna and Ismail Mpiana will take you across continents and generations, from flavors of Texas like a classic State Fair corny dog to famous Vietnamese street food like Bún Chả Hà Nội