Welcome to 5 Things You Need to Eat This Week, a column that highlights some of the most delicious dishes and some of the coolest locations to dine in Dallas County, Collin County, and in this edition, Denton County.

At the moment, I am unsure if this will be a weekly column, or if I will just post at random – after I have I’ve enjoyed some amazing food in an equally amazing atmosphere.

As always, if you have a dish or location suggestion for me, please use the contact form to let me know.

Now, let’s dig in…

Where: Jasper’s – Plano or Richardson
What: Cedar Smoked Salmon – Salmon is topped with melted leak butter and is served with horseradish mashed potatoes, garnished with crispy lemons

The chef typically cooks the salmon medium; however, feel free to ask for it to be cooked medium well, or well. (I loved it medium well. It was super tender and not dry at all.) The velvety melted leak butter adds additional flavor, so don’t pass it up. If you prefer to not have the sauce on the salmon, ask for it on the side and dip into it.  The horseradish mashed potatoes are whipped smooth and have a very mild horseradish flavor – nothing overpowering at all.

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Where: Taverna Rossa, Plano – Lakeside Market
What: The Nutty Grape – Mixed greens, prosciutto, red grapes, and goat cheese tossed in a pistachio-white balsamic dressing

This is now my favorite item on the salad menu here. The pistachios add a nice, nutty crunchy to a salad that already has great texture. I really love the savory flavor of the prosciutto along with the sweetness of the grapes.

This is a great salad to get and split as an appetizer.

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Where: Prohibition Chicken – Lewisville
What: Crispy Fried Chicken – Brined, double dipped, and fried up crisp

OMG, this chicken, y’all! It’s slap yo momma good. (Just don’t go slap your mom, ok?!)

Crispy on the outside, juicy, and fork tender on the inside, each order comes with five pieces (half a bird)…so I suggest you bring a friend to help you eat this chicken and all of the premium bottomless sides.

For those who are not familiar with the home-style fried chicken and sides concept, I will be publishing a piece on how Prohibition Chicken is raising the bar on this restaurant style later this week.

*Scoop: Everybody loves cold next day fried chicken, right? This just might be the best cold fried chicken I have ever eaten. I’m just sayin’…

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Where: The Heights, Lakewood
What: The Basic Burger – A beef patty cooked to order with choice of cheese – lettuce, tomato, onion, and honey Dijon mayo all come on the side, with steak fries

They may call this a basic burger, but I found nothing basic about it.

A thick, juicy patty with your choice of toppings is the ultimate in having a burger the way you want it. It’s really about what you put into how you design a burger. I honesty prefer a burger with less toppings so that I can actually taste the meat. I mean that’s the whole purpose of eating right?!

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Where: Bazille – Dallas, 3rd floor, inside Nordstrom at NorthPark Center
What: Pepperoni & Mushroom Pizza – Pepperoni, mushrooms, sweet tomato sauce, fresh basil, oregano, and mozzarella and aged provolone cheeses

I love pizza. It’s a true weakness of mine. And like my burgers, I like to keep the toppings simple.

This is a great lunch item because it can serve one very hungry person (leaving leftovers) or two to three somewhat hungry people. Please don’t let “sweet tomato sauce” lead you to believe that this is a sweet dish. It’s not. Everything about this pizza is very balanced and oh so satisfying.