La Bodega Rotisserie and Goods — Restaurant in Dallas

This place is a hidden gem.

In the quaint neighborhoods of Bishop Arts, this lovely Mediterranean oasis can be easily missed.

Something besides the food, however, surprised and enlightened me. The few moments waiting for my sandwich allowed me to roam around the café, with which I allowed myself to delight in the locally sourced olive oil and vinegars imported from Europe.

But what really caught my eye was the wide assortment of what they call "tin fish" - mussels, anchovies, mackerel, many more that have escaped me.

I didn't think much of it. But when I continued wandering and happened upon a recipe book, and began reading the first page I saw, I was at once lured into a world that never once vied for my attention - the humble yet spectacular world of tin fish.

It was quick. But what I learned was fascinating. The fish are truly preserved in that simple little can. A fish caught in the blue Mediterranean, or the white Alaska, or the depths of the Pacific are, within hours, placed into a time capsule. Whoever opens the can is able to experience the wonder that is encapsulated within the simple yet beautiful life of the fish. The passion for this wonder could be felt in the small little café. It was subtle enough to where one had to go searching for it.

Now onto the food. I ordered the chicken giardinieria, which was packed with flavor. The chicken was well seasoned and the olives gave a perfect punch. The bread beautifully soft. What really surprised me were the fries. For some reason I was a little worried before ordering, but boy did they deliver! Cooked to perfection, and seasoned almost the same (perhaps a tad less salt), I was very pleasantly surprised with just how delicious they came out.

My last note, if I may: it came to my attention that the owner was in the kitchen when I was there. She was washing the dishes. As I left, she waved and wished me a nice day. Perhaps its just that I live in the metroplex, but I'd be remiss if I didn't draw attention to this small detail. This type of authenticity in the service industry just doesn't seem to exist anymore.

Please don't pass by this little gem. You may not consider this type of cuisine, but I ask you to give it a try. I don't think you'll be...

Finally made it to La Bodega last night. I've been meaning to go for the longest, so when I needed a protein to go with our family dinner, I was delighted when I remembered that La Bodega makes in house roasted ORGANIC chicken. We brought home a whole chicken and an order of fries. The chicken was tender with that perfect sticky, crispy skin and it was very well seasoned. I love that I was wrapped in butcher paper rather than the usual hot plastic containers that rotisserie chicken usually come packed in. The fries were delightful with a tasty seasoning and a yummy fresh dill ranch dip on the side. They also had frozen yogurt and lots of tasty looking sandwich selections. This place is an Oak Cliff Mom's best friend. Stop in to grab you main dish and fries then just add a salad on the side and dinner is done. Give this place a try, you'll be sure to make it one of your...

Yummy spot for pick up and for a quick bite. The responsibly sourced fresh rotisserie chicken could be the star if you are wanting to feed the family, but they offer so much more than that- delicious salads-try the sardine one with briny capers, pickled onions and cherry tomatoes and oily sardines it's a solid meal. The fries are divine (and truly gluten free) with the sumac seasoning and the tzatzki dip you will be coming back just for those. The specials are always tempting and you can always call in advance for your order (do it if you are hoping for a whole bird they sell out often). Easy choice for lunch and healthy-ish dinner. Love they are open straight through the day, be warned the rotisserie is not available from 3 till 5 as they reset for the dinner hour. Also DO NOT snooze on the Bulgarian froyo if available- tangy, and creamy it's the perfect treat...