The Dallas Mavericks lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 119-113 Monday night in New Orleans, the second-straight loss for the Mavericks after falling to Philadelphia on Saturday.
Dallas, TX
Dallas' Opposition to Elevated Downtown High-Speed Rail Line Won't Delay Environmental Review
The Dallas City Council’s last-minute opposition to the proposed downtown high-speed rail route to Fort Worth won’t stall the critical federal environmental process that’s already underway.
That’s a big deal. It keeps the current environmental analysis on track to wrap up next March, which, once approved by the feds, will allow the North Central Texas Council of Governments (COG) to begin pursuing funding and more in-depth engineering. The COG delivered the news during a meeting of the 45-member Regional Transportation Council on Thursday afternoon. The project itself is expected to cost $6 billion and shuttle riders between Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth within 30 minutes.
The COG began producing the Environmental Impact Statement last March, which triggers a 12-month deadline. Michael Morris, the transportation director for the COG, said he expects it to cost another $1.6 million to produce 30 percent of the new alignment’s design. Planning for the environmental statement has already cost the agency $12.1 million.
The end product from this analysis generally establishes the alignment for major transportation projects, so when the Dallas City Council passed a resolution in June opposing elevated rail lines through downtown—pending an economic analysis—the COG was concerned that it could delay its planning by a year or longer. It had to design a new route through the most complicated part of the entire 30-mile line: downtown Dallas.
On Thursday, regional transportation planners said they received permission from the federal government to plan for two separate downtown alignments. Each would shuttle trains about seven stories high to the federally approved high-speed rail station in the Cedars, about a mile south of Reunion Tower. The older alignment has the tracks just east of the Hyatt Regency, splitting between the forthcoming $3 billion convention center overhaul through the heart of southwest downtown. The newer alignment misses downtown entirely, running just west of Interstate 35E along Riverfront Boulevard on its way to that Cedars station.
Morris said the alignment that misses downtown would likely result in losing a connection to Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station, where Amtrak, Trinity Railway Express, and DART lines converge. But it wouldn’t require any maneuvering around skyscrapers. (Hunt Realty plans to build a $5 billion mixed use development in the corner that would house the other alignment. It contends its plans cannot coexist with the line.) Morris said the agency designed the first downtown route to include a “lobby” or a people mover that could shuttle riders to and from the Cedars station into the convention center and downtown’s Union Station.
If Dallas chooses the western alignment, the COG would no longer pay for that connection, he said. But Morris said it would still investigate ways to link the high-speed rail station with the convention center. Amtrak, which has taken over the separate Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail project, has concerns about getting riders into downtown if Dallas picks the western alignment, said COG program director Brendon Wheeler.
“I think you’re gonna have your hands full trying to make that same connection in such an easy and graceful way that the high-speed rail system creates for you,” Morris said during Thursday’s meeting of the Regional Transportation Council.
Morris is no stranger to attaching big-dollar adjacent projects to his preferred plans. The city of Dallas has “paused” its support for the downtown alignment until an economic analysis can be completed, which is expected in October. Then it will establish its preference. But for now, the Council was nervous about sewing a high-speed rail line into its downtown.
“I believe in placemaking, and we certainly wouldn’t put a highway for cars through downtown,” said Councilman Chad West, one of the members of the Regional Transportation Council. “This is very different obviously, but it still creates some challenges when you look at that whole area … that it would cut off. There is no perfect solution, as you point out, and we still must work through that.”
While some Dallas officials have questioned the need for a high-speed rail connection to Fort Worth, the COG believes the federal government envisions this corridor of North Texas as a nexus for rail travel. A separate line from Houston to Dallas is already federally approved, and extending the line to Fort Worth would open up possibilities that could run rail to Central Texas and the western United States.
That’s all a long way away. Amtrak has taken over the Houston project, but still has land to acquire, designs to complete, and funding to secure. The federal plan for a nationwide rail network is still a draft. But the COG is getting its house in order, preparing just in case this all comes to fruition and big buckets of money come available.
Dallas’ job is now to determine whether the tradeoff of connectivity between the Cedars and downtown is worth the risk of how an elevated rail line affects development near the convention center. It made a stand, and it didn’t derail the project.
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Matt Goodman is the online editorial director for D Magazine. He’s written about a surgeon who killed, a man who…
It was also a second-straight clutch loss for Dallas, as the Mavericks once again couldn’t find any answers during the high-leverage possessions during the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 35 points, while Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points off the bench.
It was a really frantic game from the opening tip, with both teams pushing the paints and attacking the rim. Dallas trailed by double-digits midway through the first quarter, but eventually took a lead in the second quarter and into the locker room thanks to a throwback first-half from Klay Thompson. Thompson scored 20 points in the first half, nailing threes and doing some decent work inside the three point line as well. Davis’ half was a little uneven, even though his numbers were great, but he rebounded and scored the ball well to stabilize the Mavericks after a poor start to the game.
It looked like Dallas was going to blow things open in the third, as the Pelicans went ice cold from three, the Mavericks kept pounding the paint, and Davis continued to look like his All-NBA self. In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks let their own double-digit lead slip away, as the Pelicans finally made some threes, and then Williamson just roasted the Mavericks defense. The Pelicans went to Williamson almost every time down the floor after a three point from Jordan Poole tied the game at 98-98 midway through the quarter. Williamson either scored at the rim or got fouled. Dallas had no answer, whether that was Davis or PJ Washington.
The Mavericks couldn’t match the Pelicans intensity and they lost. A brutal loss to a bad team, one the Mavericks can’t afford if they’re serious about making a play-in run.
Here’s one major thought from the game.
Maybe the Mavericks aren’t that good
For a few weeks now I’ve had a column stewing in our content management system here at Mavs Moneyball. The title was “The Mavericks might be a good team, so what does that mean?” I’ve been wanting to write it for a while now, as the Mavericks steadied their play since the middle of November behind Davis’ return from injury, Ryan Nembhard’s surprising play at point guard, and Cooper Flagg’s continued ascension. It made sense, and even if the Mavericks weren’t truly a good team, they at least proven to be a competitive one that should make the West’s play-in bracket.
It might be time to tap the brakes on that idea, at least for now. Dallas has lost three out of its last four games, with two of them being to Utah and New Orleans, both teams looking toward the lottery than a playoff push. The Mavericks are now 11-19 and two games back of 10th place. While there’s still plenty of time for the Mavericks to make a push, the schedule is only getting harder: the Mavericks play six of their next nine games on the road, with the schedule evening out after the Mavericks were gifted so many home games to start the season. Dallas is dreadful on the road, only 3-9.
Some of that magic from a few weeks ago feels like it’s wearing off. Davis has still been good, but his defensive effort waxes and wanes as he’s relied on to be the team’s primary scorer. Nembhard has cooled off considerably, and the Mavericks are once again mixing and matching point guards every night to try and find a combo coach Jason Kidd likes as Brandon Williams has gone AWOL from the three point line. Flagg is still awesome, but he’s 19. Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington haven’t made sustained impact, with both dealing with some nagging injuries. The Mavericks are still playing hard as hell, but they don’t seem to have something else to rely on. It’s great to play harder than the other team most nights, but you have to be better at more than that to consistently win games. This is the NBA — playing hard should be the bare minimum, not a bonus. Other teams will play hard, like the Pelicans did in the fourth quarter, and once a team matches the Mavericks effort level, they have shockingly little counters past that. Kidd even went back to the double-big lineup in the fourth with Davis and Gafford together, and the Pelicans predictably roasted that grouping. But it feels like Kidd is at times just shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.
Perhaps the Mavericks will hit another good shooting stretch, or Flagg will level up his game once more. But the Mavericks aren’t guarding well, they aren’t shooting well, and they are running into teams that are playing just as hard as they are. It’s a tough combination, and even if the Mavericks can find a way to regain some of that edge they had before this losing stretch, 11-19 is an awfully big hole to climb out of, especially with Dallas’ schedule being so road heavy to close the season.
Make one thing clear: the Mavericks aren’t tanking. They’re still playing hard. But it’s easier than ever to imagine some veteran trades getting done as we inch closer to February’s deadline.
DALLAS – A man was shot and killed in southeast Dallas on Sunday afternoon.
What we know:
The shooting happened around 4 p.m. in the 100 block of S. Murdeaux Lane.
Responding officers found 25-year-old Matthew Moore with a gunshot wound.
He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
What we don’t know:
Dallas police haven’t released any information on the events leading up to the shooting.
There’s no word on a motive, a suspect, or an arrest.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Dallas Police Department.
The food word for 2025 was beef.
In a glance at the 50 most-read Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant stories in 2025, we obsessed over burgers, we cried at the loss of longtime steakhouses, we binged on barbecue and we beefed about Michelin’s lack of attention.
The French company’s restaurant reviews in Texas dominated our food-news coverage last year — Michelin’s first year in the Lone Star State. Now in 2025, we were ready to see how well these out-of-towners got to know North Texas food.
What a mis-steak.
One big story from Michelin in 2025 was that French-Italian restaurant Mamani earned 1 Michelin star after being open for less than 2 months.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Fort Worth restaurants were ignored almost completely. Michelin didn’t seem to appreciate our Mexican or Tex-Mex food. The list of seven “value-driven” restaurants honored with a Bib Gourmand didn’t change at all from 2024.
Just two new D-FW restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide Texas, one of which was a brand-new French-Italian restaurant that earned a surprise star.
Related
As we look back at Dallas’ most high-profile food-news stories, there’s plenty to grumble about. But we also had the opportunity to tell the stories of the people behind the food.
Greg Artkop is driving across Texas to eat barbecue. Here, he’s at Smokey Joe’s BBQ in Dallas.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
There’s Greg Artkop, the barbecue fanatic traveling tens of thousands of miles this year to eat smoked meat. You met Drew Stephenson, who earned the nickname the Michelin Man for his obsessive visits to Texas’ 1-star Michelin restaurants. We told you about Petey Feng, the line cook detained by ICE who is getting support from high-profile Dallas chefs. We went behind the scenes with Mariano Martinez and his history-changing margarita.
Also in 2025, Dallas diners seem hungrier than ever for world-class food. Chefs are up for the challenge. But can we cool it with the prices? We’ll keep talking about that in 2026.
We look now at a dozen of 2025’s most popular food stories on dallasnews.com — the ones you clicked on most.
No, not the beef!
Morton’s was once one of Dallas’ priciest steakhouses.
RALPH SMITH STUDIO
I couldn’t have guessed that the Dallas Morning News‘ top-read food story of 2025 would be about a 40-year-old steakhouse. Morton’s was “one of the best” steakhouses in Dallas in its heyday, The News said. It was a fancy place for a sophisticated meal, before Uptown Dallas was studded with beefy restaurants on every block. When Morton’s closed in late 2024, nostalgic Dallasites shared stories by the dozens.
“I fashioned a lot of what I do at Bob’s after the original Morton’s,” said Bob Sambol, of Bob’s Steak and Chop House in Dallas. Plenty of others in Dallas did, too.
‘Deadly’ fettuccine
Many of us went hunting through our fridges in September 2025 after the USDA warned of the dangers of heat-and-eat pastas sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s. In this widely read Associated Press story, people were informed of exactly what to look for on the label to avoid the threat of listeria. Cajun chicken fettuccine Alfredo and linguine with meatballs and marinara had never seemed so scary.
End of an era
The Meddlesome Moth was open in the Dallas Design District for 15 years.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
When the Meddlesome Moth’s owner Shannon Wynne announced to The News in early 2025 that he “couldn’t afford to stay” in the Dallas Design District, his comments set off a wave of concern from restaurateurs and diners that continues today.
On one hand, it’s exciting to see neighborhoods like the Dallas Design District become beacons for nationally known restaurants like Carbone and Delilah. On the other, rent prices in this neighborhood and others are going up by the year, and local operators are concerned they’ll be priced out entirely.
The Meddlesome Moth was a pioneer in the Design District, serving gastropub fare for 15 years. It closed in May 2025. Its iconic stained glass windows are still looking for a new home.
Fieri still on fire
Food Network celebrity Guy Fieri cooked with Dallas chef Taylor Rause for an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.’ Here, they make sauerkraut dark chocolate cake.
Food Network / Citizen Pictures
The latest season of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured an impressive seven Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants, and News readers wanted all the details. We were pleased to see Food Network icon Guy Fieri visit some true local gems, like Chinese restaurant Hello Dumpling in East Dallas, barbecue joint Slow Bone in the Design District and vegan taco shop El Palote Panaderia in Pleasant Grove.
Yes, the beef!
White Castle sliders are small. Better order a few.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
For the first time in 105 years, fast-food burger joint White Castle will enter the Lone Star State. We broke the news that White Castle’s first stop in Texas would be in The Colony, just down the street from home decor megastore Nebraska Furniture Mart. We’ll have more on this brand expansion into Texas in 2026. For now, we’ll leave you dreaming of griddled onions, a hallmark of White Castle’s sliders.
Salad and Gone
Salad and Go’s salads cost $8 to $10, making them among the affordable healthy-eating options in D-FW.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
When Salad and Go announced it was closing dozens of locations across Texas and Oklahoma, our Claire Ballor followed up with a list of which drive-throughs would close permanently. Your reactions were delightful surprises to all of us on the food team: Y’all love a drive-through salad! Part of the allure of Salad and Go is its low prices, to be sure. (We’re regular customers, too.)
Here’s some news you can use: Even though 18 Salad and Gos closed in D-FW, two-dozen stayed open.
Shutting the screen door
Remember The Big Board? Customers at The Porch could find daily specials here.
Stewart F. House / Special Contributor
The Porch closed on Henderson Avenue in Dallas this year, a sudden move for the comfort-food restaurant. The company said the restaurant experienced a “perfect storm of losses” this year, despite efforts to drum up new customers with $5 cocktails. When The Porch closed, it was one of the last standing restaurants from an era when Henderson Avenue was at the center of the Dallas dining scene.
A moment for halal barbecue
CJ and Sabrina Henley, pictured here at Yearby’s Barbecue and Waterice in Pilot Point, moved the restaurant to Plano.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Your top barbecue story from 2025 comes from Ballor, about Yearby’s relocation from Pilot Point to Plano. Its halal barbecue is some of the best in the state, and it earned a spot on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best list. The menu includes brisket, chicken and meatloaf — just no pork.
Consider stopping in to the new Plano restaurant over the holidays. Hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
So long to Hong Kong
Hong Kong Restaurant was open on Garland Road in Dallas since 1962.
Pon Family
Dallas’ longest continuously operating Chinese restaurant, Hong Kong, closed in mid-May 2025 after more than 60 years. For some Dallas-born neighbors, Hong Kong was their first foray into egg foo yung and yu dow gai ding. In fact, local middle schoolers took field trips there after learning about China in social studies class.
With Hong Kong Restaurant’s closure, a significant piece of Chinese-American food history is gone in Dallas.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
It’s family-style food at Babe’s.
David Woo / Staff Photographer
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House serves some of the best Southern food in the United States, Southern Living said. I think we can all see why that’s worth reading about! The writer said the food “brought a guest to tears — of joy.”
Remembering Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter was a partner at Hendy’s on Henderson in Dallas. He died Aug. 10, 2025.
Courtesy
Dallas bar partner Chris Carpenter died at age 41 — a surprise to friends and family. He opened Hendy’s on Henderson about a month prior, and customers saw him there nightly, leading the team. He had become a significant operator in the Dallas nightlife and bar scene.
“He lived fully, loved deeply and led with a rare combination of passion and generosity,” said Cote Bona, one of his best friends and a business partner in Hendy’s.
Bulldozing Sambuca
The former Sambuca was bulldozed in Uptown Dallas in October 2025, leaving a pile of rubble in the shadow of Hotel Crescent Court. Today, the debris is cleared.
Chase Hanna
It’s been years since we’ve been to dinner-and-a-show restaurant Sambuca, as it closed on Dallas’ McKinney Avenue in 2018. The building stood empty at a busy Uptown Dallas intersection since then. In October 2025, excavators bulldozed Sambuca. Crews cleared the debris and laid grass in its place — so pretty and neat that it’s almost like Sambuca was never there. It isn’t clear yet what will happen to this prime piece of Dallas real estate.
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