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Food

Chef who has lived all over the world debuts Mexican kitchen on Oak Lawn Avenue in Dallas

How's this for a resume? Chef Jose Meza, who moved to Dallas in August, has worked in kitchens in Spain, Belgium, Denmark and Mexico. He got invited to cook for Dallas chef Dean Fearing in 2015, and soon after, Meza began working with another local restaurant group to open a Mexican kitchen on Oak Lawn Avenue.

Jalisco Norte, three years in the making, opens in Dallas Thursday, Nov. 2. It features a menu inspired by Meza's years working in several major cities in Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Mexico City.

Jose Meza is the executive chef at new Dallas restaurant Jalisco Norte.
Jose Meza is the executive chef at new Dallas restaurant Jalisco Norte. (Santiago Vadillo / Courtesy of NL Group)

"Everything I have on the menu is from a life experience," he says. "Every plate on the menu has a reason to be there."

His menu includes charred cabbage leaf tacos, chicken with mole, and salmon topped with tomato marmalade and corn sauce. Because of the restaurant's size -- 220 seats, a.k.a, a lot of diners -- Meza added a "Los Familiares" section with nachos and quesadillas.

Jalisco Norte's cocktails will be focused on tequila, mezcal and two spirits we haven't seen frequently in Dallas but will quickly become trendy: sotol and bacanora. Beverage director Trevor Landry included a drink called Holy Smoke on the menu, which features mezcal, smoked salt and liquid smoke (among other ingredients).

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Jalisco Norte is open for dinner only starting Nov. 2; lunch and brunch come later. 3858 Oaklawn Ave., Dallas.