You can tell the season just by looking at the menus of restaurants around Dallas-Fort Worth, where spring dishes are sprouting. There are more tacos, more pizza and more brunch.
All of that spring growth cannot be stunted by the impending closure of one of Dallas' oldest restaurants. Here's your chance to catch up with all the latest restaurant news:
Old Warsaw will close this year, to make way for a 14-story office building being plotted 2620 Maple Ave. The Old Warsaw has been serving old-school French Continental food since 1948, and at this location since the '70s.
Spin Neapolitan Pizza, the fast-casual chain with plans to open four branches around Dallas, finally opened its first at Southlake Town Square. Founded in 2005 by husband and wife Richard and Gail Lozoff and partner Edwin Brownell, Spin has locations in Kansas City, Omaha and Southern California. In addition to Southlake, it has a location in Richardson with coming-soon locations in Irving and Dallas.
Sugar Skull Cafe, the Mexican concept at Trinity Groves, opened April 11. It's serving coffee, tacos, breakfast, desserts and margaritas, and it is open three meals a day.
Yucatan Taco Stand abruptly opened its branch on Greenville Avenue. The Fort Worth-bred chain has tacos in many flavors, but also restaurant-y food like yucca fries with roasted garlic aioli.
Two new Dunkin' Donuts have arrived, one in McKinney, another in Burleson; both are combined with Baskin Robbins ice cream stores. In addition to doughnuts and coffee, they're serving a pretzel-roll chicken sandwich and a steak wrap with steak and cheese in a five-inch round tortilla. Another branch has opened in Frisco but that's a standalone, no Baskin-Robbins.
Bishop Cider Co. is opening a second location in the Design District, following the original that opened in Bishop Arts in 2014. Slated to open in the summer, the new space will include a taproom and event space with tours. The address is 2777 Irving Blvd.
Malai Kitchen is expanding, with plans to open a second branch in Southlake. In the meantime, the original at West Village will launch a four-course chef's tasting menu on May 1, with dishes inspired by different regions of Asia: smoked duck breast (Sapa, northern Vietnam); scampi soup (Dalat, central Vietnam highlands); beef short rib (Satun provence, southern Thai border); and taro root and dark rum coconut milk custard coconut gelato with tart tamarind caramel (Phetcharaburi, south central Thailand). The menu runs through May and will change monthly. It's $58 per person, plus $30 for wine pairings.
Southlake Neapolitan pizzeria Campania is opening a branch in the space previously occupied by La Perla, the Italian restaurant north of the Galleria. The original Campania was located in the West Village, but it closed in 2012.
Richardson Mediterranean restaurant Afrah will open a second location in Irving, at 3351 Regent Blvd. near 635 and Belt Line. Noted for its shawarma and hummus, Afrah got the Guy Fieri boost when it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The Richardson location is also expanding into a larger space, set to open in May.
Snider Plaza restaurant Dive Coastal Cuisine has a new summer menu featuring stuffed grilled jalapeños; mango and jicima salad; shrimp kabob tacos; and grilled peaches with coconut cream, oats and honey.
Wild Mushroom Steak House in Fort Worth is now serving lunch Wednesday through Friday, in addition to dinner and Sunday brunch. The lunch menu will feature burgers, tenderloin and chicken tarragon sandwiches, priced from $14 to $30. A new bar menu offers fried oyster nachos and flatbread pizzas, and it is served at lunch and dinner.
Hibiscus' new spring menu items include burrata with strawberries, chicken with fava bean puree, sea bass with green garbanzos, and an updated Caesar salad with mache lettuce and white anchovies.
Grace restaurant in Fort Worth has new spring menu items, including trout tartare, escargot with broccoli fondue, rabbit tortellini, black bass with yellow curry, and halibut with peas shoots and a novel side: cream of wheat with herb butter.
Victor Tangos chef Kirstyn Brewer has new spring menu items, including baked oyster with leeks; sautéed spring veg with puffed rice, sweet soy and poached egg; and PB&J bread pudding.
Carmel Restaurant is now serving Sunday brunch with Belgian waffles, quiche, eggs Benedict, omelets and signature dishes such as shakshuka: eggs baked in a tomato red pepper sauce spiced with cumin, paprika, cayenne, feta cheese and meat patties. Shawarma sandwiches come with choice of chicken or beef. There are also spicy bloody Marys and mimosas.
At Cantina Laredo's original location on 4546 Belt Line Rd. in Addison, they're testing a new menu prior to rolling it out nationally. The menu focuses on farm-to-table produce, fruit, poultry and meat. Tortillas will be created from heirloom, single-origin masa from Oaxaca and Jalisco. Ceviches and tortas will be added, including pollo tinga, cochinita pibil, elotes and barbacoa. There will be agua frescas and bebidas, plus more tequila and mezcal.
Twisted Root Burger Co. has added a veggie burger to its menu, made from black beans, ground chickpeas, flax seeds, brown rice and quinoa. Made in-house daily, it costs $5.99.
Romano's Bakery shut down abruptly this week, stiffing some couples who'd ordered wedding cakes. Celebrity Cafe & Bakery will honor 50 percent (up to $250) of their lost deposits on a wedding cake from Celebrity.
Cotton Patch has a new to-go menu of entrées and sides, including pot roast, turkey, meatloaf and strawberry pecan salad. Beginning June 1, Cotton Patch will also bring back fried green tomatoes for the summer, served with avocado ranch dressing. Two new desserts, strawberry shortcake and blueberry cream cheese pie, are available through the end of July.
Sfuzzi Dallas has hired T.J. Lengnick as executive chef. Look for new items in the coming weeks, including a brunch that will coincide with the opening of the restaurant's patio. But what is this? "The Sfuzzi menu has been scaled back a bit but still maintains its mission with a strong focus on pizzas and pasta." Cutting back so soon?
Dunkin' Donuts continues to slowly, steadily expand.
