Dumpling News

Treasured East Dallas dumpling restaurant opens convenient spinoff

Dumplings are their specialty.

Photo courtesy of Hello Dumpling

The Hill, the Dallas mixed-use retail and restaurant development at Walnut Hill Lane and US-75, has signed on five new tenants, including the second location of a treasured East Dallas dumpling shop.

Hello Dumpling, which debuted in 2017 in the former Good 2 Go Taco space at 1146 Peavy Rd., will open a spinoff at The Hill.

Hello Dumpling is from June Chow, who wanted to bring an interesting Asian restaurant to East Dallas, which had been a virtual Interesting Asian Restaurant Desert before Hello came long.

Chow came from a restaurant family and grew up eating dumplings; her mother is from northern China. The restaurant does dumplings, but also monthly specials. For July, they're featuring two noodle dishes: one topped with a crispy panko covered pork chop and Chinese greens, and the other topped with crispy lentil tofu and Chinese greens.

The dumpling restaurant will be joined at The Hill by four other new businesses including:

F45 Training, a group workout spot
Kibble Pet Grooming
Pop Factory, artisanal popsicles
Shine Hot Pilates + Sculpt, a fitness studio featuring hot mat pilates and hot sculpt

All are set to open by the end of 2019. They'll join two other previously announced tenants coming soon including Casa Verona, a full-service restaurant offering a unique menu that combines Greek and Italian cuisines, and Hiatus Spa + Retreat.

The Hill's already extensive list of restaurants and retail options include Bellagreen, Civil Pour, Hat Creek Burger, Sauce Pizza, Tacodeli, Snooze an AM Eatery, and Nazca Kitchen, which was there before The Hill came along.

This is the same vaguely Lake Highlands-y center at 8041 Walnut Hill Ln. that's currently home to Candytopia, the candy-themed pop-up from Los Angeles, which will be at The Hill through September 2.

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Times Square News

Dallas' buzzy Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley heads to Times Square

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Lobster tail at Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

A downtown Dallas restaurant and nightspot is hitting the Big Apple: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, known for its Southern comfort food and clubby atmosphere, is opening a location in New York, in none other than Times Square.

According to a release, they'll occupy a 10,000-square-foot space that was formerly home to a restaurant called Pink Taco, at the corner of 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. This will be their eighth location (with Boston also in the works), as well as the largest and most visible, and it's anticipated to open in summer 2026.

"Every city we've opened in has become home," Kelley says in a statement. "New York is where the world watches. Opening at Times Square isn't just an expansion — it's a statement. We built our way here, one city at a time, on our own terms. We can't wait to humbly welcome New York home."

Kelley was a driven entrepreneur and attorney new to the food & beverage world when he opened the first location in downtown Dallas at 1933 Elm St. in 2020. It immediately drew a refreshingly integrated crowd with its mix of Southern comfort food — shrimp & grits and fried catfish are specialties — with Kelley savoring his role as the man on the scene, walking the floor to welcome guests, which often include Black celebrities and athletes.

Kelley's culinary story began in the South, under the guidance of his grandmother who taught him not just recipes but reverence for good ingredients, Southern traditions, and the art of hospitality.

The menu is anchored by soul food traditions elevated with refined technique and bold flavor in dishes such as Fried Chicken and Waffles, Blackened Shrimp and Grits with Lobster Tail, and Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops. Cocktails include Peach D'Ussé Frosé, Gold Old Fashioned, and a Blackberry Margarita.

Since the concept debuted in Dallas, Kelley has opened locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami, with Boston also opening Summer 2026.

Every location features an iconic rose wall as well as live music — drawing celebrities such as Jesse Jackson, Tina Knowles, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Meg Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson, 50 Cent, Joseph Sikora, Phylicia Rashad, Malik Nabers, Dak Prescott, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Maxey, Kawhi Leonard, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and a host of entertainers, athletes, and cultural icons.

Reservations opened on May 5 at kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork.

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