Major Foodie News

Up-and-coming foodie destination secures first Dean & Deluca in Texas

With a Dean & Deluca store coming to North Texas, we have officially arrived.

Photo courtesy of wonder-wall.com

The trailblazing epicurean store Dean & Deluca is coming to Texas. The New York-bred chain will open its first outlet in Texas at Legacy West, the new urban mixed-use complex in Plano, with an estimated opening in early 2017.

Dean & DeLuca is internationally known as a destination for cooking, eating, and entertaining. The chain opened its first store in 1977 in SoHo, and now has stores in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, the Midwest, and Napa Valley, in addition to 35 international stores in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and more.

The store introduced countless gourmet items that have become commonplace today, such as radicchio; balsamic vinegar; sun-dried tomatoes; dried mushrooms; and Rachael Ray favorite, EVOO — aka, extra virgin olive oil.

Dean & Deluca first hinted that it would be coming to Texas when it served as the title sponsor of the Dean & Deluca Invitational Golf Tournament at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, telling the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that it would be opening two stores in North Texas within the next 18 months.

Legacy West developer Fehmi Karahan called the opening "a huge home run, not just for Legacy West, but also for food lovers all over North Texas."

Dean & Deluca will join a growing list of restaurants and food providers at the $3 billion dollar development, including Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Fogo de Chao, Toulouse Cafe and Bar, Taverna, Tommy Bahama Restaurant, True Food Kitchen, Mesero, Shake Shack, and Legacy Hall, the 55-thousand-square-foot food hall.

Legacy West's grand opening is scheduled for March 2017. It will be home to the North American headquarters of Toyota and FedEx Office, as well as the regional headquarters for JP Morgan Chase and Liberty Mutual. More than 15,000 employees will make it one of the largest new job centers in the state. A 303-room Renaissance Legacy Hotel, two residential high-rises, more than 1,200 apartments, and 125 "urban villas" will complete the project.

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Coming attraction

J. Alexander’s to debut in Plano with famed steaks and carrot cake

Courtesy J. Alexander's

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Tennessee-born upscale dining chain J. Alexander’s is set to make its Dallas-Fort Worth debut in Plano, with an extensive menu of hand-cut steaks, sandwiches, Asian-influenced appetizers, and its famous carrot cake.

J. Alexander’s will open the doors at 3980 Dallas Pkwy. on Monday, January 26, marking its first location in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

For those who are unfamiliar with J. Alexander’s, the chain opened its first location in Nashville, Tennessee in 1991, and has since expanded to nearly 40 outposts across the country. It is known for an upscale vibe and classic American cuisine, similar to a spot like Houston’s or Perry’s Steakhouse.

The Plano location is the 39th for the chain, which was acquired in 2021 by SPB Hospitality, which also operates Logan’s Roadhouse and fast-food chain Krystal, among other eateries.

“Bringing J. Alexander's to the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a meaningful step in our continued growth and reflects our confidence in the state,” says G.J. Hart, SPB Hospitality CEO, in a release. Hart added that the chain already has plans to open a second location, in Prosper, later this year.

When it opens in Plano, J. Alexander’s will serve a “polished yet approachable” menu that’s mostly centered around its wood grill. A number of beefy options will be on offer, including teriyaki-marinated Steak Maui and slow-roasted prime rib, along with lighter options that include trout almondine, seared ahi tuna, and a shrimp Louie salad.

Shareable snacks include deviled eggs and the “Avocado Bomb,” a striking dish of hand-cut ahi tuna and crab salad with thin slices of avocado wrapped around it to resemble the whole fruit.

It's also known for its icing-topped carrot cake, which many insist is the best they've ever had — numerous copycat recipes for the treat exist online.

On the boozy side of the menu, J. Alexander’s will serve an extensive list of wines, plus cocktails like the Midnight Margarita, mixed with black cherry jam, reposado tequila, and pink Himalayan salt. A lineup of handcrafted martinis will also be available, including the cheekily-named Red Headed Rita (mixed with pomegranate juice and blanco tequila) and the Fleur-de-Lis, made with sparkling wine, St. Germain, and grapefruit juice.

When it debuts on January 26, J. Alexander’s will be open Monday-Saturday from 11 am-10 pm, and Sunday from 11 am-9 pm. As part of the opening day festivities, J. Alexander’s says that it will make a donation to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, a nonprofit that provides assistance to those impacted by child abuse.

steakhouse openings j. alexander's plano