News You Can Eat

New Orleans-style brass band brunch tops this Dallas restaurant news

Are you ready for a brass band brunch?

Photo courtesy of Clover Club

We may be in the sleepy dregs of summer, but there's nothing sleepy about the Dallas restaurant scene right now. We've got press releases on openings, pop-ups, chefs tables, seasonal menus, Hatch chile burgers, cupcakes, mac 'n' cheese, vegan pizza, and pickle-flavored beer.

We've got brunch.

Here's what's happening in Dallas dining news:

Roti Mediterranean is opening its newest location in downtown Dallas in the Arts District at 2000 Ross Ave. on August 19. The restaurant follows the principles of the Mediterranean diet, with a customizable menu with options from a salad, rice plate, pita, or laffa wrap. You select a protein such as falafel, chicken, steak, salmon, and lamb meatballs; an unlimited amount of toppings such as hummus, tomato-cucumber salad, red cabbage slaw, couscous, feta cheese; and sauces such as dill-cucumber yogurt, garlic sauce, vinaigrette, or red pepper.

The Crab Station, a Viet-Cajun inspired seafood restaurant, is opening in Deep Ellum at 2813 Commerce St., in a very sweet storefront that was, for a time, Planet Sub. This is the eighth location for the chain but the first to be so centrally located. Menu items include boiled seafood, oysters, fried seafood platters, jambalaya, lobster rolls, gumbo, Wagyu burgers, chicken, and sausage po boys. They'll hold a public grand opening on August 24 at 11 am.

El Rincon Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar has opened its location at the Shops at Stonebriar in Frisco. Their menu consists of Mexican favorites, made with fresh ingredients, and includes appetizers such as queso flameado, nachos locos, and shrimp brochette. At lunch, they serve elotes, brisket empanadas, and quesadillas. Dinner options include Rincon nachos, flautas, and chimichanga. They opened their first location in downtown Carrollton in 2016.

Original ChopShop has opened a new location at 2408 Preston Rd. in Plano, at the intersection of Park Boulevard. Original ChopShop first came to DFW in 2018 with its first shop in Las Colinas, followed by locations at The Shops at Legacy in Plano and in University Park. Other openings planned in 2019 include Dallas' Lakewood Village and Allen at US 75 and Stacy Road. The Plano opening marks the company's fourth location in DFW and the 11th system-wide.

The Whippersnapper, the Henderson Avenue bar, has devised another themed pop-up for August called "The Leaky Cauldron." It has a Harry Potter theme with corresponding drinks, Harry Potter characters, photo ops, and nightly entertainment. Patrons are advised to break out their costumes and magical wands. The bar is duplicating the success it had in early 2019 with The Drunken Clam, its Family Guy-themed pop-up. The Harry Potter theme will last through September 7.

Jasper's Uptown is taking over the former Abacus space at 4511 McKinney Ave. Strange it's called Uptown; isn't that the Knox District? Abacus closed in May. This will be the third Jasper's, along with locations in Richardson and The Woodlands. The Plano location closed in late 2018.

Jalisco Norte, the authentic Mexican restaurant in Turtle Creek Village, has added a new exclusive dining experience called the Chef's Table. Jalisco's acclaimed chef Jose Meza serves a six-course tasting menu of traditional-inspired dishes, each paired with a Mexican wine from the Guadalupe Valley in Mexico — wines not found outside of Mexico, by the way. It's $150 and includes wine; tax & gratuity not included. It's offered nightly with seatings at 6 and 8 pm.

Commissary in downtown Dallas has launched a new menu of breakfast items, sandwiches, and salads. New sandwiches include The Italian with house-cured meat and house-pickled giardiniera, and a veggie bánh mì made with crispy tofu. A new turkey sandwich has gruyere, sweet pepper relish, and oregano vinaigrette. All sandwiches and salads are prepared fast and wrapped ready-to-go, expediting the lunch-hour rush. Diners can still dine on-site, but the to-go lines have been alleviated. There's also a selection of pre-made fresh salads, sides, and gourmet snacks; and a new line of paletas and seasonal flavors of gelato, including kiwi coconut, strawberry elderflower, Vietnamese coffee, hibiscus rhubarb, and black sesame.

Tillman's Bishop Arts has launched a new menu for fall/winter. Dishes include pecan-crusted green tomatoes & okra; shrimp cocktail; a slider trio with carnitas, crab cake, and Wagyu beef; shrimp & crawfish risotto; Dr. Pepper BBQ half chicken; three new steaks; and a double-bone pork chop. They'll join Tillman's favorites such as chicken fried steak, goat cheese tater tots, and s’mores. Tillman's plans to update the menu each spring and fall.

The Clover Club has launched a New Orleans-style "brass band brunch," with a live brass band and menu created by chef Anthony Van Camp. Highlights include steak & eggs with an 8-ounce NY strip, two eggs, and potatoes; brioche French toast; lobster scramble; benedict avo on toasted brioche, with avocado, tomato, poached eggs, and hollandaise; shrimp + grits; and spicy broccolini. he It runs on Sundays 11 am-4 pm, but the party continues on the rooftop patio from 1-5 pm.

Liberty Burger has a Hatchback burger, a beef patty mixed with roasted Hatch peppers and chopped bacon, topped with garlic aioli, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, roasted Hatch salsa, and bacon on a brioche. It's available for two weeks, while supplies last.

Snuffer's has two sandwiches with Hatch chiles: the Hatch Chile Cheeseburger with a side of fries and Hatch Chile sauce for $9, and the Hatch Chile chicken sandwich for $8.50. Add a side of the Hatch Chile Sauce to anything for $2.

El Fenix is doing an assortment of Hatch chile dishes, including Hatch queso blanco, plus chicken or cheese enchiladas topped with choice of Hatch queso blanco or Hatch chile verde sauce.

Del Frisco's Grille has debuted four new health-focused dishes, including plant-based cauliflower steak frites and three new gluten-free shrimp dishes, including BBQ shrimp Cobb salad, Mediterranean shrimp bowl, and jumbo shrimp cocktail. They're at all four DFW locations.

Sprinkles has a limited-edition cupcake flavor: Fluffer Nutter. It's a clever concoction with banana cake, peanut butter frosting filling, and topped with toasted marshmallow spread. It's $5 and available through August 25 at the Sprinkles locations in Dallas and Plano.

Chick-fil-A has added mac & cheese to its menu nationwide. This is the first permanent side addition to Chick-fil-A's menu since 2016. It can be ordered with any lunch, dinner, kid's meal or catering order. Baked in the restaurant each day, it features cheddar, parmesan, and Romano cheeses. Participating restaurants are also rolling out frosted caramel coffee, a seasonal sweet treat, running until November 9 or while supplies last.

Outback Steakhouse has a set of new dishes including a twist on fried chicken. The Bloomin’ Fried Chicken features a boneless chicken breast hand battered in Outback Original Bloomin' Onion seasoning, fried, drizzled with spicy bloom sauce, and served with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggie. Pineapple & pork medallions feature pork tenderloin medallions glazed with caramel mustard and garnished with grilled pineapple. Creamy shrimp scampi dip features lemon, garlic, shrimp, diced tomatoes, parmesan and jack cheeses, with tortilla chips. Chocolate Tower is a 6-layer chocolate cake with chocolate drizzle, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and raspberry sauce.

Twin Peaks has launched new menu items including spinach dip with spinach, artichoke, cayenne, cream cheese, Swiss, and parmesan; and fried pork rinds with Cajun rub and Nashville hot sauce. Its lunch and handheld categories have two new additions: tomato basil soup and a smoked pork Cubano sandwich with ham, pork, Swiss, pickles, mustard, and chipotle mayo. Drinks-wise, there's a cowboy margarita made with bourbon, which is not really a margarita, and La Güera, their new Mexican-style lager brewed with corn.

Tutta's in the West End Historic District has introduced a vegan menu with pizzas such as BBQ Jackfruit and The Bella.

Ocean Prime Dallas has launched a new custom blend from Woodford Reserve, a one-of-a-kind selection to be served in-house that represents an expression of the local taste in Dallas and is not available anywhere else.

Lockwood Distilling Co. is a distillery opening in the Richardson Heights neighborhood in fall 2019 which will feature gastro fare and small-batch distilled spirits.

Deep Ellum Brewing has released Blind Lemon, a new 5 percent craft-brewed hard seltzer with lemons, available on tap at bars, with 6-pack and 12-pack 12-ounce cans to follow later this year.

Martin House Brewing Co. has partnered with Fort Worth-based Best Maid Pickles on two new products: Sour Pickle Beer and a Craft Beer Pickle. The base for the Sour Pickle beer is Martin House's Salty Lady Sour Gose, with Best Maid Pickles' dill brine added during the brewing process for a pickle-y sour/salty beer. The Best Maid Craft Beer Pickle is a bottled, fresh-pack pickle with coriander, lemon zest, and added sour to achieve the Salty Lady beer's salty and sour flavor.

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A Roundup of Restaurant News

Fill up on the festive fare in this roundup of Dallas restaurant news

Maison Chinoise

Spread at Maison Chinoise

This roundup of restaurant news around Dallas is all about new menus, with lots of festive-themed dishes and menu additions. There's a new brunch at a surprising destination, new cocktails, and lots of hot chocolate, fitting for the season.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café is opening a location in Las Colinas, at 5910 N. MacArthur Blvd. Taziki's is known for its hummus, whipped feta, kebabs, Greek salad, and Mediterranean lamb burger. This is the chain's fourth Dallas location and 100th location nationwide.

Catch Dallas, the seafood restaurant at Maple Terrace, ha some splashy new items including truffle sashimi, rainbow sashimi pizza, and a Wagyu hot rock dish with options of A5 Kobe beef, olive beef, and snow beef cooked tableside.

Dive Coastal Cuisine in Snider Plaza has new seasonal specials, including beet & blood orange salad, butternut squash soup, fingerling potatoes, coconut rice, and portobello mushrooms, available through the end of November.

TK's Addison, the comedy club, has a new brunch every Sunday from 10 am-3 pm. Shareable options include cast-iron cinnamon rolls with Grand Marnier cream cheese icing, deviled eggs, and Belgian waffle bites. Meals include filet mignon Benedict, crab cakes Benedict, Nashville chicken biscuit, and the hangover burger, with a short rib/chuck/brisket blend patty with bourbon bacon, four-cheese bechamel, a fried egg and crispy onions.

Fish City Grill, Half Shells restaurants are launching a name brand oyster on November 19 called the Mystic Mermaid, which have a heavy brine and shell ranging from 3-3 1/2 inches, served with cucumber-citrus mignonette. Available for for $21 per half-dozen and $42 per dozen at all Dallas, Flower Mound, Richardson, and Plano locations.

Dog Haus is celebrating Thanksgiving all month with a twist on the Turducken: a turkey, duck, and chicken sausage topped with garlic aioli, turkey gravy, onions, and scallions, served on King’s Hawaiian rolls; and the Turducken burrito, a turkey, duck, and chicken sausage, three sunny side up eggs, white American cheese, sweet potato fries, caramelized onions, and spicy mayo in a toasted flour tortilla.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has a new lunch menu with a two-course prix fixe starting at $28. New options include steakhouse filet chopped salad, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse burger, steak frites, and a barbecue salmon fillet. All lunch dishes are $30 or less. There are new cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, like Tropical Tee and Blackberry Lavenderade.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill has new menu items including Arancini, a risotto bite with fennel sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, & Romano cheese; rigatoni al forno, with tomato cream sauce, Italian sausage, Romano, parmesan, mozzarella and goat cheese; and short rib marsala, bone-in short rib over garlic mashed potatoes with Lombardo Marsala wine sauce. Dessert includes a triple chocolate bread pudding. New festive cocktails feature the merry berry martini and wood-fired old fashioned. Available through January 13.

Taziki’s has brought back its tomato basil soup. Prices start at $5.49, and the soup is also available as part of a soup-and-salad combo with pricing varying by market. This soup is available through January 26.

Beyond Sun Sausage is now available at Whole Foods Markets across Dallas. It’s made from plant-based ingredients, including yellow pea, brown rice, and red lentil proteins. There are 12 grams of plant-based protein per link with no cholesterol, soy, gluten, added antibiotics, or hormones. Flavors include Cajun and pesto, and a four-count package is $11.

Al Biernat’s has new cocktails with a festive twist. At the Oak Lawn location, find Golden Hour with Basil Hayden, Dolin Blanc, Campari, Giffard Piment d’espelette, and grapefruit bitters; Frosted Poinsettia with Titos, spiced cranberry syrup, lemon juice, and Zerbina with red glitter sugar; and Bloody Sidecar, with The Macallan 12, Fruitful Blood Orange, Cointreau, and lemon juice. The Al Biernat’s North menu has Spicy Pineapple Margarita with Flecha infused tequila, Grand Marnier, pineapple juice, and lime juice; Camp Fire Mule with whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup, and Ladybird ginger beer; and Gin Apple Pie with Roku Gin, cinnamon syrup, and apple cider.

Maison Chinoise in Uptown has launched a new Dim Sum Happy Hour, available Monday-Thursday, with a selection of dim sum for $10. A new Sunday offering features all bottles of wine under $100 available at half-price all day for dine-in.

P.F. Chang’s has added Asian fried chicken to the menu for the first time. It comes in two options, Korean fried chicken and Taiwanese popcorn chicken, with a choice of sauces, including sweet soy glaze, dynamite, hot honey, and chili crisp. Available as bone-in three-piece or six-piece and boneless four-piece or five-piece, eight-piece or 10-piece for shareables.

Laredo Taco Company, 7-Eleven's in-house restaurant, has two holiday specials: Quesabirria, featuring shredded beef and melted cheese, available as a taco or bowl, paired with consommé dipping sauce; and tamales in choice of pork or chicken, in packs of three, six, or 12 or a family size with two dozen tamales and two sides.

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt is collaborating with candy brand Hi-Chew for a limited-edition Key lime pie flavor, inspired by Hi-Chew Dessert Mix’s Key Lime Pie. The flavor is available through November 30.

Main Event has new frozen hot chocolate shakes in three flavors: Classic, a frozen hot chocolate with chocolate candy frosted rim, and a Little Debby Christmas tree cake; s’mores with marshmallow rim and graham crackers; and peppermint with peppermint frosted rim and a candy cane. Bailey’s Irish Cream or Caffè Borghetti can be added to any flavor for $3. Prices start at $11. Available through January 7.

Rita’s Frozen Custard has two limited-time frozen treats: Frozen Hot Cocoa Gelati, which layers Rita’s Frozen Hot Cocoa Cream Ice with Vanilla Custard, blending the taste of hot cocoa with cool Italian Ice; and Frozen Hot Cocoa Gelati Blender with a crushed peppermint topping.

Dunkin' is bringing back holiday favorites and new menu items. Drinks include the cookie butter cold brew, peppermint mocha latte, toasted white chocolate latte, and white hazelnut bark coffee. New items include the cookie butter donut, holiday cookie latte, almond croissant, and hash brown brisket scramble bowl.

Barrilitos, the Mexican soda, has returned to Texas shelves. Originally produced nearly 100 years ago, the drink is available in four flavors: Mandarina, Manzana, Piña, and Ponche de Frutas in both 12-ounce and 1.5-liter bottles. The aguas frescas were sold until 2020-2021, and the sodas were sold until 2017. Now they're available at El Rancho, La Michoacana, and Fiesta stores across Dallas.

Wendy's has a new salted caramel Frosty. It can also be paired with the limited-time mushroom bacon cheeseburger, which features roasted mushrooms, bacon, Muenster cheese, and garlic spread. The Frosty is $3 and the burger is $6.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has shut down two oyster harvest areas in the Gulf: the 14-acre Desperation Reef and the 529-acre Dollar Reef, both in Galveston Bay, to allow the oyster population to recover the reef is healthy enough that they can start harvesting oysters again. They'll reopen in November 2026.

Chipotle has launched a wacky new merchandise collection that includes a $10 cilantro soap, a nod to the small percentage of the population who are genetically wired to experience a soapy flavor when eating cilantro; the $28 “Water” Cup candle, a lemonade-scented candle; and $20 car napkin holder. The collection will be available for individual purchase, or as a bundle for $50.

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