Tiny Restaurants to Try

Tiny Deep Ellum restaurant nabs a spot on elite list of must-try eateries

The soon-to-open 20-seat Revolver Taco Lounge in Deep Ellum was recently named to Food & Wine's exclusive list of super-tiny restaurants to try this year.

Photo courtesy of Revolver

As they say, big things come in small packages. Such is the case for five U.S. restaurants that were recently touted in Food & Wine magazine's article, "Why You Should Try One of These Awesome, Exclusive, Super-Tiny Restaurants."

The list spans from LA to NYC, and it comes as no surprise that the soon-to-open Dallas version of Revolver Taco Lounge makes the elite list.

The 20-seat restaurant is slated to open January 2016 in Deep Ellum, after earning raves in Fort Worth as one of Texas Monthly's tacos "you must eat before you die." Owners Regino and Sandra Rojas are relocating their popular Michoacan kitchen from West Seventh Street in Fort Worth to bustling Deep Ellum after the taqueria's lease expires at the end of 2015.

One of the many benefits of tiny restaurants is the level of intimacy patrons feel in the space and with the staff, elevating the entire tasting experience. Instead of getting lost in the shuffle and feeling like just another guest, tiny restaurants make dining personal and create a greater connection between people and their food. They also inevitably bring the kitchen to the forefront, allowing for maximum interaction and engagement.

One other Texas restaurant made Food & Wine’s list: the soon-to-open, 12-seat Otoko in Austin. The magazine’s other “super-tiny” restaurants to try include the 10-seat Le Comptoir in Los Angeles; Graffiti in New York; and FarmTable Kitchen at Locale Market in St. Petersburg, Florida.

tacos dinner

Ice Cream News

Global gourmet ice cream chain debuts in U.S. with 2 Dallas-area shops

Dumont Ice Cream

An ice cream concept from India has made its U.S. debut, right here in Texas: Called Dumont Creamery & Cafe, it's an ice cream chain founded in Hyderabad that now has two locations in the Dallas area.

Their first location was Frisco, which opened at 1951 FM 423 at the end of 2023; a second location opened in late October in Coppell at 1535 S. Belt Line Rd. #160.

Dumont was founded in 1999 by brothers Vivek and Bhashkaar, and currently has 23 locations in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Vijayawada listed on their website.

Bringing the concept to Texas are local franchisees and friends Sai Sashank and Tarang Tirumala, who moved to the U.S. in 2005 to attend college.

Both have successful consulting careers, but craved a taste of home.

Ice cream is the centerpiece at Dumont with more than two dozen flavors, ranging from gourmet to classics to flavors boasting global influences: from Italian-inspired sorbet to a New Zealand-inspired honey ice cream called "hokey pokey."

There is vanilla, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip — but also unique options such as cake and jam, an ice cream with a vanilla base, bites of cake, and spiced jam; and kheer, a coconut ice cream studded with dried fruits and nuts — a nod to the kheer rice pudding that's one of India's favorite desserts.

A single scoop is $4. They have cups and a cute version of waffle cones: shorter and fatter than usual, to provide a greater ratio of ice cream-to-cone.

In addition to ice cream, they have a beverage program with coffee and espresso drinks such as lattes, plus boba tea. There are also special drinks like falooda — an exotic Indian milkshake with rose syrup and vermicelli — as well as limited-edition drinks like iced kheer, a cool beverage version of that same popular rice pudding dessert.

Both locations are spacious, bright, and clean, with pale green banquettes at Frisco, and pale blue chairs and tables at Coppell. Both feature an astronaut theme with statues and framed photos and cartoons on the wall. The Coppell location also has a mural dedicated to great moments in Coppell history.