Brunch Action

Chef Marcus Samuelsson throws down brunch and acrobatics at Fearing's

Dallas food-lovers were in for a treat when renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, of New York's Red Rooster Harlem restaurant joined chef Dean Fearing for a special brunch on February 19. The experience was part of a new initiative at Fearing's, showcasing the best of local and national/international chefs appearing in side-by-side collaboration with Fearing's culinary team.

Samuelsson's appearance was an especially festive one: To celebrate Black History Month, he's been taking his newly released The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem on a multi-city tour, preparing dishes from his Harlem restaurant plus live performances by jazz-funk act Rakiem Walker Project, unofficially dubbed the Red Rooster house band.

The cookbook goes beyond recipes, offering a close-up look at the neighborhood with photography, music, and essays by other Harlem icons like Bevy Smith, Thelma Golden, and more.

The brunch was a rowdy event, allowing diners to enjoy cocktails and menu selections by Samuelsson and Fearing. Rakiem Walker Project delivered more than just music, spinning out effortless gymnastics including total body flips right in the middle of the dining room.

Samuelsson's menu included marrow dumplings with charred broccolini and chiles; deviled eggs with chicken-skin mayo; "Obama" short ribs on collard greens; and peanut-bacon pork chops on creamy grits. Cocktails included a Michelada and a spicy-hot margarita.

Fearing's contributions included smoked salmon flatbread; Jaxson and Campbell-style pancakes, named for Dean's sons; migas; a Buffalo chili Benedict on jalapeño-cheddar biscuits; and Granny Fearing's "paper bag shook" fried chicken with whipped potatoes and green beans.

Marcus Samuelsson's "Obama" short ribs on killer collards.

Photo by Marc Lee

Marcus Samuelsson's "Obama" short ribs on killer collards.

Express lane

Kroger breaks ground and reveals opening date for new store in Princeton

Rendering courtesy of Kroger

Rendering of the new Kroger Marketplace in Princeton.

A huge new Kroger supermarket is one step closer in the thriving Dallas suburb of Princeton. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Marketplace-format store will take place at 1 pm Wednesday, July 15.

The festivities will include remarks from Princeton mayor Eugene Escobar, Jr. and Kroger Dallas Division president Rudy DiPietro, a release says.

The new store, located at the Princeton Town Center development - a 66-acre retail complex on the northwest corner of Beauchamp Boulevard and US Highway 380 - is scheduled to open in late 2027, a spokesperson reveals to CultureMap.

Princeton is the third of three new Kroger Marketplace stores to break ground this year, following locations in McKinney and Fate. The third site had been kept under wraps, and now we know it is Princeton.

Princeton, located in booming Collin County north of Dallas, recently has been the country’s fastest-growing city.

“Kroger is working hard to keep pace with North Texas’ explosive population growth, ensuring communities have access to fresh, affordable groceries and essential items,” DiPietro said in a statement when new DFW stores were announced in December. “As new communities continue to emerge, these new stores will provide what the community has come to expect from Kroger – full shelves, where everything is fresh and our people are friendly.”

Going head-to-head with fast-growing H-E-B, Kroger has additional new Kroger Marketplace stores in Anna and the Sendera Ranch community of North Fort Worth. A new Kroger Marketplace in Little Elm will open to the public on July 31, 2026.

Kroger Marketplace-format stores are multi-department stores offering full-service grocery, pharmacy and expanded general merchandise including outdoor living products, electronics, home goods, toys, and more. Marketplace stores typically range in size from 99,000 to 130,000 square feet.

Kroger operates more than 100 stores in North Texas and East Texas and more than 200 stores total throughout Texas.

“Kroger is working hard to keep pace with North Texas’ explosive population growth, ensuring communities have access to fresh, affordable groceries and essential items,” DiPietro said in a statement in December. “As new communities continue to emerge, these new stores will provide what the community has come to expect from Kroger – full shelves, where everything is fresh and our people are friendly.”

Going head-to-head with fast-growing H-E-B, Kroger has been on an opening spree: In October 2025, the company opened its newest Kroger Marketplace store in the Bonds Ranch area of Fort Worth.

Three additional new Kroger Marketplace stores, in Little Elm, Anna, and the Sendera Ranch community of North Fort Worth, are currently under construction and expected to open in 2026 and early 2027.

kroger grocery stores groundbreaking princeton supermarkets