This Week's Hot Headlines

Gala starring Kevin Costner tops this week's 5 most-read Dallas stories

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Want to vote in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament? Click here.

1. Yellowstone's Kevin Costner and Jen Landon help rope in staggering $2.9 million at Grapevine gala. In the wild, wild west world of black-tie charity balls, there's rarely a guaranteed lasso to success. But Plano-based nonprofit Emily's Place hit the target and then some, raising a jaw-dropping $2.9 million at its "Black Ties & Grassroots" 20th Anniversary Gala starring Kevin Costner and his Modern West band, and emceed by Yellowstone co-star Jen Landon.

2. Historic ex-gas station in Oak Cliff will soon be home to pizzeria & deli. A distinctive and retro building in Oak Cliff that was once a Magnolia / Mobil gas station will soon be home to the highest purpose of all: pizza. Called Cenzo's Pizza & Deli, it's from chef Chad Dolezal and partner Vinnie Sherman, who plan to transform one of the area's sweetest historic buildings into a family-friendly neighborhood pizzeria and deli.

3. The second-longest-running Tom Thumb in Dallas gets a makeover. One of the oldest Tom Thumb stores in Dallas has been given a makeover. The store is at 10455 N. Central Expy., in the Meadow Central Market center, located right off US-75 on the west side of the freeway, just below Royal Lane.

4. Delightful Dallas neighbor blossoms as one of America's most livable small cities in 2022. The mound of accolades keeps piling up for Flower Mound. The Dallas suburb has been named by personal finance website SmartAsset as one of the most livable small cities in the U.S. This year’s SmartAsset study positions Flower Mound at No. 5.

5. Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 hottest new restaurants for May. For the May edition of our monthly Where to Eat feature, there is really no choice about what the theme should be: newly opened restaurants. That's because Dallas is saturated right now with new openings, so many that they beg for a list. Here's where to eat in Dallas right now.

The store is also one of the smallest.

Courtesy photo

The store is also one of the smallest.

hot-headlines

This Week's Hot Headlines

11 DFW companies deemed best places to work and more popular stories

Photo by NotOnlyJames on Unsplash

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Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week begins with big accolades for nearly a dozen workplaces. Plus, Frisco tops a new national ranking, and new restaurants make their Toyota Music Factory debut. Catch up on our most popular Dallas stories below, and then head to our event planner for the best things to do this weekend.

1. 11 Dallas-Fort Worth companies named best places to work by U.S. News. Nearly a dozen distinguished Dallas-Fort Worth-based companies have been hailed among the best places to work in 2025 by U.S. News and World Report.

2. Dallas neighbor is the No. 1 fastest-growing affordable city in U.S. A new national study has declared Texas is home to the most affordable, fast-growing cities in the country, with Dallas suburb Frisco taking the lead at No. 1.

3. Texas slumps on list of best U.S. state economies for 2025. After riding high among the top five best state economies in 2024, Texas' robust economy may be showing some cracks. Texas now ranks as the state with the 8th best economy, four spots lower than last year's ranking, according to a new WalletHub report.

4. Toyota Music Factory in Irving officially unveils 3 new restaurants. A trio of new restaurants have debuted at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, one of which is a familiar name.

Jaxon Get a burger from Jaxon at Toyota Music Factory.Photo courtesy of Jaxon

5. Award-winning chef team to open Mexican restaurant in east Dallas. A Dallas pop-up from an award-winning chef team has found a permanent home. Molino Olōyō, the acclaimed Mexican culinary concept obsessed with heirloom corn, will open a brick-and-mortar at 4422 Gaston Ave. in east Dallas.