How many burgers are in this week's dose of restaurant news? Three, and that makes it a trend. There is also pizza (there's always pizza), BBQ and a dish we can't figure out that features a boneless half chicken.
Dee Lincoln Steak & Burger Bar will open in the old JoJo's space in September (reported exclusively by CultureMap Dallas dot com!) for lunch and dinner, with a menu of steaks and burgers. That about covers all your food groups.
Chef Juliard Ishizuka has been working at Dee Lincoln's Dining Room & Bubble Bar, and previously worked at Royal Tokyo, Citizen, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Fuse, Cast Iron and Whiskey and Rye at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth. Manager is Anthony Porcaro who owned the ill-fated Bella Restaurant at the Quadrangle, and before that worked at Nick & Sam’s.
A new tapas/wine place called Sera Dining & Wine will open in Fort Worth in the old Sapristi! space, from former Sapristi! staffers John Marsh and chef Brandon Hudson. It's like a Sapristi! reunion! Hudson was most recently sous chef at Smoke in Dallas but has studied under Michelin-rated chefs in Spain, where tapas were invented. Do not question his credentials.
The menu will feature small, medium and large plates – which just about covers every plate size – such as sardines, hen of the woods mushroom with quail egg and sausage, and pig with quinoa, priced from $6 to $32.
Lakewood is getting a double dose of burgers: a Chip's Hamburgers will open in the old Paperbacks Plus space behind Matt's at the end of October; and Liberty Burger is opening in Lakewood Shopping Center in the old School of Contemporary Ballet space at around the same time.
Hurricane Grill & Wings is an island-inspired chicken chain that opened a branch in Mesquite, the first in a campaign to open 28 branches around D-FW. In addition to wings and 30 sauces, their menu includes sliders, wraps, salads, seafood, Mexican food and more.
Twelve Stones Restaurant is a New American restaurant coming to Flower Mound in a few months from chef David Burdick. Try this out: "Like stones that are foundational to the earth, food is the substance that sustains us." Burdick, who previously worked at Dragonfly and Suze, will be offering updated interpretations of classic American comfort food. Burgers, we hope? Hatsumi Kuzuu, Dallas' latest restaurant uber-designer, created the inviting industrial-farm space. Chickens, we hope?
Popular Dallas pizza chain Pizza By Marco will heretofore be known as My Family's Pizza. The Marco name was trademarked by a company in Ohio. All locations will be renamed by the end of 2013, including a new branch opening in September at 1919 Skillman St.
In an attempt to ameliorate the line situation, Farmers Market BBQ spot Pecan Lodge has added a separate express line for anyone ordering 5 pounds or more. They'll also take pre-orders for whole briskets, racks of ribs etc, two days in advance, via email to catering@pecanlodge.com. Pre-orders can be picked up during regular operating hours.
Since its April acquisition by Ignite Restaurant Group, Romano's Macaroni Grill has a new refocusing on its original rustic Italian comfort food theme. That includes a not-that-Italian-sounding category of entrees called "hand-crafted braisers," with three items: cremini pork shank, pasta and meatballs, and chicken cacciatore, which they inexplicably make with a boneless half chicken.
They'll keep up their honor-system wine schtick where you tell them how many glasses you drank and that's what they charge. Do you suppose they ever call anyone out?
Restaurant group Darden honored two local staffers with the Joe R. Lee Diamond Club Award: Darlene Alphin, manager of the Red Lobster in Mesquite, and Amanda Shuck, manager of the Olive Garden in Addison. Alphin joins an elite group of 34 managers, selected from 700-plus Red Lobsters; Shuck joins an elite group of 39 managers from 800-plus Olive Garden restaurants.
Restaurateur Dee Lincoln will get into the burger business, too.
