Ranking It

Where is it great to be a first-time homebuyer? All over North Texas.

As anyone looking for a house in Dallas-Fort Worth right now can tell you, the real estate market here is red hot. And according to a new study by WalletHub, the suburbs surrounding Dallas are some of the best cities in the country for first-time buyers.

In fact, North Texas nabbed five of the top 10 slots and nine of the top 20: Allen ranks No. 2, followed by Frisco (5), Plano (6), Carrollton (7), McKinney (8), Grand Prairie (11), Richardson (12), Garland (17) and Arlington (20).

Denton and Irving landed at Nos. 23 and 24, respectively, while Fort Worth came in at No. 42. Dallas brought up the rear at No. 93. The No. 1 city for first-time homebuyers is Overland Park, Kansas.

The WalletHub study looked at 300 American cities and determined the rankings using three general categories: housing affordability, real estate market and living environment. If the rankings had been based solely on the market, Dallas would have come in at No. 2. But an abysmal ranking of 282 in housing affordability and a 76 in living environment sent the city plummeting.

Three Dallas suburbs rank in the top five for highest median annual income (adjusted for cost of inflation): Frisco (No. 1), Allen (No. 3) and McKinney (No. 5). Frisco also scored well (No. 2) for highest median home-price appreciation. Dallas was not too far behind, at No. 5.

With multiple big companies moving into the northern 'burbs and property values heading northward, first-time home buyers might need to act fast to take advantage of the current market friendliness.

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Deep Ellum News

Dallas celeb team to deliver newsstand themed restaurant-bar in Deep Ellum

Chloe's

Newsstand facade

A new bar with a cutesy theme and celebrity ties is opening on the edge of Deep Ellum. Called Chloe’s Newsstand, it's a restaurant-bar with a newsstand theme from entrepreneur Hank Keller, Super Bowl champion Remi Ayodele, and chef Rami Rassas.

According to a release, it'll open at The Epic, the mixed-use development on Pacific Avenue, in early 2023.

Said release is a mildly cringey read. To wit:

"With its debut edition rolling off the presses in early 2023, Chloe’s Newsstand is the definition of a newsworthy development that’s sure to capture six-inch headlines."

Decor includes booths, dimly lit walls, classic photography, a chandelier at the entrance, a rack of old newspapers, and a graffiti-filled hall.

“We’re aiming to take the Dallas nightlife experience to another level,” Keller said. “We want people to feel like they’re someplace unique and exclusive without feeling pretentious.”

The food will combine American cuisine and shareable tapas-style plates, highlighting chef Rami’s fusion of flavor and flare. Flare, do you suppose he'll be using a lot of fire?

The bar will serve old standards plus innovative specialty cocktails that are "sure to create their own headlines." Zing!

Rassas, known as Chef Rami Raw in culinary circles, is a MasterChef contestant who specializes in meal prep and in-home private dining.

Keller is the man behind Dallas’ Lights All Night music festival. He also operates Highland Concerts, a promotions and event company, and is an expert at raising capital, twice landing on Empact Showcase’s “Empact 100 List,” an annual award honoring the Top 100 entrepreneurs in America under the age of 35.

Ayodele is a DFW native who played football at the University of Oklahoma and won a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints. A graduate of South Grand Prairie High School, he's partnered with Keller on previous entertainment venues.

nightlife deep-ellum

Chef News

Former Dallas chef and Chopped winner debuts new restaurant in Frisco

WB's

A bountiful plate awaits you.

There's a new restaurant opening in Frisco from a chef familiar to Dallas diners: Called WB's Table, it's from Wade Burch, most recently chef at Perle on Maple, and it will open at 279 Main St. #132, in a former Subway, in mid-October.

The restaurant is an offshoot of WB’s Kitchen + Catering, a takeout/to-go operation Burch founded during the pandemic when he saw a market for chef-prepared high-quality meals that people could take home.

The new restaurant will open in the suite next door, providing diners with two Wade Burch options: a sit-down dinner at WB's Table or a grab-and-go at WB's Kitchen.

Prior to Perle on Maple at Le Méridien Dallas/The Stoneleigh, Burch worked at The Plaza Hotel in New York, The Pan Pacific Hotel in San Francisco, and The Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas. He also appeared on and won on Season 11 of Food Network’s Chopped.

Spokesperson Sherry Woodard says that the Table will be a completely different menu from what Burch is serving at the Kitchen, where the menu was crafted with the idea of meals at home featuring comfort food dishes such as beef stroganoff and spaghetti & meatballs.

"WB's Table will have a more upscale menu, with a full bar including craft cocktails and a curated wine list," she says.

Wine will occupy a big role. Burch trained at the School for American Chefs at Beringer Vineyards in Napa Valley, and as well as Windows on the World Wine School in New York. He's into wine.

"He'll be able to offer advice on pairing with meals and to tell you the story of the food," Woodard says.

The space seats about 45 and they've completely redone the interior to mirror the comfortable style at WB's Kitchen.

"The idea with WB's Table is that it’s upscale dining but in a casual atmosphere," she says. "It'll definitely have a chef menu but with a come-as-you-are atmosphere, mimicking exactly how it would be if Wade were cooking for you at home."

openings chefs

Parties for a cause

Arty party and auction raises record $1.45 million for Dallas children

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Co-chairs Evan Westerburg, Victoria Brown, and Kate LaGere

What: Art for Advocacy benefiting Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center

Where: General Datatech in the Dallas Design District

The 411: Art for Advocacy, the annual fundraiser and silent art auction that benefits Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, brought in a record-breaking $1.45 million at the 2022 event on September 10.

Hosted by Stephanie and John Roberts and chaired by Victoria Brown, Kate LaGere, and Evan Westerburg (with honorary chairs Ellie and Sam Lam), the evening attracted a crowd of 700.

The event included cocktails, a seated dinner, paddle raise, silent art auction featuring 84 works, and live art auction of five pieces. The highest selling work was Threads of Happiness, 2022, by Carlyn Ray, which went for an impressive $30,000.

All proceeds will go toward DCAC's mission to fight child abuse and provide healing for families and children who are impacted throughout Dallas.

Who: Emily Clarke, Maleiah and Ryan Rogers, Beth Babb, Sharon Lee Clark, Abby Evans, Ashley Nowak, Jessica Bolander, Julie and Kevin Linderman, Lindsay and Chuck Jacaman, Marisa and Frank Howard, Macy and Gordon Huddleston, Kacy Tolleson, and Katie Walters.

Kate LaGere, Kacy Tolleson, Katie WaltersPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Macy and Gordon HuddlestonPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Marisa and Frank HowardPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Lindsay and Chuck JacamanPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Julie and Kevin LindermanPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Honorary chairs Ellie and Sam LamPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Maleiah and Ryan Rogers Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Carlyn Ray, Emily ClarkePhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Beth Babb, Sharon Lee Clark, Abby Evans, Ashley Nowak, Jessica BolanderPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

Event hosts Stephanie and John RobertsPhoto by Tamytha Cameron

fundraisers galas

Ranking It

Where is it great to be a first-time homebuyer? All over North Texas.

Great Wolf Lodge breaks ground on massive indoor water park resort in new Texas city

Dallas grilled cheese restaurant abruptly closes location in Oak Cliff

Mom-and-pop chef team opens Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas' Casa View

Deep Ellum News

Dallas celeb team to deliver newsstand themed restaurant-bar in Deep Ellum

Great Wolf Lodge breaks ground on massive indoor water park resort in new Texas city

Dallas grilled cheese restaurant abruptly closes location in Oak Cliff

Mom-and-pop chef team opens Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas' Casa View

Chef News

Former Dallas chef and Chopped winner debuts new restaurant in Frisco

Great Wolf Lodge breaks ground on massive indoor water park resort in new Texas city

Dallas grilled cheese restaurant abruptly closes location in Oak Cliff

Mom-and-pop chef team opens Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas' Casa View

Parties for a cause

Arty party and auction raises record $1.45 million for Dallas children

Great Wolf Lodge breaks ground on massive indoor water park resort in new Texas city

Dallas grilled cheese restaurant abruptly closes location in Oak Cliff

Mom-and-pop chef team opens Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas' Casa View

Ranking It

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Deep Ellum News

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Chef News

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Parties for a cause

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