News You Can Eat
Openings and new menus give this Dallas restaurant news some promise
This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has mostly good and a little bad. Start with the bad news first — closures — before moving on to openings, new menus, happy hours, special drinks, bunch, and lunch, before ending on the best news of all: Girl Scout cookies.
Here's what's happening in Dallas dining news:
Khao Noodle Shop, the acclaimed Laotian restaurant in East Dallas from chef Donny Sirisavath, closed on January 9. Sirisavath posted on Facebook that the restaurant wasn't made for takeout and delivery but said the closure was temporary. "We need time to figure things out and refocus on our journey and reflect on ourselves as the person we are," he said on Instagram. And yet meanwhile, they're posting help-wanted ads for what they say is another concept.
Carlo's Bakery, owned by Buddy Valastro of TLC's Cake Boss fame, closed its Dallas location in Preston Center at 8319 Preston Rd., leaving Dallas without dried-out pastry horns filled with airy insubstantial cream. A spokesperson said the location wasn't doing as well as hoped. There are still two locations in Texas, in San Antonio and McAllen. But chin up, at least you can still order his rainbow cake at TGIFriday's.
Claypot African Restaurant & Bar is a new family-run African restaurant open at 4425 W Walnut St, in Garland at the corner of Plano Rd. which is earning fans for its authentic home cooked food. The menu includes African classics such as FuFu — little balls made of mashed yam — plus stews, soups, fried plantains, rice, and beans. Owner Rose Omo-Iyamu is from Nigeria, where she owned restaurants, as well.
The Commissary in downtown Dallas is hosting Dallas-based fitness expert and cookbook author Kevin Curry, of Fit Men Cook and The Fit Cook fame, who's bringing favorite recipes to the menu. The Fit Cook lineup includes chef boxes, prepared meals, and fresh menu items. Options include steak & broccoli rice pilaf, turkey lasagna, veggie lasagna, shrimp jambalaya, veggie jambalaya, and a Thai peanut wrap.
Knife Steakhouse Plano is open for dinner with limited dine-in and patio dining offered. Full Menu is available including dry-aged steaks, pastas, burgers, sides, and shared plates. You'll also be able to order from both Knife Steakhouse Plano and Knife Burger for Curbside Pick-up or Delivery.
Te Deseo, the Latin-inspired restaurant-bar in the Harwood District, is reopening on Wednesday, January 20. They'll be open for dinner, drinks, and late night hours Wednesday-Sunday beginning at 5 pm, with a rooftop bar and dishes crafted by chef Ty Thaxton.
First Watch, the chain dedicated to breakfast, brunch, and lunch, has opened a restaurant in Coppell at the Point West Shopping Center at Hwy 635 & South Belt Line Road. This is the 19th First Watch in DFW.
Tulum, the upscale Mexican restaurant at the Shops at Oak Lawn, has debuted a new Sunday brunch from 11 am-3 pm. Chef Jose Meza's menu features pancakes, migas, rancheros, omelettes, chilaquiles, divorciados, tortas, breakfast tacos and more. Cocktails include choice of tomatillo or traditional Bloody Marys, Micheladas, and four mimosa options made with fresh juices including orange, mango, grapefruit, and passion fruit.
BarNone Bar & Restaurant is now open for lunch every day in addition to dinner, starting at 11 am. The lunch menu features a 7-ounce lunch-size portion of The BarNone Burger, made with house-ground Rosewood Ranch Wagyu beef. BarNone is also offering on-line ordering for take-out via www.BarNoneDallas.com, or call 214-924-3742.
Bulla Gastrobar, the Spanish-style restaurant at Legacy West in Plano, has a new winter menu that includes Butternut Squash Soup, Brisket Caldoso with Valencia-style rice, red sofrito, piquillo confit, and crispy chickpeas, Parrillada de Verduras grilled veggies with romesco sauce, and Natillas, a Spanish custard made with condensed milk, cinnamon, and Maria cookies. New cocktails include a Spiced Old Fashioned with Old Forester Bourbon and winter-spiced syrup, and Rose Sangria.
Bellagreen has launched a Happy Hour Monday-Thursday from 3 pm to close with $5 wine flights, half-priced beer, and these appetizers for $7: Hi-Protein Hempenadas, Veggie Lettuce Wraps, and hummus with flatbread. Happy Hour is available for dine-in at 8041 Walnut Hill Ln. in Dallas, and 2408 Preston Rd. #A in Plano. They're also introducing two new dinner-only entrees daily after 5 pm: Paleo Prime Ribeye with avocado chimichurri sauce and Brussels sprout leaves tossed in bacon jam; and almond-crusted snapper with lemon cilantro mashed potatoes and French garlic green beans.
Royal 38, the restaurant and bar from the founders of Hide, has a new happy hour Tuesday-Friday 4-6 pm with discounts on cocktails and food items such as Lobster Corn Fritters with remoulade sauce, Bacon + Cheddar Deviled Eggs, and Chili Sauced Ribs with Thai chili sauce.
Black and Bitter, the coffee shop-bookstore-neighborhood-destination in Duncanville, now has an option where you can order pastry and bread from acclaimed La Casita Bakeshop 48 hours ahead of time. Here's your chance to conveniently get a dozen almond croissants or a loaf of sourdough on your own schedule. Pre-order at www.blackandbitter.com and click Order Online.
Starbucks has a new special-edition drink, the Pistachio Latte, a conceptual spinoff of the company's Hazelnut Bianco Latte. It has espresso, pistachio-infused milk, orange zest, and salty-sweet pistachio topping. It is available hot, iced, and blended.
Steak 'n Shake has brought back two winter favorites: Red Velvet Shake with red velvet cake and frosting; and Oreo Red Velvet Shake with Oreo cookies.
Dickey's Barbecue Pit has debuted three new menu items available through April 30, in-store, at dickeys.com, or using the Dickey’s App. There's Spicy Chicken Sandwich or Spicy Brisket sandwich, both with Tillamook cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and spicy barbecue sauce; and a double berry cobbler with an oatmeal crumble topping.
Promise of Peace has established La Bajada Farm, a small farm at the western edge of the Trinity Groves complex, staffed by youth interns and community members who grow seasonal ingredients to share with the neighborhood. These ingredients also go into the program’s “Soup It Forward” kits each month, in which produce, broth, and instructions are given to families in need. Promise of Peace has established and sustained 11 gardens across Dallas, including a new garden at the Belmont Hotel that will provide produce for the new Belmont Room restaurant. To help spread the word, Saint Rocco’s is hosting a P.O.P.-Up Pizza Night every third Tuesday of the month, starting Tuesday, January 19 from 5-8 pm.
Joe the Baker has joined a platform called onePatron, which connects customers with their favorite local restaurants via a monthly membership service. You go to www.onePatron.com and find Joe the Baker where you can sign up for a membership for $25 per month. onePatron issues you a $25 gift card to Joe the Baker each month, which can be used in their online store or at the Coppell Farmer's Market. Patrons within Coppell get free delivery, as well as a free monthly cooking class such as the chocolate truffle class he'll teach in February via Zoom.
Cotton Patch Cafe has new grilled entrees with choice of loaded baked potato, broccoli, steamed vegetables, house or Caesar salad or cup of soup including chipotle maple chicken, honey BBQ salmon with seasoned rice, and pecan crusted catfish with seasoned rice. They're $12-$14 and available at 49 locations throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico until March 3.
Maple Leaf Diner has a special poutine of the month: Sausage and Biscuits Poutine featuring French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, topped with biscuits, sausage, eggs, chives, and cheese. It's $13 and available through the end of January.
Tiger Sugar, the Tawainese bubble tea shop in Carrollton, is releasing a new drink they say has been popular in Asia and at their West Coast locations. It's their Signature Drink but it is topped with vanilla pudding. They're at 2625 Old Denton Rd Suite #555, and you can order online.
Dairy Queen has a new blizzard of the month for January: The Brownie Dough Blizzard, available in mini, small, medium and large sizes. Other items on the limited-time Blizzard Treat menu include choco-dipped Strawberry Blizzard, Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Blizzard, and Oreo Mocha Fudge Blizzard.
Eatzi’s Market & Bakery has a new and expanded website including an online ordering portal, with just about everything at Eatzi's now available online, including breakfast items, daily specials, salads, sandwiches, beer, wine, and more. New features include "Re-order Your Favorite Meal" and a securely stored payment option.
Rollin' n Bowlin', a Dallas-based ready-to-blend smoothie and açaí brand, signed with health food distributor KeHE, which will put them in Illinois, California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Indiana, and Oregon. The company was founded by two TCU graduates in 2017 who started selling açaí bowls on college campuses, before adding packaged products in grocery retailers and online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qdoba, the healthy-ish Mexican fast-food chain, is offering entrees made with Impossible Foods plant-based beef that include the Impossible Taco Salad and the Impossible Fajita Burrito or Bowl. If you order one by January 17, you can get one free.
Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas has kicked off the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season. They're selling cookies in safe, creative, and socially distant ways, including a partnership with autonomous driving technology company Waymo, plus pickup and delivery via Grubhub. Best of all, they're making online cookie ordering available nationwide so consumers who don't know a Girl Scout can purchase cookies from a local troop for direct shipment to their homes or donation to local organizations. Beginning February 1, customers can enter their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder to find a local troop to purchase from through the Digital Cookie platform for direct shipment or donation to local organizations.
Drinks at La La Land. La La Land Kind Cafe/ Facebook 
It's almost pumpkin time at Starbucks. Photo courtesy of Starbucks