A Deli for Downtown

Downtown Dallas gets a deli courtesy of Latin Lakewood favorite

Latin Deli's chicken sandwich is a best seller, and it comes with thick skin-on French fries dusted with black pepper.

A charming and distinctive Lakewood-adjacent restaurant is opening a second branch in a hot-hot neighborhood. The restaurant: Latin Deli. The neighborhood: downtown Dallas.

Fernando Barrera, who owns Latin Deli with his wife, Lydia, says that they're aiming to open the new restaurant in early spring. They're going into the beautiful old MKT Building, aka the Katy Building, on Commerce Street, across from the JFK Memorial and El Centro College, in a space that was briefly a poorly received restaurant called the Mello Cafe.

"If you look out the door, the Kennedy monument is right in front of you," Barrera says. "We're excited to be downtown. There are a lot of offices, and we already have a bunch of customers who come from downtown."

He's also a believer in the idea that any downtown should have a deli. "I'm a deli, and a deli in a downtown area is always good," he says.

He opened the first Latin Deli in 2011 with a menu of sandwiches, crepes, salads, baked goods, and coffee drinks, and it is truly a restaurant like no other. Berrara is Mexican, but he champions all Latin-American cuisines.

"I do dishes from Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, but I add my own touch," he says. "My Cuban sandwich, I do not press it. The way I do it is more like they do in Puerto Rico. People say, 'That's not a Cuban,' but it's my food, the way I do it."

His best seller is his chicken sandwich, which features thick chunks of white-meat chicken with pork and thinly sliced red onion on good ciabatta bread. His crepes — which he does in savory versions such as the vegetarian, as well as sweet, such as the one with strawberries and bananas — are hugely popular.

Attentive customer service is also a big factor in Latin Deli's success. Yelpers speak highly of Barrera's accommodating personal touch.

The downtown Latin Deli will offer basically the same menu as Lakewood, but he's still mulling the hours.

"We're not familiar with the downtown schedule, but we want to be available, so when we first open, we'll be open from 7 am to 9 pm," he says. "For for first month, we'll try that and see how it goes. If it's not working, then we'll close at 5 pm."

This is Barrera's second stab at expansion. In 2014, he opened a taqueria called Taqueria Latina, just a few blocks away from Latin Deli. His well-prepared ingredients, including house-made tortillas, got raves, but he discovered how dramatically a neighborhood mien can change from block to block. He shut it down in 2015 but hopes to reopen.

"People call and ask, 'Why did you close taqueria?'" he says. "I want to find another location and reopen it. But for now I'm focusing on the deli downtown."

openings downtown

Holiday Dining

These Dallas restaurants are open for dining on Christmas Day 2024

STK

STK Steakhouse

Dallas restaurants are almost always ready to serve — with one exception: Christmas Day. Most restaurants close, whether it's because of fewer customers or just to give their employees the day off.

But there are still the brave, the few, who persevere with hospitality and lavish spreads — and those generally get rewarded with mobs of diners grateful for a place to grab a bite.

That is what this list is about: Dallas restaurants that are open on Christmas day. (This list does not include Christmas Eve or Christmas to-go.)

Here's what's open in Dallas on Christmas Day:

Bacchus Kitchen and Bar. Grapevine restaurant is offering a four-course Christmas Day feast featuring frisèe & arugula salad, leek & potato cream soup, Prime rib roast, truffle mash, Brussels sprouts, and chocolate marquis paired with layers of chocolate ganache. $95. 5-9:30 pm. 817-251-3040.

Bar Louie. Four-course dinner for two features one bar bite to share, choice of soup or salad, entrée, and one dessert to share. Options include citrus grilled salmon, parmesan crusted chicken, and cinnamon donut holes. $75-$85 at select locations. 3-10 pm. Park Lane 469-638-8050, Las Colinas 469-472-1050.

The Crescent Club. Hotel Crescent Court restaurant will host Christmas brunch featuring holiday specials and desserts. $150, or $60 for 11 and under. 10:30 am - 3 pm. 214-871-3200.

Cut & Bourbon. Live! by Loews Arlington restaurant is hosting Christmas brunch and dinner with specials like Beef Wellington, and a traditional dinner menu of king crab legs, New York strip, and salmon. Prices are a la carte. Brunch is 9 am-2 pm, dinner 5 pm-10 pm. 682-277-4950.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle. Christmas feast features 38-ounce bone-in New York strip King cut and side of sweet potato casserole for an additional $19. $195. Dinner 2-8 pm. Dallas 972-490-9000, Plano 972-312-9115.

Salmon at Bar LouieCourtesy photo

Del Frisco's Grille. Holiday feature filet mignon and lobster tail, apple cranberry cobbler, and red velvet cheesecake. 12-8 pm. Plano 469-661-8012.

Dolce Riviera. Brunch buffet includes omelet bar, bruschetta bar, carving station, and dessert station. $95, or $35 for 12 and under. All reservations require a $50 deposit. 10 am-4 pm. Harwood District 469-458-6623.

Ebb & Flow. Open with the regular menu featuring toasted ravioli, Cubano egg rolls, salmon piccata, and a brown sugar soy-glazed porterhouse pork chop with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. 3 pm-2 am. Available at both Dallas 972-913-2322 and Plano 972-483-2266.

Ellie's Dallas. Three-course prix fixe menu for dinner features winter greens salad, gnocchi, slow-cooked beef picanha, sea bass, and buche de noel sponge cake, plus a la carte selections and festive cocktails. $95. 972-629-0924.

Farena. Loews Arlington Hotel restaurant is offering an Italian Continental breakfast buffet featuring baked pastries, seasonal fruits, and traditional breakfast dishes. The traditional dinner menu includes a classic Margherita pizza, veal milanese, prime 10-ounce filet mignon, and Executive Chef Tony France's Christmas special, herb crusted osso buco. $35 breakfast buffet; a la carte dinner pricing. Breakfast buffet 7 am - 12 pm, dinner 5-10 pm. 682-318-2810.

Fearing's. Christmas brunch features seafood raw bar, kale & spinach sesame salad, fruit & berries, bagels & spreads, smoked salmon, and meat carving stations. $185. 214-922-4848. 11 am-2:30 pm.

Hall Park Hotel. Newly opened Frisco hotel wll offer a grand buffet in the seventh-floor ballroom with a hot cocoa bar, carving station, desserts, juice and coffee, and dedicated kids' buffet station. $99, or $27 for 12 and under. Buy tickets here. 11 am–3 pm. 469-922-2442.

Harwood Arms. Pub will be open on Christmas Day and feature a traditional roast. $30-$50. 11 am-2 pm. Harwood District 214-273-5151.

Knife Italian. Ritz Carlton-Las Colinas restaurant is offering a pre-fixe menu featuring cream of wild mushroom soup, winter salad, Dr Pepper glazed ham, and 60-day dry age 14-ounce ribeye of beef. $159. Lunch 12-10 pm. 972-717-2420.

Kona Grill. Special menu includes roasted turkey, baked glazed ham, prime rib, and pumpkin pie. Holiday cocktails will also be available for $16 each. 11:30 am-11 pm. Dallas 214-369-7600, Plano 214-945-2500.

Monarch. Holiday specials include pork belly porchetta with creamy fennel salad, chestnut agnolotti with parmesan, brandied chestnuts, and Meyer lemon, and The Grinch, a chocolate cake with strawberry filling and chocolate ganache. Plus a custom Monarch crystal ornament as a festive keepsake. Prices are a la carte from $28-$45. 4-9 pm. 214-945-2222.

Montage. JW Marriott Dallas Arts District hotel restaurant is hosting holiday brunch including a seafood tower, charcuterie board, omelet station, chilaquiles station, and carving stations featuring bone-in prime rib and roasted pork loin. $75. 10:30 am-2 pm. 214-736-7760.

NDA Brasserie. Harwood District spot will serve a three-course brunch with a champagne activation and custom mimosa bar. $75, or $40 for 12 and under. All reservations require a $50 deposit. 10 am-3 pm. 945-910-4671.

Pyramid. Fairmont Hotel restaurant is hosting Christmas brunch featuring made-to-order omelets, Viennoiseries, avocado toast, lobster roll, smash burger, braised short rib, and smoked prime rib. Prices a la carte. 10 am-3 pm. 214-720-2020.

Ryder Grille. Frisco restaurant has holiday specials including Prime Rib with rosemary fingerling potatoes, pork belly, creamed spinach served in cast iron, glazed carrots, creamy horseradish and au jus for $48; and lamb chops with polenta, glazed carrots, roasted cippolini, and lamb jus for $44. Texas Pecan Pie with Bourbon whipped cream will be available for dessert. 7 am-9 pm. 469-888-5850.

Sanjh Restaurant & Bar. Elevated Indian restaurant has a Christmas buffet featuring Mulligatawny soup, paneer shashlik tikka, chicken haryali tikka, and ajwaini fish tikka. Plus live stations with made-to-order dosas served with sambar and chutney, omelet station, and a roasted counter with turkey and assorted breads. Desserts include plum cake, stollen, and a chocolate and candy station. $65, or $32.50 for 12 and under. 11 am-3 pm. 972-239-1800.

SER Steak + Spirits. Holiday specials include $18 roasted chestnut mushroom soup, market price Texas Wagyu Chateaubriand, and an "Underneath the Tree" dessert with ginger sable, peppermint mocha gateau, rompope, and praline bonbon. 5-10 pm. 214-761-7479.

Stillwell’s. Hotel Swexan’s steakhouse will offer a Christmas dinner including a la carte dishes and classic Beef Wellington. $95. 469-405-1911.

STK Steakhouse. Uptown steakhouse is open for Christmas Day with Wagyu, prime rib, holiday cocktails and the Holiday Features menu, with premium Wagyu cuts and caviar. Prices are a la carte. 11 am-10 pm. 972-842-9450.

Sushi Marquee. Frisco sushi restaurant will be open Christmas Day serving regular menu, including sushi, rolls, and ramen. 3 pm-2 am. 972-833-1608.

TK's Addison. Comedy club will do a three-course dinner with choics from lobster bisque or Caesar salad, filet mignon with crusted potato croquet and bernaise sauce, butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce, or Bay of Funday salmon with garlic whipped mashed potatoes & roasted red-pepper sauce. Third course features creme brulee or bananas Foster bread pudding with boozy caramel sauce. $75. 5-9 pm. 945-800-7668.

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Holiday Dining

These Dallas restaurants are open for dining on Christmas Day 2024