Meat News

Cute butcher shop-cafe from celebrity chef opens in Dallas' Knox District

They'll have meat and pastries and cheese and sandwiches.

Photo courtesy of Georgie

There's a new shop coming to Dallas' Knox Street area for people who like meat. Georgie by Curtis Stone, the restaurant in the Knox District, will finally open The G Butcher Shop, its companion butcher-sandwich shop at 4514 Travis S., #132, with a forecast date of early March.

Stone is the Los Angeles-based Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, author, and culinary entrepreneur. In 2014, he opened his first solo restaurant, called Maude, in Beverly Hills, then opened Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant in Hollywood with his brother Luke Stone. So there's a precedent for this restaurant-butcher shop thing.

In Dallas, Stone collaborated with restaurateur Stephan Courseau, owner of Le Bilboquet and Up on Knox, both located nearby. Georgie opened in November 2019, but they teased the coming butcher by hanging cuts of meat hanging from the window, setting carnivores aflame with desire and anticipation.

The G Butcher Shop will be quaint and draw its inspiration from France. It will also double as a casual eatery, open for breakfast and lunch, with counter and patio seating. They'll serve gourmet sandwiches made to order at lunch, and pastries for breakfast sourced from sister restaurant, Up On Knox, plus fresh, organic squeezed juices.

In addition to meats, they'll have prepared foods including rotisserie chicken, charcuterie, terrines, and dairy from Brazos Valley Cheese and Brush Creek Creamery.

"The G Butcher Shop is committed to provide the highest quality meats that have been brought to market in a manner that is in line with our principles," says Courseau in a statement.

In-house butcher is Mike Lawson, who was previously executive sous chef for Gemma and Sachet, and was in charge of the cured program at Oak Cliff's Macellaio. He's also worked for Mario Batali in Las Vegas.

Courseau says that Lawson is known for his mastery of butchery and is part of a movement known as ethical butchering.

"We're passionate about meat," Lawson says in a statement. "We are proud to offer products that have an emphasis on high ethical standards with unique flavors."

The G Butcher Shop will be open Monday-Friday at 8 am for breakfast; 11 am-3 pm for sandwich service; and until 6 pm for retail. On Saturday and Sunday, The G Butcher Shop will be open 11 am-6 pm.

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News you can cheers to

Assembly Icehouse in Plano adds swanky adults-only cocktail lounge

Photo courtesy of Assembly Icehouse

Espresso martini at Assembly Icehouse.

An east Plano restaurant and entertainment venue is expanding with a chic new lounge aimed exclusively at the 21-and-up crowd: Assembly Icehouse, the sports bar and family-friendly restaurant at Assembly Park, is adding a cocktail lounge, giving the mixed-use development its first adults-only destination.

According to a release, the 2,200-square-foot lounge will go in the former Tacoro Tacos & Tequila space, which has closed.

The lounge will offer a more upscale atmosphere than the adjoining icehouse, and will focus on premium cocktails, spirits, music, and socializing, the release says. Features will include a vinyl listening station with an extensive record collection, a pool table, and private spirit lockers where regulars and members can store personal bottles for future visits.

Yes, memberships will be available. So swank.

The lounge's name, opening date, membership details, and beverage program will be announced later, the owners say.

Assembly Icehouse, announced in fall 2024, opened in November 2025 as one of the anchor restaurant concepts at Assembly Park, the redevelopment of the former Plano Market Square Mall at 1717 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. Developed by Triten Real Estate Partners, the project has transformed the aging shopping center into a mixed-use destination with apartments, offices, restaurants, and a central park.

The 4,850-square-foot restaurant was developed by Dallas hospitality group Blender Brands and features elevated bar food, more than 30 TVs, live entertainment, and expansive indoor-outdoor spaces overlooking the property's lawn. The menu includes smashburgers, chicken and waffles, double-fried wings, and sandwiches such as the Tejas Philly.

Assembly Park in Plano. Rendering courtesy of Assembly Park

The adjoining lounge will mark the latest evolution for Assembly Park, which also includes Cliff Coffee and other food-and-drink concepts from Blender Brands. (The now-closed Tacoro had operated as a quick service, pick-up and go Mexican restaurant and taqueria.)

"Assembly Icehouse has been embraced by the community in a way that exceeded our expectations," says JR Muñoz in the release. "As we looked at what was next, we saw an opportunity to create something completely different within Assembly Park. This lounge will offer an elevated adults-only experience where guests can relax, enjoy great music, share exceptional spirits and feel like they're part of something special. It's designed to be a destination for connection and conversation."

Blender Brands, founded by Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs Jacob Cox and Danny Wilson, also operates Select Start Arcade & Bar in Deep Ellum, Good Side Pizza Pub, and other hospitality concepts across North Texas.

Assembly Park's location, the former Plano Market Square Mall, was a 300,000-square-foot shopping mall that was built in the 1980s. Triten acquired it in 2021 with the goal to create a walkable mixed-use neighborhood featuring dining and retail, creative office, and urban-style living options with a connection to the outdoors, centered around a freshly planted park and event space. It includes the Annabel at Assembly Park, an apartment community with 304 units that opened in summer 2024.

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