Charcuterie News

Graze Craze chain dedicated to charcuterie opens in Plano and Dallas

Charcuterie and wine are a match made in heaven.

Graze Craze

One of the hottest dining trends as of late has been charcuterie boards, and now we have a takeout place with a charcuterie theme: Called Graze Craze, it's an innovative brand that brings a "customizable" grazing experience to the Dallas-area, specifically Plano, at 1101 Ohio Dr. #116, where it is making its Texas debut.

Founded in Oklahoma by US Air Force veteran Kerry Sylvester, Graze Craze is a booming new concept in charcuterie boards specializing in artfully designed platters with food for grazing including fruits, vegetables, cheese, crackers, meats, and sweets.

The menu features several options, whether for meat-and-cheese lovers or a vegetarian feast. Each charcuterie platter is "curated" by a "grazologist", a term they've trademarked to describe your own charcuterie concierge. Good idea to trademark that term.

The boards come in different sizes, from single boxes for the lone grazer, to boards with enough to feed a party of 10.

Menu options include:

Gone Grazey, their signature platter with hummus, breads, grapes, Brie, assorted cheese slices, crackers, hot soppressata, peppered salami, sweet coppa, carrots, rosemary crackers, cracked pepper crackers, mini bell peppers, prosciutto, fennel-spiced ham, goat cheese with honey & pistachios, wheat crackers, cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, kiwi, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, craisins, nuts, cottage cheese dill dip, cranberry orange jam, raspberry jam, lemon dill mayo, spicy brown mustard, honey, and dark chocolate bark.
Sweet & Grazey, a dessert board with grapes, pound cake with caramel and pistachios, brownies with white chocolate syrup, lemon cake, oranges, kiwis, macaroon, dessert bread, manchego cheese, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, craisins, strawberries, and dark chocolate bark.

Graze Craze is part of the United Franchise Group whose other concepts include Jon Smith Subs and The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. There are currently 15 locations in Oklahoma, Utah, Florida, Tennessee, and one in Massachusetts, the best state in the US of A. Two more are slated to open in Texas: one in University Park at 3400 Rosedale St., near SMU, and another in Houston.

Bringing it to Plano is Rob Salinas, a former corporate CFO who is pursuing his dream of owning his own business, and who recognized the booming popularity of charcuterie boards. High-five, Rob.

"There is something special about having the opportunity to serve others," Salinas says in a statement. "We love to see how excited our customers get when they receive their personalized grazing boards, and we’re happy to provide beautiful charcuterie displays, crafted with high-quality ingredients that will please anyone's palate."

Graze Craze is open for pick-ups Monday-Saturday from 8:30 am-6:30 pm, and also does delivery.

openings

Closure News

Deep Ellum sushi tops 5 surprising restaurant closures in Dallas

Deep Sushi

In the cyclical world of Dallas restaurants, January is often a time for closures — not only because it's the beginning of a new year but also because the post-holiday lull, with all its New Year's resolutions and diets and dry spells, can make January a challenging month for business.

These five closures all come as a surprise: from a longtime location of a bakery chain to a BBQ startup to a veteran vegan spot. Two closures involve restaurants that have been open in Dallas — one in the Park Cities, the other in Deep Ellum — for decades.

Here are five sad closings that just occurred around Dallas:

Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery
Revered local cafe chain closed its location in Plano at 4021 Preston Rd. after 20 years. In a post on Instagram, the bakery said that their lease had come to an end, and they closed on December 24. The chain has three other locations: NorthPark Center, Allen, and the original on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas.

Casa del Vegano
Popular vegan Mexican restaurant on Jefferson Avenue in Oak Cliff closed on January 2, after five years. On their Instagram post, they said that they fought hard to stay alive. "We pushed, adjusted, sacrificed, and held on as long as we could. Unfortunately, after falling two months behind and facing heavy fees and penalties, we reached a point where we could no longer continue," they said. They may offer some of their dishes at their more casual sister restaurant, Vegan Food House, also in Oak Cliff.

Deep Sushi
Longtime sushi restaurant in Deep Ellum has closed after 30 years — impressive for any restaurant, but especially in Deep Ellum. A notice on their website says "closed until further notice," but a spokesperson for the ownership confirmed that it has closed for good. Deep Sushi opened in 1996, just as the neighborhood was shifting from an underground rock nexus into a broader entertainment zone with restaurants and bars. It was founded by a group of physicians with sushi savvy, at a time when there were only a handful of sushi spots in the city. They engaged Tetsuji Yamaguchi, who had his own eponymous restaurant on Inwood Road, to consult on the menu, and for a few years, it was one of the hottest destinations in town.

New York Sub
Park Cities sandwich shop that's been open at 3411 Asbury St. across the street from SMU since 1974, is closing at the end of February. According to an Instagram post, owners Andrew and Edith Kelley were in the middle of negotiating another 10-year lease when their landlord sold the building. "While the new owners have been kind, we simply can’t make the new financial terms work," their post says. Their goal is to find a new location nearby or else find someone who wants to take over the shop.

Tejas Brisket Co.
Fast-casual BBQ takeout spot in East Dallas is closing its storefront at 1318 N. Peak St. Owners Tifany Swulius and Antonio Guevara gave it their all, including adding breakfast tacos, but to no avail. In a Facebook post, they said they were no longer able to continue to operate a storefront with their current hours -- not even after a tout in November in TX Monthly. They'll maintain a catering operation, and meanwhile will keep serving brisket until they run out, which they predict will be on or around January 16.

deep-ellum closings