Vegan News

Dallas-Fort Worth scores very rare vegan soft-serve ice cream by Oatly

Pretty photo, although the soft-serve will be available in a cup only.

Courtesy of Vegan Treats

A rare treat that until now has been available in only one shop in the U.S. is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth: vegan soft-serve by Oatly, the buzzy oat milk company.

The soft-serve will be available at Globe Life Field in Arlington, as part of a partnership between Oatly and The Texas Rangers. It'll come in two flavors, chocolate and vanilla, as well as an option for a swirl. It'll be sold in a cup only, no cone, for $8.

"Oatly has partnered with a number of MLB teams and we were lucky enough to be one of them," says Casey Rapp, General Manager of Delaware North Sportservice at Globe Life Field.

Up until now, the only place in the country to get this new Oatly venture was at Dirt Candy, a plant-based restaurant in New York, who introduced the soft-serve in late 2020.

But according to a representative from Oatly, the company has expansion plans, including its role as the Official Sustainability Partner of the Texas Rangers.

As part of that partnership, Rangers fans will see Oatly at Globe Life Field in a couple ways: fans will be able to buy Oatly soft serve in a couple different locations and they’ll see some Oatly touches around the stadium, including in the Kids Zone and via a giant Oatly carton display.

There will be two locations in the ballpark where the soft-serve is served:

Lower Concourse Going Going Greene
Upper Concourse Karbach Skyporch

Both of these locations are separate from the ballpark's well established Vegan Cart located on the main level at homeplate.

Founded in the '90s and based in Sweden, Oatly has a patented enzyme technology that they say copies a process in nature. Like most oat milks, it's very creamy; some have called it the "Holy Grail" of alternative milks.

Oatly's North American President Mike Messersmith says in a statement that they're thrilled to be partnering with the Texas Rangers and Delaware North.

"From bringing in the new Oatly Soft Serve for fans to enjoy on game day to collaborating with us on their sustainability initiatives at Globe Life Field to putting up a massive oatmilk carton in the outfield skyline, the Rangers are leading the sustainability movement within the gameday experience," Messersmith says.

"More and more, people are choosing to eat more plant-based, even at the ballpark," he says. "Globe Life Field is a great place to make that choice, and we’re excited for Rangers fans to try Oatly in a whole new way with our soft serve."

Delaware North services a number of stadiums across the country. According to Glen White, director of Corporate Communications, the Arlington stadium is among the first to offer this as an option. (The soft-serve is also being offered at Wrigley Field in Chicago.)

"At this time we don’t have plans to serve it in other venues where we operate," White says. "But there may be some further discussion, and we will be reviewing how the Oatly product is received by fans at Globe Life Field this spring."

The Rangers have an admirable track record on the vegan front, first adding vegan dishes to their concessions lineup in 2016. They've since won the award for "No. 1 most vegan-friendly ballpark" twice, in 2017 and again in 2019.

desserts vegan

Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings