News You Can Eat
Dallas restaurants go on wild spring spree with new dishes and menus
The Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant scene has been brisk, with news of a new place opening nearly every day. But this round of dining news is dominated by menu action, with new dishes, new brunches, and even a new chef. Catch your breath and catch up on what's new on restaurant menus around town.
After 26 years, Adelmo's Ristorante served its final plate of pasta at its location on Cole Street on March 26. The restaurant is relocating to Inwood Village, where it will take over the space left empty by Bijoux. Owner Adelmo Banchetti is departing a neighborhood that's undergone a dramatic upheaval, with the arrival of a new Trader Joe's, which opened on the same day Adelmo's closed.
Stephan Pyles restaurant closes on April 30. The chef will open a new restaurant in the Arts District, Flora Street Cafe.
A second branch of Oak Cliff restaurant Cheesesteak House, which does cheesesteaks and queso fries, has opened at 1250 Northwest Hwy. in Garland.
Shakertins Austin Ranch has recruited chef Melissa Wagner from The Standard Pour to head up its food program. The menu includes pesto hummus, truffle popcorn, and salads such as Caprese and kale Caesar. Flatbreads feature dough made in-house and toppings such as pears with Gorgonzola and prosciutto, turkey with goat cheese, and squash with artichokes and portabella mushrooms. Owners are Brad Hawkins and Anthony Morel from The Dram.
Following the opening of its location at the Dallas Farmers Market, Scardello Artisan Cheese debuted five new sandwiches with ingredients such as cheddar, turkey, and ham.
Whataburger reprises its chop house cheddar burger for a limited time in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. A release claims that fans have been clamoring for its return. The burger has two patties, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, bacon, and steak sauce on a fresh, toasted, five-inch bun.
That sounds like quite the bun, but the release seems to imply that the defining element here is the steak sauce. VP Rich Scheffler says, "This unforgettable burger is full of flavor and topped with our very own creamy steak sauce that makes for a steak lover's dream." The burger is available as a meal or a la carte, and also can be ordered as a junior version on a smaller bun.
Wayward Sons has launched a weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am-4 pm. Menu items include eggs (duh), biscuits and gravy, avocado toast, cornflake-crusted French toast, granola, a burger, catfish po' boy, and a grilled cheese sandwich made with Taleggio cheese.
Top Knot will inaugurate brunch in April. The menu includes cinnamon rolls, fried chicken benedict on a biscuit, a breakfast bun with Canadian bacon and pimento cheese on a Parker House roll, Thai French toast, and the Top Knot Breakfast with rice, salmon, egg, sunomono, nori, bonito, and miso soup. During April it'll be Sundays only, adding Saturdays on April 30.
Norma's Cafe has new menu items for the spring. Chicken summer salad has grilled chicken over kale, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, carrots, pecans, raisins, strawberries, and blueberries in a raspberry vinaigrette. Rancheros burger is a half-pound burger with refried beans, onions, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and ranchero sauce, topped with a fried egg. Buffalo chicken sandwich has chicken-fried chicken in spicy buffalo sauce, with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Boneless pork loin chops come with mushroom gravy and cornbread dressing.
Eureka! has new seasonal menu items. Appetizers include Brussels sprouts with herb oil and macadamia nuts; and macaroni and cheese with orecchiette pasta, three-cheese sauce, bacon, and Fritos. Entrees include chicken sandwich with Havarti cheese, pancetta, arugula, and pesto; lobster tacos with cabbage, avocado, and a brown rice medley; and a New York steak with grilled vegetables.
La Madeleine is introducing new "custom" crêpes. A release says they're handmade, which is what you might expect from crepes that are custom. But wait, there's more: They're not only custom and handmade, they're made to order. Fillings such as scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh chopped spinach, diced tomatoes, cheddar, and more. The release says they're also open-faced, and although a breakfast item, will be served all day. So they're not really a breakfast item.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House has new appetizers, entrees, and sides. Heirloom tomato and burrata salad is drizzled in a balsamic glaze. Sea bass with bean garlic sauce comes with crab fried rice and an Asian slaw. Seafood platter now includes two stone crab claws, three shrimp, and a half pound of Alaskan king crab.
Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse in the West End has two new antelope dishes: antelope carpaccio with arugula salad, maple Dijon, and toast points; and antelope loin with mushrooms.
Tropical Smoothie Café has a new chicken club flatbread available for a limited time, and two new smoothies: one with avocados and tropical fruits, the other with an energizing chia banana boost.