Food Hall News

New food hall in Grapevine signs on gourmet sliders and falafels

These are some gourmet sliders.

Sliders and falafel have been added to the menu at Harvest Hall, a European-style food hall opening in historic Grapevine in mid-2020.

According to a release, newbies joining the food hall are Easy Slider, home of gourmet sliders; and Zatar, a Fort Worth food truck that does Mediterranean cuisine.

Harvest Hall is connected to Hotel Vin, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, which specializes in one-of-a-kind properties. Located at 215 E. Dallas Rd., it's part of a $114 million mixed-use development called Grapevine Main, which will serve as a gateway to the burgeoning downtown district.

The food hall and hotel will be operated by Coury Hospitality, which currently has seven boutique hotels, located in Kansas City, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee.

The food hall previously signed on four vendors, so this will make six. The restaurants they've selected for the food hall are family-owned and -operated:

Easy Slider is from owner-operators Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes, and specializes in Angus Beef sliders with unique toppings. That means farmer's market produce such as Texas baby portobello mushrooms and other seasonal ingredients. Dallas/Fort Worth's first and only gourmet slider truck, Easy Slider has grown to include three trucks and a brick and mortar restaurant in Deep Ellum.
Zatar's owner-operator Niddal Abedrabbo serves family recipes made from high quality ingredients including lamb kabobs, hummus dips, Jerusalem-style falafels, zatar pies, and shawarma on a spit. This will be their first brick and mortar location. Zatar participated in the Blue Zones Project, a national effort to lower chronic diseases and improve quality of life. Zatar is also involved in many charitable endeavors.

They'll join the four previously announced vendors:

Arepa TX – Latin Kitchen
Chick & Biscuit – Comfort Cuisine
Four Sisters – A Taste of Vietnam
Spuntino – Bites of Italy

Now that they're part of the Harvest Hall family, Easy Slider and Zatar's food trucks will expand their menus to include items from these other Harvest Hall entities.

In a statement, Tom Santora, Chief Commercial Officer of Coury Hospitality and Managing Director of Hotel Vin and Harvest Hall, calls it "a challenging time" in the hospitality industry.

"All of Harvest Hall’s restaurants are family-owned and operated – and we are all looking for ways to support one another," Santora says. "By happenstance, our two newest partners are food truck operators – and by sharing space on their food trucks, each of our kitchens are able to expand their reach to help maximize revenues during this difficult time."

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Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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