Sweet Things

New gelato and candy shops sweeten the lineup at Dallas' Victory Park

Sweet things are headed for Victory Park.

Photo courtesy of It'sugar

If you're a sweets fiend, Victory Park has two new concepts that'll be right up your alley. One does ice cream, the other does candy.

Popbar is known for gelato-on-a-stick and other frozen treats. It'sugar is a candy emporium specializing in sweets, novelty gifts, and giant candy.

Popbar will open a 690-square-foot location in June at 2420 Victory Park Ln. They serve gelato, sorbetto, and yogurt in a new way: on a stick. Because nobody has ever heard of this "stick" thing before. The menu includes 40+ rotating flavors, along with dippings and toppings, which allow for customizable flavor combinations.

The pops are made on-site daily in small batches of 26 popbars at a time. They also make unique treats such as frozen hot chocolate on a stick.

It'sugar will open a 2,644-square-foot location in late April at 2401 Victory Park Ln. It'sugar was founded by candy veteran Jeff Rubin in 2006, and claims to have become the largest specialty candy retailer in the world, with more than 100 locations in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago.

They're known for their absurd sugar innovations. They're also known for having what has to be the most punctuationally-challenged name in the world. That apostrophe masking as a space is an eyesore, nothing less. What is wrong with just calling yourself "It's Sugar"? Nope. Gotta have the special apostrophe.

Making matters worse, they also like to put their name in all caps, a la "IT'SUGAR". Sorry, we are not having that here on CultureMap, no all caps for you.

The two new sweets purveyors are part of a Victory Park redevelopment led by retail partner Trademark Property Co. and owner Estein USA.

Trademark CEO Terry Montesi says in a release that they're thrilled at the momentum.

"It's gratifying to see our intense redevelopment efforts continue to pay off with commitments from best-in-class local F&B and retail operators, which will help transform Victory into one of the most vibrant, walkable retail and entertainment districts in the city," he says.

The property will welcome 10 new concepts including a flagship Mesero; Imoto, an Asian kitchen and bar from Tracy Rathbun; wine bar Burgundy Swine; a restaurant by This & That (High Fives, The Standard Pour); and a bar by Brooke Humphries (Barcadia, Beauty Bar, Pints & Quarts).

There will also be a 24,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment concept in Victory Plaza by Humphries and Elias Pope’s 8020 Hospitality (the team behind HG Sply Co.); and two unique concepts by Rebees, led by Dallas entrepreneur Tristan Simon that include a modern Texas saloon and a workspace with a café.

New retail tenants include Yoga Pod and Sweet Tooth Hotel, an experiential art and retail pop-up that will be open from May-June.

Other openings in the coming months include Luxe Dental, Orangetheory Fitness, Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas-Victory Park, and The 23, a new 285-unit mixed-use apartment community by LMC. Additional parking and a state-of-the-art valet program, as well as lighting and technology upgrades, will also roll out in early 2018.

A public art program that recently debuted includes a musically-inspired sculpture by Las Vegas-based artist Tim Bavington near the W Dallas – Victory Hotel, five vibrant garage murals by local artist Lesli Marshall, an eight-foot steel sculpture in the "Victory-sign" hand gesture by California-based artist Nathan Mabry, with additional pieces rolling out in the coming months.

desserts downtown

Chocolate News

Richardson dessert shop Chocolate Drip lays out eye-catching treats

Chocolate Drip

Chocolate bear with pistachio sauce at Chocolate Drip

A dessert shop in Richardson has become the toast of the sweets world: Called Chocolate Drip, it opened in August at 1057 S. Sherman St., in a center east of US-75 near Spring Valley Road, where it's rolling out some eye-catching chocolate treats.

Chocolate Drip is a passion project from Mohammad Quzmar, a Palestinian-born owner who moved to Dallas four years ago and taught himself to cook through tinkering. That experimentation has translated into a constantly evolving menu, with new creations appearing whenever inspiration strikes — earning him a growing reputation as something of a modern-day Willy Wonka.

"Chocolate is my passion. I just love being in the kitchen and creating,” he says.

The cafe's offerings are extensive, from sweet breakfast staples like pancakes and waffles to off-menu items teased on the café’s Instagram, such as the Dubai Drip platter — an interactive fondue plate with fruit, brownies, waffles, marshmallows, to be dipped into melted chocolate and pistachio cream.

Many of his items have the kind of eye-catching twists and table-side presentations that draw attention on Instagram, such as the cruffle (a waffle made from a croissant) topped with spaghetti-like strands of gelato, which a server extrudes through a potato ricer right before your eyes.

Other signatures include a teddy bear made of chocolate mousse and kanafa, finished with pistachio sauce for $13.30, and crepes filled with a brownie, with pistachio and chocolate sauce for $15.

Prices are not cheap but these are ultra-decadent items with generous portions, often meant for sharing.

The drink list is ambitious, spanning coffee, matcha, smoothies, milkshakes, and nonalcoholic mocktails. It's obvious Quzmar is having fun, rolling out his versions of viral items like the famous s'mores hot chocolate pioneered by New York dessert shop Glace, which features a cap made of marshmallow meringue that’s torched.

There are also a few savory offerings like egg-and-cheese crepes, a salmon croissant, and a turkey waffle. Those in the know also come to order Middle Eastern treats like salab, a creamy milk drink topped with cinnamon; and Om Ali, a sugary pudding with nuts, dried fruit, and coconut.

Named after the Gen Z slang for “cool” or “stylish,” Drip is meant to be a hangout spot more than a quick dessert stop, Quzmar says — a place to linger over brunch, then return late night to a place that feels buzzy and fun sans alcohol.

“Everyone who works here is either family or treated like family and everything is homemade with love," he says.

desserts openings