Oak Cliff News

COVID-19 strikes fatal blow to chef restaurant Victor Hugo in Oak Cliff

They were known for their chef-driven fare and weekend brunch.

Courtesy of Victor Hugo

An independently owned restaurant in Dallas' Oak Cliff has been felled by the cursed pandemic: Victor Hugo's, the New American bistro at 1115 N. Beckley Ave., will close for good on May 30.

Husband-and-wife Victor Hugo and Brianna Ruelas made the difficult decision to close after nearly seven years in business.

"The pandemic took a heavy toll on the restaurant industry, and our family-owned business held on as long as we could," Hugo said in a statement.

Victor Hugo's was the quintessential neighborhood restaurant, earning a following for its chef-driven food with a menu that included quesadillas with brie, bacon, and mushroom; Akaushi beef tenderloin tips with tagliatelle pasta, mushrooms, English peas; and Texas wagyu burger on a kaiser roll with bacon, fontina, and avocado.

Hugo worked primarily for the Lombardi's group at Bistro 31 in Highland Park Village, before founding his own place, in a location next to Johnathan's and Spiral Diner that had been home to a variety of restaurants such as Outpost Tavern and an Argentinian restaurant called La Carreta, before VH brought some continuity.

Ruelas says that, despite the fact that COVID-19 seems to have slightly turned the corner, it was too little too late.

"Things were looking up, but the damage has been done," she says. "It's been such an uphill battle, and we're about to hit the summer. You know what Dallas summers look like for restaurants. Everyone travels."

"But that's just part of it," she says. "The pandemic really hit us hard. We're a small joint off the beaten path. People have to know about us to come. We just weren't able to sustain through the pandemic."

The couple, who live in Richardson, already had another restaurant in the works, which they'd originally planned to open in 2019. They'd completed about 75 percent of the construction when COVID-19 hit.

"Victor wants to get closer to home in Richardson," Ruelas says. "We hope to eventually open in Richardson, but we don't even know what that's going to look like. Things have changed so dramatically in the industry right now. The pandemic is forcing everyone to get a little more creative and approach things differently."

That includes a big increase in catering and private events.

"He's been getting lots of requests for in-home dinners and that'll on the docket for this summer, along with taking some downtime to reassess things and see where he's ready to put his energy," she says. "He will be doing something in the restaurant industry in some form or fashion, it's just a matter of what and where and maybe it looks a little different."

In the meantime, VH fans have until May 30 to stop in for brunch and a toast.

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Blending cultures

Dallas Matcha Club brings community together over trendy green tea

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Matcha

Members of a unique Dallas social club are bonding over the world's trendiest drink: matcha. The Dallas Matcha Club (DMC) aims to foster a community through a shared love of matcha, while supporting local businesses and making new friends.

Matcha is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide, with the global market projected to reach $6.35 billion by 2029. The tea has its origins in China, but it was developed and refined in Japan; tea leaves are ground into the green powder that's used for matcha lattes and smoothies, whose appeal has skyrocketed in recent years — especially among Gen-Z.

DMC Founder Aaliyah Iwamoto created the social club in October 2024 after moving to Texas from Hawaii.

“Since I'd just moved, I wanted to get to explore the city,” Iwamoto says. “I figured trying new cafes was the perfect way to do it ... I was hoping to meet new people."

Iwamoto, who is of Japanese heritage, says matcha had been a part of her life long before it became buzzy. Whenever she visits Japan, she brings back matcha tins from Nishio — and on a previous trip, even toured a matcha farm.

“When I first started [DMC], I didn't know that [matcha] was going to get as big as it did and have such a global impact,” Iwamoto says.

Now she is parlaying her love of matcha into a social experience with dozens of other matcha enthusiasts in North Texas.

On "matcha meetups," club members visit local coffee shops and matcha hot spots together, from downtown Dallas to Fort Worth to McKinney.

The group also hosts events at which members can gain new skills and hobbies. Matcha-specific activities have included classes where they've made chawans, or “matcha bowls,” as well as matcha-whisking workshops. They've also hosted more general-interest events such as paint and sips, Pilates classes, bracelet making, picnics, yoga sessions, and more.

Their most recent event was a Matcha Winter Market with La Maison Bleue Cafe, which included a Christmas toy drive for Children’s Health Plano.

The Dallas Matcha Club on one of their meetups.Photo courtesy of Dallas Matcha Club

While some events have drawn as many as 150 attendees, most see about 30 to 50 people. Members are a diverse group of primarily 20- and 30-somethings at various stages of life — from parents who come with their kids to college students.

“I feel like there's a good mix of people from all different places, too, not just Texas," Iwamoto says.

What makes matcha such a community connector is its ties to a culture, she says.

“'It’s not just a drink. There's a whole process that goes into making the matcha, and a whole process into making your latte at home,” Iwatmoto says. “People are learning about the different tools that you use to make matcha, which are all Japanese ... people are learning through enjoying matcha."

The club’s Instagram page, which has nearly 5,500 followers, proclaims, "Whether you’re an avid matcha lover or matcha newbie, the Dallas Matcha Club is the community for you!"

Iwamoto underscores that DMC is a welcoming group for anyone.

“Most of the people that attend like matcha, but there are some people who are new to it," she says. "There's also some people who just tag along with their friends and they're more of a coffee person. Anyone's welcome."

Anyone interested in joining the Dallas Matcha Club can follow their Instagram @dallasmatcha and fill out the membership form, which is linked in their Instagram bio. There is no fee to become a member of the DMC.

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