Chef News

Award-winning Dallas chef Tiffany Derry to open restaurant in DeSoto

That is some award-winning fried chicken.

Photo courtesy of Roots Southern Table

Celebrity chef Tiffany Derry is taking her famous fried chicken to DeSoto.

According to a release, the DeSoto City Council has approved an economic incentive package from the DeSoto Development Corporation to bring Roots Chicken Shak, Derry's award-winning restaurant featuring fried chicken, to town. Operated by hospitality group T2D Concepts, Roots will open in DeSoto's forthcoming Hampton Road development project.

DeSoto will be Roots Chicken Shak’s third location and first free-standing structure, adding an option for drive-through service.

In line with the concept’s high culinary standards, the new location will boast a menu inspired by Derry’s Southern upbringing that utilizes locally sourced, fresh ingredients prepared with proprietary methods and spices. Here, duck-fat fried chicken is the star and will be served in many forms – from wings and tenders to salads and sandwiches.

"We founded T2D Concepts to serve great food, deliver great service, spark meaningful conversation, and create community impact and we are thrilled that the City of DeSoto has embraced our mission," says T2D Co-Founder Tom Foley in a statement. "We are honored to be part of DeSoto’s important redevelopment project and look forward to partnering with the Council to create great impact in the community."

Founded by Derry and her business partner Tom Foley, T2D Concepts aims to bridge the gender and racial wealth gap in the hospitality industry through the power of good food and its social entrepreneurial business model.

The DeSoto partnership is T2D Concepts’ next actionable step toward achieving its vision of expanding the restaurant’s footprint to bring chef-quality food to underserved areas and ownership opportunities to historically marginalized community members.

“When a community serves as the host to a restaurant from T2D Concepts, they’re getting a company committed to nourishing the community and driving justice and opportunity for those who have been historically denied a seat at the table,” declared DeSoto Mayor Rachel L. Proctor. “Aside from being a talented chef who has satisfied the food cravings of everyone from school children to President Barak Obama, we appreciate the fact that Tiffany together with her business partner, Tom, have tirelessly crusaded for social change and for creating opportunities for women and minorities."

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Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

Courtesy

Pancakes

A new restaurant has been unveiled that will take over the former Ferris Wheeler space near Dallas' Design District at 1950 Market Center Blvd.: Called AM/FM, it'll be an all-day diner and lounge with a big backyard and a stage for live music, and it's from Spune Productions, the music and event production company.

According to a release, it'll open in early January initially with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches. Music acts are already booked beginning January 8. More hours will be added down the road.

Ferris Wheelers BBQ, which was also a restaurant with a big backyard and a stage for live music, closed in November after eight years. Spune had already been involved since 2023 to help ramp up the live music side. Now they'll take it over with a fresh new personality and long hours.

They were famous for having a Ferris wheel on-site; an inquiry on its status went unanswered.

The diner will open daily at 7 am, serving "musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name," says the release very poetically.

They've redecorated the interior with a new bar and banquettes that wrap the room. Alongside the renovations inside, the set-up outdoors will evolve over the coming weeks, with extra care given to the concert experience,

Menu
The food at AM/FM will be rooted in elevated Diner classics, with a menu overseen by chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman (Oh, Hi! Hospitality) that's influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.

Breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, breakfast empanadas, French toast, avocado toast, pork belly toast, and an intriguing twist on pancakes called masa pancakes, made using masa harina AKA corn flour.

Lunch includes a chicken Milanesa Caesar salad, Sonoran hot dog, fried catfish po'boy, kale salad, Cobb salad, and a Mexican twist on chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles.

Entree plates include pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and a weekly pot pie.

The beverage program will aim for accessibility with coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, says Victor Rojas, Quinones-Pittman's partner at Oh, Hi! Hospitality.

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