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."

chefs

Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 new happy hours for February

Even Coast

The Frozen John D at Even Coast.

The February edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column on restaurants and bars you can get a drink at, travels far and wide to find the best and most exotic happy hours around: From sushi deals in downtown Dallas to $5 margaritas in Collin County to Indian bar bites in Irving.

(If you're in a more date-night frame of mind, be sure to consult our list of places where you can share a sweet Valentine's Day meal.)

Here are five happy hours to try in February:

Cafe Gecko
Laid-back perennial favorite in Richardson has just unveiled a brand new happy hour menu featuring their delectable versions of classic bar food treats including pizza fries, pretzel bites, chicharrones, onion rings, and fried pickles, priced from $5-$7, plus $1 off everything in the bar. It's served Monday all day, and Tuesday-Friday from 3-7 pm.

Dozo Omakase
Omakase sushi restaurant which opened a year ago at Trinity Groves with a compact menu that includes the trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, available in small or large versions. They do a cool approach to happy hour by introducing a new menu nearly every month. For February, it includes items from the sushi bar and the kitchen including half-price nigiri, sushi hand rolls for $8, gyoza for $6, crispy rice tuna for $10, and miso soup for a bargain $2.50. Cocktails include sake for $9 and a Kyoto highball cocktail for $11.

Even Coast
Neighborhood restaurant from chef Omar Flores opened on the Addison-Dallas line in 2024 with seafood, pastas, and steaks — and now happy hour. It's a good one, served from 2-6 pm every day with its own menu of $3 oysters, $10 cheeseburgers, and salmon dip. House cocktails are $9, including a rotating flavor frozen drink; a pint of beer is $6, and wine by the glass is $9. The only restriction is where: On Friday-Saturday, it's available only at the bar; Sunday-Thursday, it's also available in the dining room and on the patio.

Neon Cactus
Congenial Mexican restaurant in Fairview has a happy hour with deals that surely seem worth driving for: They run Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and include margaritas for $5, domestic beers for $4, wine by the glass for $5, and well drinks for $4. They also have daily food specials that run all day, such as queso blanco and chicken tinga flautas, $10 each on Thursdays, and taco plates with rice and beans, $10 to $12 on Tuesdays.

Nirvana
Sultry Indian lounge at Toyota Music Factory with DJ, dance floor, and rooftop patio has what may be the worst website in the world — but buried beneath the PTSD flash graphics and music is a worthy happy hour, served from 4-7 pm featuring $2 off all cocktails, including the Hunan Heatwave with tequila and tandoori pineapple, and the Beijing Berry mocktail with mixed berries and ginger ale. Plus Indian-themed bar snacks such as "drums of heaven" AKA chicken lollipops; street-style chow mein, and crispy chili corn.

cocktails where to drink