Coffee News

Ascension Coffee opens annex in serene downtown Dallas oasis

Ascension Coffee is on the rise.

Ascension

The coffeehouse spinoff Ascension Annex will open in downtown Dallas with coffee and an abbreviated menu of sandwiches, salads, and items that are easy to grab and go.

The shop is opening in the Fountain Place building at 1540 Munger Ave. on May 7.

Annex Coffee is the offspring of Ascension Coffee and features a smaller space with coffee, a stronger focus on to-go options, plus wine and beer.

While smaller in size, Ascension Annex enjoys the stunning setting of the iconic Fountain Place skyscraper, with an interior embellished by elegant accents of emerald green. The patio faces the building's 172 water fountains and streams, one of the most serene spots in downtown Dallas.

The menu features a select group of items, some with a specific meal focus such as the Paleo breakfast bowl with coconut milk yogurt, nuts, and fruit, but which can nonetheless be eaten any time of the day.

There's spinach quiche and ratatouille quiche; sausage rolls; Caesar salad and kale salad; and a hummus snack pack with crackers and carrots.

Sandwiches include a Wagyu pastrami panini, tomato & mozzarella panini, soppressata & fig, and a Cuban.

Annex fills a certain niche, says spokesperson Sierra Tuthill.

"People want Ascension to be in more places, but there isn't always room for a full kitchen and all the extensive coffee-making equipment we have at our original location in the Design District," she says. "Annex is our smaller brand. It has similarities in the menu but it's more grab-and-go."

They also do 50 percent off on bottles of wine every night.

The Design District Ascension opened five years ago, and has been followed by locations at Crescent Court and downtown Dallas at Thanksgiving Square. They also opened 84 Point, a precursor to the Annex concept, which is in Addison.

And there are still more in the works, with a flagship that will open at 14555 Dallas Pkwy., and a location at The Star in Frisco, all set to open by summer 2018.

One hugely enticing amenity that Ascension offers is free use of its space for events, as long as you purchase food and drink. Many a wedding has taken place on the grounds of Fountain Place, and Tuthill says that their new location off the Tollway is a three-story glass-walled wonder.

It's an impressive expansion in a world where only Starbucks seems able to abide.

"Each location has a different layout style and design," Tuthill says. "No matter how fast we grow, owner Russell Hayward makes it clear we have to stick to our standards, and that includes having a love for the bean and being a hangout for each community we're in."

coffee downtown

Chef News

Beloved Dallas chef debuts farmers market restaurant Bucket & Rope

Bucket & Rope

Chef Victor Hugo is back.

A historical building near the Dallas Farmers Market has a stellar new tenant: Called Bucket & Rope, it's a new restaurant from acclaimed chef Victor Hugo, who previously owned the beloved Victor Hugo’s Dining and Bar in Oak Cliff, which closed in 2021.

Bucket & Rope is located at 600 S. Harwood St., in the space previously occupied by Green Door Public House, and is a partnership between Hugo and Mike Ruibal, owner of the famed Ruibal's Plants, who owns this space adjacent to his garden shop.

Dallas history buffs will remember that this structure, built over a century ago, was once home to Liberty Bank on Cesar Chavez Boulevard. It was relocated to the current location and rebuilt brick by brick to recreate the original structure. Green Door Public House was in the building for 10 years until it closed in August.

Ruibal was a regular at VH in Oak Cliff. He told Victor Hugo the first time they met that one day they would have a restaurant together.

“I decided to build a restaurant I would love, a neighborhood restaurant, and I wanted to do this with Victor," Ruibal says.

Bucket & Rope veggie plate Beautiful vegetable plate at Bucket & RopeInstagram

Hugo is an accredited chef who moved to Dallas from California and worked primarily for the Lombardi's group at Bistro 31 in Highland Park Village, before founding his own place in Oak Cliff.

After it closed, he launched a new VH location in Round Top at Oak Bones cabins, which he opens twice a year for the Spring and Fall antique shows in the area and for special events. He had a catering business as well — but was ready for more.

“Mike and I wanted to do something for the community, a place with great comfort food where neighbors can come two or three times a week, as an extension of their home," Hugo says.

The menu is New American, with steak, seafood, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Highlights include:

Rope In A Bucket: Crispy calamari strips, lemon caper aioli, Sriracha romesco
Steak Frites: 10oz New York Strip, green peppercorn sauce, skinny fries, spicy broccolini
Blackened Texas Redfish: Creamy parmesan risotto, green beans, mango habanero salsa
Duck & Rope Pasta: Duck confit, maitake mushroom, spinach tagliatelle, peppercorn cream, parmesan
Mike’s Burger: 8oz grilled Wagyu, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, bucket & rope sauce, grilled onions, pickles on brioche bun with skinny fries

Prices are reasonable, with salads and sandwiches at lunch for $12 to $18, and dinner entrees ranging from $18 for pasta to $28 for a Wagyu beef roast with cheddar grits.

An anecdote on the website explains that the name came from Ruibal's son, and that the team felt like it was a perfect fit for the building's history and aesthetic.

The restaurant represents a welcome return to Dallas' culinary scene for Hugo and his wife Brianna Ruelas, whose hospitality and great food at VH in Oak Cliff were much beloved.

“We are really excited to be part of this community, we have already met many customers who are happy to have us here," Hugo says.

downtown openings