Chef News

Comfy District restaurant from California makes Texas debut in Dallas

Gulf shrimp with succotash.

Photo by District

At last, a buzzy neighborhood restaurant and bar hailing from California is ready to roll: District, a Northern California concept making its premiere in Texas, will debut at 5100 Belt Line Rd, #544, at the Village on the Parkway in Addison, where it will be open for lunch, dinner, and late-night.

According to a release, the opening date is May 6.

It's a "rustic yet refined" concept that pairs globally-inspired shareable plates with an extensive and diverse wine and whiskey program. Co-founder Jon D'Angelica and his partner Ryan Vance opened the first District 15 years ago in San Francisco on the idea that shareable plates paired with the right wine (or whiskey) create a more intimate dining experience.

District currently has three locations, all in California: San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. Addison is the fourth location and first outside California, and they've partnered with acclaimed chef Aaron Staudenmaier who shares their vision in this statement:

"The menu is designed to introduce guests to new flavors and touch back to old favorites while remaining approachable. Our culinary vision is global, pulling influence, technique, and flavors from a wide array of styles and cultures. Diners can be as comfortable, or as adventurous, as they want. The right glass of wine or perfect sip of whiskey will always be on hand to help guide them to the next dish."

Staudenmaier has 25-plus years experience including The Mansion on Turtle Creek and the Inn at Little Washington. He worked with Kent Rathbun to open Abacus and Jasper's, then worked at Boot Ranch, an ultra-luxury property in Fredericksburg, then Lovers Seafood, and then concept chef at Whiskey Cake Kitchen and Bar.

Food
Standout shareables on the seasonal menu include:

Crispy Squash Blossoms - goat cheese filling, wild arugula, aleppo pepper agrodolce
Sweet Potato Pakoras - crispy chickpea batter, zucchini, sweet onion, jalapeno-lime aioli
Fontina & Spinach Arancini - crispy risotto balls and smoked tomato sauce
Hamachi Crudo - Yuzu dressing, togarashi, jalapeno, cilantro
Lamb Meatballs - Moroccan spiced lamb, chermoula tomato sauce, manchego cheese
Korean BBQ Pork Belly - gochujang glaze, kelp kimchi, grilled scallion
Ceviche Mixto - corvina, octopus, shrimp, yucca, sweet potato, sweet chile, sour orange
Duck Confit Sacchettoni - local pasta “Beggar's Purses”, Duck Demi, Pecorino, Fresh Herbs.

Drink
The bar program is all about the wine and the whiskey.

The wine program is led by Certified Sommelier, Ron Taylor and offers known favorites and boutique wines from around the world with varied styles and prices. The list is organized in a progressive format from light and fruit forward to full bodied and dry. Half glass pours are also available for adventurous guests looking to taste multiple selections.

The whiskey program includes a special section dedicated to Texas. D’Angelica says in a statement that, "anyone can go out and source hundreds of labels and let their customers browse countless pages in order to find the right one What we try and do is craft a more approachable list that covers the many styles of whiskey with producers we respect and ones who don’t take shortcuts. With the new Addison location, we are proud to have added a Texas Craft section to our whiskey list in order to feature our favorite local producers."

The cocktail program includes Pretty in Pink with vodka, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit, and lime; Come and Take It with whiskey, Cherry Heering, Amaro Nonino, and orange; and Flock of Seagulls with bourbon, yellow Chartreuse, orange Curacao, and lemon; Green Room.

Atmosphere
Located in the former Mercy Wine Bar spot, it's a 3,800-square-foot space offers with interior seating for 94 (including bar), and patio seating for 40.

A combination of lounge seating, hi-top tables and banquettes, all surrounding a large centerpiece bar, provide a variety of seating experiences.

"In Addison, the 'bones' of the space pay tribute to the historic brick & timber warehouse spaces we occupy in our home base of Northern California," D'Angelica says. "The interior is filled with rich woods, rustic chandeliers and contemporary accents that are right in line with our design philosophy."

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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 and topped with a chocolate bonbon.

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