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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Best Happy Hours

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 special happy hours for September

Malai Kitchen

This is a most distinguished edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column bringing news of the best happy hours around. Distinguished, because these aren't just the cheapest deals. These happy hours are all a little extra, whether it's gourmet chef-driven food, unique location, or a special Korean twist.

Here are the best happy hour destinations for September 2026:

Cipher Lounge
Unique new entertainment venue and lounge in downtown McKinney is an escape room-plus-restaurant and bar, combining food, cocktails, and escape-room experiences under one roof. The Cipher Lounge is not your typical bar or escape room. The lounge boasts a sophisticated atmosphere with craft cocktails and upscale bites. You can stop in before or after the escape room, but you can also just come in for food and drink. And fortunately, they do a happy hour Wednesday-Friday from 2-6 pm with $3 off flatbreads & dips, $3 off well cocktails, $2 off domestic beers, and $1 off import and craft beers.

Malai Kitchen
Small local chain specializing in southeast Asian cuisine is a perennial, with four locations including the original at West Village in Uptown Dallas. They recently expanded their already generous happy hour with more to eat and more to drink, still with the same scratch-made kitchen behind all of it. Signature cocktails are $4 off. Their celebrated house-brewed beer is $6, and their happy hour wines are a cut above: Aveleda Vinho Verde white from Portugal, and Vina Eguia Tempranillo red from Spain, $8 per glass. Bites are $8 or two for $15 including Vietnamese meatballs, cucumber salad, shishito peppers, grilled satay, fried imperial rolls, spicy edamame, Thai chicken wings, and potstickers. Hours are Monday-Friday 3-6 pm, and all day Sunday.

Nuri Steakhouse
Korean steakhouse in Uptown recently launched "Geonbae Hour," its elevated take on happy hour, inspired by the Korean tradition of “Geonbae,” meaning cheers. Featured bites include oysters, bulgogi beef tacos, steak tartare cigar, and truffle popcorn, $7 to $9, plus a Wagyu burger with kimchi-glazed bacon and white cheddar for $20. Drinks include their unique renditions of classic drinks like an old-fashioned, margarita, and negroni for $10; plus beer, wine, and soju, the Korean spirit. It's offered Monday-Thursday 4- 6 pm and all day Sunday.

Two Hands
Australian-style all-day cafe founded in New York, which opened a location at The Quad in 2025, has what it calls a "snacky hour," which is short and to the point: a smashburger for $10, plus $10 cocktails, $3 off glasses of wine (including red, white, and sparkling), and $5 draft beer. Cocktails include martinis (dry or dirty), espresso martini, margarita, aperol spritz, old-fashioned, Negroni, and bloody Mary. Snacky hour is offered every day from 4-6 pm.

Written By the Seasons
Chef-driven concept has two locations in Dallas: Bishop Arts and The Quad. Both host an admirable happy hour 3:30-5 pm Monday-Saturday, with half-off on bottles of wine and significant snacks, including some of their signature dishes. There are smoked Texas pecans, cheese & charcuterie board, boquerones with arugula & crostini, mutabal (the middle-Eastern eggplant dip) with olives and crispy flatbread, and their acclaimed kimchi pancakes, priced from $5 to $12. There's also a burger with American cheese, and a veggie sandwich with cucumber, avocado, daikon sprouts, and shaved carrots on wheat — both $18.

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