Downtown Grocery News

Downtown Dallas gets new grocery store and more in old Urban Market

The persistent longing for a downtown Dallas grocery store is about to be satisfied again. A three-pronged concept is coming to the old Urban Market space in the Interurban Building on Jackson Street, with phase one set to open this month.

A liquor store called Urban Vineyard will start selling beer and wine in a couple of weeks, followed this summer by a grocery called Urban Orchard and a cafe called Bar None.

The complex comes from three friends and entrepreneurs who've known each other since middle school, says co-owner John McIntosh, who will oversee the cafe. His partners are Umair Humeed, who conceived the project, and Loc Tran, who will manage the liquor store.

"Our main goal is to provide everything that a resident would need downtown," McIntosh says.

The market will sell organic and natural foods and will incorporate a deli, bakery and frozen-yogurt stand. The restaurant will be eclectic, with tacos, sushi, sandwiches and hot foods.

"Our main goal is to provide everything that a resident would need downtown," says co-owner John McIntosh.

There's been a hue and cry for a supermarket within the Central Business District ever since they started rehabbing old buildings for residences. For those who live downtown, one of the first questions you always get asked is, "How do you SURVIVE without a grocery store?" As if every citizen has a grocery store a block from their home.

When Urban Market opened in 2005, it was greeted like a savior. But when it came time to shop, many downtown residents would still get in their cars and drive to the Albertsons on McKinney or the Kroger at Mockingbird (and more recently at Cityplace). It finally limped to a closure in 2012.

McIntosh says that he and his partners are not fazed by Urban Market's failure to make a go of it, even with the financial help it received from the city.

"We did a study of sales and revenue and analyzed the numbers," he says. "They were doing pretty good, and [when it first opened], the amount of people downtown was about 2,000 residents. Now there are 8,000-plus in the downtown loop. We think a couple decisions they made, as far as what level of products to sell, were misguided."

Unlike a Phil Romano who won't deign to dally in the central business district, the trio is committed to making a positive contribution towards improving urban life. They originally aspired to open a concept like this in Fort Worth, at the West Seventh Plaza. They went through the process with the city, and they were days away from breaking ground when the city pulled its support.

Though a painful lesson, it stoked their enthusiasm to make a go of the concept when the Urban Market space became available. They decided to open Urban Vineyard first because they knew they could complete it in the shortest amount of time, and the finish-out is nearly complete.

Bar None will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with coffee in the morning, wine and beer, a juice bar and plenty of vegetarian options on the menu.

"We like new adventures," McIntosh says. "These are three new things we get to try and tackle."

unspecified

News You Can Eat

Warm up to winter menus and holiday specials in this Dallas restaurant news

Eataly

Sweet treats for the holidays from Eataly Dallas.

December is (almost) here and in the Dallas restaurant world, that means wonderful winter menus and specials for the holidays: Peppermint shakes, pumpkin pasta, boozy hot chocolate, Christmas tamales, spiced horchata, and so much more. There are also a couple of new restaurants opening in the next week, hustling to start serving in time for holiday festivities.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news, with items culled from press releases, emails, and DM's on social media:

Loro Addison is officially opening on December 14, when they'll be "slinging slushies and frying corn fritters all day long," according to an email. From December 14-18, the first 100 customers every day get a free custom Yeti. This is the second Loro in DFW and is located at 14999 Montfort Dr.

Shake Shack is opening a location in Plano at 5009 W. Park Blvd., at the intersection of Preston Road, on December 5. This is the second Shake Shack in Plano but the first in Texas to feature a drive up window. They'll open with a few limited-time items including the new Hot Ones Burger and Hot Ones Chicken Sandwich, plus seasonal holiday shakes: Christmas Cookie Shake, Chocolate Milk & Cookies Shake, and Chocolate Peppermint Shake. The menu will feature the Lockhart Link Burger, a cheeseburger topped with Kreuz Market jalapeno cheese sausage link, pickles, and ShackSauce.

Freebirds World Burrito celebrates the opening of its new location in Murphy on December 6. The first 25 guests in line receive free burritos for a year. There'll also be food samples, swag giveaways, and yard games. It's at 103 W. FM 544 and is the fifth Freebirds to open in 2022.

Layne's Chicken Fingers has opened a location in Denton at 1200 W. Hickory St. It's from franchisees Scott and Heather Davis, who plan to open five more Layne’s in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, possibly Burleson, Arlington, and Mansfield.

Tipsy Elf, a holiday pop-up bar from Exxir Hospitality, is now open in the little white house at the corner of Bishop & Melba in Bishop Arts, spanning into sibling Mermaid Bar as well as a tented patio. Entertainer Gloria Devine will give nightly readings of letters to Santa, and there are new cocktails including the North Pole Dancer, Secure The Sack, and a salted toffee old fashioned with port spices titled Left Me for The Muffin Man.

Grand Lux Cafe at the Galleria Dallas has a set of new menu items including Fried Provolone Cheese with marinara sauce, Garlicky Shrimp, Pasta Alla Arrabiatta - spaghettini tossed in spicy tomato sauce and topped with ricotta cheese, steak frites with parmesan fries, BLT Benedict with Calabrian Hollandaise on a grilled English muffin, and two drinks: Bluegrass Margarita with Basil Hayden Bourbon, and a Cold Brew Espresso Martini.

Eataly Dallas is carry a selection of pasticcini (bite-sized pastries) from Pasticceria da Guido, a pastry shop by Michelin-starred chef Ugo Alciati. Exclusive to Eataly Dallas, these Michelin-starred Italian sweets are known for quality, simplicity, and tradition. Eataly’s pastry team has worked with Pasticceria da Guido to ensure they're properly prepared. Find Pasticceria da Guido at Eataly’s pastry counter, located on the west side of NorthPark Center, every day this holiday season.

Elm & Good at the Kimpton Pittman Hotel is featuring a special dish from executive chef Ben Smallman, with a portion of the sales going to No Kid Hungry: Market Pumpkin and Maple Stracciatella features Kuri squash, stracciatella, sage, maple syrup, and pumpkin seeds, for $17, and can be ordered through December 31, Tuesday-Saturday from 5-10 pm.

Blue Mesa Grill has a new Holiday Fajita Party Pack To-Go, with queso, guacamole, chicken taquitos, steak & chicken fajitas, adobe pie, black beans, coconut lime rice, toppings, tortillas, and brownies with a cajeta swirl. $195 serves 8 people. It's available through December 31; order at bluemesagrill.com.

Blue Goose Cantina is offering its annual homemade Box O’ Tamales in pork, chicken, jalapeño, and cheese options, with three sauces - Salsa Verde, chili con carne, and queso. The boxes are $30, and require a 24-hour minimum advance order on BlueGooseCantina.com. Click ‘Order Now,’ and select the nearest restaurant and date needed.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company has partnered with Monkey King Noodle Company on the new Dan Dan Pizza, featuring Monkey King’s Dan Dan sausage, GAPCo’s mozzarella blend, chili oil, bok choy, shredded carrots, wonton sauce, and sesame seeds. It's $25 for a 16-inch large, $20 for a 12-inch small, and $8 for a slice, at all three locations: Greenville Avenue, Peavy Road, and Richardson, throughout December.

Snooze an A.M. Eatery has a limited-edition Cranberry Orange Pancake, a buttermilk pancake topped with orange crème anglaise, cranberry coulis, cranberry mascarpone, and almond streusel, available through December 31. Proceeds from the purchase will be donated to World Central Kitchen.

BoomerJack’s Bar and Grill has a new winter menu with $8 items including Brown Bag Burger, Bottomless Soup & Salad, BLT, and a Grilled Chicken Sandwich. The Fat Jack Sampler is a sampler for the table with Boneless Wings, Mozzarella Bites, Brisket Quesadillas, Fried Pickles, and Jack’s Skillet Queso with tortilla chips, for $35. Holiday items include Boozy Hot Chocolate and Tableside S'mores.

The Dolly Llama has a limited-time Christmas Waffle featuring mint-chip ice cream with chocolate sauce, holiday sprinkles and a marshmallow snowman, all in a warm waffle. It's available from December 5-31 and can be purchased as a Bubble Waffle, OG Liege Waffle, or within a cup.

Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar now have whole Key lime pies for preorder only, through the month of December. The pies are made in-house daily and 24-hour minimum notice is required. A 9-inch pie is $30.

Bulla Gastrobar is bringing back Holiday Spiced Horchata, a holiday cocktail with spice-infused coconut cream, rum, and creamy flan foam, for the entire month of December.

Ellie’s Restaurant & Lounge has newly released a new winter cocktail menu with selections that include peppermint espresso martini; "Sweater Weather," with Ketel One, hot apple cider, spiced apple syrup, bitters and graham cracker rim; and Holiday Cheer with Tito’s, cranberry syrup, ginger beer, lemon, cranberries, and rosemary.

Another Round, the indoor mini golf and bar venue in West Dallas, has two new holiday-themed shots: Gingerbread Man with Baileys, Butterscotch Liqueur, Hot Damn Cinnamon Liqueur; and Holiday Spice, with Rumchata and Fireball. Two shots are $12. There’s also a festive cocktail, the Mistletoe Pomegranate Margarita - Exotico Blanco, with Pama Pomegranate Liqueur, lime juice, agave, and red sugar, served in a cup rimmed with green sugar and garnished with pomegranate seeds for $12.

Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe has introduced a new holiday cocktail called the Berry Blitzen, served in a Hurricane glass with Jack Daniels, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Finest Call Raspberry, honey syrup, and lemonade, topped with a Red Bull. They're also bringing back Angry Balls, a pint of Angry Orchard Hard Cider paired with a shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.

Sean Rakidzich, real estate entrepreneur and influencer, is hosting a benefit for Harvest Project Food Rescue, a Dallas nonprofit that provides fresh produce to 2000-plus people a week. Food will be provided by Chef Diana Zamora (Nena’s Postreria), and businesses such as José and CocoAndre will provide gift certificates for a raffle benefiting Harvest Project. It's December 1, from 6-10 pm at The Victor building at 3039 Nowitzki Way #4012.

lists news-you-can-eat