Where To Eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 hot new restaurants to check out

Newness happening in Uptown.

Photo courtesy of Sixty Vines

Spring is a time for new things to flourish, and that includes Dallas restaurants. Recent openings feature new barbecue, new biscuits, new pizza, and new sushi.

Here are 8 hot new restaurants in Dallas right now:

The Biscuit Bar
Founded by husband-and-wife Jake and Janie Burkett, The Biscuit Bar is a fast-casual Southern concept newly opened in Plano that does biscuits, biscuit sandwiches, tater tots, and sweet potato tater tots. There's also a full bar with beer and cocktails. Menu favorites include The Hoss, named after Janie's father, made with fried chicken, bacon, jack/cheddar, honey butter, and sausage gravy; and the BBar burger, which is a burger on a biscuit. There's also a chicken biscuit, and the "FABB," which has fig, arugula, and bacon. "Nanner Puddin" has bananas, vanilla pudding, ‘Nilla wafers, and whipped cream.

Carlton Provisions
Barbecue stall at Plano food hall Legacy Hall is from Chili's founder Larry Lavine and Jordan Swim of Vestals Catering. It is the only food stall operating in the Box Garden, the outdoor patio and entertainment venue. Their menu includes brisket, pastrami, five-hour ribs, and turkey. Sides include bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos, french fries, apple-fennel cole slaw, poblano creamed corn, and beans. Desserts include a trio of puddings — banana, coconut, and chocolate — plus cookies, seasonal cobblers, and pies.

MidiCi
Pizza chain based in Los Angeles does Neapolitan pizza in an upscale atmosphere, but with the affordability of a casual restaurant concept. Unique options include chicken pesto, truffle and vegetable, and bacon and egg. They also serve appetizers, salads, and gelato. The Dallas location is in West Village, next to Cru Wine Bar in a space that was previously Lemon Bar and Lazare.

Nature's Plate
Vegan/plant-based "meals to go" company opens its second Dallas location at Preston Forest Square, at the southwest corner of Preston and Forest roads. Offerings are 100% vegan with many gluten-, soy-, and nut-free options. There's a yummy BBQ plate with BBQ-baked tofu, mashed potatoes, and broccoli; a buffalo chickpea wrap with a spicy mix of chickpeas, veggies, and hot sauce, combined with Romaine lettuce and carrots in a whole grain wrap, served with house-made ranch dressing; and spaghetti and "meatballs," with whole wheat spaghetti, bean- and nut-based "meatballs," and a savory mushroom marinara sauce.

Original ChopShop
Arizona-born healthy restaurant chain opened its first DFW location in Las Colinas, the seventh location overall and the firsht outside Phoenix. Protein bowls are a core component of the menu; the most popular is the teriyaki chicken bowl, which can be served with superfood forbidden rice, brown rice, or sweet potato hash. Three more locations are coming to the Dallas area in 2018, including two locations in Plano and one at The Hill, at Walnut Hill Lane and US 75.

Petro Tower Grill
Restaurant and bar in the Cambria Dallas Downtown hotel on the first floor of the historic Tower Petroleum Building is aimed at travelers and local business people. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant serves burgers, filet mignon, tortilla-crusted salmon, and pasta primavera. A daily happy hour runs from 5-7 pm, with cocktails and shareable plates such as sliders, flatbreads, a charcuterie board, wine, and beers.

Sixty Vines
Classy pizzeria took over the former Palomino Euro Bistro space at Crescent Court, where it features an indoor/outdoor design with grape vines, wine barrels, and harvest tools creating an ambience similar to a vineyard tasting room. There's an extensive selection of wines on tap, and a "wine country" cuisine. Menu items include shared items such as oysters, hummus, and meatballs. There are charcuterie boards, salads, pastas, burgers, steaks, avocado toasts, and last but not least, exceptional pizza.

SushiFork
SushiFork is in the hot college zone of SMU Boulevard east of US 75, in the space that used to be World of Beer, and Verts Mediterranean Grill. Opening in mid-May, the menu features standard rolls such as the California roll with krab (not crab), cucumber, and avocado; and a Philly with smoked salmon and cream cheese. They also have a create-your-own option, where you choose your protein, fillings, and toppings. Most rolls are $5 — making this a good option for the student population nearby or anyone who likes cheap sushi. SushiFork also offers the currently-trending sushi burrito, a cross between a sushi roll and a burrito.

where-to-eat

Joie de vivre

New Bishop Arts bistro brings French elan to historic Oak Cliff home

Photo courtesy of Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Trapèze is serving French fare in a laid-back bohemian yet deeply thought-out atmosphere.

Transforming historic Oak Cliff homes into dining destinations is an art, and a duo known for their Deep Ellum hot spots has a new work on display: Trapèze, a French bohemian bar and bistro, that has quietly opened at 240 W. 8th St. in a repurposed bungalow on the west end of the Bishop Arts District.

Owners Peter Novotny and Dan Murry, who operate Ruins on Commerce and Armoury D.E. on Elm Street, told CultureMap in February that they envisioned Trapèze as “an old-fashioned bohemian artist’s enclave.”

Now in the soft opening phase eight months later, they say, by "drawing inspiration from the old French bohemian bars and cabarets,” they've accomplished their goal of creating "a place where people can enjoy a great meal and drinks, listen to some music, and just lose track of time a little.”

Trapèze has been welcoming guests discreetly the last couple weekends, as they complete a few finishing touches both to the building — they are excited about the near-complete patio — and to the food: “We have a limited but very solid menu available now, and should have the full menu, brunch and all, ready very soon,” Novotny says.

A grand opening date is still in the works.

Novotny has said that inspiration for Trapèze came from Oak Cliff’s historical French influence. Bishop Arts once was home to the French utopian community La Reunion, which settled in the mid 1800s. The neighborhood pays homage to these roots at its annual Bastille on Bishop celebration.

“We’re trying to do a tribute to the French history of Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts, and our goal is to capture the things we love about regional French cuisine and culture,” Novotny said earlier this year.

trapeze Designed by local artists at Decotron, the front-porch sign at Trapèze offers a taste of what's inside. Photo courtesy Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Novotny and Murry hired New York-bred chef Jeremy Spector to direct Trapèze’s culinary program. He’s worked in famous kitchens such as Balthazar and Gramercy Tavern and has owned and operated restaurants in NYC. The owners have told CultureMap that Spector's menu represents different regions of France, along with flavors inspired by France’s once-vast colonial empire, including Moroccan cuisine.

The bar menu is full of classic French and New Orleans-esque cocktails made with French spirits and liqueurs like absinthe and chartreuse; an extensive list of cognacs; French Caribbean-rooted Rhum Agricoles (or Agricole rums), and French and “French-adjacent” cider and beer.

The house that is now a restaurant underwent a massive revamp, which lasted months due in part to weather-related delays. To make matters more challenging, Trapeze is located in a conservation district, which means construction had to be done in a specific way that would preserve the home’s original look.

“It’s basically a complete renovation,” Novotny says. “They had to rebuild the entire structure. The whole exterior is all new.”

The new sign out front reads Bien Mangé, Bien Bu, which translates roughly to good food, good drink. Made by the sculptural artists at Decotron, an Elm Street-based signage fabrication company, it creates curb appeal and offers a preview of the attention to detail, whimsy, fine craftsmanship, and French flavor found inside.

Hours have been slightly fluid. At this time Trapèze is open 4 pm-"late" Wednesday-Thursday and 4 pm-2 am Friday-Sunday. Updated days and hours will be posted on Instagram along with information about live music performers, they say.

bar food drink craft cocktails french food live music bishop arts restaurants