Lunch Is Served

Veteran chef whips up wholesome lunches for North Dallas office workers

If you like to seek out chef-driven gourmet food in offbeat places, head to Carverpark, an office building canteen from two well-known names in Dallas' dining scene.

Carver 150 comes from James Rowland and Fana Yohannes. He's the well-regarded veteran chef who worked at the Crescent Court (Beau Nash), Bistro Nous and Greenville Avenue Bar & Grill, among other places. She's the front-of-the-house pro from York Street and Lucia Dallas.

Carver 150 is located at the Two Forest Plaza complex at 12201 Merit Dr., near Forest Lane west of 75, and it's open for breakfast and lunch to occupants of the office building, or to anyone else who wants to dine in. Although many office buildings feature in-house delis, their menus are too often a greasy collection of low-quality fare. Carver 150 represents an unusual level of creativity and affordability for the office-bound worker bee.

"The menu changes every single day," Rowland says. "I have a big commitment to inexpensive, healthy, wholesome food. The menu is priced from $5 to $9. There's nothing more than $9 on this menu.

"But it's creative. I have no pre-set menu. We celebrate the season and what we get in. That's what I work off: I go to the market and use whatever I get."

Menus are frequently posted on their Facebook page, and at lunch hour, there's always a line. Options have included tortilla soup, almond chicken salad, penne pasta Bolognese, turkey spinach Cobb salad, Buffalo chicken wrap, or a brisket hoagie sandwich with griddled onions and potatoes.

A regular feature is house-made potato chips, which they sell in a bag. "Two days a week, we're cooking fresh potato chips and after two hours, they're all gone," Rowland says.

Carver 150 opened in 2013, but the Carver empire is expanding: The couple just opened a spinoff called Carver Park, located in a 14-story office building at 7557 Rambler Rd., near 75 and Walnut Hill Lane.

At this outlet, they've ramped up the menu with the addition of sushi, featuring the chops of a former sushi chef from Steel. Carver Park also has a larger kitchen which will likely be used as the base for a catering operation, for which Rowland has seen a great demand.

And then there are always other office buildings with tenants seeking a healthy, affordable lunch. "I think we're going to grow," he says.

Carver 150 meat and potatoes.

Photo courtesy of Carverpark

Carver 150 meat and potatoes.

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Frozen Margarita News

Landmark Bar & Kitchen to bring fun neighborhood vibes to Addison

Landmark

Mac & cheese burger at the Landmark

There's a new neighborhood hangout coming to Addison: Landmark Bar & Kitchen, a restaurant concept from SS Hospitality Group, will open at 5100 Belt Line Rd., #410, in the Village on the Parkway, in the former Verts Mediterranan Grill, tucked between Vidorra and Hawkers.

According to SS Hospitality Group principal Sam Sameni, the restaurant will open on October 20.

Landmark is known for its Southern hospitality, chef-driven comfort food, lively bar program, and oh yes, a mechanical bull. The first location opened in Fort Worth in 2013, with a goal to create a place "where everyone feels welcome and the good times roll," Sameni says.

“Landmark has always been about community. It’s the place you come to unwind, catch a game, share a drink, and make memories,” Sameni says. “We’re excited to bring that experience to Addison — and even more excited to continue expanding across Texas.”

There's also a location currently under construction in Lubbock.

Mechanical bull at Landmark Bar & KitchenLandmark

Guests can look forward to riding “Buckshot Bronco,” Landmark’s mechanical bull, as well as daily happenings including live entertainment and themed nights such as music bingo nights. The space also features flexible event areas for private parties, happy hours, and corporate gatherings.

Food & drink
The menu features appetizers like trash can nachos, meatballs, and Southwestern egg rolls with chicken, spinach, & black beans.

There are wings both boneless and with bone; flatbreads such as mushroom truffle; and pastas such as spaghettini with shaved parmesan and pine nuts.

There are seared tuna tacos, burgers, steak sliders, fried chicken sandwich, and Cajun chicken alfredo, which is one of Landmark's most popular dishes.

A daily lunch special with items like chicken-fried chicken on Fridays is $10. Desserts include a Dubai chocolate cheesecake.

Prices range from $10 to $20. There's a separate late-night menu — an abbreviated version of their regular menu — and they also host brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

The bar menu is fun, featuring nine margaritas, a "cappuccino martini" — a twist on the omnipresent espresso martini — a bubble gum daiquiri, and some showpiece drinks including a liquid nitrogen margarita with popping fruit pearls with that's frozen tableside; and a flaming with spicy tamarind tequila, chamoy, tajin, and lime that's served flaming.

While the location is slated to open on October 20, they're also hosting a VIP sneak peek. To get in, sign up at www.LandmarkBars.com.

SS Hospitality Group specializes in bars, restaurants, and large-scale events, with a portfolio that includes Landmark Bar & Kitchen, Theory Nightclub, Texas Republic, and Baila Cantina y Cocina (coming soon). The group also owns Texas Festivals & Events, recently merged with the International Margarita Organization (IMO), and is one of the largest event producers in the country, known for its flagship Margarita Festival series across the U.S. and other food & beverage events.

openings