Coronavirus News

These are the latest Dallas restaurants to reopen with COVID-19 precautions

All of a sudden, that patio at Knife looks a lot more appealing.

Photo by Emily Loving

As restrictions for coronavirus loosen, more Dallas restaurants are reopening their doors.

The first batch opened as soon as they could on May 1, but others are slowly coming on board. All are observing COVID-19 precautions such as cleaning and sanitizing, social distancing practices with guests spaced 6 feet apart, and staff wearing masks and gloves.

Here is the latest round of reopenings:

Avanti Restaurant. New hours are Tuesday-Thursday and Sundays: from 5:30-9 pm, and Friday-Saturday 5:30-9:30 pm. Dinner menu and family size to-go menu are available for takeout order. Call 214 871 4955 for reservations.

Coolgreens. Both locations in Richardson, at 1251 State St. Ste. #850, and Southlake, at 2211 E. Southlake Blvd. Ste. #500, have reopened their dining rooms. Richardson is open Monday-Friday 10:30 am-3:30 pm, closed Saturday-Sunday. Southlake is open 10:30 am-3 pm daily until May 18, then 10:30 am-9 pm Monday-Saturday and 10:30-3 pm Sunday. They're open with a big list of provisos including employees temperature-checked daily, replacing their gloves and washing their hands every 15 minutes, and staying home for seven days if they're sick. Cutlery, condiments, and menus have been moved behind the counter, and floor markings specify social distancing. Cash payments are discouraged.

Edoko. Sushi restaurant at CityLine in Richardson has reopened.

Fernando's Mexican at CityLine in Richardson will reopen May 15.

Kai at Legacy West in Plano has reopened.

Knife at The Highland Dallas, now open for take-out, will begin dine-in on May 15, with limited seating and hours from Thursday–Saturday. Sunday-Wednesday will be open with a limited take-out menu only.

Maggiano's Little Italy. Two area locations have opened: 205 NorthPark Center, Dallas and 6001 W. Park Blvd. in Plano. Hours are Monday-Saturday 11 am-9 pm, and Sunday from 10:30 am-9 pm. Brunch will not be served for the time being. Make a reservation at maggianos.com or over the phone. If guests don’t have a reservation or arrive early, they may be asked to wait outside. Restaurant have been sanitized, and social distancing wil be in place. Staff will be wearing masks and gloves, and guests are encouraged to wear masks into the restaurant as they are being seated. Curbside orders and delivery are still available.

Malibu Poke reopened their Oak Lawn dining room and patio with limited seating and extra safety precautions such as removing touch screen ordering, food served in to-go packaging, and diners throwing away their own trash to minimize employees' risk. McKinney & Olive location is temporarily closed. Curbside pickup and delivery via Doordash is still available at Oak Lawn.

Mi Dia From Scratch opened all three locations in Grapevine, Plano, and Flower Mound, with limited hours and menu in conjunction with the standards set by the CDC and the Texas Restaurant and National Restaurant Associations.

Ocean Prime will reopen for dine-in reservations on May 18. They're already doing carryout and curbside delivery, with a limited menu that includes family meals and meal kits.

Pie Five Pizza has reopened with enhanced sanitation and safety processes for in-restaurant dining that include masks and gloves for staff, who must wash their hands at least every 30 minutes. To maintain social distancing, tables have been moved to reduce capacity. Floor decals have been added to maintain 6 feet distancing between guests going through the line. Drink stations are temporarily closed. Condiments are behind the counter, and dine-in orders are served in boxes, rather than on trays. Individually packaged sanitizer wipes will be provided with each order.

Ten50 BBQ has reopened their dining room and patio at 25 percent capacity with extra safety precautions in place including staff wearing masks and gloves, tables 6 feet apart, and an acrylic guard in front of the bbq pit.

Toulouse at Legacy West, in Plano has reopened.

Tricky Fish at CityLine in Richardson has reopened.

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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.

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