Chicken News

Fowl new restaurant in hot Uptown Dallas address is strictly for the birds

There'll be chicken and a whole lot more.

Photo by Firebird Fowl

UPDATE 9-20-2021: Firebird Fowl opens on September 20.

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An address in Uptown Dallas with good times in its bones has landed a new tenant: Called Firebird Fowl, it's a restaurant with what is truly a unique angle, set to open at 2816 Fairmount St. this summer.

This location was most recently Dos Jefes, but party people from the '90s and '00s might recognize it as the former home to Nick & Sam's Grill and once upon a time, Martini Ranch.

Firebird Fowl is a highly creative concept that takes the most popular food group right now — chicken, of course — and does it one better.

Owners David Taylor and Timothy Summers were originally plotting a Nashville hot chicken place, but after seeing that trend blow up in Dallas, they hit pause.

"It started because we love Nashville hot chicken — we used to travel to Nashville all the time and would wait in lines for hours just to get it," Taylor says. "I thought we'd be the first to do a place here, but out of nowhere, the hot chicken thing just exploded."

"We said, 'That's it, we're stopping,' but we used the opportunity to come up with something more creative," he says. "We had talked over the years about doing a couple concepts and they all entailed birds like chicken and turkey, and we said, 'Why don't we do a place where we combine them all?'"

Firebird Fowl goes for birds of all kinds: duck, chicken, turkey, emu, quail, and even ostrich, with some creative sounding dishes.

Their menu is still in progress but for example, the chicken category alone has more than half a dozen items, from the Nashville hot chicken sandwich to "giant wings" to spatchcock chicken to a chicken wrap.

There are duck tacos. Turkey Cobb salad. Ostrich burgers. And a Texas emu cheesesteak sandwich.

Developing the menu gave them a newfound appreciation for different kinds of fowl.

"Emu is like steak, and we'll be sourcing it from a couple of ranches, so it's almost farm to table," Taylor says. "We're so excited about this menu, it's as healthy as can be, but with a Southern flair."

Taylor is also the creator of DizziBrands, a food truck-restaurant specializing in alcohol-infused desserts such as ice cream, sorbets, cupcakes, frozen pops, brownies, dummies, and gourmet gelatin shots. DizziBrands is currently on hold, due to changes in the liquor laws by the TABC, but they'll soon be able to serve those products at Firebird Fowl.

"The cool thing about this restaurant is that our entire dessert menu will be Dizzibrands recipes including our signature Margarita Key Lime Pie, Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Pie, and Spiced Rum Cheesecake," Taylor says.

Getting the location at Fairmount was a personal score of sorts. Tim Summers says he fondly remembers Martini Ranch as a one-of-a-kind spot, known for serving extremely stiff drinks and for their popular Monday Night martini specials.

"We're going to do an homage," Summers says. "They used to have their 'Martini Mondays,' so for our first month, we'll do some flashbacks with discounted martinis, because of the love we had for Martini Ranch."

uptown openings

News you can eat

Spring menus have sprung in this edition of Dallas restaurant news

Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen

Photo courtesy of Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen

Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen is adding brunch service.

Like the Dallas weather lately, this restaurant news roundup keeps us on our toes. New menus and dishes are popping up for spring, but they'll be gone soon - they're extremely limited-time offerings, or "LTO" as the kids say. We've also got a few restaurant openings, some chef news, new brunch, and new drinks.

Here's what's happening in Dallas dining right now:

Palladino’s Steak & Seafood, the buzzy restaurant that's the toast of NYC, has hired Henry Johnson as chef de cuisine for the forthcoming Preston Royal location. He’ll oversee daily kitchen operations and execute the menu from executive chef and partner Sam Hazen. A veteran Dallas chef, Johnson previously led kitchens at Bistro 31 and Evelyn and competed on Season 24 of Hell’s Kitchen. The "modern steakhouse," from founder Joseph Palladino, will feature prime steaks and seafood; an opening date has not yet been announced.

Grandma’s Country Kitchen, a Southern-inspired, family-style restaurant, is opening March 23 in Southern Dallas, at the corner of Camp Wisdom Road and Highway 67 (aka the former South Dallas Cafe space). The menu features comfort classics like fried chicken, catfish, mashed potatoes, green beans, and desserts such as peach cobbler and banana pudding. Guests can also take advantage of catering services and events at the attached sister venue, The Reserve at Redbird, which accommodates up to 330 guests for all types of celebrations.

West Village in Uptown Dallas has seen a flurry of new openings lately: healthy restaurant Toastique; Chicago-inspired tavern D.L. Mack's; and martini hot spot Hudson House.

A few more new openings:

Texas Roadhouse, home of the hand-cut steaks, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and famous rolls with cinnamon butter, has opened a new location in West Dallas, at 3620 Dallas-Ft. Worth Turnpike.
Stop-N-Go Gyros, the fast-casual Mediterranean shop that's popular for takeout, opened 17421 Preston Rd. in North Dallas.
Bojangles, the cult-favorite fried chicken spot, has opened at 210 S. Central Expressway in McKinney.

Elaine’s Cocktail Kitchen in downtown Frisco has expanded its brunch to both Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am-3 pm, featuring European-inspired, shareable dishes paired with craft cocktails. Highlights include horchata French toast, Elaine’s Benedict with short rib or blue crab, smoked salmon tartine, potato-rosemary frittata, and cannoli cream crepes, along with lighter options like overnight oats and seasonal parfaits.

Nobu Dallas will celebrate cherry blossom season with two limited-time offerings - a drink and a dessert - March 23-April 12. The Sakura Negroni ($22) combines Awayuki Strawberry Gin, Lillet Blanc, Aperol, and Sakura Blossom Tea for a floral, strawberry-forward twist on the classic cocktail. The Strawberry-Elderflower Sorbet ($19) features meringue blossoms, white chocolate-honey namelaka, and cookie crumbs for a spring-inspired sweet treat.

Nobu sorbet Strawberry-Elderflower Sorbet at Nobu.Photo courtesy of Nobu

Black Sheep Coffee is debuting a limited-time “Banana Arcade” menu for spring, featuring banana-flavored drinks including iced and hot lattes, matcha lattes, frappes, and a cold brew topped with salted caramel foam.

Buzz and Bustle coffee shop at The Village on March 23 is launching a limited-time spring menu, featuring four seasonal drinks: the Black & White with matcha or cold brew and white chocolate foam; a cucumber-mint “Green Daydream;” a carrot cake latte; and a banana fosters-inspired nitro cold brew.

Apothecary Bar and Flamant Bar & Bistro have teamed up for "Martini Madness," a bracket-style competition running March 18-April 5, on Wednesdays through Sundays, whereby guests can sip and vote for their favorite pours. The tournament features rotating matchups of classic and signature martinis, aka $10 “Tiny-Tinis,” with winners determined by a combination of in-person orders and social media votes. Prizes include complimentary drinks for correct picks on a bracket and a $200 gift card for a perfect bracket.

Torchy’s Tacos is introducing a whole new menu category: nachos, available for a limited time this spring. The nachos layer crispy tortilla chips with Torchy's signature green chile queso, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream, with optional additions like fajita chicken, steak, pork, or brisket. A smaller version of the nacho plate is also available during weekday “Hooky Hour” from 2-5 pm, alongside half-price beer and house margaritas.

Torchy's nachos.Photo courtesy of Torchy's

Smalls Sliders is adding its first new slider flavor: the BBQ Bacon Jalapeño Slider, available now for a limited time. The new burger puts a smoky-spicy twist on the signature cheeseburger, with BBQ sauce, crispy bacon, and pickled jalapeños.

HTeaO is adding trendy, buzzy matcha drinks to the menu, starting March 20. They'll debut three flavors — churro, strawberry, and lemon lavender — all topped with new cold foam. Cold foam is also being added as a permanent topper for any drink; there are also now churro bites offered as a sweet pairing.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille has introduced a new Anniversary Celebration Menu, a $90-per-person prix-fixe meal designed for milestone events. The menu includes champagne and rose-petal table accents, shared starters like a cold seafood tower or filet bites, a choice of soup or salad, a shared entrée such as Chateaubriand or Beef Wellington, and a dramatic flaming dessert finale. Available by request at all locations.

Barrel & Bones is jumping on the bandwagon of a viral cocktail trend: the soft-serve margarita. Now available at its Inwood Road location, soft-serve frozen 'ritas are priced at $8 and come in flavors such as passion fruit, strawberry, peach, and mango. They tout them as the the first offering of their kind in North Texas inspired by the current TikTok craze.

Soft-serve frozen margarita at Barrel & Bones.Photo courtesy of Barrel & Bones

Puerto Cocina & Bar, the Baja-inspired spot from the team behind Xaman Café, Ayahuasca Cantina, and Señor Oink, has launched a seasonal menu featuring fresh seafood, coastal Baja flavors, and Mexican wines. The Dallas Design District restaurant now also offers lunch, in addition to dinner service.

Soulman’s Bar-B-Que has brought back its fan-favorite Boss Hog sandwich, through May 20 only. The gut buster features four slow-smoked meats - sausage, pulled pork, hickory-smoked ham, and crispy bacon - stacked on a sweet King’s Hawaiian bun. Available as a sandwich ($9.99) or combo with a side and drink ($14.99).

Maple Street Biscuit Company is marking spring with a limited-time menu featuring fresh berries, available through May 19. Highlights include Double Berry Waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream; Bonuts with berry icing; Very Berry Lemonade; and an Iced Berry Latte.

Rowdy Cowboy in The Colony and Grapevine are adding some hearty new dishes, including steak frites, quesabirria tacos, a 9-oz choice filet, and Cowboy Parmesan chicken Milanese. They still offer handcrafted cocktails with a 40-foot oak bar, 70 large-screen TVs, 32 ice-cold beer taps, and more than 35 bourbons and whiskeys.

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