Beach News

New bar concept with giant sand pit brings beach to Dallas' Bishop Arts

You can sip your cocktail and dig your toes into the sand.

Dallas' Bishop Arts district has a new bar experience with ... sand. Called Bishop Lane, it's a former walkway that's been reimagined into a beachy scene with sandpit, thatched hut-style outdoor bars, and oodles of outdoor seating.

The concept is the latest from Exxir Hospitality, whose portfolio of bars and restaurants includes Oak Cliff haunts such as Paradiso, the Mediterranean restaurant in Bishop Arts; Botanist, the mixology-driven cocktail bar; and Good Companions, the casual cafe.

Located at 200 N. Bishop Ave., Bishop Lane is a 12,000-square-foot plaza that runs parallel to Bishop Avenue from the parking lot on 9th Street to Melba Avenue, now re-imagined as a tropical paradise.

Basically, they've cleverly repurposed a walkway that ran behind some of their concepts and transformed it into an outdoor oasis with a beach theme. This includes:

rattan couches
beach umbrellas in both striped canvas and thatched palm
blue-and-white striped beach chairs
pink aluminum drink tables
palm tree sculptures

These are all splayed across a big sandpit, spanning 1,000 square feet with 13 tons of sand, begging you to take your shoes off. Although it's brown sand, not white sand, but come on, this is Oak Cliff, not Bora Bora, stop being picky. (They do have great white sand at Sandbar Cantina and Grill, between Deep Ellum & Expo Park.)

Exxir has added two new outdoor bar concepts as part of the space: The Palm Bar at Casablanca, and Tejas Beach Shack.

Contributing to the beachside vibe are pop-up shops and street-food vendors, selling beach-style snacks such as tamales, tacos, walking tacos, multiple elote concoctions, noodles, bites, and craft cocktails, from executive chef Nick Hurry and beverage director Iluggy Recinos.

Food and drink items include Tejas Beach Shack's Frozen Chamoy Margaritas and Cool Ranch Doritos Walking Tacos, the Palm Bar's Longer Long Island Cocktail, and Casablanca's Dan Dan Noodles.

All offerings can be mixed and matched to be eaten throughout the al fresco seating areas.

Live music and DJ’s will be a big component, on Fridays from 6:30-8:30 pm and Saturdays from 7:30-10:30 pm.

Each weekend will celebrate a beach from around the globe:

June 3-4 - Hawaii
June 10-12 - Miami Salsa Night
June 17-19 - Venice
June 24-2 - Ibiza

nightlife

Deli News

Gourmet market Ari's Pantry to open in Dallas' Trinity Groves

Ari's Pantry

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A new gourmet grocery is coming to Trinity Groves: Ari's Pantry, the market launched in Oak Cliff by husband-and-wife Ari and Amy Lowenstein, will open a second location in West Dallas’ Trinity Groves, with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, November 30.

Located at 3011 Gulden Ln. #119 in the space that was once home to Potato Flats who remembers them, the Trinity Groves store will offer: pasta, olive oil, vinegars, preserves, candy, bread, crackers, cheese, meats, pizza dough, fresh pasta, housewares, cocktail ingredients, novelty kitchen gadgets, spices, prepared foods, fresh pesto and Ari’s own tomato sauce.

“We are excited to open our newest location at Trinity Groves joining the great businesses already there and the wave of new ventures opening in the development,” Ari Lowenstein says in a release. “With this location we will reach a new audience in West Dallas and be closer to our customers coming from downtown and the north.”

The couple opened their first location in Winnetka Heights at 1307 ½ W. Davis St. in December 2023 to fulfill Ari's passion for all things Italy. The idea was a small Italian food store with recipe-ready staples, with a hyper-local vibe. It has since blossomed into a general-purpose gourmet stop.

In addition to the food staples for sale found at their Bishop Arts location, Ari’s Trinity Groves location will also include a commercial catering kitchen that will enable them to provide full-service catering, prepared meal pick-up, pasta classes, and private dinners.

“Amy and Ari bring something new and special to this development as our first partner to offer consumer packaged goods made by people and companies outside of Trinity Groves,” said Sam Romano, Partner at West Dallas Investments, parent company of Trinity Groves. “They are part of the vision we have for the future of Trinity Groves that will combine innovative, up and coming chefs and restauranteurs with lifestyle and entertainment options like pickleball, bocce ball, popup events, arcade game play and additional retail partners.”

The Ari's empire doesn't stop here: Their goal is to open multiple locations "in all corners of DFW and beyond," and that includes a location in the Cyprus Waters community in Coppell, slated to open in spring 2025.

downtown openings