Good Food News

Stephan Pyles to whip up $1,000 plates for Louisiana benefit dinner

Stephan Pyles is one of six U.S. chefs heading to Baton Rouge to prepare an exclusive benefit dinner for 20.

Photo courtesy of Stephan Pyles

In August, Dallas celebrity chef Stephan Pyles heads to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to join five other U.S. chefs for a $1,000-per-plate dinner called Dining By Design. May seem pricey, but it’s going to a very good cause: the comfort and guidance of the sick and terminally ill.

Hosted by the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center, the August 25 dinner at Crowne Plaza Hotel is an exclusive four-course feast for 20. Shrimp is the star of the first courses, and chefs must use beef tenderloin in their main courses.

Joining Pyles in the charitable kitchen are Pierre Sauvaget from the Los Angeles Tennis Club; Jared Van Camp of Nellcôte in Chicago; Peter Timmins from the Everglades Sportsman’s Club in Everglades City, Florida; Chris Pandel from the Bristol in Chicago; and Charles Carroll of the River Oaks Country Club in Houston.

Set pieces created by local designers and florists, together with the chefs’ culinary stylings, promise a “a visual and edible feast for the eyes and palate.”

If you’re not one of the lucky 20, tickets are available for $200-$500. Those meals are prepared by some of Louisiana’s best chefs, including Peter Page, executive chef at Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans.

The Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center was founded by the Sister Dulce Foundation in 2009 as a place for comfort and guidance for the sick and terminally ill in Baton Rouge. The foundation is named for the nun who visits the sick and terminally ill and their families.

To purchase tickets or for more information, contact Joyce Chaney at 225-752-8480.

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Reopening News

Upscale market Foxtrot still plans to reopen locations in Dallas

Photo courtesy of Foxtrot

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A buzzy food market chain that abruptly closed down in April is working on its comeback: Foxtrot Cafe & Market, the corner store chain that abruptly shuttered all locations in April, including four stores in Dallas and four in Austin, is reopening, starting with a location on Chicago's Gold Coast where it will open on September 5.

According to a release, the chain is planning to reopen more Foxtrot locations in Chicago and Dallas through 2025.

The release does not say how many locations will be reopened, and also does not mention Austin. But a spokesperson says that Austin should not be ruled out entirely, stating that the "[Austin] locations' leases lapsed when Outfox closed, so there has been a longer than expected reestablishment process."

Foxtrot debuted in 2016 in Chicago as a delivery app with food and alcohol before blossoming into an upscale version of a corner store, partnering with food vendors and providing a platform for restaurateurs to sell their wares.

They made their debut in Dallas in 2019, opening a location at 2822 McKinney Ave., then went on to open three more locations including Greenville Avenue, Knox Street, and Hillcrest Avenue, where they built a following for breakfast tacos and coffee.

They made their Austin debut in February 2023, and ended up opening four stores total including two downtown locations and one in South Austin.

The April 2024 closure was announced in a statement and on Foxtrot's Instagram account. Chicago-based Dom's Kitchen & Market, which had merged with Foxtrot in November 2023, also made an announcement on its website.

Outfox Hospitality, their parent company, subsequently declared bankruptcy, and the locations were acquired by a group led by chain co-founder Mike LaVitola, who is working to revive the concept.

The release says they'll reopen with a full-day menu featuring breakfast, lunch, and afternoon offerings including panini, salads, bowls, and cookies. The stores will reintroduce customer favorites such as gummies and products from small and local makers.