City News

Spotty address on Dallas' Ross Avenue welcomes new pink palace restaurant

The food seems like it'll be good.

Courtesy photo

An unusual restaurant and lounge has opened along the Ross Avenue corridor leading into downtown Dallas in a space with a spotty past. Called XOXO Dining Room, it's opening at 3121 Ross Ave., a location most previously occupied by Republic Ranch.

XOXO is a mishmash, encompassing a dining room with a pink color scheme, and a "speakeasy" cocktail lounge with DJs on weekends.

A release says that managing partner Maria Lagios is taking her cues from Sketch London, a tea room and lounge noted for its pink dining room. XOXO follows suit with an eye-catching pink exterior paint job and Barbie-pink seating inside. Each booth has "press for champagne" doorbells, a feature that should be mandatory at every restaurant and bar.

Lagios says she feels fortunate to still be able to open and share her vision with the Dallas community even during the COVID-19 pandemic when several other concepts in Dallas have had to shut their doors.

They have a name-brand chef: Zach Warner, a Culinary Institute of America graduate whose resume extends from New York to Nantucket to Phoenix; from WD-50 to Wylie Dufresne restaurant Alder. Most recently, he was executive chef at Up On Knox in Dallas.

His menu includes arancini with truffle, "Impossible" meatballs, and iceberg salad. Entrees include 44 Farms Filet Mignon, Crisped Chicken, Rack of Lamb, and Ricotta Gnocchi with English peas, oyster mushrooms, and black truffle.

Sides include Smoked Potato Mousse, a fancy mashed potatoes; and fries tossed with parmesan and truffle oil. Desserts include something called the cupcake wheel, infused with strawberry champagne.

Mr.X is the speakeasy. To find the entrance, you need to do some kind of texting routine on your cellphone. Vintage phones are part of the lounge's decorative theme, and there's entertainment such as burlesque dancers, aerial artists, and live music. Edgy.

Prior to the ill-fated Republic Ranch, which got shut down by the city for pretending to be a restaurant when it was really a bar, this location was a catering operation called Victoria Hall, and has flipped back and forth over the years between caterer and restaurant.

XOXO was on the brink of opening in March but that got postponed by COVID-19. And with the pandemic, they'll observe limited hours: Thursday-Saturday from 6 pm-to midnight, with plans to extend the hours in July.

henderson-avenue openings

Pastries for Plano

Renowned San Martín Bakery brings sophisticated pastries to Plano

Courtesy photo

A self-serve area offersvbreads, cookies, and pastries.

San Martín Bakery, the Guatemalan-born bakery-café, will bring its renowned pastries to Plano this spring. The new shop — the chain's third in DFW — will be located at 5500 Preston Rd.

The family-owned company was founded in 1974 and has experienced tremendous success, with 68 stores in Guatemala; 11 in El Salvador; and, soon, three in Dallas-Fort Worth, its only U.S. presence so far.

They're known for high-quality, affordable food and drinks, served both in the bakery and onsite café.

“We don’t like to see ourselves as exclusive, but a neighborhood shop for everyone. We provide excellent quality, good prices, and great service, for multiple occasions,” says Santiago Castillo, country manager for the brand.

Their first foray into the U.S. was Uptown Dallas in 2018, followed by a second area location in Addison in 2024. The new Plano location will feature the same menu as the other local outposts, with options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Croissant at San Martin Bakery Photo by Marc Lee

Breakfast items include traditional oat and fruit plates, parfaits, omelets, pancakes, and French toast, as well as Latin-American classics such as chilaquiles, molletes, and huevos rancheros. Prices range from $5 to $15.

For lunch and dinner, they serve a variety of burgers; sandwiches; and pinsa, a light-dough flatbread, alongside soups, salads, pasta, and wraps. Castillo describes the menu as “hybrid Latin European,” given the assortment of Latin-American dishes as well as traditional European ones.

The bakery is the heart of San Martín, with a self-serve area offering breads, cookies, and pastries, as well as a counter with specialty desserts such as eclairs, cupcakes, fruit tarts, and beautifully designed cakes. The baked goods are made fresh daily, using onsite proofers and ovens. Coffee, sourced from San Martín's own roaster in Guatemala City, is featured in the café and available to purchase for home brewing.

“First visits are at the restaurant, but we love to see the bakery growing and customers becoming regulars at the bakery too,” Castillo says.

The Plano location will be similar to the others in Dallas, with a front bakery and a dining area overlooking an open kitchen, but outfitted with distinct finishes and unique decor.

It will be open seven days a week and on holidays, from 7 am to 9 pm on weekdays and 9:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

plano bakeries openings