News You Can Eat

Brunch and Asian doughnuts raise this round of Dallas restaurant news

Mysterious hands reaching for brunch.

Photo courtesy of Del Frisco's Grille

Openings and closings are at a lull around Dallas in these sleepy mid-June days, but there's still restaurant news to report. There is always restaurant news to report. There are new menus. New dishes. New drinks. New chefs.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Kessler Pie Co. has opened a pop-up shop in Victory Park, after winning a pitch competition produced by NextSeed. Kessler Pie Co. will go into the space at 2404 Victory Park Ln., next to Chad Rookstool, in what was once a clothing store called G Star Raw. Hmm with that name, no wonder it closed. Kessler Pie Co. will be open Wednesday-Sunday 10 am-8 pm, through the end of August. The shop will serve its signature pies in a jar as well as traditional pies, whole and by the slice. Kessler Pie Co. opened its first location in Oak Cliff in 2016 starring the baking skills of Armida Ortega and her two daughters, Miriam Ortega and Deborah Cano.

Pei Wei has new things on its menu, including two small plates and a dessert. There's chicken lettuce wraps with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, scallions, and garlic. These have always been on the menu but now you can get them as an individual serving. There's a miso side salad with mixed greens, tomato, carrot, and red bell pepper. But let's get to the winner: Thai Donuts, fried to order, tossed in cinnamon and sugar, and served with sweetened condensed milk dipping sauce.

Del Frisco's Grille has revitalized its brunch and cocktail menu in its restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Southlake. Available from 11 am-3 pm Saturday-Sunday, the brunch menu features 10 new, chef-driven dishes such as Nonna’s pan cinnamon rolls topped with bourbon-espresso caramel sauce; lemon ricotta pancakes; greens & grains bowl; smoked salmon tower; short rib hash. New cocktails include Bloody Mary made with horseradish-infused vodka; watermelon frozé with Jean-luc Colombo Rosé; crack coffee spiced with chai and cinnamon whip; and a Spanish gin & tonic with a juniper berry-infused ice cube.

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar has released a new beer, called Huckleberry Haze IPA, and three new summer dishes: grilled aritichokes, chili peanut wings, and best of all, mini corn dogs.

Mutts Canine Cantina has introduced a new chicken sandwich. A lightly fried, two-hour dry-brined chicken breast is topped with American cheese, three pickles — if you only get two, feel free to complain — and Szechuan peppercorn sauce. Served on a wrong-side-out soft wheat bun, it'll debut on June 24.

Ocean Prime has a seasonal fish dish: Alaska halibut with fingerling potatoes, haricot vert, tomatoes, and cauliflower puree topped with an orange vinaigrette and caviar. It's $51 and it'll run through the summer.

3Eleven Kitchen & Cocktails has a new low-ABV cocktail called the Jacqueline Spritzer. Paying homage to the beloved former First Lady, the spritz is made with pinot gris, a splash of soda & lemon twist, served with a side sipper of Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach.

El Fenix Mexican Restaurant has teamed up with Patrón to create a limited-edition margarita using a custom barrel of El Fenix Patrón Barrel Select Reposado made specifically for its 100th anniversary. The Centennial Margarita will include this special tequila, Patrón Citronge, lime juice, and simple syrup. It's $9.99 at all 22 locations while supplies last.

Up On Knox has a new chef: Matthew Wilbur, a classically trained chef with 15 years experience in the industry. Wilbur previously worked at Bouchon at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Alex at Wynn Las Vegas, Citronelle at Carmel Valley Ranch, and more. He worked at the Joule Dallas hotel overseeing banquets and catering for almost two years, where he met Junior Borges, who he now rejoins. His new dishes for Up On Knox include roast chicken and hamachi crudo with pea relish, avocado, and lobster roe.

Pei Wei part 2 involves their new prototype store in Las Colinas. Located at 7600 N. MacArthur Blvd., it's been reimaged with new graphics, digital menu boards, furniture, and modern lighting. The ordering line now queues along the kitchen so guests get a behind-the-scenes view. There's a new mural, new uniforms, music playlist, beverage menu, and a special take-out station for guests who order online or through the mobile app complete the transformation. Much new.

Bullion made the list of best wine restaurants in America for 2018 by Wine Enthusiast magazine, which spotlights restaurants with the best, most innovative, and thoughtful wine, dining, and service. Bullion is one of 59 restaurants new to the list. What they say: "Where many of the new crop of classic French restaurants have a retro feel, Bruno Davaillon’s dramatic spot feels modern and personal. The extensive all-French wine list is especially strong in selections from Burgundy and Davaillon’s native Loire."

After years of dormancy, the Slow Food Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter is ramping up again and is teaming with the White Rock Farmers Market to recruit new members. Slow Food DFW members will be in a booth every Saturday in June to sign up new and returning members and encourage participation in a local product recipe swap. Founded in 1989, Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization. The White Rock Farmers Market is at 15154 Russell Ave. (at Garland Road) every Saturday from 8 am-1 pm.

news-you-can-eat

Spring Arrival

West Dallas gets new Spanish-Peruvian restaurant with big-name chef

Photo courtesy of Ulloa's

Paella will be on the menu.

A new restaurant with a high-profile culinary director will bring Spanish and Peruvian flavors to West Dallas: Called Ulloa’s, it is coming to 727 Fort Worth Ave., with a projected opening in March 2027.

The concept is from philanthropists Susan and Woodrow Gandy, who were previously investors in the historic Belmont Hotel just around the corner. They've teamed up with Dallas celebrity chef Kent Rathbun as culinary director, along with Christopher Tunnell as general manager to lead the front of the house.

Rathbun is a name Dallas diners know well, with a resume that includes The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the Landmark Restaurant at the historic Melrose Hotel, Seventeen Seventeen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Abacus, Jasper's, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, and more. He's won numerous awards and made multiple appearances on Food Network. He was most recently behind the launch of On The Rocks, an Italian bistro in Burleson.

Chef Kent Rathbun will be the culinary director of Ulloa's. Photo courtesy of Kent Rathbun

Tunnell’s background spans both culinary direction and front-of-house operations. He worked at Los Angeles hot spots Ketchup, Geisha House, and Les Deux, as well as the Mandalay Bay and The Mirage in Las Vegas, before moving to Dallas to open The Mexican, the upscale restaurant in the Design District.

“I am truly excited to partner with Chef Kent Rathbun, whose reputation is amazing — not only in the DFW Metroplex, but in the culinary world,” Tunnell says. “He has been with this project since the beginning, helping develop it; this will be a very chef-driven, culinary-forward restaurant.”

The team's vision for Ulloa’s is both culinary and urban, with hopes of anchoring the corridor and attracting other businesses to Fort Worth Avenue — a stretch connecting downtown Dallas with Oak Cliff that remains somewhat underdeveloped despite its panoramic skyline views.

The restaurant is named for Spanish explorer, astronomer, and scientist Antonio de Ulloa, who spent extensive time in the Mexican peninsula before becoming Louisiana’s first governor. During his travels, Ulloa documented a fogbow — a circular rainbow formed when sunlight meets mist that causes silhouettes standing between the sun and fog to appear ringed in light, a phenomenon known today as “Ulloa’s Rings.”

That vibrant phenomenon inspired both the restaurant's identity and logo. The concept promises "bold, worldly flavors in a welcoming neighborhood setting inspired by exploration and discovery,” the owners say.

Ulloa's Rendering of Ulloa's.Rendering courtesy of Ulloa's

While the menu remains in development, Tunnell describes the culinary direction as “Spanish soul with a Peruvian heart.” The kitchen will merge the coastal flavors of both traditions — ranging from paellas and ceviches to crafted cocktails and signature adaptations by Rathbun.

The 200-seat, two-story space will feature a downstairs dining room, a large bar, and an outdoor patio. Upstairs, plans call for a secondary bar, a private dining room, a patio, and an expansive balcony patio, offering views of the city's skyline and of the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges.

While the upstairs space will be available for private events, the owners intend for it to operate primarily as an organic extension of the main restaurant. The buildout will include a guest elevator along with ample parking, including both self-parking and valet options.

The team says the restaurant will have have an aesthetic that's “warm, theatrical, generous, elegant but alive, with the energy of a great Spanish tapas bar and the soul of Peruvian hospitality.”

Ulloa’s plans to launch with dinner service first, followed by lunch and weekend brunch.

restaurants bars peruvian flavors west dallas oak cliff kent rathbun