News You Can Eat
Limited-edition specials make this Dallas restaurant news roundup a sizzler
This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has some of the usual openings and one of the usual closings, but the dominant theme is new dishes. Most are either new for summer, or else available for only a limited time. That means you can't waste a minute, get out there and try them before they're gone.
Here's what's happening in Dallas dining news:
Wild Salsa, the Mexico City-inspired concept from DRG Concepts, has reopened its Collin County location at The Village at Fairview, after having closed due to the pandemic in March 2020. Returning dishes include poblano tamale, Gulf redfish, chicken Milanesa, ensalada Mexicana, Sonoran enchiladas, shrimp tacos, tacos al pastor, chicken tinga tacos, chocoflan, churros, and house salsa with avocado and tomatillo. New dishes include the conchinita tamale, esquites, and a Cobb salad. The location features a patio with games such as foosball, corn hole toss, and shuffle board; "hammock" porch chair swings; and a fajita grill on the patio for special events. The restaurant is open Wednesday-Saturday 4-9 pm. Reopening dates for the original Wild Salsa in downtown Dallas and Wild Salsa Fort Worth are still to be announced.
Bonchon is opening a location in Frisco on June 20, in the Frisco Village Shopping Center at 4760 Preston Rd. at Lebanon. The first 100 people in line get a free five-piece chicken and a T-shirt. Frisco will join three existing Dallas-area locations, with another opening in Fort Worth in the fall, and two coming to Houston.
Einstein Bros. Bagels has opened a new location in Dallas at 4113 Lemmon Ave. where it serves bagels, bagel sandwiches, and beverages. The company is also launching its popular Everything Bagel Seasoning in partnership with B&G Foods in grocery stores nationwide. Consisting of sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, salt, and poppy seeds, it's the seasoning mix used on their popular Everything Bagel and can now be sprinkled on whatever dish you want.
Scooter's Coffee, the drive-thru coffee chain, opened a location in McKinney, at 8650 W. University Dr., where they'll host a Grand Opening Week June 20-24. Since it's a drive-thru, maybe a bunch of cars will all park in a circle.
XO Coffee Company, a sweet coffee shop in old downtown Plano at 1023 E. 15th St., closed on Sunday June 5. The owners issued a statement saying it was with "great sadness," saying "this was a very difficult decision and has come with a great deal of consideration and thought." It appears to have been a location issue, since they said they were scouting potential new locations that would better serve their customers. They'd been there since 2016.
McNeal's Tavern & Eatery is a sports and dining tavern in Historic Downtown Plano, at 1422 Avenue K, that opened in late spring, with a menu featuring fish & chips, bangers & mash, seafood pasta, and shepherd's pie.
Shake Shack, the New York-based burger chain, is building a new location in Plano at the intersection of Park and Preston, at 5009 W. Park Blvd., right next to the Velvet Taco that recently opened. Construction only just started — there's not even a partial building quite yet. This will be the second Shake Shack in Plano; the first opened at 7401 Windrose Ave. way back in 2017.
Ellie's Restaurant & Lounge has introduced a new set of dishes for summer. The menu still boasts fan-favorite dishes but with new options including tomato, watermelon, & buffalo mozzarella caprese salad with smoked almond-basil pesto, micro red shiso, & sherry gastrique; red miso BBQ-glazed pork ribeye with lobster fried rice; madras & smoked almond chicken salad stuffed gougere with arugula-watercress salad; and golden tomato gazpacho with green tomato relish and lavash crackers.
Open Palette, inside the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Downtown Dallas, has a new dinner menu featuring summer seasonal favorites including strawberry rhubarb salad with whipped goat cheese; watermelon Panzanella salad with feta; pea citrus risotto with shiitake mushrooms; shrimp & smoked gouda grits; chicken with corn succotash; salmon with tomato romesco & eggplant yogurt; apricot cheesecake; citrus panna cotta with candied orange pistachio; and summer mousse with Valrhona chocolate.
Jinya Ramen Bar has two new dishes for summer: Spicy Maze-Men, which is like ramen but without the broth, featuring extra thick noodles, Umami bonito Japanese aioli sauce, pork chashu, kimchi, egg, onion, and seaweed; and Otsumami, a Japanese dish with pork chashu, chicken chashu, seasoned egg, sautéed bamboo shoot, and spicy bean sprouts.
Perry's Steakhouse & Grille has a new limited-time New York strip flight, featuring nine ounces total of Texas Kobe-Style Wagyu Beef, Nebraska Prime Certified Angus, and True Japanese A-5 Wagyu Beef. It's available through June for $99.
The Biscuit Bar has a new seasonal special for June: Chipotle RazzBrie Chicken Biscuit, with fried chicken, brie cheese, and raspberry peach chipotle sauce.
Sweetgreen has three new dishes for summer: the Summer Teriyaki Bowl featuring okra and a teriyaki sauce with tahini as the base; pesto summer veggies; and peach & goat cheese salad, available through August 10.
Dickey's Barbecue Pit has a new King's Hawaiian Spicy Chicken & Cheddar sandwich with smoked chicken, cheddar, jalapeños, and spicy barbecue sauce on a sweet King's Hawaiian Bun. It's available through August 28.
Ziziki's, located at 11611 Preston Rd., at Forest Lane in North Dallas, has a new summer menu, featuring stuffed chicken breast with veggie orzo, and a shrimp cocktail served with avocado and pita bread.
Taco Bell has debuted two new items: The Quesadilla Burrrger is part Tex (burger) and part Mex (quesadilla), made with Nolan Ryan beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, queso, and Cholula chipotle ranch dressing, between two crisp, warm cheese quesadillas. Brisk Dragon Paradise Sparkling Iced Tea balances tropical dragon fruit, raspberry, and blackberry flavors with a hibiscus tea base, with a refreshing fizzy sensation.
Pie Five Pizza has introduced the Old World Maggie, a reinvention of their Margherita Pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, olive oil, grape tomatoes, parmesan, and fresh basil. A personal size pizza on an artisan thin or traditional Italian crust is $5 with promo code OLDMAGGIE through June 26.
7-Eleven has added a new dish for summer: Hot Honey Boneless Wings, a boneless wing in a sweet honey chili glaze with roasted garlic and chili pepper.
Eataly Dallas has a dessert for summer called the gelato coppe, dubbed the Italian answer to an American sundae, featuring gelato topped with Fabbri amarena cherries, candied local pecans, Venchi chocolate, and more.
The Salty Donut is featuring a Pride Donut, a Rainbow Funfetti cake doughnut made with vanilla bean glaze and topped with rainbow milk crumb, Swiss buttercream, and edible disco glitter, from June 20-26. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Resource Center Dallas.
Urban Seafood Company celebrates its one-year anniversary in downtown Plano. The restaurant is from Urban Family Concepts, the family-owned hospitality group that has two other restaurants in the area: Urban Rio Cantina & Grill and Urban Crust Wood-Fired Pizza.
Ill Minster Pub at the Gables Villa Rosa residential building is getting the boot. According to a petition from residents, Gables Villa Rosa Management is not renewing the pub's lease and is instead going to turn the space into short-term residential spaces a la AirBnB & VRBO. The petition notes that Ill Minster Pub has built a strong community of patrons who are dedicated to supporting local business, and allows Villa Rosa residents to go to a bar in the building, a safer option. Their last night is June 25.
Carbone, a New York-based restaurant, has been sued by Carbone's, a Dallas-based restaurant, for trademark infringement. Carbone's claims the similarity in the names is confusing. The 34-page lawsuit was posted online by NBC DFW.
Dallas-based chef John Tesar was awarded a Michelin star for Knife and Spoon at The Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. Knife was also awarded 2022 Best Steakhouse in the U.S.A by Goyot.com.