News You Can Eat

Dallas-Fort Worth Restaurant Week reveals participating eateries

Steakhouses are always willing participants.

Eddie V's

One annual tradition unfazed by the coronavirus is DFW Restaurant Week, the annual dine-out hosted by local restaurants and benefiting the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) and Lena Pope.

This is the event's 23rd anniversary, and offers both dine-in and take-out options, plus an adjusted donation structure designed to help diners make a big impact in our community in the midst of COVID-19 recovery.

It kicks off August 31-September 6, though most restaurants extend participation for additional weeks through September 27.

Some restaurants also offer a head start on dining with Preview Weekend August 28-30. Reservations open on August 4.

Participating restaurants for 2020 are, as usual, steakhouse-heavy although there are more alternatives than usual, including the portfolio of restaurants at the Statler Dallas hotel. There are a large number of Fort Worth participants, as well.

This year has dine-in and new take-out options for three-course prix fixe dinners for either $39 or $49, and two-course lunches for $19.

Diners can get a free additional course with a FedEx Office | DFW Restaurant Week Fourth Course Certificate. For each meal purchased during the campaign, 10 percent will be donated to NTFB (greater Dallas area) or Lena Pope (Tarrant County). Restaurants will adhere to the current safety guidelines.

NTFB and Lena Pope are taking a smaller donation — 10 percent vs. previous 20 percent — in order to better help participating restaurants.

Here are the restaurants:

3Eleven Kitchen & Cocktails
400 Gradi Dallas
Adelmo's Ristorante
Al Biernat's
Arthur's Steakhouse
Billy Can Can Saloon
Bistecca - An Italian Steakhouse
Bistro 31
Blaze Brazilian Steakhouse
Bulla Gastrobar
Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House
Corrientes 348 Argentinian Steakhouse
Culpepper Steak House
Dee Lincoln Prime
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa Dallas
EBESU Robata & Sushi
Eddie V's Prime Seafood
El Bolero - Design District
Ferrari's Italian Villa & Chop House
Fire Oak Grill
Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse
Gemelle
Grace
III Forks Prime Steakhouse
Jalisco Norte
KĀI Restaurant and Lounge at Legacy West
Kenny's Wood Fired Grill
Kirby's Prime Steakhouse
Kona Grill - Dallas
La Bistro Italian Grill
Lavendou Bistro Provençal
Lawry's The Prime Rib
Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
Mac's on Main
Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Merchant House
Mercury Chophouse - Arlington
Mexican Bar Company
Moxie's Grill and Bar - Plano
Musume
Next Bistro
Nick & Sam's Steakhouse
Niwa Japanese BBQ
Nonna
Nosh Bistro
Oak Steak & Seafood
Ocean Prime - Dallas
Overeasy
Pakpao Thai Food – Design District
Perry's Steakhouse & Grille
Primo's MX Kitchen & Lounge
Randy's Steakhouse
Restaurant506 At The Sanford House
rise n°3
Scout
Seasons52
Sfereco
Silver Fox Steakhouse
Sloane's Corner
St. Martin's Wine Bistro
Stock & Barrel
Table 13
Tei-An
Texas de Brazil
The Capital Grille
The Melting Pot
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
The Original MoMo Italian Kitchen
The Ranch at Las Colinas
Toulouse Legacy West
Twigs American Kitchen
Yellow Rose Steak & Chop House

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Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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