Spicy News

Annual Hatch chile invasion of Dallas seems waayy over the top in 2021

Chuy's is a Hatch pioneer.

Photo courtesy of Chuy's

If it's August, then Hatch chiles must be here — and in 2021 they are here with a vengeance.

This annual, slightly contrived yet entirely enjoyable ritual sees Hatch chiles come in to Dallas from the hamlet of Hatch, New Mexico, starting at the end of July/early August — to spice up (in a very mild manner) various dishes at restaurants around town, all happy to celebrate this seasonal item.

There are two Hatch pillars in town: Central Market (who boast that they buy more Hatch chiles than anyone in Texas) and Chuy's, the Austin-based Tex-Mex chain, which paved the way with its on-site roasting and incorporation of the chiles into various limited-edition dishes.

Other restaurants have followed suit over the years, and Hatch fever has phased in and out. But in 2021, Hatch is in, in what seems like a bigger-than-usual way, with oodles of restaurants doing Hatch specials.

Hardcore chile heads like their chiles unbearably hot, and the Hatch chile is a letdown in that regard, coming in on the Scoville scale between 2,000 and 8,000 Scoville heat units. If you look on a chile pepper heat chart, they're still in the green band, just below jalapenos, and that won't do, must be in the red zone.

But the Hatch is a fun thing if you like to follow seasonality, and God knows we desperately need fun in 2021. Besides, things always taste better when you can't have them year-round.

Here's who's doing Hatch in 2021:

Central Market. The supermarket chain is hosting its 26th annual Hatch Chile Fest from August 4-24, and promise they're featuring more Hatch products and dishes than ever before. Highlights include

Hatch queso chicken mac & cheese casserole
Hatch twice-baked potatoes
Hatch crab cakes
Hatch pepper sausage kolaches
Brioche with roasted hatch pepper

Blue Goose Cantina. Restaurant chain is launching its 19th Annual Hatch Chile Fest featuring their Hatch menu which has a dedicated page on their website. Offerings include:

Hatchamole - guacamole with Hatch chile peppers, lime, & salt
Hatch queso - a white queso with freshly roasted Hatch chiles
Hatch salsa - mesquite-grilled Hatch chiles with cilantro, onion, garlic, and tomato
Hatch Trick - A combination of Hatchamole, Hatch queso, and Hatch salsa
Hatch can nachos - choice of ground beef or shredded chicken, Hatch queso, Hatch pineapple pico de gallo, and guacamole
Hatch Santa Fe quesadilla - with chicken, Hatch chiles, jack cheese, black beans, and corn, plus a side of Hatchamole
Hatch stew - New Mexico-style stew with Hatch chiles, pork, potatoes, and carrots
Hatch pulled pork enchiladas
Hatch street tacos
Skinny Hatch margarita

Blue Mesa Grill. Southwest restaurant chain is another Hatch veteran, hosting its 25th Annual Hatch Chile Festival, from August 4-September 5, with a special menu that includes:

Crispy fried Hatch strips with ancho mayo
Hatch Combo (two for $14 or three for $16): Hatch rellenos with jack cheese in a blue corn crust; creamy pulled chicken; or garlic-basil shrimp
Hatch steak taco with queso
Hatch brownie with cajeta and vanilla ice cream
Hatch Paloma cocktail with Puro Verde silver tequila, bourbon whiskey, Hatch, grapefruit juice & soda, lime and agave

Hatch Combos are available for takeout in Family Packs, plus a pan of Hatch brownies and the Hatch Paloma in a pouch.

Cane Rosso. Neapolitan pizza chain has a special pizza-of-the-month featuring roasted Hatch chiles, combined with mozzarella, herb mascarpone, peaches, prosciutto, and basil.

Chuy's. Hatch chile pioneer is a purist: They generally don't start their celebration until mid-August, but their Hatch items including their lip-smacking Hatch Green Chile Sauce have a rabid following.

Eataly Dallas. Italian marketplace in NorthPark Center is celebrating August 9-15 with food-and-drink specials at Terra, their in-house Italian restaurant:

Hatch Peperonata – side dish with hot & mild hatch chile grilled over the open flame and marinated, served with Agostino Recca Anchovies and thyme
Hatch & Not So Heavy - a bright cocktail with Hatch green chile-infused Ford's Gin, Caffo Limoncello, and lemon
Some Like It Hatch - Hatch Green Chile-Infused Texas Silver Star Vodka, Luxardo Maraschino, pineapple, grenadine, and lemon

Eatzi's Market & Bakery. Gourmet market has a selection of items available for a limited time that include:

Hatch Chicken Salad, traditional chicken salad mixed with hatch chile peppers
Hatch Chile Empanadas with chicken, roasted hatch green chiles and queso fresco inside a flaky crust
Sausage & Hatch Pepper Pizza

Fuzzy's Taco Shop. Taco chain has a special taco available through Sunday, August 29. The Hatch Green Chile Taco features shredded spicy pork or shredded chicken with garlic sauce, avocado slices, feta, and cilantro with a Hatch green chile sauce on a warm flour tortilla.

Meso Maya. Mexican restaurant chain is doing a special themed cocktail for $13. The Hatch Cantorito has Casa Noble Tequila Blanco, Cointreau, hatch chile, lime, and pineapple, with a lime-chile chamoy rim.

Village Burger Bar. The burger chain is doing a special $6.50 Hatch Margarita, consisting of a frozen margarita swirled with hatch chile puree.

El Fenix. Starting August 16, the Tex-Mex chain is doing a whole special Hatch chile menu, as follows:

Hatch Chile & Chicken Quesadilla. New Mexico green chile seasoned chicken, Monterrey jack, roasted diced chiles on a flour tortilla, with charro beans, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo
New Mexico Hatch Chicken Enchiladas. Roasted green Chile, Monterrey jack cheese, sauteed onions, topped with queso blanco and roasted Hatch green chile salsa, with rice and pinto beans
Hatch Queso Blanco Enchiladas. Two enchilada tortillas filled with Monterrey jack and fresco cheese, diced roasted hatch Chile, and onions, topped with queso blanco, served with pinto beans and rice
Hatch Chile Queso Blanco

Snuffer's. Starting August 16, burger chain is doing two special sandwiches, and a special margarita, all starring Hatch chiles:

Hatch Chile Sloppy Burger. Beef patty cooked with diced Hatch chiles, onions, topped with aged cheddar on a poppy seed bun, with tomato and chipotle mayo
Crispy Hatch Chicken Sandwich. Fried chicken and melted jack cheese on a poppyseed bun with green cabbage slaw, tomato, Hatch sauce, and chipotle mayo
Hatch Margarita. Blue agave tequila Blanco, Hatch chile puree, lime, pineapple juice, and Cointreau orange liqueur on the rocks with lime Chile tajin rim

tex-mex

Downtown Dining

Indian restaurant Gymkhana adds an urban touch to downtown Dallas

Gymkhana

A plush new Indian restaurant is now open in the heart of downtown Dallas: Called Gymkhana, it's located at 1408-1410 Main St., in the former Which Wich Sandwich/Birdguesa space, where it's serving a wide range of Indian dishes in an elegant, upscale setting.

Gymkhana is from prolific restaurateur Praveen Prasannan, an industry veteran with international experience working at hotels and on cruise ships. Prasannan is also the owner of Shivas Bar and Grill, an elevated Indian concept he owns with his brother Prinu, with outlets in downtown Dallas and in Allen; and Elephant Bar & Grill, another upscale Indian brand with locations in East Dallas and Bishop Arts.

Gymkhana — which is no relation to a London-based concept with the same name — is Prasannan's latest creation, and furthers his mission to champion authentic Indian food — from all parts of India, including Mumbai, where he's from — in a nicer environment than other Indian restaurants in the area.

The menu features traditional Indian dishes but with an occasional contemporary flair. Soups, for example, include a traditional madras tomato soup next to a lobster bisque. There are classics like samosas but also adventurous fusion items like hummus with garlic naan, or mussels "Indian style" with velvet tikka sauce.

They offer a number of dishes baked tandoori-style in a clay oven that imparts an irresistible smokiness, in dishes such as lamb and chicken kebabs.

Like most Indian restaurants, Gymkhana is vegetarian-friendly, even offering vegan dishes such as chana masala — chickpeas in a spicy tomato-onion sauce. Prices are relatively low, with entrees averaging about $21.

"I wanted to make sure it was affordable — that was important," Prasannan says.

GymkhanaGymkhana

Decor
The restaurant is inspired by the traditional social clubs of India, celebrating the spirit of togetherness and conversation, designed with intricate detail, Prasannan says.

"I brought in antiques from India to create a distinctive atmosphere, to give the restaurant a strong identity," he says.

The facade features centuries-old hand-carved wooden doors, with a row of lights across the top that reflect down on the sidewalk and give the entry a sophisticated, big-city feel.

The interior boasts royal blue jewel-toned banquettes, sparkling chandeliers, and hand-painted murals depicting regal figures, elephants, and intricate patterns — a combination of modern and traditional.

The space combines what was previously two storefronts with seating for up to 150, and that was intentional, Prasannan says.

"One of my priorities was to be able to offer a place for private parties and events — we receive so many requests," he says.

He's also a big believer in bringing Indian food to the center of Dallas. The majority of Indian restaurants are in suburbs like Irving, Plano, Richardson, Frisco — but Prasannan's restaurants are all in inner city areas like East Dallas, Bishop Arts, and downtown Dallas.

Their presence lends a cosmopolitan urban touch to their neighborhoods — and Gymkhana does it one better with late-night hours, staying open until 11 pm on weeknights and 1 am on weekends.

downtown openings