Sandwich News

California chain brings hefty, upscale sandwiches to second Dallas-area location

Their sandwiches are so extra.

Mendocino Farms

UPDATE 3/23/2021: The addison location of Mendocino Farms opened on March 23.

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An upscale sandwich chain from California that promised to expand its footprint in Dallas is following through: Mendocino Farms has signed on to open a location on the border of Addison, at 5290 Belt Line Rd.

The restaurant will open in at the Prestonwood Place shopping center, which is undergoing a big renovation that includes an update to the facade; additional office space; and a 15,000-square-foot park. Current tenants include Flower Child, Shake Shack, Chipotle, and The Great Outdoors.

A spokesperson for the center confirms that the concept will open in early 2021.

Mendocino Farms is known for sandwiches, both classic and trendy. The concept was founded in Los Angeles in 2005 with a mission to combine an inclusive dining experience with chef-driven food and a sense of hospitality.

They made their Texas debut in Houston, followed by Dallas in November 2019, when they opened a location at 2000 Ross Ave. in downtown Dallas.

Sandwiches include:

"Not So Fried" chicken, a lighter version of a cold fried chicken sandwich with shaved chicken breast rolled in Mendo’s "krispies" (a polenta-based buttermilk batter fried separately to maintain crunch), herb aioli, mustard pickle slaw, and choice of warm barbecue sauce or Southern-style remoulade
Mendo's original pork belly banh mi, a play on the Vietnamese classic made with pork belly, pickled daikon and carrots, and fresh jalapeño on toasted ciabatta in place of the traditional baguette
Farm Club, an elevated take on the club sandwich with shaved turkey breast, avocado, bacon, mixed greens, and house pickled red onions on soft, seeded whole wheat bread

Salads include:

Saved Drake Farms Salad, with shaved chicken breast, honey, herb-marinated goat cheese, pink lady beets, green apples, dried cranberries, crushed honey roasted almonds, red onions, mixed greens and chopped romaine with citrus vinaigrette
Avocado & Quinoa Superfood Ensalada, with butter lettuce and romaine, kale, house-made superfood krunchies (crunchy fried quinoa, millet, heirloom red rice, and nutritional yeast), Cotija cheese, and a black bean, roasted corn, and jicama succotash

Thre are many vegan options, including:

Taco salad featuring Impossible plant-based chorizo
Southwestern spiced Impossible burger
Vegan banh mi with organic marinated, baked tofu
BBQ tempeh sandwich with tangy mustard-pickle slaw

The menu provides a legend to the diverse array of offerings that can be ordered gluten free, vegan, or vegetarian. The chain also offers an order-ahead option online, where you can grab your order from a pickup shelf.

"Mendocino Farms is so much more than just a place to get a great sandwich," says Kevin Miles, Mendocino Farms CEO (and Dallas native) in a statement. "Our goal is to be a neighborhood gathering place for co-workers, friends, and families to come together over uniquely delicious, fresh, and seasonal food."

farmer-diaries

Italian Restaurant News

Italian restaurant The Saint makes debut in Dallas Design District

Samantha Marie Photography

The Saint

A swanky restaurant is relocating from one hip Dallas neighborhood to another: The Saint, the Italian steakhouse from Hooper Hospitality Concepts which originally opened near Deep Ellum in 2023, is moving to a new address in the Dallas Design District.

The restaurant will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., and it's happening soon: According to a release, it'll open on Saturday, January 3.

It's going into same building that will be home to Night Rooster, The Saint's sibling Asian concept which will open sometime in 2026.

Hooper Hospitality Concepts CEO Andy Hooper says in a statement that "the Design District offers the ideal setting for the experience we’ve created. It gives us greater visibility, a setting that matches the sophistication of our menu, and a chance to welcome even more guests into the world of The Saint."

Decor
The 1,800-square-foot dining room seats 85. Highlights include a golden-tiled stairway leading to the restaurant’s second-story landing, crowned by an 18th-century gilt chandelier, counterbalanced by a graffitied antique oil portrait hand-tagged by Design District artist Kelly O’Neal.

It's a whole opposites theme, creating a space where both “saints and sinners” feel at home. The wallpaper features a vivid interpretation of saints-and-sinners iconography, blending flora, fauna, snakes, doves, and talismanic motifs into a damask pattern.

Scalloped upholstered booths soften the room with elegant curves under the pink glow of an antique 1920s Parisian glass-domed chandelier. Nearly every seat captures a view of the downtown Dallas skyline.

New chef
The kitchen is now led by executive chef Sergio Esquivel, a Dallas-born chef whose culinary roots trace back to early days cooking beside his grandmothers. He attended The Culinary Institute of America and has worked at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Georgie by Curtis Stone, Harper’s, Nuri Steakhouse, and as personal chef for the Jones family at AT&T Stadium.

His style blends steakhouse tradition with Italian technique, Peruvian brightness, American comfort, and Korean depth, with a commitment to crafting everything in-house.

His menu will include dry-aged cuts from Texas ranchers, Wagyu selections, housemade pastas, seafood, and vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Standout menu items include

Texas Wagyu Tartare with truffle carpaccio and balsamic cured egg yolk
Shellfish Platter with Maine lobster, king crab, oysters, and prawns with cocktail sauce
Wild Mushroom & Black Truffle Tagliatelle
32-oz Bistecca Alla Fiorentina

The bar program will continue to offer inventive cocktails and a notable wine selection, now enhanced by a lineup of new signature drinks such as the In Good Faith with Ford’s Gin, Ramazotti Apertivo, hibiscus syrup, lemon and sparkling wine; plus new smoked whiskey decanter drinks, offering a mesquite-smoked Manhattan and Old Fashioned in regular and top shelf selections.

deep-ellum openings