Oak Cliff News

Chef-owned Mexican restaurant in Oak Cliff with marvelous mole closes

That mole is perfection.

Photo courtesy of Mesa Dallas

An award-winning restaurant in Oak Cliff is closing: Mesa Dallas, the authentic Mexican spot from husband-and-wife chefs Raul and Olga Reyes, will close on August 17, with a final going-away weekend event on August 16-17.

The owners announced the closure on Facebook, thusly:

"We want to thank all our Mesa restaurant customers who faithfully supported the typical Veracruz cuisine for 8 years. This weekend August 16-17 will be the last days of work. We will have specials to say goodbye to our clients, as they deserve it. Thanks again for your unconditional support."

The Reyeses opened the restaurant in 2011 as a step up from their previous restaurant in the same location, Las Palapas. The restaurant brought a little fine dining to Jefferson Boulevard with a chef-driven menu of dishes such as cochinita pibil; camarones a la crema; and seafood enchiladas with lobster, blue crab, and shrimp.

They made their own thick, satisfying tortillas — spotlighted in a signature dish, the enmoladas — and their mole sauce was renowned.

They received many positive reviews and press, including a royal visit from Beyonce and Jay-Z, when the couple performed in Dallas in 2013.

Reyes sought to expand the Mesa concept, and did open a second location in Southlake in 2013. A master craftsman, he did most of the woodwork himself. But he eventually left, and the restaurant is now run by restaurateur Mike Easley.

Reyes has since opened Ceviche Bar, an oyster bar at 451 W. Davis St., a few blocks from Bishop Arts, which he worked on for five years before finally opening the doors in April 2019.

Reyes' daughter, Jaretxy, who used to work at the restaurant, says that her parents haven't ruled out opening another concept in the space. "Some people complained about the prices, so I think he wants to do something more affordable," she says. "I think location is a big factor."

Anyway, if you have to have those enmoladas one more time, now's your chance.

closings

Coming soon

Chinese restaurant from celeb chef to debut in Dallas Design District

A table spread at Night Rooster with tea smoked duck, noodles, and steamed redfish

Samantha Marie Photography

Tea-smoked duck, steamed redfish, and more await at Night Rooster

A new Chinese fine dining restaurant from a celebrity chef will debut in Dallas’ Design District later this month: Called Night Rooster, it will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., taking over the first floor of the building that's home to Italian steakhouse The Saint.

A Saint-sibling concept from Hooper Hospitality Concepts, Night Rooster is the culmination of 20 years of conversations between restaurateur Andy Hooper and Los Angeles chef Shirley Chung, the Beijing-born chef who’s appeared on food competition shows such as Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions.

This is the first Dallas restaurant for Chung, whose kitchen experience includes working alongside culinary heavy-hitters like Thomas Keller and Jose Andres.

“Shirley and I have talked about building something together for over 20 years, and Night Rooster is the realization of that dream,” Hooper says in a release. “Night Rooster tells a story — of friendship, perseverance, and starting fresh — and we’re incredibly proud to bring that story to life.”

Chef Shirley Chung.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Chung, dubbed the “Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles,” brings her own brand of perseverance to the restaurant. In 2024, Chung was at the top of her culinary game when she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, says the release.

After undergoing an “intensive” treatment regimen, her cancer is now in full remission, and she’s been busy dreaming up a menu of Texas-inflected Chinese dishes ranging from orange quail, a play on the classic Chinese-American orange chicken, to cheeseburger-stuffed potstickers.

Elsewhere on the menu, diners will find creative, shareable dishes like jasmine tea smoked duck, tequila-marinated Drunken Yellowtail, and multiple noodle options, including the Cacio e Sichuan Pepe, a tingly riff on the classic Italian pasta with Sichuan peppercorn.

Many dishes will be made with ingredients from local purveyors, like beef from Outpost 76 Ranch in Sulphur Springs and mushrooms from Arlington’s Texas Fungus.

Night Rooster dumplings Chef Shirley Chung is known as the "Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles."Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Night Rooster's cocktail menu will have a similar focus on blending Texas ingredients with Chinese flavors and techniques, all with a modern twist. Drinks like the East Meets West, mixed with Nikka Coffey malt whisky, bourbon, black sugar, bitters, and cherrywood smoke, await.

When it debuts on January 31, Night Rooster will be open for dinner service only. The restaurant will serve dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 pm.