Mex News

Fresh fast Mexican concept opens restaurant at Dallas' Casa Linda Plaza

Trio of tacos, ready to roll.

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UPDATE: 1-21-2020: Chiloso has an opening date. According to a statement from EDENS Casa Linda Plaza, the landlord/center where the restaurant is located, it will open January 24.

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An up-and-coming Mexican concept that loosely follows the Chipotle style is opening in East Dallas' most revered center. Chiloso Mexican Grill, which has six locations around DFW, is preparing to open another, this one at Casa Linda Plaza.

The restaurant will open at the northeast corner of Buckner Boulevard and Garland Road, in the same quadrant as Petco, with a target date of November.

A spokesperson for the mini-chain confirmed that they would be opening in late fall. "We are super excited to be coming to Casa Linda Plaza," the spokesperson says. "Our founder David Balli used to live in the area and has a connection to the neighborhood."

Balli and his uncle Joe opened the first location in Rockwall in 2006, following the same fast-casual "make-your-way-down-the-line" format as Chipotle, but with what fans say is fresher, better food.

You choose from a burrito, nachos, tacos, bowl, or salad, then specify ingredients and toppings.

It's said to have the look and feel of a Chipotle, but with food that's more elevated, more authentic than your prototypical Tex-Mex, and with a good, spicy kick.

Balli says they wanted to "take the standards of a full service restaurant and put it in a quick-casual atmosphere." They make everything in house, and their decor is fresh, too, with chic touches such as gray-and-black floor tiles and aqua chairs that embrace a mid-century modern style.

One of their most famous items is their grilled avocado: a fresh avocado that's grilled until it gets crusty, then ladled with queso and topped with choice of meat such as pork, chicken, steak, barbacoa, or ground beef.

They also have something the OMG, dubbed by one reviewer to be "essentially a glorified quesadilla," stuffed with chicken, avocado, and jack cheese.

Another big plus is Chiloso's long hours: They're open for breakfast everyday, plus lunch and dinner. At breakfast, you can build your own Austin-style taco from ingredients such as chorizo, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and refried beans.

They also have alcoholic beverages such as beer and margaritas.

Their six locations are in Rockwall, Rowlett, Wylie, Richardson, Southlake, and Denton, with another set to open any minute now in Frisco. Chiloso also has a sibling concept called Oscar Delta Texas Kitchen, located in Forney, which serves chicken-fried steak, burgers, tacos, and brisket fries.

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Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

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Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

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