Denton Dining

Denton restaurateurs open new rooftop spot overlooking downtown square

The Sunago Bell will have epic views.

Photo courtesy of Denton Main St Association

Denton's biggest restaurant group is opening another concept, this one on the top floor of the Wells Fargo building in downtown Denton. Called The Sunago Bell, it comes from the Radical Hospitality Group, owners and operators of such restaurants as LSA Burger Co. and Barley & Board in Denton, as well as Earl’s 377 Pizza and Bumbershoot Barbecue in Argyle.

RHG partners John "Sparky" Pearson, Earl Herrington, and Steve Watkins have signed a lease for the eighth floor of the building, which is located at 101 S. Locust St. Building owner Jack Bell, of Jack Bell Property Management, calls it a one-of-a-kind location.

"101 South Locust is one of those rare buildings that has earned itself a spot as a Denton icon," Bell says in a release. "I was originally drawn to this property with business dealings over the last dozen years as well as its one-of-a-kind location."

The building started out as First State Bank of Texas, which was based in Denton. Wells Fargo acquired the company in 2001. It was originally three stories tall, but five more floors were added in the '70s. It's a modest tan rectangle whose main asset is its location kitty-corner to Denton's Downtown Square.

The Sunago Bell is not exactly a name that trips off one's tongue. "Hey, let's grab a bite at The Sunago Bell." But according to a spokesman, "sunago" is the Greek word for gathering place. At the very least, it is more distinctive than names like "Market and Table" or "The Fish." Have you ever tried to Google The Fish? This job is so harrrd.

Currently under construction, The Sunago Bell will take up the entire eighth floor, providing unrestricted views to the north, east, and west. It has 5,500 square feet and will seat approximately 150 guests.

One cool feature they're adding is an elevator solely for use by patrons and restaurant staff. It'll be built on the east side of the building, providing guests with an exclusive entryway to what is promised to be the best view in downtown Denton.

There's no menu available yet, but the restaurant is expected to have Mediterranean-coastal influences, with a focus on seafood and inspiration from the cuisines in Spain, Italy, and France.

Pearson says he's very excited about the new concept. "Through this new venture, we will be introducing a new culinary adventure with a keen eye on design modeled with a concept that leverages the strengths of every member on our team," he says.

openings

Skewers News

Chinese restaurant Yang's Smokehouse in Plano has sensational skewers

Yang's Smokehouse

Crispy tofu balls at Yang's Smokehouse

A new family-owned Asian restaurant specializing in skewers has opened in Plano: Called Yang's Smokehouse, it's a Chinese place now open at the Mitsuya Marketplace center at 240 Legacy Dr #306, with a menu featuring dishes you won't find anywhere else in Dallas.

That includes skewers of all kinds: meats such as beef tongue, pork belly, lamb, sausage, mini pork ribs, pork skin, and duck gizzard; and veggie skewers including green beans, cabbage, eggplant, zucchini, and lotus slices.

These skewers have a history that dates back to the restaurant's roots in China, says Yang's founder Candice Cao.

"The legacy of Yang's Smokehouse began in 1980 with secret family recipes from my Grandma Yang, which were passed down through generations," Cao says.

After being widowed at the young age of 30, Grandma Yang launched a charcoal stall from which she served skewers, enhanced by her hand-crushed spice blends and cooked over live fire. She eventually built a small chain with six locations, each serving about 10,000 skewers per day, Candice says.

Candice's mother joined the business and now Candice, who came to Dallas more than a decade ago to attend Dallas Baptist University, represents the third generation.

"I'm proud to follow the family tradition of women owning their own business," Candice says.

While skewers are the star, Yang's also serves unique dishes that are native to the Guizhou province in southwestern China where Candice is from.

That includes spicy stir-fried clams in black bean sauce with garlic, ginger, scallion, and cilantro; and a dish called Spicy and Numbing Chicken Knee Cartilage featuring a delicacy taken from the small joint connecting the drumstick to the foot.

"Asians know about this dish — it has a really strong, spicy flavor that almost has a numbing effect," Candice says.

There are also crispy tofu balls, popular snacks in Guizhou featuring a crisp tofu skin wrapped around soft mashed tofu filling which is dressed up with radish and spices and fried.

"It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and we serve it with a spicy dipping sauce that has radish and cilantro," Candice says. "We recommend poking a little hole and adding some of the radish to make it juicy. It's one of our most popular items, equally loved by vegetarians and diners seeking truly authentic Chinese food."

Other menu items include egg fried rice, Korean kim chi egg rice, stir-fries, potato pancakes, potstickers, cucumber salad, and "Southern" cold noodles — featuring sweet potato noodles in a simple but satisfying sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili, topped with cucumber, perfect for summer.

They recently added an all-you-can-eat skewers offering at lunch, Monday-Friday, for $40 that'll last through the summer.

To guarantee a smooth and successful launch in the U.S., Candice brought in a secret weapon: Grandma Yang herself.

"Grandma traveled here to help get Yang's off the ground," Candice says. "That's her coaching the team in the kitchen."

openings