New food and liquor items offer tiny rays of hope in Dallas restaurant news

The coronavirus may be wiping out half of the food & beverage industry, but there's still another half trying to make it work in the Dallas restaurant world.

This roundup includes openings, closures, new menus, new noodles, and new booze. Lots of new booze.

Here's what's happening in Dallas dining news:

The Hall Bar & Grill, a casual steakhouse at Trinity Groves, closed on August 1. The restaurant posted a big farewell card on the restaurant's Facebook page, thanking customers for their support. Chef-owner James Rose will do catering jobs. Founding partner Bob Sambol, who hasn't been affiliated with the restaurant for more than a year, blamed the coronavirus for the closure.

True Kitchen + Kocktails, the new restaurant-bar near the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas, opens August 21. The menu is Southern comfort food with fried chicken & lobster tails, shrimp & grits, waffles, oxtails, greens, black eyed peas, candied yams, and desserts such as peach cobbler, lemon cake, and banana pudding. "Mind-blowing cocktails" will be presented in an over-the-top manner done with a flair unlike anything seen before at a comfort food restaurant, says a release. Owner Kevin Kelly, who acquired the historic Hart Building and the adjoining Club Medusa in 2017, was inspired by the desire to give Dallas a chance to enjoy dynamic dining experiences seen in major cities such as Paris, New York, and Los Angeles.

Scooter's Coffee, known for its pre-coronavirus reliance on drive-thru, as well as its specialty coffee and pastries, added a new location in Garland, at 3414 Broadway Blvd. Based in Omaha, they have five other locations in the DFW area.

Asian Mint has launched a limited-edition item: shirataki noodles. They're made using fiber from the root of a konjac plant which is native to East and Southeast Asia. They're said to absorb water easily, and make you feel full, yet have zero carbs. They're also good for gut health and control blood sugar and insulin levels. You can get them in five of Asian Mint's signature noodle dishes:

• Pad See Ew – stir-fried noodles in black soy, broccoli, bok choy and egg
• Asian Noodle Salad – noodles tossed with shrimp, chicken, julienned in-season rainbow vegetables, grape tomatoes, peanuts, mint, dressed with spicy lime sauce
• Kua Kai – noodles mixed with chicken, eggs and scallions, served with romaine lettuce
• Pad Kee Mow – Thai drunken noodles with eggs, tomato, romaine lettuce, red bell peppers, Thai basil and spicy Thai chili basil soy sauce
• Pad Thai – stir-fried noodles with eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts, shrimp, tofu, chicken, and tamarind sauce

For curbside pickup, order on www.asianmint.com.

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille has a new Wednesday lunch to-go offering: Pork Chop Bites on a Bun, featuring bite-sized morsels of Perry’s famous pork chop, layered in homemade barbecue sauce and applesauce, topped with onion strings on a slider-style bun. Pork Chop Bites on a Bun are available for to-go only and can be ordered for either half a dozen for $19 or a dozen for $35, Wednesdays from 10:30 am-5 pm. On other days, guests can ask about availability if it's a large order. Perry's Famous Pork Chop Wednesday and Friday Lunch To-Go features Perry’s lunch-cut chop, whipped potatoes, and homemade applesauce for only $16. Order and pay online at ordering.app/perryssteakhousegrille.

Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas has an off-the-menu item that guests can now request: Brisket Tostadas, featuring house-smoked brisket, ancho bbq, chipotle aioli, pickled red onions, queso fresco, jalapeño, and cilantro.

Fairmont Dallas hotel now has a selection of grab-and-go meal packages at the hotel front desk and at the rooftop pool. They include salads, bowls, and sandwiches such as:

• Chili-spiced Sweet Potato Bowl: Quinoa, Sweet Pepper, Chickpea, Cilantro Chimichurri, Lime Wedge
• Texas Cobb Salad: Grilled Chicken Breast, Pico de Gallo, Black Bean, Roasted Corn, Deep Ellum Blue Cheese, Jalapeno Ranch Dressing, Tortilla Crisp
• Cool Fried Chicken Wrap: Pimento Cheese, Buttermilk Coleslaw, Lettuce, Buffalo Aioli
• Turkey Club: Vine-ripened Tomato, Black Pepper Smoked Bacon, Green Leaf Lettuce, Avocado
• Green Pea & Curried Egg Salad: Radish, Garden Sprout, Cucumber

The Front Desk Grab & Go is available Sunday 12-6 pm, Monday-Wednesday 6 am-3 pm, and Thursday-Saturday 6 am-11 pm.

Golden Chick has reopened its Mesquite location at 4525 Gus Thomasson Rd with a spiffy new design. This location has been completely rebuilt and features copper ceiling tiles, four screen multimedia displays, and a new brown-tan-and-gold color scheme. The location is owned by franchisee Joseph Omobogie and is the second Golden Chick he's opened in 2020, with plans to open two more, in Mesquite and Allen, later this year. He completely leveled the original restaurant to build this new location. Golden Chicken president Jim Stevens says it's the perfect illustration of Golden Chick's commitment to excellence.

Rodeo Goat Ice House has brought back its "Battle of the Burgers" competition showcasing Hatch chiles: "Hatch Me If You Can" features a 44 Farms beef patty with white cheddar Hatch chile queso, roasted Hatch chiles, tortilla strips, fried onions, and avocado ranch. Chupacabra has a beef and chorizo patty, roasted Hatch chiles, smoked lime aioli, queso asadero, jalapeño croutons, and guacamole. Each burger ordered is considered a vote, with the most popular selection moving on to the next round of burger battles. It runs through August 24.

Mi Dia From Scratch has launched their seasonal, brand-new hatch green chile menu, which includes five items created by chef Gabriel DeLeon: Hatch queso, Hatch sliders, Hatch chicken tacos, pork carnitas Hatch enchiladas, and Hatch chile steak & relleno. The menu is available at all three Mi Dia From Scratch locations — Grapevine, Plano, and Flower Mound — for a limited time; Hatch chile season starts at the beginning of August and typically lasts through the end of September, depending on weather.

Steak 'n Shake has brought back drive-in service as a way to help further social distant dining. Parking spaces are designated by signage evoking a 45 RPM record. You use the Steak 'n Shake app to place your order, select "Car Hop," and enter your vehicle details. A server will deliver a tray and attach it to the car window. You can eat in the car or at one of their socially distanced umbrella-covered picnic tables. Steak 'n Shake has also brought back a fan-favorite menu item, the Cajun Burger, available exclusively at the Car Hop through August.

Pinkberry has a new frozen yogurt flavor: Watermelon Lime, a tart swirl combining watermelon and lime.

Manhattan Project Beer Co. has a new dessert on the menu at its in-house restaurant: horchata ice cream, served in a scoop on top of a fried arepa and drizzled with cajeta.

Carrabba's Italian Grill has an expanded menu with new and classic recipes. Appetizers include calamari, mozzarella marinara, and sausage & cheese stuffed mushrooms. Entrees include rigatoni Martino: Sautéed mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and Romano cheese tossed with rigatoni pasta in tomato cream sauce; a 16-ounce Tuscan-grilled ribeye seasoned with Mr. C's Grill Baste, olive oil, and herbs; and grouper De Nisco, with Lightly breaded grouper filets wood-grilled and topped with lemon butter, fresh basil, diced tomatoes and kalamata olives

Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie has launched the Bisous Bisous Benefit Box, an assortment of 12 macarons in which each flavor symbolizes a different cancer ribbon and type of cancer. The staff created the concept as a tribute to their leader and cancer survivor, owner and executive pastry chef Andrea Meyer. The limited-edition Bisous Bisous Benefit Box, featuring exclusive such as Blueberry Cheesecake and Earl Grey, is available during August for $30 with profits benefiting the Mayo Clinic’s Cancer Research Fund.

The Central Bar inside the original location of Dickey's Barbecue Pit off US-75 is said to be the oldest continuing operating restaurant in Dallas to never change ownership or change locations. They offer one-of-a-kind cocktails like the Murder Hornet and the Smoked and Stormy, crafted by Dickey's VP Phil Butler. While the bar is inside the restaurant, it is separate from the main dining area. It even boasts its own rotating food specials with unique menu items such as a Whiskey Brisket Sandwich.

Veritas Wine Room on Henderson Avenue has launched a new service delivering an ever-changing selection of wine from around the world to your door by clicking on DallasWineMarket.com. There are craft beer, wine, and creative packages, plus cheese, cheese boards, charcuterie. Their online pantry features Texas-centric foods including Wiseman House Chocolates from Hico, A Bar N Ranch Wagyu Steaks, Dallas-made Jammit Jam, and Zip Code Honey plus Marcona almonds, Spanish Conserva, and Heritage Berkshire pork. A $75 minimum purchase is required.

Longevity Wines of Livermore Valley in Northern California, one of two dozen Black-owned wineries in the U.S., how has two wines on store shelves across Texas: California chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, both $16. They're among the first to be sold with a unique cork by Helix that's both twist-off and resealable. It delivers the classic pop of natural cork without corkscrew. The 2018 Chardonnay is "bursting with flavors of honeydew and lemon" thanks to a percentage of Viognier. The 2017 Longevity Cabernet Sauvignon includes an addition of the rare varietal, Arinarnoa, with lots of fruit including dried cherry, cassis, and pomegranate.

Tip Top Proper Cocktails, an Atlanta-based canned cocktail company offering a selection of lowball classics, is launching in Texas. Tip Top has a line of adorable little canned Manhattans, Negronis, and Old Fashioneds, all mixed and ready to be poured over ice. A list of where to find the cocktails by zip code can be located here.