Sam Fox News

Flower Child restaurant sibling Culinary Dropout to debut in Dallas

Dallas is getting its own Culinary Dropout.

Courtesy photo

A new restaurant from a highly successful restaurant group is making its Dallas debut: Called Culinary Dropout, it's a casual gastropub with a quirky, rock 'n' roll atmosphere, comfort food, and cocktails, and it's opening in Dallas' Design District.

The opening is a ways off: According to a release, it'll debut in early 2024 at The International, a high-end showroom center at 150 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Culinary Dropout is part of Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC), the same group that owns The Henry and Flower Child, which all have locations in town. Dallas loves Fox concepts.

FRC was founded by Sam Fox, a restaurant whiz who has created a dozen brands that also include not-in-Dallas concepts such as Zinburger, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, and Doughbird.

In a statement, he says the concept is a good fit for the Design District. "I was inspired by the new growth and development of this area, it's just a really cool place to be," he says.

Food
The Culinary Dropout menu contains an edgy mix of meals done with attitude that include:

Pork ribs slow roasted for 36 hours and basted in jalapeño BBQ sauce
Buffalo hot wings
Fried chicken drizzled with honey
Soft pretzels with Provolone cheese fondue

Drinks
Cocktails feature house-made syrups, infused liquor, and fresh-squeezed juices, including:

El Matador with añejo tequila, elderflower liqueur, ginger agave, and orange bitters
Room Service with gin, lemon, strawberry, and bubbly

Atmosphere
The concept is said to radiate an irresistible welcome, with an eclectic mix of rockstar art, grand chandeliers, and leather booths. It includes a stage for live music and TVs for sports, and is inclusive for families, date night, a quick beer, or after-work food and drink.

There are eight Culinary Dropout locations: six in Fox Restaurant Concepts' home state of Arizona, plus one in Denver and one in Austin, which opened in 2016.

According to Fox, Dallas will be the first location with a rooftop bar, which will undoubtedly feature Dallas skyline views.

Setting
The International on Turtle Creek is an architectural icon and adaptive reuse office/showroom project created in 2005. It was acquired by Quadrant Investment Properties (QIP), a Dallas real estate investment firm that focuses on development projects in urban centers, in 2021.

QIP founder Chad Cook says that having a showpiece restaurant like this was a priority.

"The acquisition strategy for The International was centered around attracting a world class food and beverage operator," Cook says. "From the project's inception, Culinary Dropout was the ideal fit for this space. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Sam Fox and his team."

openings

Curry News

Tabla Indian Restaurant from Florida to open in The Colony

Tabla

Tabla Indian restaurant

An intriguing Indian restaurant from Florida is coming to The Colony: Called Tabla Indian Restaurant, it's a fast-casual concept opening at 4940 SH-121 #120, in what was previously a breakfast place called Sunview Cafe.

Tabla was founded as a fine-dining Indian restaurant by Anshu and Nora Jain, two entrepreneurs who manage hotels in the Hilton, Marriott, and IHG portfolio. They opened the first Tabla location in Orlando in 2008, followed by three more locations in Florida.

Their menu ranges from North Indian classics to South Indian favorites, crafted to reflect the diverse culinary traditions of India. Some are familiar such as:

samosas, the delectable appetizer featuring spicy mashed potato and peas wrapped in a crisp pastry shell
kebabs and other meats cooked in the traditional Indian tandoor clay oven
biryani, the aromatic rice casserole dish, in a variety of options including vegetarian, chicken, and goat
curries, spicy stews such as malai kofta, a South Indian dish with eggplant in a rich, tangy gravy

But The Colony will also offer some uncommon standouts such as an unique appetizer called the Thotakura Liver Fry, featuring spicy liver-like veggie bites made with amaranth leaves tossed in spices. It's a vegetarian version of a dish that ordinarily uses real liver — an innovative recipe that has gained popularity among some South Indian restaurants.

They also offer Indo-Chinese dishes including street-style noodles and fries rice, as well as wonderful Indian breads including classic naan, the irresistible stretchy bread baked in the tandoor oven, which they offer in varieties such as plain, garlic, and garlic green chili; plus roti, the thinner, slightly healtheir bread made with whole wheat flour.

While the franchised locations follow a basic template, they also have some flexibility on menu offerings.

The Colony is the second DFW location following one that opened in January 2025 in Fort Worth's Shops at North Tarrant shopping center. Fort Worth was opened by a franchisee and was the first outside Florida as well as the first in Texas.

The Colony location is from a different franchise group consisting of two couples who work in IT and wanted to share the cuisine and foods they grew up with, says co-owner Hinduja Venigalla.

"Tabla is very famous in Orlando, and we liked the founders and the concept," Venigalla says. "We felt like it was a refined dining experience featuring authentic Indian flavors, a warm ambience, and exceptional service."

For their grand opening, which will begin at 11 m on December 6, they'll offer 20 percent off both dining-in and to-go.

openings