Fried Chicken News

Fancy fried chicken restaurant chain flees Dallas-Fort Worth

Bye Max's, we'll miss you.

Max's Wine Dive

Dallas-Fort Worth has a little less fried chicken with the demise of Max's Wine Dive, which closed its final North Texas location on West 7th Street in Fort Worth on September 1.

Max's is the sophisticated casual concept from Houston that specializes in fried chicken and champagne. Its first location in North Texas opened in Dallas' West Village in 2012, but closed after five years in August 2017.

Founder Jerry Lasco, president and CEO of Houston-based Lasco Enterprises, said in an email that there just wasn't enough business to keep the Fort Worth location open.

"Yes, we had a sad Labor Day weekend as we closed our Fort Worth Max's location after six years," Lasco said. "We are all crushed. It's painful to see something that so many people put their hearts and souls into come to an end."

"We couldn't be more thankful to the community of Fort Worth for their amazing support and classiness over the years as well as to our Fort Worth team," Lasco said. "They built an incredible work family that truly took to heart the hospitality and spirit that Max's Wine Dive was built on."

Max's came to Dallas simultaneously with the debut of CultureMap Dallas — just two plucky but brilliant Houston concepts colonizing DFW. CultureMap Dallas even held its launch party at the Dallas location.

The Fort Worth Max's opened in 2013.

When Max's arrived in DFW, the area was in the early throes of a fried-chicken trend, one that saw more than a dozen fried chicken restaurants open such as WhistleBritches, Quincy's, Farmbyrd, Fat Chicken, Brick & Bones, Street's Fine Chicken, and Chicken Moto, which does fried chicken with a Korean spin.

But the fried chicken category has also seem some shrinkage, with closures such as Sissy's on Henderson Avenue.

"The sole reason that Max's shut down was that it was no longer a viable business," Lasco said. "The restaurant industry can be a challenging one and sometimes despite the best efforts of the good people in place, in the end, the business no longer works as a business. Fortunately, we have been able to offer every member of our Fort Worth team a job at one of our other locations. With this said, we fully realize the impact on their lives and that is what makes it so tough."

The restaurant announced its closure with a note pinned to the door, stating, "With a heavy heart we are saddened to announce that Max’s Fort Worth is closed for business. Each of us at Max’s thanks the Fort Worth community for a number of amazing years."

closings

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings