List News

2 acclaimed Dallas restaurants make prestigious list by Bon Appetit magazine

Congrats to Khao Noodle Shop.

Photo courtesy of Khao

Four Texas restaurants, including two from Dallas, are basking in the national spotlight. Bon Appétit has included them in its list of America's 50 best new restaurants. The long list is a prelude to the magazine's annual Hot 10 list, which will be released September 17.

The two Dallas restaurants are Khao Noodle Shop and Petra and the Beast.

Other Texas restaurants that made the list include Blood Bros. BBQ in Houston, and Carpenters Hall in Austin. That matches last year's total, which also included four spots from the Lone Star State.

Khao Noodle Shop is from chef Donny Sirisavath, who opened this East Dallas spot in August 2018. It has drawn broad acclaim for its boat noodle soup, dumplings, and other Laotian snacks, with recipes inspired by childhood memories of his mother’s home-cooking, as well as his travels throughout Southeast Asia.

Dubbed "a tiny marvel" by the Dallas Morning News, Khao has earned numerous nods and awards, including a spot on Eater’s list of best new restaurants in America for 2019, and a nomination for Rising Star Chef in CultureMap Dallas’ 2019 Tastemaker Awards.

Petra and the Beast, the highly personal restaurant from chef and charcuterie queen Misti Norris (winner of Chef of the Year in the CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards), is a critical favorite and one of Dallas’ most lauded eateries, including a spot on Texas Monthly’s best new restaurants list of 2019, and a semifinalist slot for best new restaurant in the 2019 James Beard Awards.

Norris was also one of 10 chefs singled out by Food & Wine on its 2019 list of Best New Chefs, the only chef in Texas to earn that nod.

For Blood Bros. in Houston, the nod from Bon Appétit is only the most-recent recognition the Vietnamese-influenced barbecue joint has received. In addition to winning this year's Best New Restaurant award at CultureMap Houston's Tastemaker Awards, the Bellaire restaurant also earned shout outs in the New York Times and from Texas Monthly, which named it one of the state's 25 best new barbecue joints.

Credit goes to pitmaster Quy Hoang's creative cuisine. In addition to classic, Central Texas-style brisket and ribs, Blood Bros. serves variations such as Thai green curry boudin (one of several housemade sausages), brisket burnt end steam buns, and smoked turkey banh mi.

The inclusion of Carpenters Hall, the restaurant inside South Austin’s upscale Carpenter Hotel, may surprise even food-obsessed Austinites. The high-profile project garnered widespread attention when it opened courtesy of chef Grae Nonas (formerly of Olamaie) but had fallen off the media radar. It does have one advantage, however. Christina Skogly Knowlton, the wife of Bon Appétit editor-at-large Andrew Knowlton, consulted on the project.

Bon Appétit deputy editor Julia Kramer travels the country to compile the list, which includes three restaurants from New York City, as well as two each from cities ranging from Providence, Rhode Island, and St. Louis to Detroit and Los Angeles. Restaurants open since May 2018 are eligible, and Kramer takes "all aspects of the restaurant into account, including service, overall vibe, and of course the food," according to a representative.

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Brandon Watson and Teresa Gubbins contributed to this article.

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Taking the field

Dak Prescott-backed Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux kicks off in Wylie

Photo courtesy of Walk-Ons

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux is opening in Wylie on August 10.

A Louisiana sports bar chain that counts Cowboys QB Dak Prescott as a partner continues to build its fan base in Dallas-Fort Worth: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux is set to open a new location in Wylie on Monday, August 10.

Announced earlier this year, the restaurant is at 906 FM 544, near the intersection of Highway 78 and FM 544. The opening marks the chain's 20th Texas location and its second operating restaurant in the DFW area.

Founded in Baton Rouge in 2003 by former LSU basketball "walk-ons" Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, Walk-On's has grown to more than 80 locations nationwide. The company is co-owned by former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (an Austin native), and franchise partners include Prescott, along with former NFL player Derrick Brooks, and college football coach Dabo Swinney.

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux Wylie The new Walk-On's is at 906 FM 544, Wylie.Photo courtesy of Walk-On's

The menu is centered on seafood and classic Louisiana dishes: fried seafood platters, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, po'boys, fried oysters, gumbo, fried alligator, and boudin balls. Prices range from $10 to $20.

Starters include waffle cheese fries, fried pickles, boneless wings, cheeseburger sliders, spinach-artichoke dip, and venison nachos. They have a bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

There's also a plentiful selection of beers on tap, plus margaritas and other crafty-ish cocktails.

The Wylie restaurant is owned by franchisee Cooper Thomson, who says the community made the city an appealing place to expand.

"I am thrilled to expand Walk-On's presence in Dallas, and particularly in the community of Wylie," Thomson says in a release. "To be a part of the growth in this area - to serve families and be a place where little league teams celebrate and football fans cheer on their team - is such a special opportunity."

Although Walk-On's has been in the DFW market since pre-pandemic times, Wylie will be its second restaurant in DFW open currently, joining a location at Grandscape in The Colony. Earlier Dallas-area locations in Irving and Arlington have closed, although the company has previously said it plans to reopen the Arlington restaurant at a new location.

The Wylie restaurant features a sports bar with dozens of TVs, a large outdoor patio, and a family-friendly dining room designed for game-day crowds.

Grand opening festivities will kick off at 10:30 am on Monday, August 10, with a ceremony featuring Walk-On's founder Brandon Landry, franchise owner Cooper Thomson, Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter, city officials, and representatives from Wylie High School and Wylie East High School.

The celebration will include donations to the two schools' athletic departments, followed by a ribbon-cutting at 10:45 am. Doors open to the public at 11 am, and the first 100 guests to dine will have a chance to win free Walk-On's for a year.

Walk-On's will be the second sports bar concept with celebrity cred to open in DFW within a few days' time. Shark Club, from Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, opened Friday, August 7 in Northlake.

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