Neighborhood Bites

Preston Center pioneer Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen boosts its now-hot neighborhood

With Preston Center emerging as one of the hottest dining neighborhoods in Dallas, Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen seems prescient. Chef Kent Rathbun opened this gourmet comfort food restaurant on Luther Lane more than four years ago — long before arrivals such as Spoon, HopDoddy and the recently relocated Mi Piaci.

Preston Center's location and its convenience to the Tollway were big pluses for the trailblazing Rathbun, who says he's excited about the area's resurgence. But he also has his eye on the east side of Preston Road — home toTaco Diner, R+D Kitchen and Hillstone — whose well-conceived landscaping, parking and retail mix create a synergy he'd like to see duplicated on the west side.

"I find it interesting that it is a different dynamic just 100 feet across the road," Kent Rathbun says. "I would love to find a way to work together to close the gap on that."

"I have heard through the grapevine that there is supposed to be some sort of awesome project being considered for here, and whoever is listening, GET IT DONE," he says, leaning into my recording device to provide extra emphasis. "I find it interesting that it is a different dynamic just 100 feet across the road. I would love to find a way to work together to close the gap on that."

Like many restaurants on the west side of Preston, Blue Plate has a stronger lunch than dinner. "People are really missing the boat," he says.

But recognizing that daytime is stronger, he's built a strong brunch, with fried green tomatoes, eggs Benedict, and chicken and waffles. And unlike other restaurants that close at 2 pm, Blue Plate hospitably stays open all afternoon, with a mid-afternoon menu that fills the gap between lunch and dinner. It's a luxury to be able to pop in at 3 pm for a salad, burger, or hummus with pita chips.

He's also worked to correct the impression that the "blue plate" in the name implies heavy food, with items such as the beet salad with crostini.

"This restaurant has evolved just like everything does," he says. "Yes, we have fried chicken and some home cooking. But the majority of the menu is a very nice, thought-out mix of food from a local and seasonal standpoint."

Despite the "blue plate" in its name, Rathbun's offers light and seasonal items such as this beet salad.

Blue Plate Salad, Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen

Photo courtesy of Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen

Despite the "blue plate" in its name, Rathbun's offers light and seasonal items such as this beet salad.

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Ice Cream News

Global gourmet ice cream chain debuts in U.S. with 2 Dallas-area shops

Dumont Ice Cream

An ice cream concept from India has made its U.S. debut, right here in Texas: Called Dumont Creamery & Cafe, it's a ice cream chain founded in Hyderabad that now has two locations in the Dallas area.

Their first location was Frisco, which opened at 1951 FM 423 at the end of 2023; a second location opened in late October in Coppell at 1535 S. Belt Line Rd. #160.

Dumont was founded in 1999 by brothers Vivek and Bhashkaar, and currently has 23 locations in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Vijayawada listed on their website.

Bringing the concept to Texas are local franchisees and friends Sai Sashank and Tarang Tirumala, who moved to the U.S. in 2005 to attend college.

Both have successful consulting careers, but craved a taste of home.

Ice cream is the centerpiece at Dumont with more than two dozen flavors, ranging from gourmet to classics to flavors boasting global influences: from Italian-inspired sorbet to a New Zealand-inspired honey ice cream called "hokey pokey."

There is vanilla, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip — but also unique options such as cake and jam, an ice cream with a vanilla base, bites of cake, and spiced jam; and kheer, a coconut ice cream studded with dried fruits and nuts — a nod to the kheer rice pudding that's one of India's favorite desserts.

A single scoop is $4. They have cups and a cute version of waffle cones: shorter and fatter than usual, to provide a greater ratio of ice cream-to-cone.

In addition to ice cream, they have a beverage program with coffee and espresso drinks such as lattes, plus boba tea. There are also special drinks like falooda — an exotic Indian milkshake with rose syrup and vermicelli — as well as limited-edition drinks like iced kheer, a cool beverage version of that same popular rice pudding dessert.

Both locations are spacious, bright, and clean, with pale green banquettes at Frisco, and pale blue chairs and tables at Coppell. Both feature an astronaut theme with statues and framed photos and cartoons on the wall. The Coppell location also has a mural dedicated to great moments in Coppell history.