Pickleball News

Restaurant with rotisserie chicken and pickleball paddles to Grapevine

The centerpiece of their menu is chicken.

Photo courtesy of CNP

The unusual restaurant-entertainment concept Chicken N Pickle is expanding its Texas footprint with a new location in Grapevine.

The concept, which combines a restaurant with pickleball courts, will open at Delaney Vineyards, the winery reminiscent of an 18th century French chateau.

According to a release, the facility will open in early 2022.

Grapevine will be the third location in Texas and the eighth overall Chicken N Pickle, which was was founded in Kansas City in 2016. They also have locations in Wichita, Kansas; San Antonio; and Oklahoma City, and have three more set to open in the next few months including a location in Grand Prairie, which broke ground in early 2021.

Pickleball is a paddle sport where two to four players hit something resembling an enlarged whiffle ball back and forth on a court. Think of it as a combo of ping-pong, tennis and badminton, with a few variations. First-timers and advanced players can have fun playing at Chicken N Pickle.

Pickleball is a fast-growing sport most commonly played as doubles on a court that's half the size of a tennis court, with an oversized ping pong paddle and a plastic ball. The rules are a mix of tennis and ping pong.

The Grapevine facility will host pickleball clinics for beginners or advanced players and pickleball tournaments.

Does it seem weird to have pickleball courts on the grounds of a winery that is reminiscent of an 18th-century French chateau? Not to William D. Tate, mayor of Grapevine.

"We couldn't be happier to see Delaney Vineyards entering a new chapter with the addition of Chicken N Pickle,” Tate says in a statement. "This property is instantly recognizable in our city, and Chicken N Pickle will be a premier family entertainment destination and a point of pride for us."

Chicken N Pickle is timely in that it's an indoor/outdoor complex, which is a big post-pandemic trend. It incorporates a restaurant-sports bar with pickleball courts and indoor/outdoor games for all ages, promoting fun, friendship, and community.

Chicken N Pickle Grapevine will be equipped with bars, pavilions, multiple dining areas on the main floor, a rooftop dining experience, and outdoor tables. The main dining area will be big enough to accommodate corporate and social events, lunch meetings, large rehearsal dinners, and team-building events.

The venue will feature numerous indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, shuffleboard and Bocce ball courts, and a variety of lawn games.

The menu spotlights wood-fired chicken, available in four different seasonings along with pork and beef sandwiches, salads and protein bowls, fries, and tots.

They're also into giving back, says Bill Crooks, Chief Experience Officer.

"We say 'our hearts are local' because we support the communities we serve through philanthropy and through our business practices," Crooks says. "We are thrilled to become a part of the Grapevine community."

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Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

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Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

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