Bishop Arts News

Bishop Arts restaurant reboots, this time plying Dallas' favorite cuisine

The new menu is looking pretty darn good.

Photo courtesy of Tejas

A Bishop Arts restaurant is reopening following COVID-19 with a new direction, menu, and look. Tejas, which initially opened in 2019 as a taco and burger haunt, is returning but this time as a Tex-Mex spot. According to a release, it will open on September 22.

Located at 250 N. Bishop Ave., Tejas is one in a family of restaurants from Exxir Hospitality, along with Paradiso, Botanist, and Good Companions. Exxir is a restaurant group based in Bishop Arts District headed by COO Jeremy Hargrove (Proof + Pantry, Madrina).

The release says that Tejas' initial launch was a temporary thing and that Exxir was working on a final iteration all along. Voila, it is here: a playful, more moody sit-down space with an elevated menu of elegant Tex-Mex flavors, great music, and an agave-forward spirits program.

The menu is by executive chef Nicholas Hurry, who also helms the kitchen at Exxir concept Paradiso; and chef Diego Montoya, previously at Gemma.

It centers on healthy dishes with rich flavor such as:

a trio of guacamoles, including a mole spiced version with pepitas, peanuts, coriander, cumin and árbol
pan-seared spiced cod served in a guajillo-tomato broth
mix-and-match mini tacos filled with cochinita, picadillo, and veggies

Under "light, healthy, and veggie" categories, they have:

mussels in a jalapeño-infused garlic-tomato broth
"skinny" fajitas featuring colorful sautéed vegetables and pickled red onions
vegan squash and mushroom tacos with radish, green onion, toasted pumpkin seed and plantain chips
vegan braised fennel fajitas

Spirits
The new spirits program is created by Iluggy Recinos, a former West Coast barman who was previously at L.A. hotspots Bestia and NoMad. The release calls it fruity, herbaceous, and agave-forward, and notes that every drink, such as the margaritas made with native Texas prickly pear, will feature a Tejas twist.

Recinos' cocktails are said to be elaborate yet easy to drink and include:

Eres Mi Chingona, with chamomile-infused white vermouth, lemon, black pepper, strawberry, amontillado sherry and sotol
Tex-Mex Railway, with tamarind, ancho chili, lime, habanero tequila, minted pimms and ginger ale

They've kept original Tejas dishes including breakfast tacos and burgers that you'll be able to get at a walk-up window along their back breezeway, starting in October.

Hours are Monday-Thursday 5-10 pm, Friday-Saturday 5-11 pm, and Sunday 5-9 pm. Breakfast and lunch hours will follow soon.

tex-mex openings

Patio News

Mediterranean restaurant lands legendary patio spot in Uptown Dallas

Courtesy rendering

Lyla will open on McKinney Avenue in late summer.

In major-major patio news, there's a new restaurant set to take over the former Primo's space on Dallas' McKinney Avenue. Called Lyla, it's a Mediterranean restaurant from Dallas-based hospitality entrepreneurs Veeral Rathod and Obi Ibeto of GAP Concepts and concept partner Reham Choudhury, in partnership with Refined Hospitality Concepts, who were/are the owners of Primo's. That's quite the team.

According to a release, it'll open at 3309 McKinney Ave. in August.

Lyla is visioned as a casual yet sophisticated hangout, channeling the chic beachy vibe of destinations like Santorini, Mallorca, or St. Barths. The team is already busy reimagining the 3,000-square-foot dining room, lounge, and terrace, which was a pioneer on the patio front.

Rathod is a Dallas native with a background in finance and private equity whose resume includes cofounding custom clothier J.Hilburn, holding the CEO role at Spence Diamonds, and serving on the board of menswear company Knot Standard.

“Growing up in Dallas, I spent countless hours on that patio," he says in a statement. "We’ve long had our eye on the prime site, and we’re so excited to have the opportunity to be part of bringing it back better than ever."

The food and drink will be coastally-inspired Mediterranean cuisine with a creative beverage program.

Leading the kitchen will be Chef Cristhofer Sanchez, a native of Palm Beach, Florida who previously worked at high-profile spots such as Carbone, Uchi, Zaytinya, Top Knot, and Kai at Legacy West.

The food will focus on European coastal classics, paired with an extensive cocktail and wine offering. Food willinclude sharable apps like specialty dips, crudo, pizza, salads, pastas, wood-grilled fish, chicken, and steak.

Decor will include an entry fountain, whitewashed walls, lush plantings, arched windows, a one-of-a-kind pergola patio cover, bleached seating, classic Azulejo blue & white tile accents outdoors, an open bar, an eclectic mix of indoor and alfresco furniture including beachy banquettes, woven pendant lighting, feature art walls, and tropical greenery.

"Our intent is to offer a unique and elevated experience keeping with the area, and we also want Lyla to become a warm and inviting neighborhood bistro with a menu and ambience that we hope will entice guests to become regulars," Ibeto says. "Ultimately, it’s a place to relax with friends – and make new friends - over drinks and light bites, just like you would at a seaside cafe."

uptown openings