Design District Dining Guide

Best neighborhood eats: 6 hot restaurants in Dallas Design District

Meddlesome Moth blazed the hipster trail into the Design District when it openedin 2010.
Photo courtesy of Meddlesome Moth
FT33 is a laboratory for chef-owner Matt McCallister to experiment withtechniques and flavor combinations.
Photo by Kevin Marple
Pakpao attracts serious foodies who appreciate its authenticity.
Photo courtesy of Pakpao Thai
Ascension has been praised for its coffee and wine selection, but it's also alikable spot to grab a bite.
Ascension Coffee
At Royal Sixty, longtime caterer Wendy Krispin does a classic ladies lunch everyweekday, such as grilled pimento cheese on pumpernickel.
Apeizza
Oak is the Design District ideal, with its mesh of fine dining and restful,elegant decor.
Photo courtesy of Oak

That the Dallas Design District would rank as one of the hottest neighborhoods for good eats should hardly be a surprise. This once-industrial area was singled out by the city for redevelopment in the mid-2000s. Apartment and lofts have been built, along with galleries, retail and restaurants such as Kay Agnew's Bridge Bistro.

In the past year, some of the city's hottest restaurants have opened in the district, along with a bowling alley called Bowlounge and a wine retailer called the Wine Poste, which hosts tastings nearly every week. The energy has spilled outside the district to streets nearby with openings such as Off Site Kitchen and Slow Bone joining veterans Original Market Diner and Mama's Daughter's Diner, each bringing their own independent, unique spirit.

Here's six spots that answer the question about where to eat in the Design District:

Ascension
Its coffee is unique, and it's been praised as a top wine bar. But Ascension is also a likable, serviceable place to grab a bite. Its welcoming atmosphere is matched by a broad menu that extends from oatmeal and breakfast tacos at breakfast, to light sandwiches at lunch, to chicken and mozzarella penne pasta at dinner.

FT33
The Design District is home to the most buzzed-about restaurant in Dallas. You may think FT33 is a restaurant, but it's really a laboratory for chef-owner Matt McCallister to experiment with techniques and flavor combinations. If you want cutting edge in Dallas, with artistic presentation on the plate, this is the place. The menu frequently changes, but so far they've kept the smoked potatoes, a perfect dish that manages to be both novel and supremely satisfying.

Meddlesome Moth
The Moth blazed the hipster trail into the Design District when it opened in 2010 as this generation's 8.0. That meant craft beer instead of wine coolers and a double dose of bacon on the Cobb salad. The bar staff can be insufferably rude, and the signature "Moth Balls," consisting of ricotta cheese in a cream sauce, is rather funky. But, hey, it was there first, and some of those dozens of beers on tap are unique.

Oak
The first restaurant from husband-and-wife restaurateurs Richard and Tiffanee Ellman (Pakpao, Belly & Trumpet), Oak is the Design District ideal, with its mesh of fine dining and restful, elegant decor. The kitchen has had its bumps with staff turnover, but current chef Richard Gras is on track with a new fall menu featuring dishes like roasted bone marrow with short rib marmalade.

Pakpao
Exotic sibling of Oak (and Belly & Trumpet) specializes in Thai, as prepared by chef Eddy Thretipthuangsin. This Thailand native is hitting the two key demographics: the serious foodies who appreciate authentic dishes such as steamed prawn with mung bean noodle and shiitake mushroom, served in a clay pot, and the trendy diners who love that Pakpao means kite and can see some hanging from the ceiling.

Royal Sixty
Longtime caterer Wendy Krispin does a classic ladies lunch every weekday, with sandwiches, salads, soups and tea, served in a subtly elegant space with tablecloths and chandelier. Dishes such as grilled pimento cheese on pumpernickel with sweet potato fries, smoked salmon and feta cheese omelet, and tilapia on succotash feature just enough innovation to make them intriguing.

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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 an 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.