In the restaurant world, two things happen every October. One: A ton of new restaurants open, to compensate for the annual summer restaurant drought. Two: pumpkin-flavored products. Pumpkin anything used to be a trickle; now it's an avalanche. Even McDonald's is advertising a pumpkin latte. Wonder where they got that idea?
There are too many pumpkin items to catalog; besides, most are awful. (See McDonald's pumpkin latte.) But one food group that benefits from pumpkin-izing is pumpkin pancakes. They're available now through the holidays at Original Pancake House, Cafe Brazil, Benedict's and intermittently as a special at Bread Winners Cafe.
Onward to the other October action: openings.
Genaro's opens on Mockingbird Lane October 18. Chef Genaro Silva had a number of Mexican restaurants in the '80s and '90s (Genaro's Tropical, Moctezuma's, Garmo's), and now he's back. He'll offer Tex-Mex combo plates plus fancy food like saffron linguini with seafood in a tequila cream sauce, grilled swordfish kebabs, seafood relleno, beef tenderloin, spinach and seafood enchiladas, and coconut ice cream with Kahlua. Lunch will range from $10-$16 per person and dinner from $14-$25.
WineHaus, a wine store/bar dedicated to boutique wines opened October 12 in Fort Worth at 1628 Park Place Ave. It has a few unique features, including tapas supplied by neighbor Chadra Mezza and Grill. It also offers kegged wines, with eight wines on tap. These are not only eco-friendly, but you can get it poured into a growler to go. Speaking of growlers, WineHaus also offers craft beer. Wines range in price from $7-$75. All bottles can be taken to-go or consumed onsite.
The Lone Star Attitude Burger Co. opens this fall in Denton with burgers, live music and the first rooftop bar to besmirch the historic downtown square. According to a release, the restaurant will incorporate art and memories to Texas musical legends — sort of like a local Hard Rock Cafe.
The "fun" menu of burgers comes from chef Jason Hoffman, who worked for Houston's and Consilient. Founders John "Sparky" Pearson and singer-songwriter Jon Christopher Davis are the creative crusaders behind Lone Star Attitude, a multidimensional brand that celebrates the Texas spirit through music and retail outlets. Since 2008, their think tank company has cranked out Texas concepts under the Lone Star Attitude name, including one of the largest retail spaces at DFW Airport.
The recently opened Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum is getting a cafe. The Children's Garden Cafe is open for lunch every day with typical kids' menu items such as chicken tenders crusted in potato chips, crustless peanut butter and jelly, yogurt and granola parfait, fruit, and desserts. The food is supplied by Two Sisters Catering, who've had a longtime catering relationship with the arboretum. The cafe is still under construction and will be completed in late October.
Mexican Sugar, a "Latin-inspired" restaurant from the creators of Twin Peaks, Whiskey Cake and Velvet Taco, opens in late October. A release describes the menu as Central and South American with a basis in Mexican, which will appeal to everyone, both young and old. Can you say "cheese enchiladas"? A tequila library will contain 100-plus tequilas; don't expect to get much reading done. Managing partner Eric Justice is quoted as saying that "Mexican Sugar is a concept unique to Dallas, and I think that locals will really take to it." The locals, does that mean us?
After a fire on August 20, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro will reopen on Thursday, October 24. Chef-owner Tim Love has been rebuilding for the past two months. The kitchen was not only restored, but also upgraded with improvements to equipment, allowing for greater culinary ability with expanded menu offerings. A new lighting design and refurbished ceiling was also introduced.
As rumored, a Ginger Man Pub is definitely going into the space in the center of Lakewood vacated by Angelo's, which was shut down by its landlord in August; opening is slated for early 2014.
FT33 has launched a new tasting menu that's available Tuesdays through Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm. It's a seven-course menu, $95 per person, broken into three categories: Snacks, Savory and Sweet. Snacks on the inaugural menu include roasted carrot with brown butter and hazelnuts, and sunchoke with oyster, kale and nasturtium. Savory dishes include pickled salted grouper with cauliflower and lemon, and rib-eye with marrow vinaigrette. Sweets include lemon sorbet with coriander and celery or milk chocolate brownie from Oh* Brownie for the road.
Origin Natural Food is changing its mission, from "grab and go" coffee shop to restaurant. The place will close on October 18 and reopen as Origin Kitchen + Bar, a full-service restaurant and bar. The redesigned Origin will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full-service bar. The reopening is scheduled for early December.
Original Pancake House is one of the restaurants featuring seasonal pumpkin pancakes.
USA 'Rita at Cantina LaredoPhoto courtesy of Cantina Laredo
Nothing Bundt Cakes are getting patriotic for the 4th.Photo courtesy of Nothing Bundt Cakes