News You Can Eat
Autumn menus and beignets cozy up this Dallas restaurant news
The middle of the month has arrived, and with it, another round of Dallas restaurant news. There's a lot to digest here, from openings and closings, to autumn menus and special-edition items.
Here's the latest in Dallas restaurant news:
Waya Japanese Izakaya is a new Japanese restaurant opening in Lakewood in the space where Creek Cafe most recently resided. It's from the same owners who closed Creek Cafe in mid-August to transform its Japanese-vegan-comfort food hodgepodge into a more authentic Japanese style restaurant with dishes such as chicken karaage curry with white rice, Japanese-style basil and shrimp pasta, and omusoba, an omelet enclosing soba noodles. They'll re-open in a few weeks.
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, the Louisiana-based chicken finger chain, has opened its first location in Oak Cliff at 701 W. Illinois Ave. Founded in 1996, the chain has opened nearly 40 locations around DFW.
Hola Café Dallas is a "micro shop" located at 416 N. Tyler St. — micro shop being the new-age term for a place with no dining room and very little space, but what space they do have is nicely designed. They have coffee drinks in a variety that includes vanilla lattes, matcha lattes, and lattes made with oat milk. They also serve snacks including empanadas.
Swamp Cafe is a new-ish café located in the former Taste the World space at 17721 Dallas Pkwy. in Dallas that serves Cajun-style food, including beignets and chicory cafe au lait. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a menu that includes chicken or seafood gumbo, crawfish or shrimp etouffee, jambalaya, muffulettas, and red beans & rice with Andouille sausage. There are po'boys in traditional options such as oyster, but also "gyro," fried chicken, turkey, and a veggie po'noy with fried tofu. There's fried chicken, fried catfish, Portchartrain fried shrimp, fried oysters, fish & chips, and a seafood combo, all served with coleslaw, French fries, and hush puppies. Sides include Cajun French fries with Cajun seasoning, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, potato salad, and Caesar salad.
Philly Pretzel Factory in Richardson has closed. The restaurant opened in June at 1920 N. Coit Rd., where it served soft pretzels, pretzel dogs, pretzel cheesesteaks, pepperoni pretzel melts, and cinnamon pretzel twists. Two other locations in Dallas and Mansfield remain open.
Bulla Gastrobar, the contemporary Spanish-style restaurant off Legacy Drive, has a new autumn menu, available a la carte for dinner and priced from $8 to $10. There's cream of butternut squash soup featuring Spanish paprika and cheese crostini; salmon carpaccio; Spanish omelet with chorizo and caramelized onions; tomatillo hummus with fried chickpeas; and ham shank with potato puree. New drinks include the Paloma with Espolón Silver and grapefruit juice, and a very fall-like sangría with white wine, sidra, pears, apples, and apple cinnamon syrup.
Cinnaholic, the gourmet cinnamon roll bakery, has launched a new savory Pizza Roll. It's a regular roll with marinara sauce and Daiya vegan mozzarella style shreds rolled inside, then topped with more sauce and shreds. It's available through December 1.
Hide, the acclaimed Deep Ellum bar, has a new-late night menu that will be offered every Friday and Saturday from 12-2 am. New dishes include the Chimichanga with shredded chicken, cheese, and dirty rice in a crispy tortilla; the Cuban with ham, pulled pork, provolone cheese, and spicy mustard on a Cuban roll; and a chicken melt with caramelized onion, bacon, American cheese, and garlic aioli. There are also Hide signatures including pimento cheese fritters, white queso, guacamole, cheese fries, Philly cheesesteak meatballs, mac & cheese with bacon and Ritz crumb, and a double cheeseburger with bacon and American cheese.
Mixt has a new autumn menu featuring the Impossible Achiote salad with plant-based Impossible meat seasoned with achiote spice and an agave lime dressing. The vegan sunrise salad has butter lettuce, mixt greens, sunchokes, butternut squash, radishes, sunflower seeds, and vegan furikake in an autumn-spiced citrus vinaigrette; The Equinox salad has Romaine hearts, kale, chicken, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, parmesan, and almonds in a maple balsamic vinaigrette. Best of all, there's a new vegan tofu banh mi sandwich, with marinated organic tofu, red onions, avocado, falafel crumbles, arugula, carrots, radishes, pickled red onions, and spicy vegan aïoli, on whole wheat levain.
Del Frisco's Grille has a new three-course prix fixe menu available through November 26 which features a starter, entrée, and dessert for $35, plus an optional, sommelier-selected three-course wine pairing for an extra $18. Entrée selections include Heritage pork chop with an autumnal sweet potato and apple hash; truffled mushroom gnocchi; and a filet duo with choice of sides. Starters include butternut squash bisque with Maple Mascarpone; iceberg wedge salad; salmon with asparagus; and truffled mushroom gnocchi with sherry-porcini cream. Desserts include sticky toffee cake with bourbon-espresso caramel sauce; and peanut-butter chocolate pie with Callebaut fudge sauce.
Perle on Maple, the bistro inside The Stoneleigh hotel, has a new autumn menu with Wagyu short rib ravioli, meatballs, Maryland-style crab cakes, roasted rainbow carrots, and sweet potato gnocchi. New entrées include lamb shank, chicken Milanese, and branzino, a Mediterranean sea bass served whole with cauliflower puree, artichoke hearts, grilled fennel, and herb salad. Sandwiches have been added to the lunch menu including blackened salmon BLT, grilled cheese made with fontina, cheddar, and Havarti cheeses, and Black Angus Burger. For dessert, there's pumpkin cheesecake with caramel sauce and pumpkin seed brittle; bourbon pecan pie with butter pecan praline ice cream; and apple crisp topped with cinnamon ice cream.
CraftWay Kitchen is a new American tavern concept opening in mid-October in Plano's LakeSide Market at 5809 Preston Rd., in the very similarly named former CraftWorks Kitchen. It's an American tavern-style restaurant which will serve candied bacon with brown sugar and ancho chili spice; Maytag blue cheese potato chips; fried asparagus; filet cooked in duck fat and served with garlic whipped potatoes; ahi tuna; and Verlasso salmon topped with crab butter and served with grilled broccolini. There are also salads, soups, and sandwiches such as French Dip, salmon BLT, and a reuben with house-smoked pastrami.
Holy Grail Pub pays homage to the State Fair of Texas with a menu of fried foods including fried peanut butter cheesecake with strawberry-rhubarb sauce; fried candied bacon with maple whipped cream; Texas Monte Cristo with brisket and peach preserves; and pork schnitzel with mashed potatoes and gravy. Available through October 20.
Truluck's has brought back Florida stone crabs, with a signature Monday-night offering of unlimited crab claws, served chilled and pre-cracked, throughout the season. Prices vary by markeet supply but a 2-3 ounce medium is $6.50; a 3-5 ounce large is $12; and a 5-8 ounce jumbo is $24.
Eddie V's has a speakeasy offering featuring 1920's-inspired cocktails paired with a filet mignon teaser for $20. Five era-inspired cocktails include the Bee’s Knees with gin, honey, and lemon; Blind Pig with 10-year rye whiskey; and more. There's also a $35 Prohibition Tasting — a whiskey and rum flight. Available through November 24.
Slater's 50/50, the over-the-top burger concept with locations in Lower Greenville and Preston Forest, has debuted the schnitzel burger, featuring a breaded pork chop and a bacon-infused hot dog with Guinness mustard sauce and Swiss cheese, topped with watercress mix on a pretzel bun.
Nosh Bistro Dallas is offering Sunday brunch from 10:30 am-3 pm for $39. It comes with a glass of Veuve Clicquot rosé or brut champagne, starter, entrée, and dessert. Selections include deviled eggs with lobster, caviar, and cured salmon; avocado toast on vegan bread; eggs benedict with beef tenderloin, salmon, and fried green tomato; tempura chicken on buttermilk biscuit with fried egg and bacon gravy; sumac doughnut holes with candied cherries and pop rocks; and cardamom star anise flan with- fruit compote.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar, the Austin-born burger joint, is celebrating its ninth birthday with a month-long celebration of fan-favorite burgers. From October 17-23, it's the au jus burger, and from October 24-30, it's the boss hog burger.
Kenny's Burger Joint has a special ghost burger with pepperjack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and white queso, for $11 at lunch and dinner through October at both locations in Frisco and Plano.
Sauce Pizza & Wine has a new autumn menu featuring a roasted vegetable white pizza with spinach, mozzarella, fontina cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables, and dried cranberries. Vegetable pasta has cheese sauce, roasted vegetables, parmesan, and dried cranberries. Fennel & arugula salad has oranges, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, candied pecans, and champagne vinaigrette. Pumpkin & candied pecan cannoli has pumpkin cannoli filling with candied pecans.
Applebee's has a $1 Vampire drink serve in a 10-ounce mug with rum, strawberry, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and pineapple. It comes with a complimentary pair of fangs and is served through October.
Bud Light and Post Malone recently collaborated on a limited-edition Post Malone branded can. The 16-ounce special-edition can is on sale in in Salt Lake City, Denver, El Paso, Laredo, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston, McAllen, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, and New York City. The design features a reimagined Bud Light crest with Post's face front and center, as well as his autograph, and draws inspiration from his tattoos of barbwire, swords and medieval dragons while paying homage to his hometown in Texas with state outline and steer skeleton.
Dunkin has reprised its Halloween spider doughnut, frosted with orange icing and topped with a an eight-legged creature made from a glazed chocolate Munchkins donut hole treat with chocolate drizzle for the spider legs and white or orange icing for the eyes. They've also brought back Oreo hot chocolate featuring the flavors of cookies and crème.
Sprinkles has a new Candy Bowl Layer Cake, a 6-inch chocolate cake topped with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Mr Goodbar, Krackel, Hershey's Special Dark, MilkyWay Midnight, Twix, 3 Muskateer's, Kit-Kat, Kit-Kat White Chocolate, Hershey's Kisses, Rolos, and M&M’s. Pre-order online October 21-22 and pick-up October 24-27.
Snappy Salads has merged with MAD Greens, headquartered in Golden, Colorado, under a new parent company called the Salad Collective, led by MAD Greens execs Darden Coors and John Montgomery. Snappy Salads founder Chris Dahlander will step down from the day-to-day, but continue to provide brand voice recommendations and overall vision as he assumes a role on the Salad Collective board of directors. The MAD Greens brand includes 33 locations in Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. Snappy Salads includes 14 locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. Both do customizable salads, wraps, soups, and sides using the highest-quality, farm-fresh ingredients. MAD Greens is known for its signature salads named after literary characters such as Edgar Allan Poe, in addition to grain bowls, wraps, soups and fresh juices. Snappy Salads is known for its signature grilled avocado salad and piadina wraps.
Petro Bar & Bistro located at the Cambria hotel in downtown Dallas, has special "Nightmare on Elm Street" cocktails during October. The Kruger has tequila, honey, lemon, mezcal, and hellfire bitters. Dead by Dawn has bourbon, egg white, and sweet vermouth. Nosferatu has gin, compari, orange, pomegranate, and soda. Frontal Lobotomy has bourbon, Amaretto, peach, and pineapple.
Pizza Hut has new Smoky Sriracha Wings, tossed in a blend of red jalapeno chili puree, garlic, and vinegar. They're available in stores that offer wings.
Buffalo Wings & Rings, the club-level sports restaurant brand, has unveiled a delicious new fall menu with three additions: Spicy Korean fried shrimp tossed in Gochujang sauce with Korean BBQ slaw with jalapeños and cilantro; Old Bay Shrimp basket with fried shrimp seasoned with Old Bay spices; and the Tennessee Harvest Drink with Jack Daniels, Amaretto, lemonade, strawberry Reàl and Sprite. Until November 11.
Savor In The Park, the restaurant at Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas, has a new executive chef, Luke Rogers. Prior to coming to Dallas, he was executive chef at the Sofitel Luxury Hotel in Philadelphia, and he previously apprenticed at Minibar, Jose Andres' restaurant in Washington, DC. No word on where prior/founding chef John Coleman has gone, and he did not respond to messages.
Fogo de Chão was presented with a Rotten Egg Award for its failure to be transparent with consumers about their public commitment to be cage-free by 2019. The award comes from the Humane League, a nonprofit that works to end the abuse of animals. The organization presented the award on October 7 to companies that have made public animal welfare commitments but failed to report on their progress towards their goal. Other 2019 Rotten Egg recipients include Omni Hotel & Resorts and Another Broken Egg Cafe.
Brunch at Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen.Courtesy photo
Petals & Pour board at Mexican Sugar.Courtesy photo
Brunch spread at Sixty Vines.Courtesy photo