Pumpkin Pumpkin

Dallas restaurants love pumpkin and there are good reasons why

Original Pancake House, pumpkin pancakes

Get 'em while they're hot! Original Pancake House is serving pumpkin pancakes until November 25.

Photo courtesy of Original Pancake House

From pancakes to ravioli to cocktails, pumpkin right now is easy to find on Dallas restaurant menus. Taverna, the Italian concept from the Lombardi family, has pumpkin cappellacci, filled with pumpkin, ricotta cheese, and spices. IdleRye in Deep Ellum has pumpkin ravioli sprinkled with pine nuts.

Bisous Bisous Patisserie has it covered with pumpkin muffins, macarons, and cheesecake. Empire Baking Co. has pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. The Woolworth in downtown Dallas is doing a crowd-pleasing pumpkin spice martini.

Houlihan's is doing pumpkin spice crème brulee and a pumpkin spice martini. And restaurants like Maple Leaf Diner, Original Pancake House, and Buzzbrews Kitchen are just three of the many-more restaurants serving pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin pumpkin everywhere.

Starbucks has a lot to do with it. Since the coffee company introduced its Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003, it has transformed what used to be a pie served at Thanksgiving dinner into a flavor for everything from drinks to candles, spawning an entire pumpkin-centric industry. The company always sees a spike in sales after PSL becomes available; demand is at an all-time peak.

In search of numbers to track the inexorable climb of pumpkin, Upserve, a restaurant management platform, looked at data from bar and restaurant customers around the country related to pumpkin sales.

Demand for pumpkin-themed food and drinks in 2017 is outpacing 2016 and 2015, which themselves were yuge pumpkin years. Compared to the same week last year, the total number of pumpkin items in 2017 went up by 15.3 percent.

The demand for pumpkin-related food and drinks keeps on growing.

Upserve also found that the most popular day for consuming pumpkin is Saturdays: 50 percent more pumpkin items sell on Saturday than any week day. That's followed by Sundays and Fridays. We reserve our pumpkining for the weekends.

NBC News says that we're not just into the taste, but with how pumpkin makes us feel. It's an emotional thing. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg are holiday flavors, associated with Thanksgiving and the harvest, which used to be the most prosperous time of year.

Pumpkin is also more appealing because of its seasonal, temporal nature; the illusion of its limited availability makes you want it more.

This story uses the word "pumpkin" 29 times.

trends holidays

Now open

French bakery-cafe Maman from New York makes chic Plano debut

Photo courtesy of Maman

Maman has opened a cafe at Legacy East in Plano.

A fast-growing New York bakery-cafe chain has expanded into a new North Texas city: Maman debuted a new location Friday, August 7 at Legacy East in Plano.

The cafe is at 7200 Bishop Rd., Ste. D, where it serves coffee, breakfast, lunch, pastries, and baked goods in a 2,650-square-foot space with seating for 78 indoors and another 34 on an outdoor patio, according to a release.

Plano is the brand's third Dallas-area cafe in about a year, with more on the way.

Founded in New York's Soho in 2014 by partners Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte, Maman has grown to about 60 locations across the U.S. and Canada. The company made its Texas debut in November 2025 with a cafe at The Plaza at Preston Center, followed by a Lakewood location that opened earlier this year. Another location is planned at Fields West in Frisco, as well as in Dallas' Casa Linda Center.

Maman Coffee and croissants at Maman.Photo courtesy of Maman

The menu features espresso drinks, tea, pastries, salads, sandwiches, and breakfast and lunch items, plus seasonal offerings and a few Dallas-area exclusives, including:

Magnolia Sweet Tea Fizz: Cold-steeped magnolia bud tea with Topo Chico, Texas wildflower honey syrup, lemon, and mint.
Lone Star Cinnamon Bun: A cinnamon roll topped with vanilla glaze and a signature pastry star.
Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Roll: A pastry swirled with salted caramel, vanilla, and toasted Southern pecans.

Known for its French provincial-inspired interiors, Maman's cafes feature vintage furnishings, wood accents, and the brand's signature blue toile details. The Plano location also offers catering and private event space.

"We're so excited to continue growing in the Dallas area with our newest location in Plano," says co-founder Elisa Marshall in the release. "Legacy East has such an incredible energy and strong sense of community, making it the perfect home for Maman. We can't wait to welcome both longtime guests and new neighbors into the space to enjoy coffee, pastries and meaningful moments together."

Maman New York Lemon meringue tarts from Maman. Photo courtesy of Maman

The company also sells coffee, tea, matcha, merchandise, and its cookbook, Maman: The Cookbook, All Day Recipes to Warm Your Heart, and continues its collaboration with Martha Stewart through limited-time menu items and retail products.

Doors opened at 8 am August 7. To celebrate the opening, the first 100 customers who make a purchase will receive a complimentary tote bag and chocolate chip cookie. From 1-3 pm, the first 50 customers who spend $15 or more can receive a complimentary croissant charm at an on-site charm bar hosted by Charmed Haven.

Regular hours are 7:30 am-6 pm Monday-Friday and 8 am-6 pm Saturday-Sunday, with the kitchen closing daily at 4 pm.

bakery legacy east maman plano openings