Where to Eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: mini-holiday feasts to go for November

For when you just want a taste.

Photo by Kathy Tran

COVID-19 is a wet blanket on all our fun, and that includes putting the kibosh on big crowds for the holidays. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, large gatherings — even at your home — will increase your odds of getting or spreading the coronavirus. Boo.

And yet this time of the year still brings cravings for those quintessential flavors: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Not to mention cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove.

If you're looking for a big spread, check out our master list of Thanksgiving options, with options for dining-in or getting family-size feasts to go.

This list is something else. It's for when you just want a taste, whether that's a turkey sandwich with stuffing or a turkey plate-for-one to go.

For our November installment of Where to Eat, here's our list of mini-Thanksgiving feasts:

Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery
Cafe-bakery chain has a full catering menu with all kinds of options, but they also have the perfect single-person plate for a solo meal. For $23, you get choice of sliced turkey or cider-glazed ham, with choice of pecan-cornbread stuffing or butternut squash stuffing, plus leek-mashed potatoes, sage turkey gravy, cranberry-orange sauce, and two rolls. Locations include Uptown, Lovers Lane, NorthPark Center, and Plano. 214-754-0099.

Celebration
Home cooking institution has a new "mini feast" which serves 4 people but is smaller than the usual mega-spread. It comes with sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cornbread-sausage stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, and yeast rolls, and is $90. Who's to say you can't just order it and have it in the fridge for noshing all weekend long. Note: You must order by November 19, and pickup November 24-25. 214-352-0031.

Easy Slider
Deep Ellum food truck-turned-restaurant has an irresistible seasonal item called The Gobbler, that really is a Thanksgiving meal in a single slider. It features a ground turkey patty, topped with cornbread dressing, gravy, and cranberry-jalapeño-pecan relish, on a petite slider bun. Oops, forgot the piece de resistance: a teeny slice of pecan pie on top. It's $6, and you can order it online. Get 'em in multiples!

Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas
Hotel located at Frisco's Stonebriar Centre is doing a selection of limited-edition holiday menu items that include a Merry Mistletoe Margarita (secret ingredient: cranberry juice) and pumpkin creme brulee. But we're here for the "Holidays in a Sandwich" featuring smoked turkey, gravy, cornbread stuffing, a fried potato pancake, and cranberry aioli on ciabatta bread. The sandwich is $13, and is available through November 30 at the hotel's in-house restaurant, Copper & Steel. To place an order for pickup, call 469-598-1235 and press 4.

Mendocino Farms
Chic sandwich market-cafe chain from California has the perfect Thanksgiving bite. Called "November to Remember," it's a warm turkey sandwich with kale-mushroom-turkey sausage stuffing, ancho chile-cranberry chutney, havarti cheese, herb aioli, and shredded romaine on rustic white bread. It's $12.95, and for each sandwich sold through Dec 1, 25 cents gets donated to Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

Saltgrass Steakhouse
Thanksgiving plate for one comes with with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, soup or salad, and bread. $20. Order online by November 24. Pick up November 24 after 3 pm to November 26 at 11 am.

Spiral Diner
For the first time, DFW's No. 1 vegan restaurant chain is offering "Plate For One," a complete holiday vegan meal designed for one person. It includes two slices of their house-made roast, served with sides of green bean casserole, cornbread stuffing, brown gravy, a dinner roll, and a slice of sweet potato pie. It's $26.99, and you can order it online.

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Coffee News

Family-owned cafe brews coffee and pastries in historic Irving setting

Alma Cafe

Cake and cappuccino from Alma Cafe in Irving.

There's a new family-owned coffee shop bringing a welcome amenity to Irving: Called Alma Cafe and Bakehouse, it's a Latina-owned coffee shop that just opened in a former residence at 202 S. Britain Rd. in downtown Irving, where it's offering a warm and cozy place with coffee and pastries baked in-house.

Their much anticipated opening followed a series of pop-ups they held at the space for nearly a year during construction, which helped build a loyal base of fans celebrating their role as one of the only alternatives in the area to corporate chains.

The shop was founded by young entrepreneur Marla Ojeda, who has nurtured a longtime passion for coffee, along with her family including her mom, who does all the pastries. The cafe was a recipient of the City’s Enhancement Incentive Program, which provides grants to small businesses, and helped them get a foothold in Irving's Heritage District.

"I've always been passionate about coffee, the flavors, where the beans are from, going to coffee shops and traveling to see what everyone has to offer," Ojeda says. "During COVID, I started making my own coffee drinks at home, creating new recipes. I became inspired to do a shop and bring something special to this part of Irving."

Their menu includes classic espresso drinks, original latte creations, buzzy matcha, and pastries.

Popular items include their brown sugar latte, anything matcha (including original and ube), and their Spanish latte with espresso, milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Pastry offerings include croissants, cupcakes, strawberry cake with strawberry frosting, scarlet red velvet cake, and their very popular blueberry scones.

Strawberry cake and iced cappuccinoAlma Cafe

The pastries are made by Ojeda's mother, Elvia Ojeda, an accomplished chef. They're just about to unveil a new menu expansion with savory dishes including breakfast sandwiches, chilaquiles, avocado toast, and croissant sandwiches such as tuna salad.

"I love coffee and she loves baking — my family also has experience in building and real estate, so we make the perfect team," Marla says.

Marla has a flair for interior design, and was involved in conceiving the space. It has a bright area in the front for ordering, with white tiles, warm white countertop, and gleaming stainless La Marzocco espresso machine. At the entrance, she's hung a statement piece: a large Renaissance-style painting of flowers in an ornate gilded frame.

The cafe has a lounge-style space as well as a wooden patio that wraps around the exterior. They enforce a no-computers policy; it's designed as a place to enjoy coffee and snacks, not as a workspace to camp out. They also do not have a phone or a website yet; for now, everything is through their Instagram page, and note, the response is not always immediate.

The house was built in 1938 and was still a residential home until 2020. It's part of the Heritage District, the first area designed by city founders J.O. Schulze and Otis Brown in 1903. Heritage Park, a community recreation area with a wood cabin, benches & picnic tables, and a historic train depot, is only three blocks away.

"We're hoping there's nothing else like this in Irving," Marla says.

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