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3 Dallas restaurants try out new mini-concepts as workaround to COVID-19

Magazine subscriptions are trending down but meal subscriptions are trending up.

Courtesy photo

A trio of restaurants around Dallas are exploring innovative new ways to find a coronavirus workaround. One is a downtown Dallas hotel trying its hand at tacos. Another is a gastropub launching what it calls a food hall. A third is a Dallas restaurant launching a new subscription service.

Check out what these three restaurants are up to:

Tacos at Fairmont Dallas
The downtown hotel Fairmont Dallas has launched what it calls "a pop-up concept" called La Taqueria at The Lobby Bar, serving tacos, burritos, bowls, and quesadillas, $9 each.

The concept of La Taqueria at The Lobby Bar, which has a fully functioning kitchen in the lobby lounge, comes from Jean-Francois Fortin, the new executive chef at the hotel. Fortin was most recently at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and brings 17 years of culinary experience.

La Taqueria at The Lobby Bar is open daily from 4-10 pm.

Thirsty Lion food hall
Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill has launched what they call an "online food hall" with three mini-concepts operating out of their existing restaurants.

The company first debuted the idea in Portland, Oregon. It includes:

Killer Wings - wings with nine sauces, plus fries and salads such as Wedge, Caesar, and Buffalo Fried Chicken Salad.
Southern Jewel - menu includes Fried Dill Pickles, Cheese Curds, Southern Fried Chicken or Nashville-Style, pork belly, smoked BBQ pork, Buttermilk Biscuits, Hush Puppies, and Sweet Potato Fries.
Pizza & Spice - Nine pizzas in two sizes, 10 inch and 16 inch, including Margherita, Italian Meat, Chicken, Grilled Pear & Prosciutto, and Reuben, plus starters such as Hush Puppy Corn Fritters, Deep Fried Pickles, Chicken Tenders, salads, and wings.

Online ordering is available via Uber Eats, GrubHub, Postmates, and Door Dash. Dine-in, patio dining, takeout, and third-party delivery is also available at both Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grills at Toyota Music Factory in Irving and Glade Park Town Center in Euless.

Meal subscription
Dive Coastal Cuisine in Snider Plaza has launched a meal subscription program that allows diners to get a meal delivered once a week from chef/owner Franchesca Nor.

Customers can subscribe for individual meals or family meals that feed 4 – 6 people.

Options include chicken, salmon, mahi mahi, steak — no tofu? boo — cilantro rice, black beans with cheese, cauliflower truffle hash, asparagus, and portobello mushrooms, greens salad, hearts of palm salad, whole key lime pie, and blueberry pie.

You select your options, then day of the week and time (morning or afternoon). Subscriptions require a 3-month commitment, although you can change your choices at any time. Prices range from $42 to $75 per week.

To sign up, go to divecoastal.com/meal-subscriptions.

holidays trends hotels

Coffee buzz

Nūr Coffee perks up Carrollton with premium drinks in a sleek space

The interior of Nūr in Carrollton showcases a minimalist design with soft neutral tones, natural light, and comfortable seating.

Photo courtesy of Nūr Coffee.

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A new coffee shop is bringing specialty drinks, fresh bites, and a bright, calming space to Carrollton. Called Nūr Coffee, the shop is now open at 2741 E. Belt Line Rd., Ste. 107, near the border of Addison.

Nūr is owned by an entrepreneurial team with a variety of backgrounds: Cedric Ogbuehi, a former NFL player; Onyi Odunukwe, CEO of Glo Tanning; and Lisa Nguyen, a longtime açai shop owner and wellness expert.

Nūr means "light" in Arabic, a name that reflects the shop's mission to "be a light in someone's day."

To bring that vision to life, the team turned to local interior designer Angela Chantell to create a bright, minimalist, welcoming space. The shop is filled with natural light and soft cream tones, with a mix of communal seating and individual tables that contribute to its airy feel.

“We wanted to create a peaceful, calming space where people don’t feel rushed,” Ogbuehi says.

$N\u016br Coffee$ Signature matcha with vanilla cold foam.Photo courtesy of Nūr Coffee

The coffee menu includes classics such as lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, pour-overs, and drip coffee, but the signature drinks are the stars. Favorites include:

Golden Muse: A vanilla latte with caramel drizzle, topped with vanilla cold foam.
Be Someone's Light Latte: Vanilla and cinnamon paired with an extra shot of espresso and topped with vanilla cold foam.
Blush Matcha: Ceremonial-grade matcha blended with mixed berries and topped with vanilla cold foam.
Daydream: Earl Grey tea and vanilla with steamed milk or vanilla cold foam.

Nūr also serves rotating seasonal drinks. Current offerings include a Blackberry Cobbler Matcha and a Lychee-Tini Matcha made with coconut water.

They use coffee beans from Viewfinder Coffee Roasters.

The food menu centers on savory and sweet English muffins, with options including avocado smash, creamy salmon, banana brûlée, and a Tokyo egg muffin. Local bakery partner Commissary supplies fresh cinnamon rolls and cookies, while the menu also includes a variety of açai bowls and fruit-and-nut wellness cups.

The shop plans to keep things fresh with monthly limited-edition drops featuring new drinks and food items.

A membership program for $59 a month affords unlimited daily coffee, a 10 percent discount on food, and a $2.50 surcharge for specialty drinks.

The owners already have ambitious plans for expansion. They say they hope to open two more locations, in Uptown Dallas and Hurst, by the end of the year, with a goal of five total locations by the end of 2027.

“For us, it’s about the way we make people feel," Ogbuehi says. "Hospitality is our number one priority, alongside the high-quality food and drinks we offer.”

Nūr is open daily from 7 am-7 pm.

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