Hummus Is Here

Famed D.C. Mediterranean restaurant hands off hummus to Star Frisco

The flatbreads, called "pide," are topped with sausage, egg, and cheese.

Photo courtesy of Zaytinya

The openings keep coming for The Star in Frisco, and this one's big: After a year in the making, Zaytinya, the Mediterranean restaurant in Washington, D.C. from famed chef José Andrés, will finally open at the Dallas Cowboys facility in early February.

A collaboration between Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup and Turkey-based d.ream (Doğus Restaurant Entertainment and Management), Zaytinya Frisco will be Andrés' first restaurant in Texas and the second location of Zaytinya, a top D.C. dining destination, known since 2002 for its inventive Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine.

In a release, Andrés calls The Star "amazing" and "an incredible development" by the Jones family. "I can’t think of a better home for this second location of my mezze restaurant and I can’t wait for the people to Texas to dine with us!!" he says.

Zaytinya's mezze menu features shared plates, cocktails, and Mediterranean wines. The wine list is unique in that it features only the wines of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel.

The menu includes classics such as hummus, tzatziki, labneh, and a dip called htipiti with red peppers and feta. There are vegetarian dishes such as eggplant stuffed with onion, tomato, and walnuts; crispy Bussels sprouts; seared red lentil patties; mushroom couscous; falafel; and a bulgar wheat dish with chickpeas and feta.

There is lamb shoulder, beef and lamb meatballs, pork belly, seafood, and potato-crusted snails. There are flatbreads, called "pide," topped with sausage, egg, and cheese.

Zaytinya Frisco will be helmed by chef Jonathan Thompson, who opened Samar and Stampede 66 with Stephan Pyles. Before coming to Dallas in 2009, he was chef de cuisine for Gerard Panguad in Washington D.C., and cooked at Bradley Ogden's in Las Vegas.

Zaytinya will be located in Building 6W of the development at 6655 Winning Drive, and will feature a modern, authentically Mediterranean decor.

José Andrés is a culinary innovator, author, educator, TV personality, humanitarian, and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup, whose portfolio of 27 restaurants includes Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Fish at MGM National Harbor, J by José Andrés at W Mexico City, Bazaar Meat at the SLS Las Vegas, and The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills and South Beach.

D.ream was founded in 2012 and has become an international player by introducing brand new concepts and offering wide variety of dining experiences worldwide. D.ream will separately debut an Italian restaurant at The Star called Da Mario, which is aiming to open in January.

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Taco News

Award-winning Dallas chef launches taquito concept at Oomi Kitchen

Yelp

Revolver Taco Lounge is known for its tacos.

An award-winning Dallas chef is taking on taquitos: Called Taquitos Ross, it's a new brand from Regino Rojas, owner of Revolver Taco Lounge in Deep Ellum, who will bring his celebrated flavors and techniques to Oomi Kitchen, the digital food hall on 3510 Ross Ave.

Taquitos Ross will be available through the oomi ordering platform and will make its debut on November 19 — bringing a fresh addition to Oomi’s diverse lineup of food concepts.

The focus will be on taquitos filled with premium carefully-prepared ingredients. The opening menu will feature:

Carnitas taquitos
Chicken Tinga taquitos
inventive nachos

Taquitos consist of a rolled-up tortilla filled with ingredients and deep-fried until crisp. So far, they have not been "elevated." The partnership with Oomi promises not only to elevate the taquito experience — taking it from crunchy snack to refined, flavorful dish — it will also bring Rojas' food to a wider audience. Rojas opened Revolver Taco Lounge in Deep Ellum in 2017.

Oomi founder Markus Pineyro says in a statement that "We’re incredibly honored to work with chef Rojas on Taquitos Ross. His passion for quality and tradition aligns perfectly with our mission to bring exceptional, creative food to our customers. Taquitos Ross is a brand that we believe will not only bring people together but also spark a love for taquitos like never before.”

Pineyro is a career innovator who previously founded the Urban Taco chain in 2007, helping pave the way for chains such as Velvet Taco. He founded Oomi Kitchen, a digital food hall just outside downtown Dallas in 2022, as a one-stop shop for bold concepts, with a focus on delivery and take out. Customers can order from multiple concepts at once — providing a solution for groups with varying tastes — with $2 delivery.

His innovation has put him on the national radar — even landing him an invitation in October to participate in a foodie promotion by the Nickelodeon channel that celebrated popular cartoon Spongebob Squarepants, along with a limited number of restaurants across the U.S.

Oomi house brands include: include Bodega Sandwiches & Wraps, Okie Dokie Smash Burgers, Love Bowls, Clucky’s Damn Good Chicken (fried chicken & wings), Savage Rabbit (salads), Hot Lips (Asian-inspired dishes) and Bowlrito (bowls and burritos). Partner brands currently offered include Urban Taco, Pacuigo, and Tribal Juices.

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