Holiday Dining

These Dallas restaurants are open for brunch on New Year's Day 2021

No brunch on New Year's Day can go down without a little bubbly.

Photo by Becca Wright

One dining ritual slightly less impacted by coronavirus is brunch and that's because brunch is a daytime thing and it's easier to be outdoors.

They're not saying positive things about the weather in Dallas on New Year’s Day — but hopefully there'll be a little ray of sunshine to point us to better things for 2021.

Here are the Dallas restaurants open for brunch on New Year's Day. (If you're looking for places to go New Year's Eve, that list is here.)

Big Al’s is offering a Buy One Get One Free Rack of Rib Special for $28 available December 31 and January 1, and every Saturday through January. The restaurant is also featuring Hoppin' John for $10 Quart/$35 Gallon and Cornbread $5 a Quarter Pan. Big Al’s will close at 4pm on New Year’s Eve and Day — regular operating hours are Monday-Saturday from 10:30am-8pm. The restaurant also offers online ordering through chownow, curbside pick-up and delivery (within 3 miles of the restaurant); order online www.bigalsbbq.com or by calling 214-350-2649.

Bulla Gastrobar. Spanish restaurant at Legcy West in Plano is hosting a New Year's Day three course brunch menu, plus $6 mimosas and sangrias. Choices include Avocado Toast, Watermelon Salad, Smoked Salmon Montaditos, Garbanzo Frito, Grilled Flatbread, Benedict, Pork Hash, Burger, Huevos Bravos, Huevos ‘Bulla’, Steak + Eggs, Chicken & Waffles, Bikini, Torrija, Flan de Coco, Blueberry & Ricotta Pancakes, Churros con Chocolate, or Hazelnut waffles. $27.

City Works at The Star in Frisco hosts a Rock N’ Roll recovery brunch with dishes such as the Jon Bun Jovi, Chak Shuka Khan, and the Johnny Hash. 10 am-3 pm. Reservations online or call 469-850-1850.

Cotton Patch Cafe. Special limited-edition Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage are available on their own or as a side substitution, for dine-in and online orders, for $1.21, from December 31-January 3.

Dahlia On Ross will be open on New Year's Day for brunch from 11:30 am-3 pm with waffles, brunch biscuit, smoked salmon croissant, breakfast flatbread, and more. Also open for dinner 5-10 pm.

Fearing’s Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas is serving New Year’s Day brunch from 12-3 pm with a three-course menu including jumbo gulf lump crab cake benedict, English Channel John Dory, pan seared Alaskan weathervane scallops, and a sampling of delectable desserts. $100 for adults, $85 for vegetarian and $35 for children, with a complimentary holiday cocktail. Reservations on Open Table or call 214-922-4848.

Manhattan Project hosts a New Year's Day brunch with Hoppin' John, micheladas, and beermosas beginning at 10 am.

Mercat Bistro. Open for brunch from 10 am-3 pm. Reserve at: www.mercatbistro.com.

Mi Dia From Scratch. Special menu includes Chicken Y Waffles and Huevos Rancheros, available to-go via curbside pickup or for dine-in. 11 am-3 pm. Available at all three locations: Grapevine, Plano, and Flower Mound. 817-421-4277.

Norma's Cafe. All five locations — Oak Cliff, North Dallas, Frisco, Park Lane, and Plano — will be serving free samples of black-eyed peas with all dine-in and to-go orders, and traditional meals for purchase including special menu items of corned beef and cabbage. They're also hosting a contest to win Chicken Fried Steak for a Year. Purchase 2 Family Pack Meals, receive a free Mile High Pie. 8 am-8 pm.

Nova. Oak Cliff restuarant will be open 4 pm-2 am with full menu and New Year's specials until 10 pm, followed by a late-night menu until 12 am. For reservations, call 214-484-7123.

Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe. Open all day with $5 Bloody Voodoo Marie and Traditional Black-Eyed Peas.

The Rustic. Hangover Cure Brunch from 10 am-3 pm, with free live music beginning at 12:30 pm.

Sloane's Corner. Special two-course brunch with shared Breakfast Pastries, Deviled Eggs, Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Lemon Curd Ricotta Pancakes, Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast, or Prime Beef Burger with fries. 11 am-3 pm. Call 214-484-1395 or reserve online.

Snooze, An A.M. Eatery. In addition to regular menu, look for seasonal dishes like Peppermint Bark Pancakes topped with spiced cocoa sauce and peppermint bark, Jalapeno & Pomegranate Glazed Bacon, and the Holiday Harvest Bowl with butternut squash, sweet potato, onions, poblano peppers, corn, pork belly lardons, and poached egg. Snooze will also offer Holiday Kits with hot cocoa recipes, greeting cards, and choice of Holiday Harvest Egg Casserole, Cranberry French Toast Bake, or Holiday Pancake Party Kit, along with a jazz playlist. Kits come with spinach-arugula-kale salad, fruit salad, and bacon. Order 24 hours in advance, available through January 2.

Yardbird. Southern restaurant downtown is open New Year's Day with a limited-edition holiday menu for brunch from 10 am-4 pm, in plus regular menu available to-go. Dining in menu includes Charleston she-crab soup, Wagyu beef carpaccio, prime rib with pimento cheese grits, halibut, truffled gnocchi with mushrooms, and red velvet cake. 10 am-9 pm. Order online or call 469-208-2441.

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Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

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Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

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