News You Can Eat

Exciting openings and winter specials light up this Dallas restaurant news

Let's start off 2020 with a pretty cocktail.

Dallas Proper

The end of 2019 closes out with an exciting batch of Dallas restaurant news, including recent openings, coming-soon openings, winter menus, and seasonal dishes.

Here's what's happening in Dallas dining news:

Velvet Taco will open a new location in Plano, in the former space at 5013 W. Park Blvd., previously home to Steve Fields Steak and Lobster Lounge, which closed in September. This is the second Velvet Taco in Plano, but the first stand-alone; the first Plano location is at Legacy Food Hall. According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in mid-2020.

Manhattan Project Beer Company, home to acclaimed craft beers such as Half-Life Hazy IPA, has opened its long-anticipated brewery at 2215 Sulphur St. in West Dallas, north of the main post office and south of Trinity Groves. In addition to the brewery, it's also a coffee shop with an espresso bar, executed in partnership with Edison Coffee of Flower Mound. Eventually food will be added, prepared by Thai Bird Asian Fried Chicken, which plans to open a stand-alone location in Fort Worth in 2020. Manhattan opens at 7:30 am on weekdays and 9 am on weekends, and close at 10 pm on weeknights and midnight on the weekends.

Dallas Proper, a new bar going into the former Mister Rich location at 2918 Henderson Ave. will open on December 31, with a bottle service program and a signature cocktail menu developed by beverage director Kyle Hilla and a collection of "cocktail nibbles" created by RHC’s Jeffrey Kollinger. The M Street Manhattan has Bulleit bourbon, sweet vermouth, and allspice dram, topped with orange oils and a maraschino cherry; and the Highland Park Party, with bubbles, raspberry hibiscus-infused Smirnoff vodka, lemon, orange blossom water, and a lemon braid.

Fish Bone Grill is closing its location at 6464 Northwest Hwy. in the Medallion Center, on December 31. The restaurant has been there since 1983, serving catfish, shrimp, and oysters plus Cajun dishes such as gumbo and red beans & rice. At one time, owner Bill Hensley had 10 locations. If fans want to acquire a piece of the restaurant, they're hosting a sale of everything on site.

Vitruvian Perk is a new-ish coffee house located next to Vitruvian Park, the mixed-use development in Addison. They serve coffee, espresso drinks, and baked pastries. They have free wi-fi and are open every day.

SoCo is a new breakfast and lunch place at Lakeridge Village with coffee, pastries, scones, muffins, breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, and avocado toast. They're located at 9660 Audelia Rd., in the former My Office space at the corner of Walnut Hill Lane, and are open 8 am-2 pm Tuesday-Sunday.

Slater's 50/50, the burger chain featuring bacon, has closed its location at Preston and Forest. The restaurant opened in 2018 in a former Rockfish location at 11661 Preston Rd. A spokesperson said the company had no statement other than to point out that there is still the original Slater's 50/50, which has been at 2817 Greenville Ave. since 2017.

Lalo's Fine Mexican Cuisine opened a second location in Plano, at Park Place Shopping Center, 6401 W. Plano Pkwy. #100, in a former location of Mooyah.

Kaizen Sushi Bar & Asian Kitchen is a newly-opened Asian restaurant in Rowlett, at 6501 Dalrock Rd. in what used to be an Asian restaurant called Hong Kong Express. Kaizen features Asian fusion, Japanese fare, sushi, and noodles. But to be on the safe side, they also do regional favorites like orange chicken and shaking beef.

DiMassi's, the Mediterranean concept from Houston, is opening two new locations around Dallas Fort Worth: One in Allen, at 190 E Stacy Rd. #3200, and the other in Fort Worth at 6357 Camp Bowie Blvd. #200, in a former Black Eyed Pea space. The chain does high-quality veg-friendly buffets with middle-Eastern dishes such as gyros, skewers, lamb, falafel, grape leaves, four kinds of hummus, salads, baklava, and more. There are currently three locations in the DFW area: Richardson, Irving, and Plano.

First Watch, the Florida breakfast chain, is opening new locations around DFW including one in Grand Prairie at 3150 SH 161; and one in Richardson, in the Canyon Creek shopping center at 202 W. Campbell Rd., #202, in what used to be a location of the Royal Chopstix chain. Both locations will open in January.

Common Bond, the amazing incredible world-class bakery in Houston, is looking to open a location in Dallas. According to Eater/Houston Business Journal, the bakery has expanded its management team and has Dallas on its list for expansion.

Fish N Fizz, the seafood spot in Richardson from chef Nick Barclay, has changed its hours. The restaurant is now open Thursday-Sunday, 11 am-9 pm, and closed Monday-Wednesday.

Cold Beer Company has launched a new pop-up weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-3 pm, with house bloody marys (two for $8) and mimosa carafes (two for $15). Dishes are $10-$14 and include a Southern benedict with sausage & gravy on a jumbo biscuit; a brunch sammy with turkey, cornbread stuffing, and cheesy mashed potatoes; a burrito with eggs, chorizo, cheese, onion, jalapeno, and taters in a flour tortilla; and pecan pie French toast.

Outback Steakhouse has three new steak options. Steak Frites is a seared 9-oz NY strip with rosemary Parmesan fries and peppercorn sauce, and choice of a side salad. An 18-oz center-cut sirloin is topped with herb bistro butter and served with a potato and side. Kingsland Pasta features tenderloin medallions and grilled shrimp over fettucine noodles in Alfredo sauce.

Tacodeli has seasonal tacos for breakfast and lunch available until January 2. For breakfast, the Loco & Eggs has red chile adobo-braised brisket, scrambled eggs, green onion, and queso fresco for $3.50. For lunch, the El Borrego has adobo-braised premium Dorper lamb, pickled red onion, serrano, queso fresco, and cilantro, for $4.50. Their seasonal soup, available through February, is chipotle sweet potato made withsweet potatoes, pork belly, chipotle, cream, Jack cheese, and cilantro, for $4.50.

Fat Straws, the bubble tea concept, has launched three new winter drink series. Hot Steamers includes Dulce de Leche, Eggnog White Chocolate, and Oreo Steamer. The Foam Series features tea topped with creamy cheese foam or salted foam, often referred to as cheese tea. The foam comes in a variety of flavors including Earl Grey Sea Salt Foam, Jasmine Tea Cheese Foam, Roasted Oolong Cheese Foam, Cold Brew Coffee Sea Salt Foam, and Matcha Milk Tea Sea Salt Foam. The Swirl Series incorporates the cheese foam swirled throughout the drink. Flavors include Strawberry Swirl, Mango Swirl, and Matcha Swirl. One other new thing at Fat Straws is a "sweetness scale" with options on how much sweet: no sugar, 25 percent sweetness, 50 percent sweetness, 75 percent sweetness, or 100 percent sweetness. Fat Straws is also featuring a limited-edition doughnut flavor: Sea Salt Caramel Chewy Puff Donut.

Bowen House has a new winter menu with food and drink. Items include croque Provencal with ham, tomato, and Gruyere on a croissant; charcuterie & cheese board Harvest salad with Brussels sprouts, microgreens, celery leaf, beets, goat cheese, pecans, and pepitas in a brown butter-cider vinaigrette; mushroom pappardelle with shiitake, portobello, fennel, caramelized onions, arugula, pecans, Parmesan, and Pernod; and pork sandwich with broccoli rabe, roasted peppers, and Provolone on a hoagie roll. The inspiration behind the new cocktail menu is to offer cozy cocktails with a twist. Banana Protocol has rum, Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane, Demerara, honey, and lemon; and Beso Del Sol has Ghost Tequila, lime, hibiscus, and mango.

El Fenix has a seasonal item called Fiesta Burritos, with choice of veggie, shredded chicken, picadillo beef, braised pork, fajita steak or fajita chicken filling and choice of sauce, rice, and beans. It starts at $8 and is available through February.

Snuffers has new seasonal dishes including tomato basil soup and a loaded grilled cheese with bacon, tomato, and avocado on sourdough bread with American, Swiss, and Pepper Jack cheese. Available through February.

Table 13 has an off-menu special on Friday and Saturday nights, dine-in only: halibut stuffed with chopped lobster over angel hair pasta with arugula, red bell pepper, tomato, and capers in a white wine sauce. It's $38.

Carl’s Jr. now has Beyond Meat items all day, becoming one of the first national U.S. quick service restaurants to offer plant-based options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are two new breakfast offerings: the Beyond Sausage Burrito with a Beyond Breakfast Sausage patty, scrambled egg, shredded cheese, hash-rounds, tomatoes, and salsa served in a soft, warm tortilla, for $4.79; and the Beyond Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit, with a Beyond Breakfast Sausage patty, American cheese, and a fluffy folded egg served on a Made from Scratch Biscuit, for $3.99. They complement the current Beyond Famous Star and Beyond BBQ Cheeseburger.

news-you-can-eat

Escape Rooms

Upscale lounge and escape room ushers in new nightlife fun to McKinney

The Cipher Lounge

A unique new entertainment venue and lounge has debuted in downtown McKinney: Called The Cipher Lounge, it's an escape room-plus-restaurant and bar that combines food, cocktails, and escape-room experiences under one roof.

Located in a former flooring store at 101 S. Chestnut St., it celebrated its grand opening on August 15.

The Cipher Lounge is not your typical bar or escape room. The lounge boasts a sophisticated atmosphere with craft cocktails and upscale bites. Customers are encouraged to stop in before or after the escape room, but can also just come in for food and drink. (And to that end, the escape room lies behind hidden doors, so as not to detract from the lounge area.)

"Some nights you go out for a drink — here, you step into a story," their manifesto says. "The Cipher Lounge sits in Historic Downtown McKinney behind low light and art-deco lines, built for the kind of evening that unfolds slowly and rewards the curious. Settle in, order something you have never heard of, share a table full of small plates, and when the mood turns, disappear into a room made to be solved. Every visit is a code waiting to be cracked."

Escape room
There are two immersive escape experiences:

"Ghosted." The fictional Phoenix Hotel, inspired by a haunted historic hotel tied to the mystery and history of McKinney, where players follow clues and uncover mysterious, paranormal secrets connected to the historic McKinney setting. "What starts as a simple tour through a forgotten hotel soon takes a dark turn as unexplained events unfold around you. Strange whispers, hidden clues, and restless spirits stand between your group and the truth."
"Airlock." A futuristic space adventure taking place at a classified deep-space station that has gone dark, challenging players to take command and escape before time — and the air — runs out. "Chosen for your intelligence, teamwork, and nerve, you are dispatched to Airlock Station after contact with the original team was suddenly lost. What awaits inside is unknown."

A release notes that the concept offers a new way for tourists and visitors to experience the city of McKinney beyond its daytime attractions — adding a novel night-time component to the historic downtown McKinney Square and expanding the after-hours scene beyond food and drink with a combination of immersive entertainment, cocktails, interactive tastings, and storytelling.

Food
The menu features bites and shareable plates such as:

charcuterie board with cheese and meats such as coppa and jamon serrano
shrimp cocktail
tuna crudo
NY strip steak with chimichurri
spinach & artichoke dip
"martini" deviled eggs with olive juice and castelvetrano
margherita flatbread and jamon & fig flatbread
"banh mi"-style steak panini and chicken pesto panini

Drink
The bar features wine, beer, and cocktails such as an espresso martini with vanilla ice cream; mojito with blueberry and mint; and spicy bloody mary with candied bacon.

They have a special focus on gin, in drinks such as the one with rose gin, lychee, and lime; gin with chartreuse and Luxardo cherry; and a rose gimlet.

Adding another layer of discovery is "Who’s Who" — an interactive blind bourbon tasting designed to test palates and detective skills. During the experience, participants sample a blind flight of bourbons and read a mysterious story associated with each pour. They then attempt to match every bourbon to its correct tale, compare their answers, and settle the debate. Guests who successfully crack the lineup can win a voucher for a complimentary cocktail.

The experience is designed to turn a traditional bourbon tasting into a game of deduction, giving groups another reason to gather, compete, and have fun together.

Brainchild
The Cipher Lounge is the brainchild of Stephanie Roman, a former law enforcement professional who moved to McKinney with her husband two years ago. It combines some of her greatest loves including adventure, puzzles, and casual upscale lounging.

"I have always loved escape rooms, even as an adult," she says. "I previously worked at a highly stressful job and when I go out, I want to go to another planet."

Her goal was to create a one-of-a-kind space where people can socialize in an environment that's not like everything else, as well as a definitive step up from the sometimes-cheesy ambience found at many escape rooms. The facade is clad in slats of wood, while the interior features burnished wood tables, elegant chandeliers, velvet banquettes, plus a light-filled area with greenery and comfortable padded chairs.

She contracted with a third-party company to help build out the space, but the escape scenarios were entirely her vision. She's also hired an accredited team to make sure the food and drink are executed to a high standard.

"My idea was to pair an escape room with an upscale but casual bar and make it a place where anyone from 25 to 55 is going to be impressed," she says.

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