Sandwich News

Artisan vegan sandwich shop opens in unusual Lewisville setting

Sandwiches from Beyond the Bun

BTB

A new sandwich shop is opening in Lewisville that is not like the other sandwich shops: Called Beyond the Bun, it opened on January 15 at 1165 S. Stemmons Fwy. #128, inside an antique mall at the Lakeland Plaza Office Building where it's serving a lineup of classic artisanal sandwiches — roast beef, Buffalo chicken, a BLTA — but all plant-based.

The shop is from Danielle and Mason Strokes, an adorable young couple who are striking out as entrepreneurs and wanted to create a vegan-friendly destination with great sandwiches.

They are starting with a limited menu they plan to expand as they go. Current offerings include:

Italian Cuban with ham, provolone, Dijon, and dill pickles on focaccia bread
Buffalo Chicken with fried chicken, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese, and ranch on a sub-style brioche bun
Dill sandwich with turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickle aioli, lettuce, & tomato on white bread

Sides include a spicy Dijon potato salad and an unusual dill coleslaw. All of their breads are made in-house by Danielle’s sister Gabrielle Hernandez.

And one major selling point: They are using meats and cheese imported from The Herbivorous Butcher, the acclaimed vegan butcher shop based in Minneapolis.

“We experimented with the recipes for months to create our menu," Danielle says.

They're also offering a selection of desserts including chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate coconut cookies, and two cool "cake sandwiches" — to keep the sandwich theme — featuring slices of cake that sandwich a filling of icing, available in vanilla or chocolate.

They're open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 am-4 pm, and their set-up is also unique: It operates like a ghost kitchen where customers place their order at a self-serve kiosk. Customers get a text when the order is ready and can pick it up from one of eight cubbies. The side benefit of being in an antique mall is that you can look around and shop while the order is being prepared.

"When it comes to eating vegan, there is not really a niche option," Danielle says. "My hope is to give everyone a great plant-based choices."

vegan openings

Coming soon

Chinese restaurant from celeb chef to debut in Dallas Design District

A table spread at Night Rooster with tea smoked duck, noodles, and steamed redfish

Samantha Marie Photography

Tea-smoked duck, steamed redfish, and more await at Night Rooster

A new Chinese fine dining restaurant from a celebrity chef will debut in Dallas’ Design District later this month: Called Night Rooster, it will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., taking over the first floor of the building that's home to Italian steakhouse The Saint.

A Saint-sibling concept from Hooper Hospitality Concepts, Night Rooster is the culmination of 20 years of conversations between restaurateur Andy Hooper and Los Angeles chef Shirley Chung, the Beijing-born chef who’s appeared on food competition shows such as Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions.

This is the first Dallas restaurant for Chung, whose kitchen experience includes working alongside culinary heavy-hitters like Thomas Keller and Jose Andres.

“Shirley and I have talked about building something together for over 20 years, and Night Rooster is the realization of that dream,” Hooper says in a release. “Night Rooster tells a story — of friendship, perseverance, and starting fresh — and we’re incredibly proud to bring that story to life.”

Chef Shirley Chung.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Chung, dubbed the “Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles,” brings her own brand of perseverance to the restaurant. In 2024, Chung was at the top of her culinary game when she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, says the release.

After undergoing an “intensive” treatment regimen, her cancer is now in full remission, and she’s been busy dreaming up a menu of Texas-inflected Chinese dishes ranging from orange quail, a play on the classic Chinese-American orange chicken, to cheeseburger-stuffed potstickers.

Elsewhere on the menu, diners will find creative, shareable dishes like jasmine tea smoked duck, tequila-marinated Drunken Yellowtail, and multiple noodle options, including the Cacio e Sichuan Pepe, a tingly riff on the classic Italian pasta with Sichuan peppercorn.

Many dishes will be made with ingredients from local purveyors, like beef from Outpost 76 Ranch in Sulphur Springs and mushrooms from Arlington’s Texas Fungus.

Night Rooster dumplings Chef Shirley Chung is known as the "Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles."Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Night Rooster's cocktail menu will have a similar focus on blending Texas ingredients with Chinese flavors and techniques, all with a modern twist. Drinks like the East Meets West, mixed with Nikka Coffey malt whisky, bourbon, black sugar, bitters, and cherrywood smoke, await.

When it debuts on January 31, Night Rooster will be open for dinner service only. The restaurant will serve dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 pm.

chefs chinese restaurant design district openings