Cinnamon Roll News

Dallas brunch king Bread Winners Cafe opens restaurant in Allen

Bananas Foster waffle from Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery

Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery

A Dallas bakery and cafe chain that practically invented weekend brunch is coming to Allen: Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery, known for its seasonal pastries and signature brunch, is opening at the Watters Creek Village, taking over the former Edith’s French Cafe at 961 Garden Park Dr., where it will host a grand opening on January 29.

This will be the fourth location for the chain, joining locations in Plano, NorthPark Center, and the longtime original on McKinney Avenue, where founders Jim and Cindy Hughes first opened in 1994. They sold the chain in 2022 to to Josh Bock of Stratega Capital.

Popular menu items include biscuits & jam, Benedicts, scrambles, breakfast tacos, and waffles at breakfast and brunch; flatbreads, soups, and salads at lunch; and home-cooking dishes like chicken fried steak and meatloaf at dinner. They've always skewed slightly healthy, with options like granola and avocado toast.

But their rotating selection of pastries is their signature, with cinnamon rolls, sticky pecan rolls, muffins, bagels, cranberry orange bread, monkey bread, and "popp" tarts.

Prices are affordable, ranging from $13 for eggs with choice of potatoes or cheddar grits and toast or biscuit, to $27 for prime ribeye steak and eggs.

This latest opening comes nearly two years after closing their location in Inwood Village in 2023. Allen presented an easy opportunity to fill the brunch niche since Edith's, opened by serial restaurant openers (and closers) Barzoo Faizy and Mondana Taghizadeh, closed in 2023.

“Bread Winners has always been about bringing people together through great food and service,” says Bread Winners' Chief Operations Officer Chris Beardon in a release. “We’re thrilled to extend our reach to the Allen community and look forward to welcoming guests to our newest home in Watters Creek.”

They've furnished the Allen location in a similar fashion as Uptown, with a mix of modern and antique pieces. The space has seating for up to 175, which includes dining room, bar, and patio; there's also a private dining room to host large groups.

For the ribbon cutting, there will be complimentary coffee and pastries for customers on opening day from 11 am-12 pm, with the ribbon cutting taking place at 11:30 am.

breakfast brunch openings

Coming soon

Downtown Dallas gets new modern Mexican spot with 'tacokase' twist

Photo courtesy of Luna Roja

Luna Roja translates to "red moon," as depicted in a striking mural in the dining room.

A new "modern" Mexican restaurant is landing in downtown Dallas: Called Luna Roja, it will open at 1525 Elm St., near the AT&T Discovery District.

According to a release, opening day will be Thursday, April 2. Luna Roja takes the space formerly occupied by Elm St. Cask & Kitchen inside the Hilton Garden Inn. A separate restaurant entrance that does not require diners to enter through the hotel is under construction.

Translated as "red moon," Luna Roja promises to bring something fresh and new to the area: namely, a "tacokase" experience led by chef Omar Larson, they say. It's a fun taco-twist on omakase, one of the hottest dining trends in Dallas right now.

Omakase is the dining experience in which the chef prepares a multicourse tasting menu of small bites made to order. While omakase has no set number of dishes, it usually ranges from 10 to 20 courses depending on how excessive the chef/restaurant is.

"Luna Roja will introduce a tacokase experience, a chef-led tasting inspired by traditional Japanese omakase highlighting a curated progression of tacos and complementary flavors," the release says. "The experience is offered as a monthly activation, giving guests an opportunity to explore seasonal ingredients and specialty creations from the culinary team."

A variety of dishes at Luna Roja.Photo courtesy of Luna Roja

When diners at Luna Roja are not tacokase-ing, they can enjoy a menu that showcases regional Mexican flavors and fresh ingredients, with many dishes designed for sharing. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Lunchtime shareables include:

Shrimp and Scallop Aguachile with cucumber-radish salad, avocado purée, and spicy aguachile verde on a crispy tortilla
Street Corn Croquettes with cotija, jalapeño, fresh lime, and Tajín
Torta Luna: Bolillo roll with slow-cooked citrus pork, melted cheese, onion, cilantro, salsa verde, and avocado
Taqueria Smash Burger: Beef patties with Oaxaca cheese, poblano rajas, caramelized onions, Maggi burger sauce, lettuce, tomato, and pickle (served with fries)

Larger plates served for dinner include:

Ancho Glazed Short Ribs with sweet potato purée and charred poblano relish
Chipotle Honey Glazed Half Chicken with charred poblano mashed potatoes, roasted carrot, onion escabeche, and charred lime
Carne Asada: 44 Ranch skirt steak with bean purée, enchilada guajillo sauce, and guacamole
Crispy Skin Salmon with black bean purée, salsa verde cruda, radish, lime oil, and microgreens
Seared Scallops with sweet corn purée, salsa macha, and charred scallion relish

Weekend brunch will feature favorites such as Hawaiian Bigeye Tuna Tostadas (layered with citrus-soy, chipotle aioli, salsa macha avocado, radish and cilantro); and Huevos en Purgatorio (with poached eggs simmered in chile de árbol tomato sauce and topped with cilantro, queso fresco, pickled red onions and radish, served with corn tortillas).

A dedicated taqueria menu will feature heirloom corn masa tortillas filled with options like Al Pastor, Guajillo Shrimp, and Wild Mushrooms - with all the trimmings.

The beverage program features more than 50 selections of tequila including blancos, reposados, añejos, extra añejos, mezcal, and sotol. Signature cocktails include the Mexican Mule “La Mula” with Milagro Silver tequila, ginger beer and lime; and the Spicy Mango Margarita with El Jimador Blanco Tequila, serrano, agave, mango, lime and tajin.

The bar area, which looks out to the patio.Photo courtesy of Luna Roja

Luna Roja's interiors aim to fuse contemporary Mexican design with traditional symbolisms. "Murals by FGIII Fine Art Productions, textured stone accents, and saturated colors evoke the spirit of Mexican heritage," the release says.

There will also be a spacious bar, outdoor patio, and private dining space, they say - "creating a new gathering spot that reflects both the spirit of Mexico and the energy of downtown Dallas.

Upon opening April 2, their entire operating schedule will be:

Breakfast: 6 am-11 am Monday-Friday
Lunch: 11 am-1:30 pm Monday-Friday
Dinner: 4 pm-9 pm Sunday-Thursday / 4 pm-10 pm Friday-Saturday
Brunch: 10 am-3 pm Saturday-Sunday
Bar: Open-11 pm Sunday-Thursday / Open-12 am Friday-Saturday
Happy Hour: 4-6 pm Monday-Friday

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