Opening News

2 French guys to open Asian fusion restaurant off Dallas' Katy Trail

Le Passage will have French and Asian cuisines

There's a new Asian restaurant opening off Dallas' Katy Trail and it's from two natives of France: Called Le Passage, it'll open at The Terminal at Katy Trail, a new development at the corner of Buena Vista Street and Fitzhugh, and it's from Travis Street Hospitality, the restaurant group which is parent to Le Bilboquet, Knox Bistro, and Georgie by Curtis Stone.

The concept is from Travis Street Hospitality founder Stephan Courseau, and chef-partner Bruno Davaillon, and according to a release, it's a long ways off, with an opening set for 2024.

Le Passage - which they are wanting to type as Le PasSage, with a little s and a big S, but we are not having that here - will feature a French-Asian fusion menu, Davaillon's first foray into the cuisine. Both he and Courseau are natives of France.

Davaillon will work in collaboration with an executive chef who is yet to be named, with a menu still to be revealed that blends French and Asian culinary styles.

"French and Asian cuisines have some very dynamic similarities in their cooking styles, so we are excited to bring in a Chef that has extensive experience in the space,” Davaillon says.

The Terminal at Katy Trail is a super-duper new high-end luxury residential building, with a design inspired by train stations. It has a total of 16 units, seven of which have already been purchased.

Design is by Austin-based architect Michael Hsu, who also designed The Terminal building and features an open-air cafe and an elaborate bar, summoning florid descriptions such as "... both elegant and striking, as well as natural and inviting ... grand, yet intimate."

The patio and cafe will offer a "lush oasis" with casual seating and a view of The Katy Trail.

Courseau says in a statement that they're thrilled about the opening and about the idea of expanding their restaurant portfolio.

"This latest concept showcases the best of Chef Bruno’s French cuisine, merged with our soon-to-be-named Executive Chef that will tie in the Asian fusion,” Courseau says. “The opening of The Terminal at Katy Trail is an exciting time for all Dallasites in general, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the neighborhood’s new and grand destination.”

Travis Street Hospitality gets its name from Travis Street, around which the restaurant portfolio is centered, beginning with the 2013 opening of Le Bilboquet Dallas, followed by Knox Bistro in 2017, and Georgie by Curtis Stone in 2019.

chefs openings

Flour power couple

Oprah-endorsed Cookie Society rolls out 3 new Dallas-area locations

Photo courtesy of Cookie Society

Stuffed banana pudding cookies are among the rotating seasonal offerings.

There are secret societies and honor societies, but the sweetest sort of society will soon boast several new Dallas-area storefronts: Cookie Society, the wife-and-husband-owned gourmet bakery, will open at 232 W. Campbell Rd. in Richardson on November 21, and at 906 W. McDermott Dr. in Allen on December 4, a spokesperson says.

An Inwood Village store will open next year at 5560 W Lovers Ln., the website says. No date has been announced.

When Jeff and Marissa Allen opened their second Cookie Society in Addison in 2022, they spoke of plans to expand across North Texas. With Addison and the original Cookie Society in Frisco — plus Mansfield, Prosper, and Southlake — the three new stores will make eight, and the Allens do not intend to stop there. In a release, they say they are preparing to announce another location inside Dallas proper, besides Inwood Village, "very soon." (It is not yet listed on the website.)

The expansion plan may seem ambitious, but there is reason for their confidence. Back in 2020, when they had just one store struggling in the face of a global pandemic, Oprah featured their cookie Gift Crate on her famous "Oprah's Favorite Things" holiday gift list, published in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

That gave them a jumpstart, and the rest ... involved no rest but relied on the couple’s hard work and consistent production of an irresistible product.

“Before there were storefronts, there were pop ups and markets and a whole lot of hustle,” Marissa says on Instagram.

cookie society Marissa and Jeff Allen, both retired athletes, began testing recipes in their home kitchen before building their doughy empire.Courtesy photo

It started small, with Marissa, a former college soccer star, baking at home. She experimented with nostalgic flavors like banana pudding, apple pie, and frosted oatmeal. Jeff — a former NFL player with a Super Bowl ring — and his teammates tested her output.

The menu includes six year-round classic cookies — chocolate chip, salted caramel, frosted oatmeal, banana pudding, snickerdoodle, sugar — and an array of featured flavors (pumpkin white chocolate, cookie butter milkshake in November) that keep things interesting. All are described as Texas-sized (big) with a crisp edge, soft chewy insides, and bold flavors.

The couple adds on their Story page that Cookie Society is the largest Black-owned cookie brand in Texas. In addition to the numerous storefronts, they offer nationwide shipping and a monthly subscription program.

"The company has grown, but the soul of the kitchen stays the same," they add, "real butter, uncompromising ingredients, and a relentless drive to make the perfect cookie."

allen dallas jeff allen marissa allen new new stores oprah favorites richardson society stores