RIP Josh

Gifted Dallas chef and culinary visionary Joshua Bonee dies at 36

Joshua Bonee, RIP

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Joshua Bonee, one of Dallas' most gifted chefs, died on January 9; he was 36.

Bonee was a native of Tennessee who came to Dallas to work for Stephan Pyles' Flora Street Café, following a series of tenures in Tennessee and on the West Coast, including Easy Bistro in Chattanooga and Husk, the Nashville restaurant from celebu-chef Sean Brock. He worked in Napa Valley at the now closed Martini House, and Matteis Tavern in Los Olivos.

After Flora Street Café, he was chef de cuisine, then executive chef, at Fine China, at the Statler hotel. He also worked at Meddlesome Moth and was nominated in 2020 for a CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Rising Star Chef.

He took time off to combat Guillan-Barre Syndrome (and in fact, Dallas chefs banded together to do a fundraiser for him called "For The Love of Josh"), and returned to the industry to help open concepts such as Lucky's Hot Chicken, 42 BBQ Smokehouse + Market in Richardson, LimeHoney at the Shire, Columbian Country Club, and Teriyaki 4 U in Carrollton.

Bonee was universally well liked and was a devoted pet owner of his long-haired Doxie, who even had his own dedicated Instagram page. On Instagram, Bonee described himself as a "cooker of foods~Dad to a long haired Doxie named The Beans @beans_da_weens_ ~GBS Fighter~Private Chef~Consulting~Restaurant Development & Creation."

In between photos of his dog, Bonee would occasionally post photos of dishes he'd created.

"I figured since I’m heading back to lovely TN this week, it felt right to do some Nashville Hot stuff….Pullman loaf, green goddess dressing, Nashville Hot sweetbreads (medium heat)," said one post.

According to Dallas County records, Bonee was found on Tuesday morning at the Wingate Hotel at 8550 N. Stemmons Fwy., but the cause of death is still unknown. UPDATE 1-10-2024: A family member said the cause of death was pneumonia.

A friend of the family said that Bonee did not frequent that area, and was not a user of drugs.

Those who knew him said he was not only a talented chef who made a big impact on the Dallas culinary scene, but also incredibly kind, modest, and generous of spirit.

His modesty was apparent in posts such as the one where he shared that he'd be working at Meddlesome Moth. "Don’t like getting headshots done (always so awkward)," he said. His Linked In profile summary was simply: "Guy that likes to cook."

Jason Caswell, a close friend who was planning to open a restaurant with Bonee, called him "a culinary visionary who cared about his friends and employees."

"He had a passion and love for the lifestyle and inspired others," Caswell said. "It's a huge loss for his friends and for the Dallas restaurant industry."

Survivors include his father Darren, stepmother Holli, siblings Caleb, Darin, Paige, Coltyn, Zander, Ryder, and nieces Calliope and Madison.

A "Celebration of Life for Josh Bonee" is being held on Sunday January 14 at 4 pm at El Centro College North Campus for Culinary, Pastry and Hospitality at 11830 Webb Chapel Rd., Dallas.

What Just Opened

Crazy wave of Dallas restaurants and bars have all just opened

Courtesy

1519 Main St.

The Dallas hospitality scene almost never sleeps and right now it's pulling an all-nighter, with a big slate of fresh openings, all of which have debuted within the past days, give or take.

Everyone's hustling to get their doors open in time for the holidays, and these establishments have all made it happen: From a cosmopolitan new lounge in downtown Dallas to a modern Asian restaurant in Plano to a bountiful AYCE Chinese seafood spot in Richardson, there's something here to pique everyone's interest and appetite.

1519 Main
Spectacular lounge is now open in downtown Dallas at 1519 Main St., in a nearly century-old building across from the Joule Dallas hotel where it's serving up stellar drinks in a space that's both cosmopolitan and low-key. The bar is from Hospitality Alliance, the company led by restaurant wunderkind Kevin Lillis, who helped create the original AT&T Discovery District. It's a stunning space with many original features like the rose-and-cream marble floors from the 1920s and the brick walls with signage from prior businesses in the space that dating back decades. The menu has cocktails from Brian Van Flandern, who oversaw the program at Per Se, The Carlyle Hotel, The Plaza Hotel, and Palm Court restaurant, and also has a homage menu featuring recipes from some of the most impactful but now closed cocktail lounges in the country. They're open Thursday-Saturday from 5 pm-12 am.

Centrale Italia
New concept from veteran restaurateur Patrick Colombo (Cru Wine Bar, Princi Italia) opened in November at Preston Hollow Village at Walnut Hill Lane and US-75 with a menu of wood-fired dishes, Neapolitan style pizza, pastas, and gelato made in-house. They're debuting brunch on Sunday December 7 and lunch on Monday December 8, with a menu that includes spicy meatball sub, chicken parm on toasted ciabatta, and a parmesan garlic cheeseburger with Wagyu beef and arugula. Salads include Little Gem Caesar, chopped salad with salami, prosciutto, and soppressata, and an Italian Cobb salad with chicken, Romaine, radicchio, avocado, beets, prosciutto, eggs, and Campari tomato in a creamy gorgonzola.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Restaurant in Richardson which just opened in the former Maxim's space is an all-you-can-eat sushi/seafood buffet featuring a daily rotating menu with 300-plus items from various Asian cuisines. There are oysters, crab legs, lobster, sushi bar, ramen bar, dumplings bar, skewers bar, noodles, stir-fries, and Chinese dishes both Cantonese and Sichuan, such as spicy boiled beef and kung pao chicken. Plus dim sum and desserts such as precision-cut layer cakes and a chocolate fondue station where you can dip strawberries and other fruit. (The lobster and crab are available at dinner and weekends only, not at lunch.) The price is $20 at lunch, $30 at dinner on weeknighs, and $35 all weekend long.

Jashan
Indian ambitious new Indian restaurant with a one-of-a-kind menu offering has opened at Plano's Legacy North with a chef team who are bringing flavors from cities and regions across India, from Dehli's fried potato tikkis to pepper chicken from the south. For those seeking something truly unique, Jahsan also offer a Dil Se menu — an omakase-style tasting, available in 7- or 13-course versions, featuring a procession of these flavors, letting guests discover the stories of these cities in one visit.

La Stella Italian Steakhouse
Stupendous Italian restaurant just opened at a storied North Dallas address at 14655 Dallas Pkwy. in the former Lawry's space, where it stands as a bigger, grander spinoff of its sibling La Stella Cucina, the Italian restaurant in Dallas' Design District. The menu is an expanded version of the original: combining Italian seafood and a chophouse, plus an accompanying music lounge for live entertainment.

LuLu Modern Chinese
Glamorous new Asian restaurant just opened in Plano at 3310 Dallas Pkwy. #121, with a goal is to bring an authentic and modern Chinese American dining experience. The menu features classics like Peking duck, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and seafood executed with spices and recipes from various regions of China — from Shanghai to the Pan Asian continent. The 4,300-square-foot space features a subtle lounge theme — a place you can dine or grab tequila shots over a soundtrack of '90s hip-hop and pop, plus craft cocktails, and a serious collection of sake and wine — but not what you'd typically find at a Chinese restaurant.

Mendocino Farms
California chain known for creative sandwiches, salads, soups, and other healthy fare, has opened its newest DFW-area location — the sixth — at NorthPark Center, joining Addison, downtown Dallas, Plano, Preston Hollow, and Dallas' West Village. With its casual but upscale menu, featuring staples such as the Chicken & Hummus Crunch Wrap — as well as seasonal offerings like the November to Remember sandwich with turkey, mozzarella, mushroom & turkey sausage stuffing, spicy cranberry chutney, and Romaine on toasted cranberry walnut wheat bread — NorthPark seems like a perfect fit.

Old Ferry Donut
Doughnut shop chain from Korea entered the U.S. in 2023, with five locations in California. Now they've made their Texas debut in Carrollton at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #215, Their doughnuts are unique: They have a slightly chewier, more bready texture than the fluffy texture of a Krispy Kreme, and are a little less sweet than traditional American doughnuts. Many of their doughnuts have fillings, made from premium ingredients. The menu includes old-school flavors such as Boston Cream, Original Glaze, and Cinnamon Sugar — but also new-school flavors like White Chocolate Sesame, Earl Gray, and Matcha Cream.

Roots Chicken Shak
Fried chicken restaurant concept from celebrity chef Tiffany Derry, just opened a location at 3748 Belt Line Rd. #118, in a former Einstein's Bagels on the southeast corner of Marsh Lane. There are chicken wings, tenders, nuggets, and sandwiches on sweet potato buns. Derry opened the first Roots Chicken Shack at Plano's Legacy Food Hall in 2017, but the Addison location is owned by franchisees.

Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice
Halal BBQ spot which originated in Pilot Point is in soft opening mode at a new second location in Plano at 3201 Alma Dr., just west of US-75, where they'll be open from 11 am–3 pm or sell out. There's likely to be a line, because BBQ places like to have a line, but the Yearby's in Pilot Point also earned a slot on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best list for 2025.

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