Coffee News

New coffee shop Coffee Cove to channel West Coast vibe in Las Colinas

Coffee Cove iced coffee

Coffee Cove

A new coffeeshop is coming to Las Colinas with a tasteful laid-back California style: Called Coffee Cove, it's opening at 385 E. Las Colinas Blvd. #170, in a former Thai restaurant in the buzzy area of Las Colinas Boulevard near North O'Connor Boulevard.

Coffee Cove is from Safiya Morgan, a California native and former schoolteacher who hails from a family of coffee entrepreneurs. Her brothers own Humble Bean in Mission Bay, San Diego, and they have been providing consulting services and advice as she preps to open her own shop.

"It is a California-meets-Texas concept," Morgan says. "I am taking the California vibe and bringing it to Dallas because I miss it so much. The shop will be super chill, laid back, friendly, helpful. We want amazing product and amazing customer service. The vibe will bring itself."

For beans, she is partnering with Counter Culture Coffee, who are also training the baristas. Their coffee menu will include classics plus seasonal drinks.

Some of their specialty lattes sound decadent, in flavors such as butterscotch, pumpkin, campfire marshmallows, mocha, peppermint, white chocolate. These will change based on the season.

The menu also includes a Turkish latte and a cardamom-based spiced tea — very popular in East Africa, where Safiya’s mother is from. Hot chocolate gets a sprinkling of cardamom, as well, and they'll also serve smoothies and fresh flavored lemonades.

The shop is surrounded by offices and there's a brisk lunch trade in the area, so Coffee Cove will serve light bites such as avocados toast and pressed sandwiches that are also halal such as a roasted beef panini and a croissant turkey melt.

There'll also be croissants (plain, chocolate and almond), cookies, earl grey loaf, muffins, cruffins, and bagels provided by La Casita Bakeshop. They'll also offer gluten-free versions of items such as doughnuts.

The space is designed to provide a balance of luxury and calming, Morgan says, with plants and greenery for natural brightness, dark woods, and a mural of La Jolla Cove, Safiya’s favorite place in San Diego, to be created by local artist Hershel Yelder. She's paying attention to small details like beautiful ceramic cups from Makario Stoneware, based in Tijuana, Mexico.

They're encouraging lingering, with a a workstation and outdoor and indoor seating for about 30.

“It will provide a lounge area that feels like quiet luxury, not extravagant, where everyone belongs, everybody is comfortable," Safiya says.

Wings News

San Diego sports bar Dirty Birds brings best wings to Plano opening

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Dirty Birds

There's a restaurant doing award-winning wings that just flew in from California. Called Dirty Birds Sports Bar & Grill, it's a small chain with five locations in San Diego, making its Texas debut at 4021 Preston Rd. B618 in Plano.

Dirty Birds first opened its doors in San Diego in 2008 and soon became a staple that earned national praise for its wings. Everyone who makes wings thinks theirs are the best, but Dirty Birds has won awards such as "best wings in the U.S." by Yahoo Sports and TheDailyMeal.com.

Wings are their centerpiece, and can be ordered with an unprecedented 37 sauces, ranging from standards like lemon pepper, teriyaki, and BBQ, to unique variations like maple chipotle BBQ and "dirty blue" — a blend of hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.

That said, they're not just a wing joint, but more of a sports bar-restaurant in which wings are the centerpiece on a broader menu that also includes salads, burgers, sliders, and sandwiches, often featuring chicken such as a blackened chicken club and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.

There are classic bar-food snacks but with a subtle upscale twist: "crispy" fried pickles, chicken tenders, mac & cheese balls, and fried green beans with a cucumber wasabi ranch.

They also have a full bar with craft beer, and a welcoming, local atmosphere.

The team bringing Dirty Birds to DFW includes Adam Salazar (The Mitchell, Ye Olde Scarlet Pumpernickel Tavern) and Chris O'Mara, who has experience in both the hospitality and lending industries.

"Our wings — I'd put them up against anyone's," O'Mara says. "They're very big and meaty, and they're also made differently. I don't want to give away our technique but it involves cooking them in two stages so that when you get them, they're nice and crisp on the outside and juicy inside."

One signature for the Plano location is that their beers are served at 29 degrees, a popular benchmark at places like Twin Peaks, and a temperature that is deemed "very cold." AI says that the benefits of serving beer at a cold temperature include more satisfied customers, more sales, and an increase in profitability by up to 35 percent, because keeping it that cold reduces wasteful foaming.

They'll have 16 beers on tap, plus two big walk-in coolers with everything from High Life to craft beers. The restaurant has 18 TVs and also features football jerseys on display, since some football players have been known to frequent Dirty Birds. There is no patio currently, although a small space on the exterior could become a patio in the future.

O'Mara says he's been tickled to find that the brand has some local recognition.

"You have this little sports bar in San Diego, but one of their locations is near a military base, so a lot of people know about Dirty Birds," O'Mara says.