Martini News

Dallas F&B vets to open martini lounge with some of that swing

Martinis will be poured, at the bar and table-side.

Ambitious Studio - Rick Barrett

A new lounge coming to old East Dallas will pay tribute to a Dallas institution: Called Columbian Country Club, it'll open in the former Bar and Garden space at 3314 Ross Ave., where it will honor an iconic Dallas golf club that closed in 2004 after 125 years.

The lounge comes from hospitality veterans Brian Rutt, Justin Kallhoff, and Jonathan Rosenberg, who also own Alice, the small pan-Asian restaurant and bar on Hall Street.

They've begun renovations which include the addition of a small kitchen, and plan to open in October.

Founded in 1881, The Columbian Country Club was Dallas' premier Jewish country club, one of many that were established in cities across the U.S. back in the days when country clubs still had restrictions on membership.

The Columbian was originally in downtown Dallas but relocated to the North Dallas-Carrollton border in the '50s, with a 60,000 square-foot clubhouse, pool, and tennis facilities, thriving as a social and recreational country club known for its tremendous dining and social events, according to Texasgolf.com.

"I kind of grew up on those grounds, it's where a lot of people in North Dallas grew up," Rutt says. "My whole family would spend summers there. This is a throwback to those times, to our roots."

Rutt is a lawyer and an entrepreneur who founded DEC on Dragon, the event space in the Design District. He got started in the hospitality business a decade ago when he partnered with Brandon Hays, Phil Schanbaum, and Jonathan Rosenberg on bars like Standard Pour and High Fives.

After Bar and Garden closed in May, the landlord approached Rutt and Kallhoff, since they'd had such success with Alice, just a few blocks away.

"He's trying to put good concepts in that space, and recognized that we know and love the area," Rutt says. "It's not a big space and we figured we could do a sexy little spot."

Whereas Alice is more food-driven, Columbian Country Club will focus on the bar experience, very New-York-city style with martinis and a Wolf of Wall Street vibe.

"It'll have high-end martinis, with an incredible tequila program," Rutt says. "We'll have a full-time piano player, doing new beats and old beats, hopefully something different for Dallas — a place you could have a martini after work or go out on a date, with good music, you can dance if you want."

Decor will espouse that '80s country club milieu but with modern aspects, as well. There'll be food, but just a small menu of light bites including the buzziest category in food right now: bagels.

"We're thinking caviar on trays, a signature sandwich, martinis made table-side, and of course parmesan bagels (IYKYK)," he says.

Parmesan bagels ... must be a country club thing.

openings downtown

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings