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Chef changes, open doors and other hot Dallas restaurant news

Danyele McPherson of The Grape, soon to appear on Top Chef Seattle.
Photo courtesy of Danyele McPherson
This Love Shack in Denton will soon be a steakhouse.
Photo courtesy of Love Shack
If you want a Love Shack burger, you'll have to head to Fort Worth for now.
Photo courtesy of Love Shack
Bowl & Barrel's menu consists of "clever" tavern food like giant pretzels.
Photo courtesy of Bowl and Barrel

Dallas-Fort Worth is having such a busy, active, hopping, jumping, lively, sprightly, go-lightly restaurant scene right now that we're deluged with news — from chef changes to new chains coming into the market. Let's make it easy and round it all up in one story.

Chef changes
Movin' on up:Danyele McPherson has been bumped up to chef de cuisine at The Grape, where she'll oversee day-to-day operations. The soon-to-be reality TV star joined the Grape as sous chef in May 2011; Ian Starr takes over her sous chef position.

Movin' on out: Chefs Jeana Johnson and Colleen O'Hare are outski at Acme F&B, having done the proverbial parting of ways with co-owners (and Barcadia empresses) Brooke Humphries and Brianna Larson. Will they install Jenga? Acme's new chef is Norman Grimm.

Openings now
No relation to Frida:Kahlo Restaurante, a Tex-Mex place, opened in Addison Circle from the owners of the Lion and Crown pub, also in Addison Circle (in the old Avanti space). Kahlo took over the old Masaryk space, which had authentic Mexican. Will Tex-Mex be more popular than the real stuff?

And the wind called:Qariah Restaurant is a Lebanese restaurant that just opened on Lower Greenville, on the ground floor of the Vue apartment building; Lauren Drewes Daniels posted a snapshot here. Qariah also has a hookah lounge, for you dozen or so hookah fans.

Uh-oh, has Jim White been informed?Savour Kitchen & Cocktails is taking over the old Rick Stein's/Tre Amici/Office space off the Dallas North Tollway; that location has the worst karma in the world. Thrillist calls it an "amalgamation of the owners' Savour Social Club and Bonnie Ruth's restos." (Side note: Can we ban the words "amalgamation" and "amalgam"?) The menu is a sprawling thing, from $6 hummus to $38 filet mignon.

So far we have Ser Food + Spirits and Ocho Kitchen & Cocktails. Now there's Savour Kitchen & Cocktails. Anyone see a trend?

Openings later
The B-52s are sad: Tim Love's Love Shack burger stand concept is in crisis! The Love Shack in Denton closed Monday; Love plans to replace it with a steakhouse. But weep not: DFW.com reports a new branch opening on Blue Bonnet Circle in Fort Worth as a quasi-replacement for the Shack that shuttered in Fort Worth's West 7th district.

When in doubt:Smashburger will open an outlet in Mockingbird Station in November in a previously vacant space that sits between the old Vapiano space (soon to be Mockingbird Taproom) and Sunglass Hut. This will be Dallas' fifth Smashburger.

No relation to the play:Wicked Po'Boys will open a second branch in January 2013 in Preston Center, next to the new Grip Mediterranean Grill and the also new Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Wicked Po'Boys opened its first branch in Richardson in June. The menu has po'boys, gumbo, étouffée, crawfish and fried shrimp.

Paging Dr. Weil:True Food Kitchen will open at the Plaza at Preston Center in 2013. True Food Kitchen comes from Fox Restaurant Concepts, with a menu centered on Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet and food pyramid. It will be the seventh True Food Kitchen in the United States.

Fox is a mega-company that owns a slew of concepts, including Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar, Greene House, Arrogant Butcher, Blanco Tacos & Tequila, Olive & Ivy, Wildflower American Cuisine, Modern Steak, Culinary Dropout, Sauce Pizza & Wine, and NoRTH Modern Italian Cuisine.

Fu to you too: Asian chain Mama Fu's plans to expand to Dallas. The Pei-Wei clone has fast-casual service at lunch but full service at dinner. There are currently 13 Mama Fu's, about half in Austin. The folks bringing it to Dallas include the owners of Egg and I plus Daniel Avery and Tao "Echo" Liu, who own several businesses in Shanghai, and they are moving to Dallas. Really? To run a couple of Mama Fus?

Menu action
Define "clever," please:Bowl & Barrel, a bowling alley opening at the Park Lane complex in November, hired chef Sharon Hage to do its menu. It's billed as "clever tavern food," and it includes giant pretzels, cheese and ham boards, oysters, hot dogs, and an "artisanal" bologna sandwich made on Empire sourdough bread with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese. That's correct, an artisanal boloney sandwich.

Of all the joints:The Gin Mill on Henderson Avenue has added "upscale, pub-inspired" menu items that include pork shank osso bucco, salt-and-pepper salmon, rib-eye, cioppino and a steak sandwich. Not going away are the flatbreads, Jimmy’s meatball sandwich, banh mi with house-made paté, and fish and chips. True to its name, the Gin Mill offers over a dozen gins.

Duck for breakfast?Boulevardier now serves Sunday brunch, from 11 am to 3 pm, with dinner-menu items such as the French onion soup and croque madame sandwich, plus eggy things like quiche, eggs meurette (poached eggs, toasted baguette, mushrooms, bacon, bone marrow and red wine sauce), and legs and eggs (duck leg confit, duck eggs, grits cake and huckleberry sauce).

Internet food:Central 214 launched its fall menu with some ingredients that required Googling: Dorper lamb shoulder with pappardelle and eggplant caponata, Florida hog snapper with artichokes, grapes and ajo blanco; veal breast with "Hokerei turnips," d'avignon radish and celery leaf pistou; duck with quince and lentils; trompetti with olives, mushrooms and piperade; and Countryside Farm's rabbit with castelfranco and mascarpone polenta. I sure hope there isn't a test.

Mixology spoken here:Cedars Social has new food and cocktail menus from chef Toby De La Rosa and barman Michael Martensen. Those include Akaushi beef tartare; day boat scallops with grapefruit and lemon caramel; Akaushi steak frites with shallots and bordelaise sauce; and a roasted vegetable salad with Benton's 22-month country ham, candied pine nuts and goat-cheese fondue.

Name change
The two restaurants formerly known as Brix Pizzeria — located in Fort Worth and Roanoke — have changed their name to Inzo Italian Kitchen. It's the same basic menu, but there are other Brixes out there, and they didn't want to compete, said a manager at the Roanoke branch. Inzo is short for Inzolia, also spelled Insolia, and it's a grape used to make Marsala wine.

Elvis impersonator department
Stratos Greek Taverna will host live performances by Kenny as the King, an Elvis impersonator, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9:30 pm. They're busy with the entertainment over there; they already have a belly dance floor show five nights a week, which includes dance lessons.

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Restaurant News Roundup Time

Exclusive Prime rib and fancy lunches lead this Dallas restaurant news

Mirador

Time for another roundup of restaurant news around Dallas, and there's plenty to chew on: From new lunch and dinner menus to holiday-flavored beers. Even bigger news— the McRib is back, for those who have been anxiously awaiting its return.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Insomnia Cookies, known for serving warm cookies all day and night, has opened its first store in Grand Prairie, at 2810 S. SH-161, with in-store, pickup, and delivery. From the Classic Chocolate Chunk cookie to favorites like Snickerdoodle and Confetti Deluxe, Cookies & Ice Cream flavors, brookies, brownies, and blondies, a full slate of vegan options, and a rotating limited-edition menu, the brand’s offerings satisfy every sweet tooth. This is their 26th store in Texas and 308th location nationwide.

HoneyBaked Ham has a new Prime Rib item exclusive to Dallas. The Prime Rib averages $26 per pound, with sizes ranging from 3-8 pounds. It serves 6-16 people, depending on the size. There are limited quantities available at each store. It's available at all 10 Dallas locations.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company is introducing the zesty chicken bacon ranch pizza, the latest from their seasonal pizza lineup. The pizza features a creamy ranch base, grilled chicken, bacon, tender artichokes, fresh spinach, garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and topped with a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning. The pizza is available for $8.50 a slice, $21-$23 for a 12-inch pizza, and $26 for a 16-inch pizza. It’s available through February 2 at both Greenville Avenue and Peavy Road locations.

Mirador has launched a weekday three-course prix-fixe lunch menu for $30. It starts with a choice of two deviled eggs with caviar and chives, whipped ricotta toast, cup of tomato soup, or salad; second course includes choice of dishes like chicken paillard with Swiss chard, preserved orange sofrito, and aged parmesan; and a farro bowl with cauliflower green goddess, cherries, Marcona almonds. For the third course, there’s a to-go cookie. Available Tuesday through Friday from 11 am - 3 pm.

Broken Yolk Cafe in McKinney has two limited-time items: carrot cake waffle, a cinnamon spice cake batter waffle with shredded carrots and raisins, finished with candied pecans, powdered sugar and cream cheese icing starting at $9; and snickerdoodle latte, combining espresso, cinnamon bun and cookie butter syrup, vanilla cream, milk, and cinnamon sugar, available hot or iced for $6. Available through January 6.

Truluck’s has three new holiday items featuring cake and cocktails. For dessert, there’s chocolate peppermint cake made with layers of chocolate cake, frosted with peppermint cream cheese icing, topped with crushed candy and Godiva chocolate sauce; $14 per slice, $10 per petite slice, and $70 whole cake. Cocktails are $17.50 and feature Holiday Nog, a spiced cocktail with Bourbon and Bourbon cream; and Nutcracker Rum Punch, a rum ball balanced with honey and fruit. Available at Dallas, Plano, and Southlake locations until the end of December.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Plano has launched new holiday items, including a Japanese A5 Wagyu experience served rare with a sizzling hot stone tableside accompanied by miso glaze, grated horseradish and black lava salt. There’s a new $140 Season of Opulence filet and lobster four-course menu; and holiday weekend lunch starting at $28, featuring choice of steak frites, cabernet filet, or barbecue salmon fillet. Also, there's a new $94 caviar service featuring Hackleback caviar served with blinis, capers, chives, sour cream, egg, and shallots. Available through January 6.

Jinya Ramen Bar has brought back The Red Garnet and curry rice croquettes for a limited time. The Red Garnet is a red vegetable broth featuring pork chashu, spinach, green onion, kikurage, white onion and topped with chili garlic sauce, served with thick noodles for $18. The croquettes are lightly fried, seasoned rice balls stuffed with white cheddar cheese that start at $8. Available until February 28 at all Dallas locations.

Fish City Grill and Half Shells are both offering three chalkboard specials throughout the month. Dishes feature $15 FishWich, with beer-battered haddock fish; $17 chimichurri shrimp tacos; and$24 horseradish Arctic char, served with a Creole mustard cream, buttermilk mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas. The specials are available at all 12 DFW locations and run through December 31.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is bringing back its Fire & Spice seasonal menu. New winter dishes include the pepperoni diavolo pizza; the bridge board, an assortment of Italian meats and cheeses, with walnuts, dried cranberries, and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with hot honey, served with sliced bread; and white chocolate cheesecake. Cocktails feature the desert pear margarita and Vino’rita, a classic margarita topped with a festive pour of Mille Gradi Sangiovese. Prices range from $7 for the white chocolate cheesecake to $32 for an 18-inch pepperoni diavolo. Available through March 3.

Carrabba's Italian Grill has launched two new full-sized cakes: cannoli cream cake, a vanilla cake with layers of cannoli filling, pistachios, and chocolate sauce with a chocolate chip crust for $64; and strawberry cheesecake, a New York-style cheesecake topped with strawberry puree for $51. Place orders 48 hours prior to pick up or delivery. Available through January 13.

Moxies, the Canadian pub in Uptown, is rolling out limited-time festive cocktails. There are three new drinks, including the Old Fashion Christmas Cocktail with High West Bourbon, cranberry simple syrup, and orange bitters; Peppermint Mocha Martini with a combination of Cafe Borghetti, Ketel One vodka, and peppermint syrup; and Winter Aperol Spritz, with Aperol, Ruffino Prosecco, and Moxies' cranberry syrup. Cocktails are available through January 1.

Dairy Queen has brought back their chicken and dumplings, featuring chicken, gravy, and fluffy dumplings. It comes in three sizes: 12-ounce, 16-ounce, and 32-ounce, available for dine-in, drive thru, and takeout. Chicken and dumplings are available at locations across Dallas-Fort Worth through the end of February.

Rita’s Frozen Custard has two limited-time frozen treats: Peppermint Cold Brew Frozen Coffee with vanilla Italian Ice, frozen custard, cold brew coffee, and a hint of peppermint, topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint topping; and Peppermint Milkshake with a blend of Vanilla Frozen Custard and crushed peppermint, topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint topping.

McDonald's brought back its famous McRib on December 3. To celebrate the return, they even launched half-gallon jugs of McRib sauce for those who can't get enough, which is already sold out. The McRib is available through the McDonald's app, in-restaurant and through the drive-thru.

Red Lobster has launched a new menu featuring seven new dishes including Lobster Pappardelle Pasta, Lemon Basil Mahi, bacon Wrapped Scallops, lobster bisque, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, and Roasted Asparagus, plus the return of fan favorites Popcorn Shrimp and Hush Puppies.

Cinnaholic has launched two holiday rolls flavors and menu items. Holiday rolls feature Nutcracker Sweet, topped with crème brulee frosting, a trio of Bavarian candied almonds, walnuts, and pecans, and dusted with powdered sugar for $6;and Oh Fudge, topped with chocolate frosting, fudgy cookie dough, chocolate bark, homemade chocolate sauce, and holiday sprinkles for $7. Other items include $5 CinnaBites, $4 hot cocoa, and $33 wreath cake, with cinnamon rolls shaped into a wreath. Available through January 6.

Shiner, the Texas-based beer, has a festive brew called Shiner Holiday Cheer with flavor from Texas peaches and pecans for $11 for a six-bottle pack and $19 for a 12-bottle pack. Plus, the 12-pack Home for the Holidays collection goes for $15 and features two new flavors: FM 966, a sweet and spicy ale; and s’more, a dark ale brewed with chocolate & marshmallow with hints of graham cracker and vanilla. Both are available through the end of December.

Yelp featured two Dallas restaurants on this year's 25 Best New Restaurants of 2024 list. Wicked Butcher, the downtown steakhouse, and Casa Pollastro, the Brazilian restaurant in Far North Dallas, both made the cut at no. 6 and 20 respectively. They were two of only four Texas restaurants on the list.