In crust we trust

Village Baking Co. opens retail shop, selling crisp, crackling croissants freshfrom the oven

Loaves with decorative flour at Village Baking Co.

Photo by Marc Lee
Village Baking Co. in Dallas has a small retail shop open Thursday throughSaturday.

Courtesy of VBC
Village Baking Co.'s bread selection includes such loaves as nine grain,sourdough and seeded rye.

Photo courtesy of Village Baking Co.
Village Baking Co.'s goods include "laminated brioches" dusted with cinnamonsugar.

Photo by Marc Lee
Village Baking Co. signage is hard to see if you're coming from CentralExpressway.

Photo by Marc Lee
Village Baking Co. staffer packs up goods to go.

Photo by Marc Lee

Village Baking Co. finally opened a retail shop in Dallas, selling breads, croissants, scones and pastries in a small room off its production facility on University Boulevard, half a block east of Central Expressway.

The big surprise about Village Baking's "new" location: It's the old Whole Foods bakery.

"We took over the space last year, and we're now supplying Whole Foods with baked goods," said a staffer at the store on Saturday. That explains the slight improvement in the quality of the chocolate croissants at Whole Foods: They are secretly being made by Village Baking. Did not know this.

It's been a complicated journey for owners Kim and Clint Cooper, who opened their first storefront in 2004 at Colleyville's Town Center, where they sold breads, croissants and espresso drinks. Colleyville turned out to be unfit for such a foodie venture, and the couple shut down the shop to focus on wholesale baking and selling their breads on weekends at local farmers markets.

The baked goods run on the heavy side, as opposed to delicate, which is not a bad thing. The baguette has a thick, crunchy crust and a substance to its crumb.

This arrangement was better than nothing, but it meant that customers had to track down which markets they were at, and on which days.

Last year, Village Baking Co. signed on to provide breads and baked goods for Bolsa Mercado, a halfway step to having their own space. And now they've completed the journey, opening for three days a week on University Boulevard — not so far from the production facility of Empire Baking Company — making this area kind of a Bread Basket, a Croissant Court, a Dough Row, if you will.

The Village retail space is a small room off the parking lot of the production facility. When there are multiple customers, navigation can be tight, but it's more quirky than annoying. Pastries are piled on a table, and packaged loaves are stacked on a shelf against the wall. Everything comes straight from the bakery oven, which adds a level of freshness that's uncommon. You can help yourself to free coffee.

The baked goods run on the heavy side, as opposed to delicate, which is not a bad thing. The plain croissant has a crisp, crackling, slightly caramelized shell enclosing a hefty, buttery center. The baguette has a thick, crunchy crust and a substance to its crumb.

The chocolate croissant is broad, with two parallel rods of chocolate down the center, not just one — so no scrimping. Village Baking also does a "laminated" brioche, with puff pastry twirled into a spiraling roll and a heavy coat of cinnamon-sugar. We paid $18 for two baguettes, two plain croissants, two chocolate croissants and two laminated brioches and felt like we got a lot for our money.

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Coming soon

Hot coastal Italian restaurant Élephante ready to debut in Uptown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Élephante

Burrata and stone fruit at Élephante.

A coastal Italian restaurant from Los Angeles is finally arriving in Uptown Dallas: Élephante Dallas will open Tuesday, September 1 at 2701 Maple Ave., according to a release.

The long-awaited Dallas restaurant from L.A.-based Wish You Were Here Group was first announced in September 2024 and made many local lists of the "most anticipated restaurants of 2025" - including CultureMap's.

Doors are finally opening on the first day of the ninth month of 2026, bringing Southern Italian-inspired food, aperitivo-style drinks, and a sprawling two-story space to the bustling 23Springs development, at the corner of Maple Avenue and Cedar Springs.

The globe-trotting Wish You Were Here Group, founded by Australian native Nick Mathers, opened the first Élephante in Santa Monica, California in 2018. The concept was inspired by the group's travels to Pantelleria and the Aeolian Islands, according to he release.

The Dallas menu will focus on light, coastal Southern Italian fare, with an emphasis on vegetables, housemade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, seafood and meats meant for sharing, they say.

Vodka Sauce Pasta at Elephante.Photo courtesy of Elephante

Among the signature dishes will be whipped eggplant with puccia and olive oil; ragu bianco with cavatelli, Italian sausage, pecorino, broccolini and fennel pollen; grilled octopus with hearts of palm, olives, capers, tangerine and red onion; and a Margherita pizza with housemade mozzarella, tomato and basil.

Other dishes include branzino with salsa verde butter, sea beans, and lemon; and vodka sauce pasta with Calabrian chile, basil, and Parmigiano.

The drinks menu will nod to Italy's aperitivo tradition with spritzes and cocktails, plus a wine list focused on Italian regions. The list will include limited-vintage wines and private-label bottles created for the restaurant group.

Elephante Espresso Martini.Photo courtesy of Élephante

“Our goal is to showcase a menu that captures the freshness and simplicity of coastal southern Italian cooking while still feeling distinctly at home in Dallas,” says Wish You Were Here Group Chef/Partner Thomas Lim in the release. “The dishes are vibrant, seasonal and designed to be shared, allowing guests to experience the menu the way we believe Italian food is best enjoyed - together, over a table filled with great food and drinks.”

The restaurant will occupy about 9,800 square feet across two floors, along with a 1,250-square-foot patio. It will seat about 270 people indoors and 78 outside.

The design is intended to evoke the Italian coast, with warm woods, stone, greenery, sculptural lighting and artwork inspired by Southern Italy, they say.

"Conceived as a two-story garden pavilion, the space balances refined sophistication with a relaxed, residential quality through tactile stonework, warm woods, sculptural lighting, lush greenery and collected artwork inspired by the landscapes of southern Italy," the owners say in the release.

A dramatic central bar anchors the restaurant.Photo courtesy of Elephante

A central bar features a white-oak and honed-stone counter beneath a canopy of illuminated wine bottles. Sliding glass doors will open onto terraces and landscaped areas.

The Dallas location is the third for Élephante, following its original Santa Monica restaurant and a location at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Élephante Dallas will be open 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday; 11 am-midnight Friday; 10 am-midnight Saturday; and 10 am.-10 pm Sunday. Reservations are now available through OpenTable.

openings italian uptown dallas