York Street reunion

Good 2 Go Taco owners Jeana Johnson and Colleen O'Hare snap up Watel's space

Well, that didn't take long. The space that held the recently closed Watel's — and, before it, York Street — has new occupants: Chefs Jeana Johnson and Colleen O'Hare, of Good 2 Go Taco, have grabbed the gem of a spot and will open a new restaurant there sometime in March.

The duo took possession of the space at 6047 Lewis Street this week and have already started renovations. They have a concept in mind but hope to wait until it gets closer to opening before sharing the details.

"I think this space has had a great life as a fine-dining spot. But we're going in a different direction," Johnson says.

"We introduced ourselves to the neighbors, and they said, 'Are you guys going to do what York Street and Watel's did?'" Johnson says. "That's not what we're going to do. I think this space has had a great life as a fine-dining spot. But we're going in a different direction."

Please not a hot dog place.

"It's not hot dogs," Johnson says. "We've had an idea and have literally been searching for a location for this concept for a couple of years. When the space became available, we knew immediately that would be the perfect home for it."

There's something cosmic about their taking possession, because O'Hare worked with chef Sharon Hage in the kitchen from 2003 to 2005, when it was still York Street.

"Colleen is familiar with the kitchen and knows the space by heart," Johnson says. "If I ask, 'Where's the light switch?' she'll say, 'Oh, it's right here.'"

It's a nice postscript after the chefs' departure from Acme F&B, the upscale restaurant-bar they opened off McKinney Avenue last year in partnership with Barcadia owner Brooke Humphries. And their gravitation toward this section of East Dallas close-in to downtown is another thumbs-up for an area that's seeing lots of new development.

"This has renewed my enthusiasm," Johnson says. "We're out there cleaning up the yard and really enjoying ourselves. Before, we would have been more likely to pay someone to do it. We were digging up a tree stump, and a neighbor came by and volunteered to help pull it out with his truck. It's such a great neighborhood."

Chefs Jeana Johnson (top) and Colleen O'Hare will debut a new concept in the old Watel's space.

Jeana Johnson and Colleen O'Hare of Acme F&B restaurant in Dallas

Photo courtesy of Acme FB

Chefs Jeana Johnson (top) and Colleen O'Hare will debut a new concept in the old Watel's space.

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Chef News

Beloved Dallas chef debuts farmers market restaurant Bucket & Rope

Bucket & Rope

Chef Victor Hugo is back.

A historical building near the Dallas Farmers Market has a stellar new tenant: Called Bucket & Rope, it's a new restaurant from acclaimed chef Victor Hugo, who previously owned the beloved Victor Hugo’s Dining and Bar in Oak Cliff, which closed in 2021.

Bucket & Rope is located at 600 S. Harwood St., in the space previously occupied by Green Door Public House, and is a partnership between Hugo and Mike Ruibal, owner of the famed Ruibal's Plants, who owns this space adjacent to his garden shop.

Dallas history buffs will remember that this structure, built over a century ago, was once home to Liberty Bank on Cesar Chavez Boulevard. It was relocated to the current location and rebuilt brick by brick to recreate the original structure. Green Door Public House was in the building for 10 years until it closed in August.

Ruibal was a regular at VH in Oak Cliff. He told Victor Hugo the first time they met that one day they would have a restaurant together.

“I decided to build a restaurant I would love, a neighborhood restaurant, and I wanted to do this with Victor," Ruibal says.

Bucket & Rope veggie plate Beautiful vegetable plate at Bucket & RopeInstagram

Hugo is an accredited chef who moved to Dallas from California and worked primarily for the Lombardi's group at Bistro 31 in Highland Park Village, before founding his own place in Oak Cliff.

After it closed, he launched a new VH location in Round Top at Oak Bones cabins, which he opens twice a year for the Spring and Fall antique shows in the area and for special events. He had a catering business as well — but was ready for more.

“Mike and I wanted to do something for the community, a place with great comfort food where neighbors can come two or three times a week, as an extension of their home," Hugo says.

The menu is New American, with steak, seafood, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Highlights include:

Rope In A Bucket: Crispy calamari strips, lemon caper aioli, Sriracha romesco
Steak Frites: 10oz New York Strip, green peppercorn sauce, skinny fries, spicy broccolini
Blackened Texas Redfish: Creamy parmesan risotto, green beans, mango habanero salsa
Duck & Rope Pasta: Duck confit, maitake mushroom, spinach tagliatelle, peppercorn cream, parmesan
Mike’s Burger: 8oz grilled Wagyu, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, bucket & rope sauce, grilled onions, pickles on brioche bun with skinny fries

Prices are reasonable, with salads and sandwiches at lunch for $12 to $18, and dinner entrees ranging from $18 for pasta to $28 for a Wagyu beef roast with cheddar grits.

An anecdote on the website explains that the name came from Ruibal's son, and that the team felt like it was a perfect fit for the building's history and aesthetic.

The restaurant represents a welcome return to Dallas' culinary scene for Hugo and his wife Brianna Ruelas, whose hospitality and great food at VH in Oak Cliff were much beloved.

“We are really excited to be part of this community, we have already met many customers who are happy to have us here," Hugo says.

downtown openings