French Food News

Dallas restaurant Frenchie debuts in former Corner Bakery spot

Frenchie

A French restaurant has debuted in an iconic Dallas space: Called Frenchie, it's a new concept from Travis Street Hospitality (Knox Street Bistro, Georgie) now open in the former Corner Bakery space at 8420 Preston Center Plaza.

Corner Bakery opened in June 1998 in the Plaza at Preston Center where it had been for 23 years before closing in 2022.

Frenchie is described as a quintessential French brasserie — a casual, everyday restaurant serving an all-day menu of lunch and dinner (with breakfast launching in the coming weeks). It's a new direction for Travis Hospitality, who are expanding outside of their usual Knox-Henderson neighborhood, with their first venture without white-tablecloth service.

Frenchie is a natural evolution for founders Stephan Courseau and Daniele Garcia and culinary director, Bruno Davaillon, who have built a reputation on French-forward restaurants like Knox Bistro, Georgie, and Le PasSage. Now they are tempering their French-born culinary heritage and fine-dining training with American sensibilities to create a family-friendly concept designed for North Dallas’ premier mixed-use district.

"Frenchie is an American French restaurant made by French guys who are now in the American mainstream,” Courseau says in a release. "Frenchie represents the version of the French people we are today. It’s who we became over the years – authentic to who we are today."

Food and drink
The menu blends classic French comfort food with all-day versatility, featuring crepes, rillettes, quiche, poulet rôti, tartare de boeuf, salade Parisienne, and pâtes au pistou. In the morning, coffee and croissants. At lunch, burgers and onion soup. At dinner, steak frites and profiteroles.

The wine list will feature small French wineries, while cocktails will include a "freezer martini" — custom bottled and pre-chilled by Travis Street Hospitality’s Executive Mixologist, Mario Martinez, exclusively for Frenchie.

Frenchie dining roomFrenchie

Decor
The 4,000-square-foot restaurant features seating for 150 in the dining room and bar, and a 1,200-square-foot covered patio with an indoor-outdoor bar.

Decor is grounded in the fundamentals of classic French bistros, with design details such as pewter bar tops, patinaed mirrors, brass sconces, rattan chairs, and rows of banquettes.

Audience
The goal will be to become an everyday destination for families, parents, office workers, and shoppers at the Preston Plaza Center.

Founded by Stephan Courseau and Daniele Garcia, Travis Hospitality has been on the dining scene since 2013 with the debut of Le Bilboquet. This was followed by the opening of Knox Bistro; Georgie and The Georgie Butcher Shop in 2019; and Rose Café at Le PasSage and Le PasSage in 2024.

openings

Tex-Mex News

New Dallas Tex-Mex Texano Cocina opens in former El Fenix space

Texano Cocina

The name may change but the Tex-Mex goes on: A new concept called Texano Cocina has opened at 5622 Lemmon Ave., in the Lemmonwood Shopping Center, taking over the space that was most famously El Fenix, but has seen a series of Tex-Mex concepts open and close in recent years.

The space was most recently occupied by Eddie's Cocina & Cantina, and prior to that was home to Tex-Mex restaurant Casa Rosa, which closed in 2024.

Eddie's was from Eddie Cervantes whose previous restaurants include Primo's in Uptown, now closed, and E-Bar Tex Mex in East Dallas, now owned by Ernie Quilantan. Cervantes also owns Eddie's Tex-Mex Cocina at 2018 Greenville Ave., which he opened in 2021.

The location at Lemmon and Inwood is adjacent to Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and the Medical District — all neighbors who desperately want a Tex-Mex nearby. El Fenix had been in that location for 60 years before it closed in 2020.

A release states that Cervantes and his former partners have decided to part amicably, and describes Texano as a rebranding, boasting an updated vision while continuing to deliver the restaurant's signature flavors and hospitality.

"We are incredibly grateful for Eddie's vision and contributions to establishing such a beloved spot on Lemmon Avenue," says managing partner Rick Castillo. "We wish him nothing but the very best in his future projects. As Texano Cocina, we are excited to build upon the strong foundation he helped create, introducing new recipes, fresh ideas and an enhanced experience that celebrates the vibrant culinary traditions of Texas and Mexico."

That means a menu fusing Mexican and Texan flavors with a commitment to exceptional food, outstanding service, and a memorable dining experience.

There are fajitas, chicken with mole, steak with onions, mushrooms, & peppers, guiso de res beef stew, chile relleno, and redfish, pan-seared or blackened. There's also a smashburger, a Mexican cheesesteak, and eight tacos with options such as carne asada, brisket, or shrimp.

There are lunch specials including combo plates with rice and beans priced from $12-$14; and appetizers like ceviches, queso, nachos, and Texas torpedos, stuffed with chicken and cheese, then deep-fried, grilled, or wrapped in bacon.

Guests can look forward to a new remodeled dining and bar area, along with a patio area for dining in the cooler months, and an expanded menu featuring more regional Texas-inspired dishes.

tex-mex openings