Ice Cream News

Ice cream shop noted for its clever 'waffle bowls' to open in Forney

Waffle ice cream bowl from Mix It Up.

dallas.culturemap.com

A popular ice-cream food truck in Forney is expanding to a storefront and just in time for Christmas: Called Mix It Up Creamery, it'll open at 301 Marketplace Blvd. #311, a few miles from where the food truck has held court at 18222 FM 740 since summer 2022.

Mix It Up has built a following for the superb creaminess of its ice cream and for its signature waffle bowls: like a waffle cone but molded into a bowl shape, the mold for which owner Bruce Moore fashioned himself.

Taking a cone and transforming it into a bowl allows it to hold a generous serving of ice cream - what Moore calls "three healthy scoops" - plus toppings ranging from hot fudge to brownies, nuts, and candies.

Moore relocated to Texas with his family during the pandemic, taking the money they made from selling their home in Oregon to launch Mix It Up. He previously worked in food manufacturing for Tillamook, the Oregon-based dairy company, and that's what he uses for his ice cream.

"They don’t use any whey crème – it’s all sweet crème, and the creaminess of the ice cream is really unmatched," he says.

Ice cream flavors include Dutch chocolate, chocolate chip cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, rocky road, caramel butter pecan, cookies n cream, strawberry, and vanilla.

Don’t let the name fool you: Mix It Up is not a Cold Stone-style creamery, where servers pound and combine toppings into a ball. The presentation at Mix It Up is that of a traditional ice-cream parlor with cones and their waffle bowls, which can be build-your-own or in 11 suggested combinations such as:

Birthday Cake, with vanilla ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, brownie bits, and chocolate sauce
J-Dub, with Dutch chocolate ice-cream, Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups, and peanut butter and chocolate sauce
Sass-A-Frass, with strawberry ice cream, cheesecake bites, and white chocolate sauce

Prices range from $4 to $8 and are based solely on cup size, not on the number of the toppings.

“One of my least favorite things about eating out is having to pay more for various ingredients," Moore says. "Our toppings are only limited by how many can fit inside the cup."

The shop is a new build, which has created some construction delays. But while they eagerly anticipate their opening, they're trying out new items such as their hot cocoa float - hot cocoa with a scoop of ice cream, good for cooler months. Whatever's a hit will be added to an expanded menu once the shop opens.

ice-cream desserts openings

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