Vegan Dining News

Mexican vegan restaurant in Denton to close doors with shift to takeout

Pepitas in Denton will transition to ghost kitchen.

Pepitas

A vegan Mexican retaurant in Denton is closing its storefront: Pepitas, a family-owned restaurant in Denton that was a spinoff of Milpa Kitchen & Cantina, is closing its location at 1115 W. Hickory St. #113. However, it will not be shutting down the pipeline to its vegan food.

According to the Landeros family, who own Pepitas, they'll transition to a virtual/ghost restaurant, and still serve food and drink via takeout. The transition will take place in mid-July.

"We have made the decision to close our storefront after careful consideration of various factors," their announcement states. "While this marks the end of an era, we are excited to begin a nrw phase. Althought the storefront will be closed, you will still be able to order breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our catering services and cantina menu will also continue, and we are thrilled to continue serving you this way."

Pepitas is just one of three restaurants from the Landeros family. It started out as an offshoot of Milpa, a popular and authentic Mexican restaurant they opened in 2008.

They also recently opened Wild Cactus, a more upscale version of Milpa, located off Denton Square, featuring their famous margaritas in a contemporary cantina setting, along with an expanded menu that includes tapas and other small bites.

Pepitas came about in 2020, when the Landeros' son Edgar decided to pursue a healthier lifestyle by going vegan. It was originally a restaurant-within-a-restaurant at Milpa, with its own space and menu featuring skillful vegan renditions of dishes such as nachos with black beans and queso, and choice of jackfruit chicken tinga, soy al pastor, jackfruit brisket birria, or Beyond Meat ground beef; and Portobello Fajitas with onions, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, and portobello mushrooms.

It was sufficiently successful that they expanded to the storefront on Hickory Street to better serve the UNT population. But businesses on Hickory Street say that traffic has been slow, and that's even more true during the summer.

Vegan or not, the Landeros' food has a clarity of flavor, thanks to good-quality ingredients and attentiveness to technique.

Originally from Zacatecas in north-central Mexico, the Landeros family specializes in authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes from family recipes. They've received national attention: In 2018, brother and sister Jorge and Cecilia Landeros appeared on Lidia Celebrates America, a PBS series starring chef Lidia Bastianich, who visited the Landeros and made Milpa's signature tamales with them.

They'll close the Pepitas storefront on July 14, and while dine-in services will no longer be available, they'll still offer the food and margaritas through takeout. Order at pepitasrestaurant.com.

"We want to remind eeryone that Wild Cactus is only a few minutes away in downtown Denton," they say. "The vision at that location is to fully build our ktichen and offer more vegan options. We will also be extending our hours to seven days a week and will serve brunch, lunh, and dinner."

They end on a note of gratitude:

"We want to espress our heartfelt gratitude to the Denton community for their support and love throughgut these last three years. we are incredibly grateful for the memories, relationships, and experiences. This transiition marks a new chapter in our journey and we invite you to join us as we continue to evolve and grow."

closings vegan

Downtown Dining

Indian restaurant Gymkhana adds urban touch to downtown Dallas

Gymkhana

A plush new Indian restaurant is now open in the heart of downtown Dallas: Called Gymkhana, it's located at 1408-1410 Main St., in the former Which Wich Sandwich/Birdguesa space, where it's serving a wide range of Indian dishes in an upscale setting.

Gymkhana is from prolific restaurateur Praveen Prasannan, an industry veteran with international experience working at hotels and on cruise ships. Prasannan is also the owner of Shivas Bar and Grill, an elevated Indian concept he owns with his brother Prinu, with outlets in downtown Dallas and in Allen; and Elephant Bar & Grill, another upscale Indian brand with locations in East Dallas and Bishop Arts.

Gymkhana — which is no relation to a London-based concept with the same name — is Prasannan's latest creation, and furthers his mission to champion authentic Indian food — from all parts of India, including Mumbai, where he's from — in a nicer environment than other Indian restaurants in the area.

The menu features traditional Indian dishes but with an occasional contemporary flair. Soups, for example, include a traditional madras tomato soup next to a lobster bisque. There are classics like samosas but also fusion items like hummus with garlic naan, or mussels "Indian style" with velvet tikka sauce.

They offer a number of dishes baked tandoori-style in a clay oven that imparts an irresistible smokiness, in dishes such as lamb and chicken kebabs.

Like most Indian restaurants, Gymkhana is vegetarian-friendly, even offering vegan dishes such as chana masala — chickpeas in a spicy tomato-onion sauce. Prices are relatively low, with entrees averaging about $21.

"I wanted to make sure it was affordable — that was important," Prasannan says.

GymkhanaGymkhana

Decor
The restaurant is inspired by the traditional social clubs of India, celebrating the spirit of togetherness and conversation, designed with intricate details, Prasannan says.

"I brought in antiques from India to create a distinctive atmosphere, to give the restaurant a strong identity," he says.

The facade features centuries-old hand-carved wooden doors, with a row of lights across the top that reflect down on the sidewalk and give the entry a big-city feel.

The interior boasts royal blue banquettes, sparkling chandeliers, and hand-painted murals depicting regal figures, elephants, and intricate patterns — a combination of modern and traditional.

The space combines what was previously two storefronts with seating for up to 150, and that was intentional, Prasannan says.

"One of my priorities was to be able to offer a place for private parties and events — we receive so many requests," he says.

He's also a big believer in bringing Indian food to the center of Dallas. The majority of Indian restaurants are in suburbs like Irving, Plano, Richardson, Frisco — but Prasannan's restaurants are all in inner city areas like East Dallas, Bishop Arts, and downtown Dallas.

Their presence lends a cosmopolitan urban touch to their neighborhoods — and Gymkhana does it one better with late-night hours, staying open until 11 pm on weeknights and 1 am on weekends.

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