Bar News

New bar-restaurant to provide urban refuge in Dallas' hottest club district

Saaya

Milkshake Concepts

There's a new bar opening in one of Dallas' hottest club districts. Called Saaya, it's a new spot from Milkshake Concepts (Vidorra, Harper's, The Finch) opening at 2511 Swiss Ave., and will debut this spring.

According to a release, Saaya will serve as an escape from the urban hustle bustle; Saaya means shadow, shelter, or refuge in ancient Sanskrit.

It'll sit next door to Citizen, the glitzy nightclub that Milkshake relocated to Deep Ellum in 2019, with a synergistic plan to feed off each other, making for a lively night on the town or else a tranquil setting for late-night cocktails and shared plates. The group also opened Harper's, their upscale restaurant in the Epic building, one block away in 2021.

"With both Citizen and Harper’s nearby, we felt a venue like Saaya - with its unique offerings - would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood," says Asim Sheikh of Milkshake Concepts in a statement. "Saaya delivers that same energy, but with the refined and relaxed approach of an oasis in the middle of downtown. There’s nothing quite like it in Dallas and we can’t wait for our guests to indulge in our newest experience."

It's also across from Bottled Blonde, one of the most successful bars in Dallas, and is in the middle of the so-called North Good Latimer District, an unexpected club zone in a neighborhood just east of downtown Dallas, straddling Good Latimer Freeway, between Live Oak and Elm streets, that has drawn a number of high-profile bars.

Saaya will offer live entertainment, including private karaoke suites and also traditional hookah.

They'll also do food. The menu will feature mezze – small Mediterranean-style tapas meant to be shared with family and friends.

Dishes will include

Lebanese Caesar Salad with Chopped Romaine, Goldened Zaatar Croutons, Pickled Red Onions, Tahini Caesar Dressing
Crispy Cauliflower with herbed tahini, pine nuts, capers, Hawayej spice
Beef Shawarma Bites made with Lavash Bread, Tahini, Red Onion, Tomato, Cucumber, Sumac, Parsley

They will also bake fresh Manakish – Lebanese flatbreads – in a variety of options.

The bar program will feature two signature cocktails: 43 Shades of Gray, with Gray whale Gin Crème de violet, Licor 43, allspice, and lemon; and the Pompeii Passion, with Ancho Reyes, passion fruit, coconut, and lime.

Decor at the authentic Mediterranean feel to ensure the nearly 5,400-square-foot space is Mediterranean, including an expansive patio, rich and colorful fabrics throughout the interior, and a lush native greenery and foliage in the outdoor space.

deep-ellum openings

Bread News

Award-winning Dallas bakery scores storefront in Oak Cliff mixed use

Photo courtesy of Kuluntu

Kuluntu bread

One of Dallas' best bakeries is graduating to a new location: Kuluntu Bakery, which currently operates as a cottage bakery in Oak Cliff, is moving into the East Dock, the innovative new mixed-use hub at 900 E. Clarendon Dr. near the Dallas Zoo and Halperin Park.

Founded in 2018, Kuluntu is the cottage food bakery that has been selling breads and pastries from an Oak Cliff home. Despite not having a brick-and-mortar location, the bakery has racked up numerous awards including an impressive ranking on a Food & Wine list of the Best Breads in Every State, a 2023 nomination for a James Beard Award, and a CultureMap Tastemaker Awards nomination for co-founder Stephanie Leichtle-Chalklen for Best Pastry Chef.

And now they will have a brick-and-mortar location.

Their current menu changes weekly, with breads such as country sour and lemon-lavender-walnut sour; their signature granola; cinnamon rolls; and pastries such as almond & lemon croissant, cheesy artichoke galette, and salted rye chocolate chip cookies. They send out an email to subscribers every week listing the latest offerings. (To get on the list, email kuluntu@kuluntubakery.org.)

"At the new location, we will be expanding the menu quite a bit," Leichtle-Chalken says. "It will include items that we’re currently baking plus South African dishes for lunch service."

They're hoping to be open by the end of the year, and once they do open, they'll close down the cottage operation.

But Leichtle-Chalklen says this new location will be more than a bakery — it will be a community hub that centers women’s experiences and builds collective power through education, health & wellness, and equity initiatives.

She already operates Kuluntu as a non-profit, with a goal of co-creating a more equitable food system and community by connecting the food industry, consumers, and partners to center women and humanize all food workers.

Sustainability and taking care of the planet is a practice that threads throughout their organization: whether that's using Barton Springs Mill organic flours and Cedar Ridge Egg Farm free-range eggs, or whether it's following zero-waste baking by recycling, composting, and using environmentally friendly packaging.

East Dock Courtesy rendering

They'll fit right in at East Dock, a former industrial building that was built in 1915 and is being thoughtfully refurbished with a goal of creating an 18-hour campus: coffee in the morning, daytime operators such as offices, studios, and restaurants, then bars and entertainment at night.

On July 12, Kuluntu will host "Reimagining an Inclusive Restaurant in Dallas," where attendees can learn about the lived experiences of women food workers and how we can humanize the food system, as well as re-imagine what an equitable and inclusive restaurant could be — sharing your experiences, ideas, and perspectives to shape Kuluntu Bakery into a true community space for all. Pastries and beverages will be included.

The session will take place at East Dock, allowing a preview of the site which will be under active construction. Get tickets here.

desserts openings