Fall Is In the Air
Find pumpkin pierogi and flan in this Dallas restaurant news roundup

Sweet potato pierogi appetizer at Tommy Bahama
There's lots to chew on in this roundup of dining news around Dallas: an opening, a closing, and an anniversary, but most of all, new menus. There are new menus for fall, new plant-based menus, and new weekday lunch deal menus. There is also a new doughnut with caffeine, a new sake collaboration, and a new special-edition cupcake.
Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:
Staycation Cafe, the indie coffee shop in Richardson, closed on September 28 after four years. The shop was located in a cute house at 201 S. Texas St., near Greenville Avenue and Main Street which it was forced to vacate since it is being razed for a new development.
Boogies, a nightlife concept and discotheque from This & That Hospitality and partner Jake Gatewood, will open at 1806 McMillan Ave. in the former Whippersnapper space on Friday, October 3. Boogies will transition nightly from an intimate listening lounge to a high-energy dance space. From 5-10 pm, the venue will operate as a moody cocktail bar, then shift at 10 pm into a dance party space with a custom sculptural light fixture featuring a disco ball at its center.
Le PasSage, the restaurant at the Terminal at Katy Trail, has reimagined its private dining space into The Cherry Blossom Room, a 16-seat lounge now open for reservations. Previously reserved only for private dinners, the room now features its own bar and lounge-style seating with low round tables for cocktails and pre- or post-dinner drinks, while remaining available for private events.
Erewhon, an upscale grocery chain based in Los Angeles, fooled some media with an Instagram post that said, "A Taste of Erewhon Shipping to Your City. Coming soon," listing 17 major cities including Dallas. They went in later and added "shipping" — after the Dallas Morning News posted an unconfirmed story hinting they were opening a location here, instead of whatever they are really doing, probably something to do with shipping.
Bella Flan, the bakery and cafe in Richardson famous for its Cuban sandwiches and flan, has two new seasonal desserts: Pumpkin Fried Pies filled with sweet pumpkin puree, fried, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar; and Pumpkin Flan, their signature flan with a seasonal twist of pumpkin and spices. They'll be available through the end of November.
Shipley Donuts has launched the first-ever cold brew doughnut, combining the two morning rituals of coffee and doughnuts. The doughnut has 56 mg of caffeine, about two-thirds the amount found in an 8-ounce cup of coffee. Available until October 10, or while supplies last.
Snooze, the Colorado-based breakfast and brunch chain, has expanded its plant-based menu with new vegan Almond Butter Coconut Porridge, the vegetarian Greens & Grains Bowl, Basil & The Bee Burrata Toast, and the return of the vegan Banana Bliss Pancakes, brought back by popular demand. Other dishes include Bravocado Toast and Sweet Potato Veggie Smash Up, with two sweet potato halves topped with pickled red onions, asparagus, mushroom salad, sliced avocado, poached egg, and hemp seeds. Abbot’s Plant-Based Chorizo and tofu are both available as sides.
Hash Kitchen, the Arizona-based breakfast and brunch chain, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a new menu that includes the Girl Brunch Special with Caesar salad, fries, and a dirty martini; Pancakes in flavors like Boston Cream, Strawberry Matcha, Lemon Ricotta and Fruity Pebbles; new Benedicts including the Side Chick with hot honey chicken + biscuits, and the Brunchito chimichanga-style with bacon, beans, and green chile hollandaise; and a menu of Power Picks healthier bites including steel-cut oats, Power Bowls, and a Wedge Salad.

P.F. Chang’s has a new menu that includes the return of Garlic Noodles after a frenzy of social media requests. Also new: sushi rolls like Spicy Tuna, Kung Pao Dragon Roll, and Shrimp Tempura; and Kung Pao Chicken. They've also added a choice of entree size between regular and the smaller "medium," as well as half appetizers for sharing more flavors in one sitting. Last but certainly not least: a menu of $8.99 cocktails that will rotate quarterly with selections such as Blood Orange Margarita and The Peartini.
STK Steakhouse, the high-end steakhouse with a "vibe" dining atmosphere at 2000 McKinney Ave., has a limited-time pumpkin menu with Wagyu potstickers with butternut squash and cranberry; pumpkin ravioli with lobster in sage butter and champagne confit mushrooms; maple-roasted acorn pumpkin glazed with honey Dijon and brown butter; pumpkin cheesecake with bourbon whipped cream; and cocktails that include the Pumpkin Bourbon Smash with Woodford Reserve and real pumpkin purée, and the Pumpkin Spice Martini shaken with espresso and RumChata. Available through November 30.
Capital Grille, the steakhouse chain with locations in Uptown Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth, and Southlake, has new menu items including a 24-oz Porterhouse that's been dry aged for 18-24 days and hand-carved; a new Butternut Squash Bisque; and a new special in the lounge pairing one of four acclaimed wines from Dave Phinney with a Wagyu burger for $35, available through November 16.
Kona Grill, the sleek American grill at NorthPark Center, has a limited-time pumpkin menu that includes pumpkin bisque with seared shrimp and pepitas; lobster & mushroom ravioli in garlic cream sauce; and pumpkin pie with honeycomb crumbs and cinnamon whipped cream. Seasonal drinks include pumpkin spice margarita with Calirosa Rosa Blanco tequila and real pumpkin purée, and a pumpkin mocha martini with espresso, RumChata, and crème de cacao. Available through November 30.
Ford’s Garage in Plano has a new Weekday Value Meals deal available Monday-Friday 11 am–6 pm featuring entrées with a drink starting at $11, such as a 1/3-pound burger with American cheese, a half-pound burger with cheddar, bacon, & bourbon BBQ sauce, a fried Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders, and Mac ‘N Cheese.
La Stella Cucina Verace has two new menu items for fall: Bruschette featuring grilled sourdough topped with sliced Wagyu ribeye, white truffle ricotta, and a truffle mushroom mix; and Prosciutto, Burrata & Jam with 24-month Prosciutto di Parma, bufala burrata, Sicilian fig jam and black mission figs.
Holy Grail Pub in Plano has a burger special for October: spicy Ghost Pepper Chili Burger topped with cheddar cheese and corn chips for a crunchy bite.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has debuted its new menu for fall: Pepperoni salad with Romaine, cucumbers, and red onions in ranch dressing; Buffalo Chicken Pizza with Sweet Baby Ray's Hot Sauce, mozzarella, and Gorgonzola crumbles; pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon sugar cookie crust; and caramel apple cheesecake with caramel and diced green apple. Available for dine-in and takeout through December 1.
Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar at Legacy West has a new fall menu that includes a sweet potato pierogi appetizer with braised cabbage, bacon, caramelized apple, and chive crème fraiche; Wagyu French Dip with miso bone broth, caramelized onions, horseradish crème fraiche, and fries; and a Tipsy Cider cocktail with Marker’s Mark, apple cider syrup, and cinnamon. The menu will be available through mid-November.
Eatzi’s Market & Bakery has a new menu of game-day bites, available at all markets and online every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until the Super Bowl on February 8, that include Chimichurri Cheese Bread, a sourdough boule filled with mozzarella and chimichurri; Brisket Jalapeño Poppers stuffed with brisket and cheese, wrapped in bacon and baked; Hot Chicken Tenders & Sliders; Shiner Bock Chili; and dips: 7-Layer Dip, Guacamole; and Queso.
Jason’s Deli has a new limited-time menu featuring Beef Stew, the Harvest Turkey Sandwich, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake, and the brand’s beloved Vegetable Soup, available through December 31.
El Pollo Loco has two new Double Chicken Burrito Bowls: the Street Corn Burrito Bowl and the Queso Crunch Burrito Bowl with pinto beans, rice, queso blanco, and fire-grilled chicken.
Sunny Street Café, the family-owned breakfast and lunch concept based in Ohio, has a new Pickle Waffle with cheddar and dill pickles, served with chipotle ranch. The chain has locations in Keller, Carrollton, Willow Park, Little Elm, North Richland Hills, Haltom City, and Weatherford.
HTeaO, the iced tea franchise, is teaming up with Tony’s Chocolonely, the Dutch chocolate company on a new limited-time beverage: the Tony’s Chocolonely Peanut Butter Latte combining HTeaO’s Free Rein Homestead coffee blend with Tony’s milk chocolate.
JD’s Chippery, the Dallas bakery, has introduced a new menu item to celebrate the recent opening of its second location at Preston and Royal: customizable ice cream sandwiches. Guests can pair JD’s cookies with one of six ice cream flavors made by Sweet Firefly in Richardson. Their cookie flavor of the month is the Brookie: half JD’s classic semi-sweet and half brownie. Their muffin of the month is a new Jalapeño Cheddar muffin.
Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar is collaborating with the Sprinkles bakery chain on a special sweet-and-savory cupcake available at all Loro and Sprinkles locations across Texas through October 5. This unique treat features caramel cake with a smoked sea salt dulce de leche core, topped with red miso cream cheese frosting and finished with a dusting of Szechuan pepper sea salt. Dallas has two locations of Loro: East Dallas and Addison; and two locations of Sprinkles: Preston Center and Plano.
Yogurtland the frozen yogurt franchise headquartered in Farmers Branch has brought back fan-favorite Pumpkin Pie frozen yogurt, available through November 2, at its 10 Dallas-area locations and three Fort Worth-area locations.
Starbucks is bulking up on protein with two new offerings: Protein Cold Foam, and a new line of Protein Lattes made with Protein-boosted Milk delivering approximately 15 to 36 grams of protein per grande (16-ounce) beverage.
Hai Hospitality — whose restaurants include Uchi, Uchiko, Uchibā — has partnered with Brooklyn Kura, a New York sake brewery, to launch a new Junmai Ginjo sake served at Texas locations of Uchi, Uchiko and Uchibā. The sake is made with domestically grown Yamada Nishiki rice polished to 60 percent resulting in a sake that's velvety yet crisp, fruit-forward yet dry, with notes of honeydew, orange peel, delicate cherry, puffed rice, mochi, and cream.
The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas has added to its Events Operations team, hiring Michael Mansoor as its new director of event operations and Katrina Skogsbergh as its director of meetings and special events planning and operations.
Vandelay Hospitality Group, which operates 23 restaurants across Texas and California and is set to debut new concepts in Scottsdale, Arizona next year, has appointed Gen Gray as Chief Operating Officer. Gray most recently served as Global COO and Chief People Officer at Topgolf Callaway Brands and was previously Chief Operating Officer of Maggiano’s Little Italy.
