Celebrity vegan opening leads this round of Dallas restaurant news

This roundup of dining news around Dallas includes a big vegan restaurant opening, some smaller chain openings, some new menus, some limited-edition items, and new summer drinks from Starbucks.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Slutty Vegan, the Atlanta-born vegan concept from colorful founder Pinky Cole, is making its big Dallas debut this weekend with a grand opening on Saturday, May 20 at 12 pm at its Deep Ellum location at 2707 Main St. #A. Cole started Slutty as an Instagram business, before opening her first restaurant in Atlanta in 2018. The concept now has 10 locations including seven in Georgia, two in New York, and one in Birmingham, Alabama. The menu includes plant-based burgers, chicken, bratwurst, vegan chili, and crispy vegan shrimp with buffalo sauce. Their signature is the "Ménage à Trois" featuring a plant-based patty, vegan bacon, vegan shrimp, vegan cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and "Slut Sauce."

Fish City Grill is opening a location in Prosper at 1150 S. Preston Rd. just north of U.S. Highway 380 in The Gates of Prosper, in third-quarter 2023. It'll feature a full bar with specialty cocktails, and seafood specials on the restaurant's Chalkboard that are unique to each location and change twice each day. "With all the growth in northern Collin County, we feel that the people living there deserve a place to get great quality seafood," says co-founder Bill Bayne. There are currently 23 Fish City Grill and Half Shells restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Florida.

PJ's Coffee, the New Orleans coffeehouse chain, is opening a location in Irving at 3575 W. Story Rd. in late May. This will be the first PJ’s Coffee in Irving and seventh in the Dallas-Fort Worth.

Salata has opened a location in South Denton at 1931 S. Loop 288 with built-to-order salads & wraps, soups, tea, and lemonade. The chain has five salad bases, 50+ toppings, and 11 dressings. This is the 92nd location nationwide, and is from franchisees Todd & Joanna Jones, who plan to open more locations in Denton.

Ramble Room in Snider Plaza has launched weekend brunch on Saturdays-Sundays, and lunch daily. Brunch includes Apple Pie French Toast, Avocado Prosciutto Benedict, and NY Strip & Eggs, plus Tito’s Bloody Mary and mimosas. Lunch menu highlights include Steakhouse Salad with NY strip, arugula, sauteed mushroom & onion, Chicken Salad, and BLFGT with bacon, arugula, fried green & Campari tomato on sourdough. Brunch will be 11 am-3 pm and lunch is 11 am-5 pm.

Ellie's Restaurant & Lounge at Hall Arts Hotel has new seasonal menus created by Executive Chef Anthony Hsia including breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, as well as seasonal additions to the pre-show prix fixe, happy hour, and lounge menus. Dishes include the Benedict Bowl with prosciutto, eggs, & potato hash; Croque Madame Ellie; Lemon Ricotta Pancakes; Chicken Sandwich with peppers, mango, & chimichurri; Hearts of Palm Salad; Corn & Marjoram Ravioli; Blistered Brussel Sprouts; Salmon with miso-yuzu glaze; Sweet & Sour Tamarind Chicken with potato gnocchi; and Duck Breast with corn and artichoke succotash.

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe has launched a new menu which includes the return of customer favorite Firemouth Wings. Other new items include bacon-wrapped shrimp with jalapeño, crab cakes, peel & eat shrimp, Creole pork chop with jalapeño cheese sauce, mashed potatoes & green beans, blackened redfish over dirty rice, shrimp Carnivale with bell pepper & onions, and chicken stuffed with boudin.

Melting Pot has a new Best Fondue Friends Forever (BFFF) menu, with a 3- or 4-course meal featuring Melting Pot’s enhanced BFFF cheese and chocolate fondue plus new offerings like Bacon Mac & Cheese Fondue topped with crispy bacon, and Lavender & Blueberry Chocolate Fondue, with white chocolate and blueberries topped with decadent blackberry "caviar."

Mountain Mike's Pizza, the California-based family-style pizza chain with a location in Lewisville, known for its crispy, curly pepperonis and 20-inch Mountain-sized pizzas, has launched Garlic Not-Knots!, made with dough folded around layers of garlic, butter, and cheese. A six-piece order is $6. It's a limited-edition item that will be available through the end of June.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has three new limited-edition menu items featuring elote: an Elote side, a 6-ounce portion made with corn, queso, jalapenos, feta, and Fuzzy Dust; Chicken Elote Double Stack Taco with elote, fajita chicken, and rice; Chicken Elote Bowl with the same ingredients in a bowl. Available through Sunday June 18.

Oomi Kitchen, the digital kitchen at 3510 Ross Ave. has added a buzzy concept to its portfolio of restaurant offerings: Milk Bar, the New York dessert company. You can now order any of their five cookies or their Milk Bar pie. two new cookie types in grocery stores.

Tiff's Treats is bringing back their signature Chip's Mix, a special two-dozen package with chocolate, double chocolate, oatmeal, and peanut butter chocolate chip varieties, available through May 21, for $42. Tiff's Treats uses a one-of-a-kind variety of custom-made chocolate chips, a little-known secret that, thanks to CultureMap, is a secret no longer.

Starbucks has introduced its summer 2023 beverages: Chocolate Java Mint Frappuccino features blended Frappuccino roast coffee, chocolate, mint, and Frappuccino chips, finished with a layer of mocha sauce, whipped cream, and a chocolate cookie mint sprinkle topping; and White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew, featuring Starbucks Cold Brew sweetened with macadamia syrup, topped with white chocolate macadamia cream cold foam, and finished with toasted cookie crumbles.