All The Restaurant News

Openings, closings, and chef collabs top this Dallas restaurant news

Pizza from Perch, now open on Inwood Road.

Photo by Chase Hall

This roundup of restaurant news around Dallas features openings, a closure, a chef collaboration (or two), Hatch chiles, and collectible cups.

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

HTeaO, the Texas brand offering more than 20 flavors of iced tea, is opening a shop in Allen on Saturday, August 17. Located at 103 N. Greenville Ave. at the intersection of Main Street, it's the first store in Allen, joining 16 other locations across DFW.

Perch Bistro & Bar is the name of a new concept now open in the space formerly occupied by Dea, an Italian restaurant that opened two years ago at 7709 Inwood Rd. by Tracy Moore Rathbun and Lynae Fearing, owners of Shinsei next door. According to a release, Perch is, like Dea, serving Italian food, with a menu overseen by culinary director Roman Murphy, who also oversaw the menu at Dea. Dishes include pizza, crab cake arancini, duck confit over cauliflower puree, and Genovese rigatoni with short ribs, which sounds quite similar to the pasta alla Genovese with short rib served at Dea.

Espadas, a family-owned Brazilian churrascuria-style steakhouse from brothers Raul and Joaquin Almanza, relocated into a new, larger location in Mesquite at 1200 E. Davis St. #116 on July 12.

Sugar Factory, the Miami-based chain known for over-the-top desserts and drinks has reportedly closed its Dallas location at 1900 Cedar Springs Rd., according to various sources, although a spokesperson for the chain did not respond to inquiries.

Dog Haus has teamed up with L.A. chef and TV personality Eric Greenspan to launch the Big Belly Burger, featuring two smashed beef patties, American cheese, onions, and pickles on a Big Marty's sesame seed potato roll. Priced at $13, it's available through the end of August.

Sprinkles, the cupcake chain, has teamed with Food Network's Padma Lakshmi on a limited-edition mango cupcake with mango curd and yogurt frosting. The cupcake is $6 and is available at Dallas and Plano locations until August 18.

Carrabba's Italian Grill is hosting a special weekend offering of a three-course dinner for two for $45, available Saturday-Sunday through August. The menu includes soup or salad; entrée such as lasagne, mezzaluna, or Tuscan-grilled pork chop; and dessert to share, such as strawberry cheesecake or tiramisu.

Lounge by TopGolf, the PGA Frisco dining concept, has launched a menu of Tex-Mex specialties. New starters include chipotle hummus with fried naan, and street corn fries. Entrees include cilantro & lime chopped salad, Buffalo chicken pizza, a Cubano, Baja salmon and dulce de leche churros. Prices range from $12 for street corn fries to $24 for Baja salmon.

Mi Dia From Scratch has launched a Hatch chile menu, available through August 31, including an $18 Hatch burger with a Wagyu-chorizo patty, green Hatch chile sauce, and fried quail eggs; a 28-day-aged skirt steak topped with a stuffed Hatch chile; fried chicken tacos with Hatch chile queso; and savory sopapillas filled with ground beef, with Hatch green chili sauce.

UnaVida torta Torta by UnaVidaAdriana Herrera

UnaVida at the West Village has a new menu with light options for lunch and dinner including smoked chicken meatballs, salmon ceviche, carnitas torta, torta carne asada, and mezcal Mayan prawn, priced from $16-$32. New brunch items include the $12 breakfast quesadilla, blueberry French toast, and the ultimate brunch torta (both $17), available Saturday-Sunday from 11 am-3 pm. New desserts feature the churro banana split and chocoflan.

Dive Coastal in Snider Plaza has new specials including BBQ chicken salad and an entree with chicken, tomatillo, and avocado; and a watermelon refresher with a watermelon slice on the rim. Available through the end of August.

El Chico has a deal for parents: With each adult entrée purchase, customers can get one $0.99 meal for kids 12 and younger from the Little Amigos menu. The offer will be available every Thursday at the Rockwall location.

Yogurtland has debuted seasonal flavors including pumpkin spice, S'Mores, and salted caramel pecan frozen yogurt, as well as a new topping: chocolate chip cheesecake bites.

McDonald's has a new line of collectible cups, available in six designs: Grimace Mug, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Shrek, Ty Beanie Babies, and Snoopy. They're pint-sized and made of plastic (not glass), and come with the purchase of a sausage McMuffin, chicken McNuggets, or a Big Mac meal.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has a limited-time Watermelon Jala-‘Rita available until September 8. The margarita features country music star Thomas Rhett’s Dos Primos Blanco Tequila, watermelon, and jalapeño, served in a Tajin-rimmed 18-ounce glass.

Globe Life Field has been named by PETA as one of the most vegan-friendly ballparks in the U.S., thanks to its animal-friendly menu — be sure check out their PLT portabella mushroom sandwich, meat-free burgers, meat-free hot dogs, meat-free nuggets, vegan nachos, and vegan soft-serve at the Oatly stand.

news-you-can-eat lists

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."

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