Carbs News

Artisan bakery Village Baking Co. expands to Dallas' hippest neighborhood

Village Baking Co is bringing its croissants to a new neighborhood.

Courtesy of VBC

An acclaimed Dallas bakery is bringing its carbs to the perfect new neighborhood: Village Baking Co. will open a location in the center of Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts, at 308 N. Bishop Ave.

The location is at the corner of Melba, in the former cute-cute house that was previously home to the Good Companions coffee shop. According to a Village Baking Co. representative, the new bakery will open in spring 2023.

"I know we're hoping for March, but you never know for sure," the rep said.

Good Companions was the coffee house and natural wine bar from Exxir Hospitality and the first business to open in at that location, a 1916 Craftsman-style house that was previously owned by the Kemp family and carefully restored.

The cafe opened in mid-2019 with European-style sandwiches and pastries, including its signature bombolone (aka Italian cream-filled doughnuts). It was popular and got good reviews, before closing quietly during the pandemic.

Village Baking has been a longtime bread presence in Dallas, founded by husband-and-wife Clint and Kim Cooper in 2004, who started baking out of their home kitchen.

They opened their first wholesale bread bakery and boulangerie on University Boulevard in 2014. The space had a small storefront where they could sell breads and baked goods to the public, but no seating. That led them to Greenville Avenue, where they debuted their quintessential French-style boulangerie in May 2015.

They do crusty sourdough breads and authentic patisserie including scones, palmiers, financiers, chocolate truffle cakes, fruit tarts, and coconut macaroons.

They make an amazing variety of croissants, from sweet to savory, from almond and chocolate to croissants brimming with meal-worthy fillings such as ham and cheese.

They were among the first in Dallas to offer trendy items like the canele, the small, moist cylindrical French pastry; and the kouign amann, the rich croissant-based Breton treat named for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). They've also become known for their laminated brioche, sort of a fancy version of a cruffin.

They've been on a minor opening spree, with new locations on Knox Street and Oak Lawn.

Italian Restaurant News

Italian restaurant The Saint makes debut in Dallas Design District

Samantha Marie Photography

The Saint

A swanky restaurant is relocating from one hip Dallas neighborhood to another: The Saint, the Italian steakhouse from Hooper Hospitality Concepts which originally opened near Deep Ellum in 2023, is moving to a new address in the Dallas Design District.

The restaurant will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., and it's happening soon: According to a release, it'll open on Saturday, January 3.

It's going into same building that will be home to Night Rooster, The Saint's sibling Asian concept which will open sometime in 2026.

Hooper Hospitality Concepts CEO Andy Hooper says in a statement that "the Design District offers the ideal setting for the experience we’ve created. It gives us greater visibility, a setting that matches the sophistication of our menu, and a chance to welcome even more guests into the world of The Saint."

Decor
The 1,800-square-foot dining room seats 85. Highlights include a golden-tiled stairway leading to the restaurant’s second-story landing, crowned by an 18th-century gilt chandelier, counterbalanced by a graffitied antique oil portrait hand-tagged by Design District artist Kelly O’Neal.

It's a whole opposites theme, creating a space where both “saints and sinners” feel at home. The wallpaper features a vivid interpretation of saints-and-sinners iconography, blending flora, fauna, snakes, doves, and talismanic motifs into a damask pattern.

Scalloped upholstered booths soften the room with elegant curves under the pink glow of an antique 1920s Parisian glass-domed chandelier. Nearly every seat captures a view of the downtown Dallas skyline.

New chef
The kitchen is now led by executive chef Sergio Esquivel, a Dallas-born chef whose culinary roots trace back to early days cooking beside his grandmothers. He attended The Culinary Institute of America and has worked at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Georgie by Curtis Stone, Harper’s, Nuri Steakhouse, and as personal chef for the Jones family at AT&T Stadium.

His style blends steakhouse tradition with Italian technique, Peruvian brightness, American comfort, and Korean depth, with a commitment to crafting everything in-house.

His menu will include dry-aged cuts from Texas ranchers, Wagyu selections, housemade pastas, seafood, and vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Standout menu items include

Texas Wagyu Tartare with truffle carpaccio and balsamic cured egg yolk
Shellfish Platter with Maine lobster, king crab, oysters, and prawns with cocktail sauce
Wild Mushroom & Black Truffle Tagliatelle
32-oz Bistecca Alla Fiorentina

The bar program will continue to offer inventive cocktails and a notable wine selection, now enhanced by a lineup of new signature drinks such as the In Good Faith with Ford’s Gin, Ramazotti Apertivo, hibiscus syrup, lemon and sparkling wine; plus new smoked whiskey decanter drinks, offering a mesquite-smoked Manhattan and Old Fashioned in regular and top shelf selections.

deep-ellum openings