Where to eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 hot new restaurants for January

Scrumptious avocado toast served at brunch at Monaco in Las Colinas.

Monaco

It's only a week or two into 2023, but there are already new restaurants opening like crazy around Dallas. That makes "brand new restaurants" the obvious theme for this edition of Where to Eat in Dallas Right Now, our monthly feature spotlighting restaurant picks.

The list includes sushi, Tex-Mex, plant-based, Italian, and Chicago-style hot dogs. Something for everyone.

Here are 8 brand new restaurants to try right now:

Earth Burger
The arrival of this San Antonio plant-based burger chain is not a stand-alone restaurant but is instead a new addition at Oomi Digital Kitchen, the digital food hall at 3510 Ross Ave. It's still a major big deal: Earth Burger is known for its burgers made with plant-based patties, chik-n, and “fishless” filets. The company is embarking on a national expansion expansion with assistance from Sinelli Concepts, the Dallas group founded by Jeff Sinelli that owns Which Wich Superior Sandwiches. They'll be available to order starting on Tuesday, January 17.

Green Papaya Plant-Based
This vegan restaurant opened in December in the former Green Papaya Vietnamese restaurant on Oak Lawn Avenue, representing a huge shift from its former identity as a neighborhood Asian favorite. But they are already wowing both locals and vegans with their quirky menu featuring breakfast dishes like bacon-egg-&-cheese bagel, mushroom toast, veggie burgers, acai bowls, smoothies, and a neat selection of latte drinks.

Kinzo Sushi
New sushi restaurant just opened in North Frisco near Little Elm, at 14111 King Rd. #2100, where it's serving sushi, plus special hot and cold dishes, plus a full bar. Kinzo is a partnership between manager Kyle Choi and chef Leo Kekoa, who previously worked for Nobu. Their mission: bring the omakase experience to residents in the area and saving them a drive to Dallas.

La Comida Mexican Kitchen and Cocktails
Former Spiral Diner space in Oak Cliff is now a Tex-Mex restaurant that built a following at its previous location in Addison from brothers Mario and Ivan Urtecho with a menu that includes ceviche, chicken flautas, empanadas, nachos, fajitas, quesadillas, tortas, combination plates, tacos, mole chicken, mahi mahi, plus eight kinds of salsas and four kinds of queso, and Queso Elegante with fajita chicken, spinach, white queso, red bell peppers. No liquor license yet, so margaritas are still to come.

Loro Addison
Addison gets its own location of Loro, the Asian smokehouse and bar from chefs Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin, serving grilled and smoked meats with Southeast Asian and Japanese-inspired sauces, sides, and a bar serving craft beer, boozy slushees, and batch cocktails. Located at 14999 Montfort Dr., in the former Flying Saucer (which is actually officially Dallas), it's the second Loro in DFW, following the first that opened on Fitzhugh Avenue in Old East Dallas in July 2021.

Monaco Restaurant
Restaurant in Las Colinas inspired by the French Riviera actually opened a few months ago by food & beverage veterans that include the Lamberti family, who own Lamberti's Ristorante in Irving. They just updated their lunch menu with must-haves such as an Italian beef sandwich and an elevated grilled cheese sandwich made with upscale Raclette cheese with watercress on sourdough, and with their views of Las Colinas' canals, they're an awesome destination for brunch.

Portillo's
After much anticipation, Portillo's has opened its first DFW restaurant in The Colony. The menu of Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, and shakes is great for nostalgic Windy City natives, possibly inscrutable for everyone else. Located at the Grandscape complex, it's a sprawling 7,900-square-foot space with seating for more than 260, a double lane drive-thru, and a vintage 1967 Toyota Stout as a nod to the Toyota's headquarters nearby, a "local" touch.

Quarter Acre
New Lower Greenville spot in the former Rapscallion spot is from chef Toby Archibald (Bullion, Georgie by Curtis Stone), and features a menu of contemporary global cuisine inspired by Archibald's world travels and New Zealand roots, with an emphasis on local produce as well as national and international ingredients such as seafood and wine from New Zealand and Australia.

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New brew

Cool new coffee shop with emo vibes to debut in Dallas' Deep Ellum

Photo courtesy of CoffeEmos

CoffeEmos

A new coffee shop dedicated to emo subculture is coming to Deep Ellum: Called CoffeEmos, the new shop will open in April at 3114 Swiss Ave. in the former Urban Venue space.

The shop is from Francisco Gonzalez, who describes himself as an emo fan for the past two decades. Now older, with a family and a career in finance, he still has given up the emo "look" but still has a love for the music.

Emo music, which was born in the 90s and combines hardcore punk with emotional lyrics, created an emo look with distinct fashion, including skinny jeans, black eyeliner, studded belts and black hair with long bangs, typically over the forehead and partially covering the eyes.

This subculture seems to be making a comeback driven by Gen Z nostalgia, which inspired Gonzalez to pay tribute to his passion and invite others to join.

“When you go to a coffee shop, you think you’ll find chill music. I do better, with pop-punk and emo music," Gonzalez says. "Music brings that high energy along with coffee. I had this idea of the coffee shop for people like me that want this kind of music."

Choosing Deep Ellum was a no-brainer, he says, thanks to its strong presence of artists, fashion boutiques, and live shows. While CoffeEmos will be open from 7am to 3 pm daily, Gonzalez envisions future late-night events such as meet-and-greets and special shows.

Coffee Emos CoffeEmos will host live entertainment.Photo courtesy of CoffeEmos

The shop will use beans from Richardson-based Eiland Coffee Roasters. The menu will feature classic coffee drinks with catchy emo names such as “espresso depresso,” “caPUNKcino,” “flat white and black,” “cut up cortado,” and “morbid mocha.”

The specialty drink list features names from well-known emo songs including:

“The Ghost of You” (by Chemical Romance): Banana horchata latte.
“If It Means a Lot to You” (by A Day to Remember): Salter caramel horchata latte.
"Ocean Avenue" (by YellowCard): Mango matcha lemonade.
"Hear You Me" (by Jimmy Eat World): Lavender London fog.

Specialty lattes range from $6 to $8 and come with a QR code to download the corresponding song.

They are working with local food vendors to create a grab-and-go and handhelds menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (when they host evening events).

The space will feature tables and chairs along a brick wall, and a stage for live entertainment. Some of the walls were intentionally left bare to allow artists to collaborate with visuals, Gonzalez says.

“I am looking for people that make this store their own,” he says.

There’s a “wall of memories” where guests can add old IDs from their emo-fringe days, plus a front outdoor space and a larger turfed back patio that will host shows when it opens later this year.

“I don’t want this music to die again," Gonzalez says. "Music has been a great help for me through my life, and I wish the same for new generations."

coffee deep ellum