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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Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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