A Mexican restaurant from Dallas-based Local Favorite Restaurants has debuted at the West Village: Called UnaVida, it's at 3699 McKinney Ave #307 in the former Taco Diner space, with a menu created by Executive Chef of New Concept Development, Chef Matt McCallister.

UnaVida is the next step following Mexican Test Kitchen, a temporary concept that opened earlier this year from McCallister and Local Favorite Restaurants founder Mike Karns.

"The development of this concept embodies our passion and commitment for culinary creativity while lending itself to the continuous evolution and expansion of Local Favorite Restaurants," Karns says in a release.

McCallister has created a menu inspired by traditional Mexican flavors but that are intentionally innovative.

UnaVida ("one life" in Spanish) - is committed to celebrating reimagined yet familiar, fresh flavors and recipes that are also “good-for-you-food” rooted in responsible sourcing and recipes that meet a variety of potential dietary desires. So, probably some vegan items.

Karns says, “ We only have One Life, and we’re meant to enjoy it fully. That means to us - eat the best foods made from the highest quality ingredients to fuel you to live your best life. We believe in eating all of the good things - and drinking tequila too - because most good stories don’t start with ‘that one time I ordered a salad.”

"We believe in letting the ingredients take center stage, telling their own story on the plate," McCallister says. "It’s not just about serving great food. It’s about how food can bring people together, creating lasting memories around the table.”

The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with starters such as Street Corn Fritters, Casa Guacamole, Heartcakes (hearts of palm cakes, like vegan crab cakes with avocado, salsa veracruz, cabbage slaw, lime aioli) or Crudo de Atun - ahi tuna, mancha verde, and jugo verde aguachile.

“Platos de la Casa” include:

• Smothered Burrito - Tri-color quinoa, refried lentils, black beans, melted peppers & onion, criminis, zucchini, cashew queso, pico de gallo, guacamole
• La Hamburgesa - Signature blend of grass-fed ground beef & heirloom mushrooms, rajas con crema, romaine, lime aioli, queso Oaxaca crusted Brioche Bun
• Open Faced Enchilada Verde - Choice of steak or chicken, chihuahua cheese, zucchini, peppers & onion hash, marinated mushrooms, salsa verde

Bowls come with choice of Mexican cauliflower rice, cilantro rice, or quinoa, and options such as:

• Enchilada Verde: refried lentils, crispy yukons, zucchini, lacinato kale, avocado, peas, whipped queso fresco, cashew crema, roasted salsa verde, crispy corn tortilla
• Sedona: black beans, sweet potato, pickled golden beets, roasted corn, purple cabbage slaw, jicama, jalapeno ranch, queso crema, chili-dusted tortilla strips, ginger pepita
• Fajita: melted onions & poblano peppers, grilled broccoli, guacamole, romaine, pickled jalapeno, poblano and cashew queso, chili-dusted tortilla strips, cashew sour cream

Salads, soups, vegetable sides and an array of creative tacos are also available.

A weekend brunch menu will feature:

• Heartcake Benedict - with masa sope, veracruzana sauce, cashew crema, smashed avocado, cabbage slaw, and eggs
• Chilaquiles - sweet potatoes, corn tortilla chips, asadero and cotija cheese, salsa verde, and eggs
• Hotcakes - two pancakes, banana, creme fraiche, candied peanuts, dulce de coco caramel
• Veggie Hash - with crispy yukons, seasonal vegetables, creamy ranchero sauce, eggs, cotija cheese, pico de gallo

The Bar Menu includes a signature Toreados Margarita with grilled serrano, tequila, gran gala, lime; Cantarito with tequila blanco, grapefruit, Jarritos, lime, orange; Guava Cooler made with vodka, lime, grapefruit, pineapple guava; Cactus Caipirinha with cachaca, kiwi, jugo verde, lime, agave; the Caramelized Pineapple Margarita Tequila reposado, agave, lime and more. A full selection of wine and Mexican craft or domestic beers are also available.

Fair or not, when the question arises of where to find sushi around Dallas-Fort Worth, the town of Rockwall does not immediately come to mind. But that's exactly how Yuzu Japanese Restaurant & Bar — a sushi restaurant that opened in mid-October at The Harbor complex on the shore of Lake Ray Hubbard — came to be.

Owners Ray and Mika Win came to Rockwall specifically with the idea of bringing a fine modern Japanese restaurant, serving fresh fish from Japan, to an area they felt was underserved.

"It's a pretty new concept for locals around here," Mika says. "You no longer have to drive to Dallas to get good sushi."

Win worked in the restaurant industry for eight years, mostly in California where the couple previously resided. Yuzu is her first solo venture and her vision.

It's named for the yuzu, a citrus fruit native to Japan that maintains its clarity and tartness even when cooked at high temperatures. Yuzu is incorporated throughout the menu, from salads to rolls to cocktails to dessert.

The house salad with baby spinach and tomato is enlivened by a yuzu olive oil dressing, and there's a Yuzu Crudo, with madai AKA red sea bream, orange, almond, and yuzu chojang, a spicy-hot Japanese pepper condiment.

“It’s my favorite cold dish we are serving now,” Win says.

Their signature Yuzu sushi roll does not contain yuzu but does boast the most familiar ingredients, crab and avocado, to which they've added seared salmon and a crowd-pleasing mango coulis.

Other inventive rolls include Toro Truffle, with truffled spicy tuna and truffle ponzu, and a surf & turf roll with Texas Wagyu, tempura shrimp, and asparagus. That one goes for a steep $30 - blame the Wagyu - but more basic rolls including a salmon roll with avocado and yuzu koshu (a condiment made from yuzu fruit and hot chiles) are $12 to $15.

And they offer a nod to the current omakase trend with two "moriawase" dishes, featuring the chef's nightly suggestions of nigiri ($32) and sashimi ($50).

A small selection of entree-style hot dishes include beef or chicken teriyaki, with the chicken sourced from an Amish supplier; Chilean sea bass with den miso, a sauce combining miso with sake and sugar originally served by the Nobu chain, and the most expensive item at $39; and roasted cauliflower served with jalapeno salsa, for $14.

Even in Dallas, you'd be hard-pressed to find some of these ingredients and culinary touches.

“We have a modern Japanese menu, where we incorporate a lot of international influences,” Win says.

Yuzu took over the space formerly occupied by the Mexican restaurant El Potrillo De La Sandia, which closed during the pandemic after more than a decade. Extensive, cross-cultural renovations, and just sheer cleaning, took nearly a year to complete. The space now has a sushi bar as well as a full bar where you can find Japanese-influenced cocktails such as their yuzu margarita, made with yuzu juice, and a sidecar that uses Japanese whiskey.

They're still in soft opening mode and the menu is still being tweaked, but the reception has been so positive that they are expanding their hours to include Sunday lunch. They're currently open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday from 5-10 pm and 11 am-10 pm on Sunday.

Before you leave, don't forget dessert: a refreshing and dairy-free yuzu sorbet.