Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, your weekly serving of Dallas’ restaurant, bar, and culinary happenings. From buzzy openings and chef moves to can’t-miss events, menu debuts, and industry news, here’s everything you need to know about the city’s dining scene this week.
Hugo’s Seafood Bar reopened a newly expanded Bishop Arts restaurant at 334 W. Davis St., upgrading from the previous 28-seat layout to welcome more guests to experience its coastal seafood. Savor menu favorites, including lobster rolls, caviar service, sashimi, and a cold seafood platter that features a whole lobster alongside shrimp, oysters, tuna tartare, and scallop aguachile.
Snider Plaza’s Sueño Coctelería Mexicana has launched weekday lunch and weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. During the week, the Ejecutivo Lunch (Executive Lunch) runs $20 and includes rice, beans, a choice of taco or enchilada, and soup or salad. Brunch offerings focus on Mexican breakfast classics such as chilaquiles, plus mimosa flights featuring tamarind, passion fruit, and guava juices.
A private-chef meal service has launched in Dallas after becoming a hit in other major markets, including New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Shef is a weekly subscription service that offers ready-to-heat meals from a diverse team of chefs, including many immigrants, refugees, children of immigrants and refugees, women, and people of color. Choose entrées from several categories, such as Global Flavors, GLP-1 Friendly, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free. Ethiopian chicken stew, Peruvian arroz con pollo, Vietnamese beef pho, and Sri Lankan tofu curry represent a handful of recent offerings. Meals start at $58 per week for four meals, but the first week’s meals are only $35 if you sign up for the subscription service.
Big Dill Hospitality (Whistle Britches, Muchacho Tex-Mex, Casa Brasa) welcomed a new restaurant into the fold last month. Tío is now open at 6110 Frankford Ct. in North Dallas, serving tacos, burritos, bowls, margaritas, and aguas frescas. The casual taqueria features freshly made flour tortillas to cradle fillings ranging from chicken al carbón and pork carnitas to fried cauliflower and a smashed Angus burguesa. Two-fisted burritos, queso fundido, and healthy-ish bowls loaded with fresh veggies complete the line-up.
Fans were saddened by the closure of the flagship Neiman Marcus location Downtown last month, especially its beloved Zodiac Room. One day later, however, the retailer announced that the NorthPark location would soon be home to a brand-new Zodiac Room, debuting on Friday, November 20, in time for the holiday season. Many design features, artwork, and other elements from the Downtown location will make the new NorthPark version feel familiar. Several iconic dishes, including the famous popovers with strawberry butter, will get a second life on the menu, which will include new items alongside nostalgic throwbacks.
Now through Saturday, October 31, Harvest Hall and its Third Rail music venue inside Hotel Vin at 815 S Main St. in Grapevine transform into Nightmare on Main Street. The spooky pop-up experience will certainly get you in the Halloween mood. Experience themed cocktails, Scary-oke, horror-themed trivia, live music, and the chance to grab dinner or a snack from one of Harvest Hall’s numerous food vendors, including Dock Local, Brisket Rules, and Dynamite Egg Rolls.
Tuesday, October 6 is National Taco Day. You’ll find deals and promos all over the city, but here are three to check out. Celebrate at Torchy’s Tacos locations across DFW with buy-one-get-one-free tacos for Torchy’s Rewards Members who order in-restaurant. Over at Chuy’s, you can add a taco to any entrée for $1 or show up dressed like a taco, post your visit on social media, and get a free entrée of your choice. And at Velvet Taco‘s 4622 Greenville Ave. location, stop in for a free taco tattoo from Rebel Muse Tattoo. If you’re loyal enough to be the first to get the Velvet Taco logo tattooed on your body, they’ll reward you with free tacos for a year. Loyalty members also receive BOGO tacos all day.
Head to Easy Slider on Sunday, October 11, from 1 to 5 p.m. for a pop-up featuring food from Sin Embargo Tacos and its trompo. The one-day-only menu features $4 tacos, $7 quesadillas, and $5 elotes, along with Polanco Tequila cocktails.
Bowie House, Auberge Collection in Fort Worth, is hosting its final Ranch to Table dinner of the year on Thursday, October 15 with Fort Worth Cattle Company and Lucchese Bootmaker. Indulge in a seven-course tasting menu while chatting with the ranch owners and other guests in a communal setting. Tickets are $185 per person, with cocktails and wine available for purchase a la carte.
What do you get when you cross Oktoberfest and punk rock? Lakewood Brewing’s annual Punktoberfest, happening Saturday, October 10 from noon to 6 p.m. at 2302 Executive Dr. in Garland. Enjoy an afternoon of entertainment, including live music from punk band Volcanix, craft beer, brats on the grill, desserts from Po Po’s Delights and Married To Sugar, punk merch from Mavis Creations, and tattoos from Ink’d By Cherry. Prizes will be awarded for both a stein-holding contest and best punk-inspired outfit, so come dressed to fight the establishment.
Get your tickets to the very-limited-capacity Somm Smackdown dinner, happening Friday, October 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. Though it’s not taking place until the end of the month, tickets are almost sold out for this competition between Master Sommeliers pairing wines with five different courses. The bracket-style battle has taken place over the past several weeks, with the last-standing finalist from the upcoming October 8 bracket facing off against reigning champion Jack Mason at Hotel Vin Grapevine. As a guest, you and your fellow diners will be vote to determine this year’s winner. Tickets are $146 for five courses with two wine pairings per course.
From Tuesday, October 6 through Tuesday, November 3, Toro Toro Fort Worth commemorates Dia de Los Muertos with a special menu filled with symbolism from the traditional Latin American holiday. Among the offerings are the Fuego de Sol Short Rib, inspired by Zenith, the sun at its fullest power. This dish features achiote-braised short rib, a charred poblano cheese enchilada, plantain purée, zucchini blossom sauce, and green zucchini. Among the special cocktails, the Punch Calavera represents the ofrenda (altar) and is created with hibiscus, guava, fresh orange juice, and brewed cinnamon tea.
Monarch, on the 49th floor of The National in Downtown Dallas, celebrates five years with a new autumn chef’s tasting menu. The new menu features six courses, with highlights including a parmesan cappuccino and local mushroom tart; poached Maine lobster with sweet potato and whipped foie gras; and a Rosewood Wagyu filet with polenta croquette and pumpkin gnocchi. The tasting is $190 per person with an optional wine and cocktail pairing for an additional $125.
Prince St. Pizza now offers made-to-order Personal Prince Pies from $12-$14, allowing customers to try the famous NYC pizza without committing to a whole pie or settling for reheated slices. The piping hot 7″ x 9″ squares come in nine varieties, including meat lovers, spicy vodka, vegan cheese, and the famous Naughty, made with spicy vodka sauce, thick-cut pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, whipped ricotta, and hot honey.
You don’t have to be on a road trip to enjoy a sweet indulgence at Dairy Queen. To celebrate the spooky season, the fast-food chain has released a new Enchanted Oreo Blizzard Treat for October. Ube flavor adds extra sweetness and a distinctive purple hue, with a glittery shimmer to finish it off.
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, SusieCakes has partnered with Susan G. Komen to offer a batch of limited-edition, pink buttercream cupcakes and cakes through Saturday, October 31. The bakery will donate $1 per cupcake and $5 per cake to the nonprofit organization, with a minimum of $10,000 guaranteed.
At The Mont in Fort Worth, a new seasonal fall menu awaits. Highlights include tuna carpaccio with fennel and crispy capers; oysters on the half shell with apple mignonette; deviled eggs with butternut squash; black truffle and pumpkin risotto; sweet potato gnocchi with Texas gold shrimp, fennel, and pickled apple-Calabrian chili emulsion; and Ora King salmon with sweet and sour butternut squash, brown butter cabbage, and sauce gribiche (a cold egg sauce).
Burgers and margaritas on a patio may be one of the most perfect Texas combinations out there. Now you can enjoy that very thing at Hat Creek Burger Company locations now that the Austin-based fast-casual chain has added frozen margaritas as a permanent fixture on its menu. Get a classic or strawberry version for $8.99 or share a family-size, 64-ounce margarita pouch for $39.99. Pro tip: They’re an equally tasty accompaniment to an order of loaded queso tots, too.
Dallas-Fort Worth was the test market for a new line of protein drinks at 7 Brew, and now the lineup has rolled out nationwide. For only $2, you can add 15g of protein to any drink, whether that’s a coffee, energy drink, smoothie, or lemonade. The beverage chain has also released a collection of Halloween-inspired drinks, including a Boo Raspberry Smoothie and a Drizzled Apple 7 Fizz Soda, which combines green apple soda and caramel drizzle for a sippable caramel apple.
Dallas welcomed Buritto Bellas, a new restaurant at 2523 McKinney Ave. in Uptown this past August. The Italian-Mexican fusion spot is now in full swing with lunch and dinner service. Pop in for a spaghetti-and-meatballs burrito, chicken parm burrito, or traditional Mexican options, including chicken tinga, barbacoa, or chicken and beef fajitas. A trio of loaded fries platters and 10 different sandwiches round out the menu, alongside fusion drinks like the limoncello margarita and Calabrian sangria.
