When James Beard-recognized chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman left José in May 2025 to start her own restaurant and hospitality group, Dallas expected the restaurant, called Eledi, to open before 2026. After some investors fell out, the real estate deal fell apart, and Oh Hi Hospitality found itself in the consulting game. Through her longtime business partner, Victor Rojas, Quiñones-Pittman found herself developing a menu for AM/FM in the Design District.
The connection came through Rojas’s brother, who had previously worked with Annette Marin, owner of Spune Productions, at Cru Wine Bar in Plano. Marin and her co-owner, Matthew Harber, have since taken over the former Ferris Wheelers BBQ space, where Spune Productions plans to transform the expansive backyard into a concert venue—the Ferris wheel will remain as a non-ridable light fixture—alongside an all-day diner.
It’s a whole new challenge for Quiñones-Pittman, who has been in the fine dining game for years. At first, Marin and Harber wanted to keep the food focused on barbecue, but after several weeks of testing dishes, they were unsatisfied.
Quiñones-Pittman and the Oh Hi team took them out for lunch and a heart-to-heart, which unlocked a conversation about nostalgic food as the soul of the menu. “He’s from Tennessee, and she’s Latina. That’s where I came in. I’m born and raised in East Dallas, but my roots are Mexican, and I know a little bit about both [Southern and Mexican] cuisines,” explains Quiñones-Pittman.
Talking about the food they grew up eating led to the development of Mexican CNS (a fideo or noodle soup with shredded chicken), inspired by Marin, and chorizo fritters with butter lettuce wraps and green tomato chow chow from Harber’s side. “Tying things together, like crab bisque with grilled pimento cheese and a jalapeño stuffed meatloaf sandwich, things like that,” Quiñones-Pittman says. “I wanted to get things that I knew would remind them of their childhoods.”
Marin and Harber also asked the chef to develop vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options to accommodate one of their primary audiences: musicians. Spune Productions books Club Dada and presents shows at the Granada Theater, Three Links, Sons of Herman Hall, Ruins, and other venues across the city.
The Oh Hi Hospitality crew sought out inspiration on research trips to New York City, known for its great diners, and Austin. They hit a lot of brunch places. “I like brunch,” she says. “There were often times, growing up, when I didn’t know that we were broke, and we were having eggs and tacos for dinner. Eggs are a huge staple in my family, even now.”
On AM/FM’s menu, breakfast and brunch are represented by masa pancakes with honey butter and maple syrup, a seasonal French toast served on gluten-free challah, chilaquiles, and huevos rancheros.
Of all the dishes on the menu, Quiñones-Pittman says she’s most excited about the weekly pot pies. “We’re starting out with the cream chicken enchilada pot pie, and then we’re gonna move into a butter chicken,” she says. “We’re gonna do [a series of] traditional chicken dishes and just top it off with crust.”
To keep meals affordable for concertgoers and visitors to the nearby American Airlines Center, the neighborhood plays a key role in shaping the café’s menu—encouraging guests to return again and again. “We need to have a price point that people can afford in these times, but also that can come and enjoy a show and still have a meal,” Quiñones-Pittman says. “You can have a double date and not break the bank.”
AM/FM, 1950 Market Center Blvd., Dallas, amfmdallas.com
