Welcome to SideDish’s weekly dispatch of need-to-know News Bites, from quiet closures to opening updates and everything in between, including coronavirus-related intel.
Yes, It’s St. Patrick’s Day. Here Are Some Green-Hued Eats.
The good folks at Oak Cliff Brewery aren’t throwing a shindig but they’ll have emerald-tinted lager, and you can pick up some ever-trusty anti-pinching protection in the form of green t-shirts. Mickey D’s doesn’t have anything on Son of Butcher’s shamrock shake that’s loaded with marshmallow “charms” and green sprinkles (available through March 21). From now until April 3, swing by Fat Straws Bubble Tea Co. for mint-Oreo mochi doughnuts and a mint chocolate chip shake. For more green things to eat, peep this list from the Dallas Observer.
A Wave of New Coffee in North Texas
Golden Boy Coffee has had a growth spurt in the last few years. After opening in 2019, the Denton coffee shop debuted a Coppell location last year. Then, this February, Golden Boy brought a third shop with coconut-and-tumeric lattes, craft coffee and cocktails, plus pastries to The Boardwalk at Granite Park.
Pax & Beneficia Coffee opened a location inside the new AC Hotel in downtown Fort Worth at the start of March. The upmarket cafe sources its beans from San Antonio’s Merit Coffee Company and makes its own specialty syrups in-house. Perhaps the most intriguing offering on Pax & Beneficia’s menu is the Turkish coffee served in the traditional style: brewed with cardamon and served on hammered copper plates. Stay tuned for its third location slated to open soon in Victory Park.
Next up, Chicago-based Fairgrounds Craft Coffee & Tea will open its first Texas cafe in Highland Park on March 24. Here, find special attention paid to both craft coffee roasters as well as artisanal teas (matcha is whipped to order). There will also be cold brews, sparkling kombuchas, and sparkling teas on tap. You’ll see local Texas roasters like Ascension and Greater Goods here, alongside other craft brands from around the U.S.
A Couple of Chef Shuffles in Dallas
Randall Braud was the opening chef of Basic Taco and sibling cocktail bar Yellow Rosa, two 2020 additions to Deep Ellum. You may also remember Braud from the Filipino pop-up Not Your Lola’s, which he left last March to open a Filipino restaurant of his own, he told the Dallas Observer. That dream has not yet come to fruition. Now Braud is the chef at Barcelona Bar, another 2020 newcomer, in Knox-Henderson. Meanwhile, Ellie’s Restaurant & Lounge, the airy restaurant in the Hall Arts Hotel, was most recently helmed by executive chef Eric Dreyer who has decamped for Monarch, a wood-fired Italian restaurant that opened inside The National on March 10. The new chef in the kitchen is Dan Landsberg, who worked with ZaZa Hospitality for 11 years before arriving at Ellie’s. Alongside Landsberg’s arrival is the return of daily breakfast and live music on the weekend. While some changes are good, you might want to leave that heavenly Ellie’s burger as is, Dan!
Roving Culinary Event Cochon555
Each year, Cochon555 stops in major cities to support local farms with big-name chefs and plenty of cocktails. This year, Cochon555 will return to Dallas in April as Carryout with Cochon, a virtual series that will feature chefs John Tesar of Knife (April 20) and last year’s Cochon555 champ, Lance McWhorter of Culture ETX (April 29). Tickets start at $95.
RIP to Ruby’s Sno-Balls
The stand that brought New Orleans-style shaved ice to Old East Dallas lost its walk-up location on North Haskell Avenue. That’s according to Ruby’s Sno-Balls’ social media announcement about the news. It’s a gut punch to anyone who’s quelled the summer heat with Ruby’s icy treats. Summer 2021 won’t be the same without it.
