Articles for June 7th, 2012

Urban Rio in Plano Will Open Late This Month

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 7th, 2012 3:22pm | filed under Openings/Closings, Restaurant News | 5 Comments »

Nathan and Bonnie Shea, who opened Urban Crust in Plano are getting ready to debut their three-story development in the Old Downtown Plano. The project combines a new Mexican concept called Urban Rio, a cantina called On the Rocks, and Nate’s Gelato Shop.

Urban Rio will feature Next-Mex cuisine, which, according to a press release, will be “elevated, chef-crafted Mexican food with Texas influence.” Expect “enchiladas, tacos and fajitas, specialty dishes like house-made empanadas, urban ceviche, and tortas served on house-made bolillo rolls.” The chef is Ryan Olmos. Coyote Café founder Mark Miller consulted on the project.

It sounds pretty groovy:

The water feature (the Rio) is visible for all to enjoy as well as the hand-made and hand-ground masa tortilla station and guacamole created in the authentic over-sized mochahette. On the Rocks Cantina incorporates original designs from the historic Plano Ice House, which originally opened in 1917.  The second-floor bar is open-aired with a patio overlooking Downtown Plano where guests may enjoy “specialty” carafes served on the rocks, signature margaritas and six tequilas on tap at -5 degrees.

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Margarita Ranch at Mockingbird Station Will Close. Herrera’s Will Open

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 7th, 2012 2:25pm | filed under Closings, Openings/Closings, Restaurant News, Tex-Mex | 2 Comments »

Margarita Ranch is slated to be out of their space on June 18. Herrera’s will open in the fall.

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‘Burbalicious: Where I Ate in Carrollton

posted by Carol Shih | June 7th, 2012 12:40pm | filed under 'Burbalicious, Ethnic Food | 7 Comments »

Pork sashlyk with onions and mashed potatoes (photos by Carol Shih)

To gear you guys up for July’s Best Suburbs issue, I’m traveling to ten different ‘burbs in the DFW area for a semi-weird cross-city food tour. I’ll be documenting all my finds in these ‘Burbalicious posts that’ll be peppered throughout June and July. If you feel like your suburb deserves a shot at some SideDish love, email me and I’ll ask my Magic 8 ball if I should go.

A friend recently told me that he thinks Carrollton is boring – a blasphemous statement, really. Carrollton happens to be an exciting place for food. Koreans plug up the area around H Mart on weekends, barbecuing galbi and slurping down soondubu jjigae, while Pakistanis and Indians fill the corners and edges of Al Markaz for kulfi and samosas. It’s a surprisingly diverse suburb.

Clearly, my friend had never gone to one of my favorite places to visit, the Russian Banya, if he thought Carrollton was a boring city. Of course not. Few people know that the European-style bathhouse on Rosemeade Parkway also serves some of the best Russian food I’ve ever eaten.

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Farm to Market Report: Weekend of June 9-10

posted by Erin Ahlfinger | June 7th, 2012 10:30am | filed under Farm to Market Report, Farmers Markets, Go local | 1 Comment »

Celebration Farmers Market: Joy Farms is back this week. They’ll have some of the sweetest tomatoes around and their seedless cucumbers. I love the seedless variety for pickling because you can slice them as thin as you like (think mandolin) without worrying that you’ll end up with pickle rings instead of slices.

Hold on to your corn husks, tamale lovers. Mother Shucker’s Handmade Tamales will be there for the first time this week to see that all your lard, MSG, and gluten-free dreams come true. You won’t long for variety, either. They’ll have five different kinds of tamales and three types of salsa.

4515 W. Lovers Ln.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Coppell Farmers Market welcomes Paradise Specialty Cut Flowers this weekend. They’ll be selling gorgeous flower bouquets grown by Amanda Muller in Paradise, Texas. Look for all the usual locally grown produce including stone fruits and berries, which are currently in season.

The Coppell Farmers Market is the test market for my new favorite summer treat, and one of only a few places where it can be found (apart from my freezer).  I met Savoy Sorbet in the cold section at Central Market on Tuesday. The assortment of flavors that incorporated herbs sparked my curiosity. I settled on Rosemary Rose, a savory marrying of fresh rosemary, lemon and wine flavors in a simplistic carton that promised that the frills were inside. In the absence of adequate cold storage necessary to keep my sorbet from becoming punch, I shared with two eager friends. Before I could explain that we had to finish it, the carton was empty. This weekend, owner Linn Madsen will be at the Coppell market testing her new spearmint flavor and the dark chocolate concoction that is so new, it has yet to be named. Swing by and find a new summer love. Cinnamon Apple Brandy, here I come.

793 S. Coppell Rd.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Jump for more markets.

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Campo and Oak Owners Team Up For New Restaurant in Old Lumi Space on McKinney. They Need Us to Name the Restaurant!

posted by Nancy Nichols | June 7th, 2012 9:42am | filed under As the Restaurant Turns, Breaking News, Cult Cuisine, Hot Links!, I Went to College for This?, Little Miss Snitch, Openings/Closings, Procrastination is part of the creative process, restaurant business news, Restaurant News, Rumors behind the restaurant news, SideDish Bump!, Skinny bitches | 16 Comments »

Gubbshoe Gubbins is armed and dangerous.

Dallas is a city full of buddy-buddy chefs and owners. For the most part, these talented folks leave their knives in the kitchen. (We, the media, have a different set of weapons but that is another story.) This morning comes word from Teresa Gubbshoe Gubbins:  “A new restaurant will open in the old Lumi Empanada space on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas, from a pair of restaurateurs who own two of the more exciting places in Dallas: Campo and Oak.”

How do you know that Gubbshoe?

Gubbshoe: “Campo co-owner John Paul Valverde has partnered with Oak co-owner Richard Ellman to develop the Lumi space into a fast-casual restaurant where the price point will be low — $6 to $11 — with cocktails and craft beer.”

I bet the focus will be on local ingredients, but bringing it to a more approachable, more casual restaurant and it’ll be the same thing we do at Campo, the same thing at Oak, but a little easier to approach and at a different price point as well. We want to show that you don’t have to pay a lot of money to get quality food. (You can find her other knowledge and some quotes about how these dudes are going to get this place open by the end of July here.)

And what is the name Miss SmartyPants? Oh, you don’t know? Well I’m going to call it Camp Oak. Or CampOak. Folks, lets name it for them. You guys are so good at this.

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