- Yeterday, the Oak Cliff Advocate wrote about a Birmingham developer that received approval from the City Plan Commission to replat 4.5-acres on Zang at Beckley. "Orange Development LLC of Birmingham has requested to create one lot out of the tract, bounded by Davis, Zang, Beckley and Seventh," Rachel Stone writes. "The 'replat' request is a sign that some big development is in the planning stages there."
Currently located on that plot of land in the Bishop Arts District: El Corazon de Tejas. The beloved local Tex-Mex restaurant has a lot of history in Oak Cliff; the building it's in has been been turning out cheese-stuffed tortillas since 1955. The building was originally built in the 40s as Wyatt Food Store, then became several different Mexican/Tex-Mex restaurant concepts before rebranding as El Corazon in 2013.
During yesterday's City Plan Commission meeting, the replat request was approved, Stone reports. "The item was on the commission’s consent agenda, which means it was approved without discussion. The properties are zoned 'community retail' and could be redeveloped with building heights of up to four stories." Could this spell the end of El Corazon? The Bishop Arts neighborhood is primed to change substantially in coming years thanks to developers' plans to build mixed-use developments in the area. We've reached out to El Corazon and Oak Cliff councilman Scott Griggs in an effort to learn more about developers' plans for the plot of land but have yet to receive a response.
- The Second Floor by Scott Gottlich, located inside The Westin Galleria Dallas, has been without its namesake chef since March, when it was announced that Gottlich left the restaurant. Now, the restaurant has a new chef, a new menu and a new name: Second Floor Regionally Inspired Kitchen. The restaurant is now under the direction of chef David Smith, who also "oversees all culinary aspects of The Westin Galleria Dallas," according to a press release. Smith's new breakfast, lunch and dinner menus include healthier dishes like compressed watermelon salad, sous vide pork chop and toasted farro and portabella.
- Dallas restaurateur Hunter Pond, the man behind East Hampton Sandwich Co., is planning a new restaurant in University Park: Hudson House, "a Northeastern-inspired joint Pond bills as 'old-school casual' with an emphasis on classic American dishes and seafood," GuideLive reports. "The restaurant, located on Lovers Lane near the Dallas North Tollway, inhabits about 4,000 square feet of real estate that will house a traditional dining area as well as a 'raw bar,' where patrons can belly up and watch chefs build seafood towers out of East Coast oysters, lobsters, king crabs and clams — 'the stuff you generally see when you travel to the Northeast,' Pond says." The restaurant is currently under construction and slated to open this summer, GuideLive reports.
- Matador Meat & Wine in Plano is closed temporarily while the meat market moves to a new location, according to a press release. The restaurant is moving to 8308 Preston Road, one block north of their current location, and plans to re-open by Easter. "We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience of having to eat inferior meat while we are closed," Matador said in the press release.
- A few weeks ago, organizers of Oak Cliff homebrew festival Brew Riot announced that the fest would be taking a year off while they look for a new location, since the fest has apparently outgrown its home in Bishop Arts. But for those who don't want to wait until 2016, Go Oak Cliff has organized a new homebrew festival to take Brew Riot's place this year: Brewhaha, which will be held Sunday, May 21, in the Cedars. Organizers are expecting more than a dozen homebrew teams bringing more than 50 beers to the new fest, and brewers interested in participating should register with the Texas Homebrew Society.
- An dessert stand for grown ups is coming to Deep Ellum, CultureMap reports: The Pharmacy, "best described as a milkshake bar with an adult twist," is slated to open in the former Elm Street Bar space early this summer. Judging by the team behind this boozy milkshake spot, this could prove to be an interesting concept:
Pharmacy's owners include Braxton Martin and Corey Good of High and Tight, plus Danny Wilson and Jacob Cox, of Rocket Fizz. Wilson says that the concept combines the kid-friendly spirit of a candy store with the spirits of a bar. "It'll be a family-friendly atmosphere, which is what Jacob and I have been doing with Rocket Fizz," Wilson says. "But we're also talking about 'not your father's root beer,' and alcoholic shakes."
- The former Stephan Pyles restaurant on Ross Avenue is about to become Corrientes 348, Dallas' first Argentinian steak house, according to a press release. This will be the steak house's first U.S. location, opening in late spring or early summer. What's the difference between a Brazilian steakhouse and its Argentinian cousin? Well, according to a note in the press release, it's all about romance. "Very important to note: Argentinean style dining is considered more romantic and more of a dining experience vs. Brazilian," the press release reads. We're not entirely sure what that means, but there will be a 20-seat bar (for a "more interactive dining experience") around a custom-made grill called a parilla, and the menu will feature a la carte items or "family-style dining with an emphasis on high quality cuts of meat, sides and carefully selected wines."
The new menus are influenced by the Westin’s 'Be Well' movement, which allows guests to Eat Well, Play Well, and Feel Well, in whatever fashion suits their mood, day or overall lifestyle. Of note, select items from the breakfast menu are denoted as SuperFoodsRX, which are dishes specifically paired with whole foods to boost nutritional benefits and flavors. Second Floor Kitchen also prides itself in providing gluten free menu choices.
