It’s been kind of a quiet week in Dallas dining, which we are more than OK with after a recent slate of restaurant closings, but we’ve still got some chef change-ups, incoming franchises and a chef who is drawing a fishy line in the sand:
- TJ’s Seafood Market’s Jon Alexis has issued a decree: TJ’s will no longer sell or serve tilapia, D reports. “According to Alexis, tilapia doesn’t meet his criteria for healthy protein which includes low calories, lean with minimal saturated fat, and crucial Omega-3 unsaturated fats,” Nancy Nichols writes. “‘Tilapia misses on these benefits,’ Alexis says. ‘Not only is it bland, but contains fats as bad for you as bacon!’” It’s an interesting stance considering that Alexis sold 1,100 pounds of tilapia in 2016, Nichols writes.
- There’s a new executive chef at the Hilton Anatole: Rigoberto Lemus, a Mexico City native who “will oversee culinary teams and menu development for the 1,606-room landmark hotel,” according to a press release. Lemus is no stranger to the hotel world, having worked at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, along with the Intercontinental here in Dallas. His new gig will include overseeing the SER Steak + Spirits and Media Bar & Grille.
- A New York-style pizza franchise is setting up shop in DFW, CultureMap reports. Flippin’ Pizza comes from California and will open branches in Plano and Fort Worth this spring, according to CultureMap. The Plano branch is opening at The Shops at Willow Bend, while the Fort Worth location will be at Chapel Hill Shopping Center, west of downtown. A spokesperson said those two branches will open in first quarter of 2017.
- Today is, apparently, Gluten Free Day, which sounds about a fun as National Stand in Line at DPS Day. In celebration, Del Frisco’s Grille is going GF with dishes like deviled eggs, fire-roasted artichoke and an heirloom tomato burrata salad.
- There’s a new Cuban restaurant in Oak Cliff: Little Havana, which opened in December on Davis, CultureMap reports:
Little Havana features a menu of Cuban food including dishes such as beans and rice, both red beans and black; and ropa vieja, aka beef stew. In addition to its regular menu, there are daily specials, sort of like a Cuban blue plate deal, with offerings such as roasted whole fish and garbanzo bean soup. A full bar serves Cuban cocktails — think piña coladas and mojitos, including a spicier version called the Creole mojito.