For the last 40 years, Cyclone Anaya’s World Class Mexican Kitchen — named for its wrestling founder, Jesus “Cyclone Anaya” Valencia — has stayed true to its “Fine Mex” roots. But every concept needs a little shaking up, so two of Valencia’s offspring, Vienna Molder and Rico V...

Keys to the Door: Owners Candace and Charles Nelson, general managers Jackie Kosako and Julie Linnhart.What’s Baking: In the complicated, competitive world where diminutive cakes compete for “best cupcake” honors, Sprinkles founder Candace Nelson reigns supreme. This trained pastry chef created the first b...

If you can never turn down a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, a cake-y walnut brownie or a crunchy almond biscotti, make tracks to Michael’s Cookie Jar in West U. Owner Michael Savino is a CIA-trained pastry chef who paid his dues in the kitchens of the Four Seasons hotels in Houston and Dallas before hanging his ...

When Bistro Vino, the eatery renowned for quaint garden dining, closed after 24 years, its building languished, slated to be razed in favor of mid-rise condos. As neighbors sulked, the deal fell apart, and 30-something developer Jorge Alvarez and his brother, Isaac, happened upon the 80-year-old Tudor — a new DIY proj...

It may not just be about personal chefs now: There is a bit of new culinary competition in town. Meet My Fit Foods, the latest health-food rage among those with discerning palates. Founded by personal trainer and nutritionist turned restaurateur Mario Mendias and with two Dallas locations (in Preston Center and on Lemmon Av...