A First Taste of AM/FM — A New Diner, Lounge, and Live Music Venue in Dallas’ Design District

At the end of last year, it was announced that a new diner, lounge, and live music venue would be taking over the former Ferris Wheelers space in Dallas’ Design District. Boasting a creative all-day menu crafted by acclaimed Dallas chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, AM/FM is officially open and we got a first taste. But here’s a brief refresher on the concept before we dive into the food.

AM/FM comes from the owners of boutique event production company, SPUNE, Matthew Harber and Annette Marin. It was opened as a place to serve “musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name.”

The former barbecue spot underwent a renovation and now features a revamped interior space with a new bar, banquettes that wrap around the room, and intimate corners designed for conversation. Outside, the AM/FM backyard concert venue is designed for big stages, big crowds, and long nights al fresco.

SPUNE teamed up with Chef Quiñones-Pittman’s Oh, Hi! Hospitality to create the diner’s menu, which was influenced by “Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.” You’ll find breakfast available all day, as well as starters, entrees, salads, soups, sides, and desserts.

We caught up with Chef Quiñones-Pittman after our first visit to the diner to find out more about her new menu at AM/FM.

What attracted you to AM/FM when deciding to consult on their new diner menu?

I loved Matt and Annette’s story. And wanted to tell it through the dishes. That and I love how passionate they are about music. We shared a lot of the same values about food and people.

What inspired the all-day menu?

We were inspired by an all-day menu because we didn’t want anyone to miss out on anything. We wanted to make sure that if you didn’t get a chance to come for brunch, you could still get pork belly toast or a breakfast taco for dinner.

I recently went in and tried the French toast. It was amazing. What made you choose to add sweet potato to the classic breakfast item?

I loved the idea of using Matt’s background and love for Southern food to create dishes. I thought that sweet potato as a side would be great, but even more fun as a puree for the toast.

The chicken enchilada chef’s pot pie was also great! How often will the filling change?

I want to give our guests time to work their way through the menu. That dish has become a favorite, and I will wait a bit before changing. But this menu item gives us a chance to play around with seasons and what’s available.

Which dish are you most excited about on the menu and why?

This is tough because I love this menu so much, but I really love the MLT [Mozzarella LT] because it feels like a chicken parm sammie. Yet vegetarian. You don’t miss the meat at all. I am also obsessed with the breakfast empanada. It has everything I crave for breakfast: chorizo, potato, cheddar, and egg. Pro move, ask for it with a side of our house-made Tabasco!

Our favorite dishes that we’ve tried so far include:

• French Toast with challah bread, sweet potato, candied pecans, and whipped cream
• Meatloaf stuffed with a jalapeno popper with mashed potatoes
• Chef’s Pot Pie — currently a chicken enchilada filling, but this will rotate
• Chorizo Fritters with corn and chorizo, served with butter lettuce wraps and green tomato chow chow

On our list for next time is the masa pancakes, chilaquiles, open-faced tuna sammie, and pot roast guiso with pozole grits.

A cocktail menu also boasts “AM Standards” like the blood orange margarita, espresso martini (made with Counter Culture espresso), and Old Fashioned, as well as “FM Highballs” including the Agave Punch with Koch El Mezcal, hibiscus, citrus, and soda. There’s also a couple of martinis, such as the Rose Nectar and Mocha Matcha, a basil whiskey sour, and frozen margaritas. Happy Hour is from 3 pm to 6:30 pm, and the Late Night Menu is available from 8 pm to close.

For those like me who wondered immediately, is the Ferris wheel still there? It is. But you can’t ride it, unfortunately.