AT&T Discovery District Adds New Restaurants With Serious Chef Power — Showcase Food Hall in Downtown Dallas Gets a Makeover

AT&T Discovery District is adding two new restaurants with some real chef appeal to The Exchange food hall. If the mere mention of the names like Caroline Perini, Miley Holmes and Joshua Harmon raises your foodie antenna, you’re in good company. The cult-worthy burgers of Easy Slider and the delectable Korean fried chicken creations at Birdie will add some major food power to this downtown Dallas district.

The first to open will be Birdie. Harmon’s newest restaurant concept is centered around completely reimagined and elevated fried chicken tenders and fried chicken sandwiches, plus housemade sauces and sides. It’s set to debut next Monday, May 23.

That will be followed by Easy Slider, which is scheduled to open on Wednesday, June 1. Its menu consists of classic sides and inventive sliders (not your basic burgers) inspired by Perini’s Texas roots and Miley’s obsession with all things Southern.

The Exchange at AT&T Discovery District has proven its prowess in the food hall game, bringing in some noteworthy talent. Diners can enjoy many cuisines from the quintessential lobster roll at The Dock to octopus tacos from James Beard semifinalist Regino “Gino” Rojas at his Revolver Taco location inside the hall.

Chicken, Chicken

Harmon is no stranger to accolades. They seem to follow him everywhere he goes for good reason. I once called him a “mad scientist” and I’m sticking to it. Harmon’s penchant for pushing boundaries, combining unexpected flavors and fermenting nearly everything keeps his cuisine cutting edge.

He cut his teeth at some of the best restaurants in New York City, including The Dutch, Le Cirque and Buddakan. Harmon has cooked at multiple James Beard-nominated restaurants, including Dallas’ Petra and The Beast. He also won Restaurant Rivals on the Food Network in 2019.

The first iteration of Birdie landed briefly in Fort Worth as BirdieBop, the dining component of the short-lived The Moon on Berry Street. It features Southern, Korean and Japanese influences with menu items such as Crispy Chicken Steam Buns and Korean Spiked Hot Honey Chicken. The chicken is done sous vide in Southern brine, then fried and dipped completely in a spicy and sweet Korean sauce. Sides include Hawaiian-style macaroni salad.

“We are trying to raise the bar in terms of what a chicken tender place can be,” Josh Harmon says in a statement. “We’ll offer unique items such as different flavors of Kool-Aid slushies and a chicken biscuit we only do on Sundays.”

Dream Burgers

Easy Slider, began as a food truck in 2011 and has since grown to four food trucks, a full-service restaurant and bar in Deep Ellum, a spot inside Grapevine’s Harvest Hall and now this new Discovery District food hall location. Easy Slider routinely draws the longest lines at food festivals like the Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival.

Easy’s Sweet & Lowdown slider was even featured in Texas Monthly’s 50 Best Burgers in Texas rankings. It’s made with certified Angus beef topped with goat cheese, strawberry jam and bacon. Yes, it’s anything but your routine burger.

“The Exchange is downtown Dallas’ go-to culinary destination and we’re thrilled to join the team,” Caroline Perini says in a statement. “We’re looking forward to being a part of some of the best independently owned restaurants in town.”

Other Easy Slider favorites include the French Revolution topped with grilled onions, prosciutto, gruyere cheese and Dijon mustard — and The Notorious P.I.G filled with thick-cut bacon, shaved ham, Havarti cheese and pear chow chow.

The Food Hall Shuffle

Easy Slider will be located on the first floor of The Exchange, taking over the former Bobbers Burger space. Bobbers is not gone, it has simply moved to The Exchange’s sister concept next door — the JAXON Texas Kitchen & Beer Garden. You’ll find Bobbers’ food in “The Shack at JAXON,” which is located in the beer garden area.

Ichi Ni San, which was previously located on the second floor, will move down to the first floor with a rebranded spot called Ichi, serving up poke bowls and sushi.

The food hall’s second floor will become Attalie, featuring rotating chef concepts along with a private dining area. The first guest chef will be Misti Norris, who will take over the space from June to July with a restaurant called Stepchild. It will serve dinner Thursdays through Sundays.