The Dallas Dish — Cry Wolf, Oak Cliff Pizza, and a Fresh New Spot at the Farmers Market
Your Weekly Need-To-Know Restaurant News
BY Megan Ziots // 11.29.21It’s been a crazy two years since Bon Appétit named Dallas the 2019 Restaurant City of the Year. But even through a pandemic, our city’s dining scene has persevered. With the overwhelming amount of recent openings (particularly in Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, and downtown), it’s easy to forget that many in the industry are still struggling, but Texas restaurants have been innovating to provide the comfort food — and cocktails — we need. Now, it’s time to look forward to the Dallas restaurant news ahead.
From exciting openings to unfortunate closures (plus, any other food news we might find fitting), The Dallas Dish is your weekly helping of need-to-know local dining news.
Neony Pizza softly debuts in Oak Cliff.
Softly opened at the TyPo building off of Davis street (next to Joy Macarons), this new pizza spot comes from Alex Ham, who previously opened a pizza spot in Soul, South Korea when he lived in the city’s popular Gangnam neighborhood. Having imported some of the recipes from his Korean concept, Ham’s menu consists of unique flavors and options, including pesto cream, cup & char pepperoni, banh mi, jalapeño pepperoni, and more. The official opening will take place on Tuesday, November 30.
Cry Wolf finally opens in East Dallas.
We’ve been waiting on this one for a long time. As reported in D Magazine, chef Ross Demers’ new, intimate restaurant has finally opened in East Dallas. Focused on seasonal fare and cocktails, the new spot officially debuted on November 23. Expect steak and seafood dishes crafted with locally-sourced ingredients. The small space only has a 14-seat bar and 11 or so tables, so be sure to make your reservations quick.
Roots Southern Table earns more acclaim.
In national food news, Esquire magazine has named chef Tiffany Derry’s Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch as one of their 40 Best New Restaurants in America. This comes not long after the Top Chef alum’s restaurant was named a Top 50 Restaurant in the U.S. by The New York Times last month.
A new Mexican restaurant takes over former Hurdy Gurdy space at the Farmers Market.
As reported in CultureMap, a new Mexican restaurant is taking over the space formerly occupied by Hurdy Gurdy (and before that, Mudhen) at the Dallas Farmers Market. The Reserve comes from husband-and-wife Gabriel Landa and Monica Reza (Taqueria Taxco), and will serve authentic Mexican food, particularly from Taxco, Mexico. The opening is slated for December 2021.
BrainDead Brewing shutters for good
First reported by the Dallas Morning News, long-time Deep Ellum brewpub BrainDead has officially shuttered. News came over Facebook a few days ago when a post appeared on the BrainDead page stating: “This will be our last weekend of business. We are thankful for everyone that supported us through almost 7 years of brewpubbing in Deep Ellum, the best neighborhood there ever was.” The last night open for the spot was Sunday, November 28.
After 20 years in downtown, The Metropolitan Cafe closes
The iconic Metropolitan Cafe has closed in downtown Dallas after 20 years. It officially closed on November 24. The news was broken by owner Michael Vouras on the restaurant’s Facebook page yesterday stating that the closure was not due to health reasons, etc., but that it was just time. The opening of the restaurant in 2001 by Michael’s family was followed by the tragic loss of his father Pete. Michael, his mother Christine, and wife Stefani continued to run the restaurant until now. Here is the full letter.