Chef Matt McCallister Opens a Mexican Restaurant in West Village and More Dallas Sushi News

Chef Matt McCallister debuts a casual Modern Mexican restaurant in West Village.

Local Favorite Restaurants Group (El Fenix, Snuffer’s) and one of our city’s most notable chefs, Matt McCallister (formerly of Homewood and FT33) have just opened a casual modern Mexican restaurant in West Village. UnaVida is now open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch in the former Taco Diner space. Chef McCallister, who joined the restaurant group earlier, created a menu of fresh dishes utilizing high-quality ingredients, including a Smothered Burrito, an Open Faced Enchilada Verde, and bowls with a choice of bases such as cauliflower rice, cilantro rice, and quinoa. The bar menu features culinary-inspired cocktails.

“We boil, extract, and dehydrate ingredients to maximize and concentrate the flavor from ingredients,” McCallister states in a release. These creations include the Toreados Margarita with grilled serrano, Caramelized Pineapple Margarita, and Cactus Caipirinha.

As for the design, inspiration was taken from travels to Oaxaca, Mexico. There are “woods, colorful fabrics, hand brushed murals, authentic crafted art, tasteful pops of vibrant colors, and the use of repurposed materials.” The space features a U-shaped bar, a large covered patio, and a semi-private dining room.

A more casual sushi spot from the founder of Shoyo opens in Lower Greenville.

Kaiyo, the new sushi spot from Shoyo‘s Jimmy Park, quietly opened on Lower Greenville (in the former Teppo space) this week. The restaurant is walk-in only and features a 40-seat raw bar. According to the Dallas Morning News, the menu includes a signature hamachi star sashimi dish, various specialty rolls, karaage, a tuna pizza, and more. A cocktail menu also features creative drinks incorporating Japanese flavors. Hours are currently limited but will expand to regular hours on December 8.

A Los Angeles-based sushi restaurant is debuting its second Texas location in Dallas.

On December 8, Los Angeles-based Sushi By Scratch Restaurants is opening its second Texas location in downtown Dallas’ The Adolphus hotel. The sushi restaurant likes to operate out of speakeasy-style locations in Healdsburg, Montecito, Austin, Chicago, and beyond — in Dallas, Sushi By Scratch is hosted within a guest room on the eighth floor. Led by Chef Phillip Frankland Lee, the pop-up concept features 17-course omakase tastings with unique touches like sourdough breadcrumbs and sweet corn “pudding.”

Each experience only seats eight people — up close and intimate at the sushi counter. Drinks include cocktails, sake, and beer. Reservations are now open.