The Spread.

Kangaroo Nachos Hopping Into Denton Represent Just One Of The Young Year's New Dining Options.

Welcome to The Spread, our weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except, this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.

While everyone's swearing off junk foods — signifying that the new year is truly upon us — there's plenty of savory, salty and cheesy options that still jive with these newfound quests for healthier lifestyles.

For starters, we can look forward to more burgers and barbecue in 2015. In Old East Dallas, the original owner's of Barbec's are opening a new takeout burger joint called Harvey G's that will be serving a menu of reasonably priced burgers, curly fries and desserts as soon as mid-month.

In Plano, meanwhile, coming barbecue and burger attraction Hickory is looking to set up shop near the Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 121 this spring. Diners can expect a menu that includes ribs, brisket and pork shoulder, as well as a selection of burgers and sides like a grilled jicama coleslaw, and blue cheese, scallion and bacon waffle fries. You can also expect tables stocked with homemade pickles to cap off every meal.

A little farther down the way in Addison, the folks behind Velvet Taco plan to open a Southern gastropub called Ida Claire in the former Truluck's space. Previous reports pointed to some type of Velvet Taco-barbecue vision for the concept, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

For the people still looking to improve their diets in the new year, though, fast-casual concept Start has opened its second outpost near Lemmon Avenue in Oak Lawn. The new location will feature the same menu as the Greenville Avenue spot, with the addition of a new sweet potato cinnamon roll for brunch.

In Uptown, Pera Wine Bistro is bringing Mediterranean favorites to McKinney Avenue. Most of the menu items strike in an affordable price range — plates are generally running less than $11 — and delivery is available to those in the area. The late-night crowd can also add Pera to their list of haunts, as the place will have hours running until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and an 11 p.m. closing time the rest of the week.

Also on McKinney, Patina Green is adding dinner options. Dinner will be available three times a week at first, with the menu rotating weekly based on seasonal ingredients. You can also expect the store hours and other menu options to expand in 2015.

On the national radar, East Hampton Sandwich Co. owner Hunter Pond was featured on Forbes' 2015 list of “30 under 30 for food & wine.”

Speaking of food and drink, Denton's newest cocktail joint is already garnering some attention from an interesting pairings it offers up. The new Hickory & Fry — a gastropub concept from the owner of Jack Mac's Swill and Grill — mixes interesting cocktails like the Jalapeno Business (house-infused pineapple basil, tequila, jalapeno, lime juice and soda) and out-there grub like kangaroo nachos, in which seared marsupial is paired with habanero jam, boysenberry oil and fresh jalapeno.

In craft beer news, Community Beer Co. is celebrating its two-year anniversary on Saturday, January 24. The event takes place from 1:30 to 6 p.m., with premiere access starting at noon. Community's social media followers have access to early-release discounted tickets.

Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!