Desiree Gutierrez
More Closures While Chains Expand, Selena Gomez Releases A Cookware Collab With Our Place, Pressed By Perla Opens And More.
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.
Local favorites are closing shop quicker than we can make it to get one last bite.
If you haven’t heard, the Lower Greenville staple Rapscallion has closed its doors. The bistro was a regular for Rapscallionites, the nickname dubbed to the bistro’s regulars, to enjoy a wood-fired grilled ribeye with fresh seafood and indulge in an impressive wine list. The announcement came three days before the last meal service on May 14.
Lower Greenville will not be the same.
This wasn’t the only unfortunate news for East Dallas. While we mourned Rapscallion’s closing, Trompo quietly packed up and turned out the lights.
Owner Luis Olvera told Dallas Morning News the East Dallas location is gone for good.
Trompo opened on Gaston Avenue last August and we were thrilled to have access to the taqueria in both Oak Cliff and East Dallas. The loss of the Oak Cliff location last December hit us hard and we still haven’t fully recovered. We had just got comfortable driving to Gaston Avenue for our elote en vaso with crushed Takis and tacos slathered with grilled onions, cilantro and salsa.
It’s time to reroute our GPS.
For now, Olvera is operating Trompo’s last leg out of a ghost kitchen in Commerce Fork Co. in West Dallas and says he is looking for a more permanent brick-and-mortar for Trompo. For the love of street tacos, rally and rush to Trompo! This is not a drill!
Sonny Bryan on Lovers Lane also closed on May 15. The location opened in March 1999 and was profitable for 21 years, owner Brent Harman told the DMN. Despite Sonny Bryan’s fame and catching the attention of celebrity chefs, like Emeril Lagassse, the pandemic and supply chain issues proved to be too much strain for the Lovers location. Luckily, we can still get a piping hot chopped brisket sandwich dripping in barbecue sauce at the original Inwood Road location and the Richardson location. Support local and eat like a celebrity. We beg of you.
And while all the greats bow out, we present to you an influx of chain restaurants.
Jollibee, a Filipino fast food restaurant, announced plans to open a third DFW location in Arlington. People congested the Preston Road and President George Bush Turnpike intersection for weeks waiting for up to three hours to get a Chickenjoy bucket of fried chicken with a side of Jolly Spaghetti or Palabok Fiesta. It was a gluttonous traffic nightmare, but those days will be long gone.
The Arlington location plans to open March 2023, right after the Greenville Avenue location opens up later this year. Yay for accessible fried chicken for all!
Victory Park is jumping in on the action by welcoming New York City’s Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beers. How’s that for a mouthful? We hope their burgers are as big as their name. From the sneak peak DMN gave us, they are!
Black Tap is an international phenomenon with locations domestically in Las Vegas and Disneyland as well as locations in Switzerland, Singapore and Iraq. Naturally with a menu item like the Texan Burger, a Dallas Black Tap was a must! Its Texan Burger is loaded with all the burger basics – beef, cheddar and mayo. The Texan flair comes from the Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce and crispy onions.
Will it live up to its name? We’ll be the judge when Black Tap opens at the end of 2022.
Enough with all the food, we’re thirsty! ICYMI Dutch Bros opened a new location in Addison May 20. It’s right off of Marsh Lane and Spring Valley Road which could or could not be a pain during rush hour. Honestly, the caffeine is worth it.
For all you health freaks, we have a drink for you, too. Pressed by Perla, a local Latina-owned juice bar, opens May 28 in Oak Cliff. Owner Perla Murillo uses fresh fruits to make her juices with no preservatives added. Murillo’s juices have been accessible at pop up shops throughout Dallas prior to the upcoming opening. Our favorite is Mamacita; a blend of beets, apple, cranberry, cucumber and pineapple and we can’t wait to try Murillo’s latest flavor, Pinky Summer.
But, listen, we get it. Inflation is real and it hurts. The closings are heartbreaking and all these openings sound great, but that adds up real quick. Our girl Selena Gomez has our backs.
For those who want to scale back on the eating out, Gomez has just the thing. Gomez released a collaboration with Our Place, a kitchenware brand by Pakistani social activist Shiza Shadid. The collection is a tribute to Gomez’s Mexican heritage and comes in two colors, rosa and azul.
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It’s so pretty we almost don’t want to cook in it! It’s a vibe, but what we adore the most is that 10% proceeds goes to mental health services for young people through the Rare Impact Fund.
Cover photo courtesy of Raspcallion on Facebook.