Let's Do Lunch

Fresh fast-casual cafe finds another North Texas lunch crowd to serve

Salads are a big thing at Newk's Eatery.

Photo courtesy of Newk's Eatery

Irving's lunchtime crowd has a hot new option: A second branch of Newk's Eatery has opened in the Cypress Waters development at I-635 and Belt Line Road, and it's serving sandwiches, salads, and pizza with California-style toppings such as barbecue chicken.

Newk's was launched in 2004 in Oxford, Mississippi, by Don Newcomb, Debra Bryson, and Chris Newcomb, founders of the McAlister's Deli chain, which they sold in 2001. Newk's (an abbreviation of the Newcomb name) was conceived as a more foodie-friendly place, with some menu items taken from family recipes.

Newk's debuted in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in West Plano, where it opened in April 2013. Local franchisee Andrea Gage Cheek discovered Newk's while traveling for her last job.

"I was working in the nonprofit industry, but I thought it was so good that I wanted to bring it here," she says. "And it's practical. The food is fresh, but you can get in and out for lunch in 10 minutes or less."

Unlike some other quick-serve options, this is a "scratch" concept, where lettuce and fruit are chopped in the morning and ingredients are prepared to order. They use real silverware, not plastic, and they also serve beer and wine.

The food has an upscale twist, Cheek says.

"The Newk's 'Q' has grilled chicken, bacon, Swiss cheese, and our white barbecue sauce with horseradish, which is something you might not expect," she says. "We also do a unique vegetarian club sandwich with portabella mushrooms, bell peppers, goat cheese, and garlic pesto sauce."

Salads are numerous and include one with grilled chicken, artichokes, grapes, cranberries, and Gorgonzola cheese. Pizzas range from pepperoni to veggie; one with barbecue chicken is reminiscent California Pizza Kitchen's signature pie with chicken, red onion, tomato, and sweet barbecue sauce.

There will also be seasonal specials, such as the grilled veggie salad; kale Caesar; and a farmers market sandwich, which are being offered for the summer.

The chain has been growing throughout the Southeast, with Texas currently the westernmost frontier; Cheek says another location is planned for North Texas in early 2017. "We look for great neighborhoods," Cheek says.

---

Want more great stories like these delivered to your inbox daily? Then sign up for our emails.

openings

Hotel News

Restaurant at chic new Fort Worth hotel reveals menu by Top Chef

Courtesy rendering

Bar and lounge at Nobleman Hotel in Fort Worth.

A new hotel restaurant opening in Fort Worth will bring back a name familiar to local diners: The restaurant is Duchess, opening in The Nobleman Hotel, 503 Bryan Ave. in Fort Worth’s Southside neighborhood in 2025. The chef is Casey Thompson, a former DFW chef who rocketed to fame after she appeared as a contestant on Top Chef.

Thompson is especially familar to Fort Worth, since she helped launch Brownstone, a restaurant that opened in 2010 in Fort Worth's West 7th district where she served as a consulting chef for a year.

The Nobleman Hotel is the distinctive development from Bedford Lodging in which a new-construction hotel will be wrapped around the historic No. 5 Fire Station, built in 1911. The restored fire station will serve as the heart of the hotel and will also be home to Duchess, with an architecturally prominent façade and approachable menu that represent a significant addition to the local dining scene.

Food
Bedford Lodging president Jeff Blackman enlisted consultant chef Thompson — who started out at The Mansion Restaurant in Dallas — to concept the menu and source an executive chef, to be named at a later date.

Chef Casey Thompson Casey Thompson at a DIFFA event in 2016. Photo by Shana Anderson

According to a release, the restaurant will feature New American cuisine with a Texas influence including steaks, pasta, and seafood.

Starters will include blue crab toast, tuna tartare, beef carpaccio ciabatta, snapper crudo, and crispy chicken croquettes.

Entrees will include red snapper with clams and butter beans; ricotta gnocchi with truffle butter; and a fried eggplant schnitzel with a poblano chimichurri.

Three steak options will include filet, ribeye, and New York strip, with an array of sauces.

Sides will include hand-cut fries with tarragon aioli; baguettes with pan drippings; and a homey side of spinach with black-eyed peas.

One stand-out feature will be the “Bowl of Red” — beef boar and beer chili with accoutrements, served in a silver tureen with choice of Fritos or buttered koji rice.

Design
The 56-seat restaurant will feature warm tones, banquettes, flooring changes, and details such as firemen’s pulley systems and brass fittings, keeping the history of the space alive. The entry will feature a welcoming portal on the first floor of the fire house to the bar and dining room.

The patio will be a continuation of the restaurant space with outdoor dining and vignettes of lounge furniture for smaller bites.

The Nobleman Hotel, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton concept, will open in early 2025, with 121 guest rooms and 32 extended stay suites with kitchenettes — pairing modern amenities with a historic façade, anchored by the original No. 5 Fire Station.

openings celebrities hotels chefs