Tikka Tikka Boom

Southlake's newest Indian restaurant favors fresh over obvious

Say it with me: ommm.

Photo courtesy of Om

With limited options for Indian food in Southlake, it's welcome news that OM Indian Grill will open in mid-September at 2001 W. Southlake Blvd., in a space formerly occupied by a branch of Benny's Bagels. OM is a family-run restaurant from chef-owner Laxmi Tukkem that will serve classic dishes such as tikka masala and lamb vindaloo, but with a hyper-focus on freshness.

Tukkem started OM as a catering business and built up such a strong following that it propelled her to expand to a bricks and mortar spot. She's doing dishes from both Northern and Southern India, using techniques from royal Nawab and Moghul kitchens, but that also duplicate what she grew up with.

"My mom used to make chicken, lamb, and baby goat," Tukkem says. "And seafood was important. My home town is on the seashore so we used to eat fresh seafood every single day. My dad and uncle would bring home fresh fish, and my grandmom is a very good cook who would cook up the fresh seafood, using country-style recipes. This is the kind of spirit I try to recreate."

OM will utilize a traditional Indian tandoor oven but also a charcoal grill, cooking meats and seafood until tender, then incorporating them in house-made curries and other sauces. In addition to classics like chicken tikka masala and spinach paneer, they will also offer nontraditional options such as shrimp kebabs and grilled scallops and vegetables. "I feel like my quality and presentation are unique," she says.

Freshness is her top priority. That means she won't be doing a buffet, the unfortunate crutch that many ethnic restaurants in DFW must resort to in order to get cautious diners to try a new cuisine.

"But people have said they want to come for dinner," she says. "I would like to give everyone fresh food. That's the feedback I've received from family and friends — they say, 'Oh wow, this is a different kind of food you are making.'"

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Scones News

Fort Worth baker pops up around town with fresh baked scones

Sunrise Scones

Scones from Sunrise Scones

Fort Worth has a pop-up baker dedicated entirely to the wonderful world of scones: Called Sunrise Scones, it's a mobile bakery that pops up twice a week, selling scones ready to eat or take home and bake.

Sunrise is from baker Gretchen Seegel, who has been baking and selling scones since 2021. Fans seek out out every Saturday at Clearfork Farmers Market at 4801 Edwards Ranch Rd. And during September, she's been popping-up every Wednesday from 10 am-2 pm at Sweet Lucy’s Pies, inside Bluebonnet Circle Park at 3520 Blue Bonnet Cir.

Her signature item is her blueberry lemon scone, a golden-brown pastry featuring whole blueberries and lemon zest. Other flavors include double chocolate, vanilla cream, and s’mores topped with graham cracker crumbles and a chocolate square.

She also does savory flavors such as parmesan pesto that almost resembles focaccia, with its topping of dusted herbs and melted cheese.

Single scones like a pie-shaped wedge, a couple inches high, and most of her flavors come with icing or sprinkled toppings which add to their visual appeal. A single scone is $5, although the more popular order is a four-pack for $20. Orders can be made during markets or through preorder on the site.

In addition to already baked, she also offers a take-and-bake — "so people can buy frozen scones, bring them home, and bake them when they want a fresh scone," she says.

Seegel began baking scones because she could never find ones she liked.

“I love bakeries but more often than not, I was disappointed in the scone,” Seegel says. “They were either overworked, over-mixed, or super sweet.”

Scones were a fun pivot for Seegel, a creative soul who previously designed and sewed children's clothes under her brand called Beatrice Tuley, which she closed when she launched her baking business.

The biggest challenges in the scones operation have been finding quality ingredients while keeping prices reasonable, but she loves the process of creating flavors, with an eye towards seasonality. She's already working on apples and pumpkin for the fall.

"I just think about what would pair well with other flavors and try to find some unique pairings," she says.