Dallas City Council’s New Parking Waiver Makes Outdoor Dining A Little Easier For Restaurants

Welcome to AM Intel in the time of coronavirus, a round-up of the city’s newest bits of restaurant-related intel. Follow Eater on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date details on how COVID-19 is impacting the city’s dining scene.

Dallas City Council waives parking restrictions for restaurant patios

In an effort to address the City of Dallas’s “antiquated” parking code, and to ease restrictions on restaurants struggling to survive in the era of social distancing, the Dallas City Council has made a temporary change to rules outlining how many parking spaces restaurants must have, the Dallas Observer reports.

Normally, restaurants are required to have a certain number of parking spots per square footage of “usable space.” Under the new change, covered, unenclosed patio areas do not need to be counted when factoring in the number of required parking spaces. The resolution expires on April 30, 2021, or or 14 days after Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus occupancy limits are removed, whichever is first. There is also an option to extend the resolution, if needed.

The resolution is yet another small tweak meant to help restaurants navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, in which many people are opting to dine outdoors, if they dine out at all. Previously, the city passed a resolution allowing restaurants to convert some of their parking and sidewalks into “parklets,” or temporary mini-patios.

Vietnamese-inspired charcuterie pop-up heads to Garland

A popular Vietnamese bakery in Garland is launching a charcuterie pop-up that will sell Vietnamese deli meats, persimmon jam, pickled vegetables and more, according to the Dallas Morning News. The pop-up is a project from Violet Huynh, whose mother owns Quoc Bao Bakery in Garland. Hyunh and her boyfriend Gavin Seto are launching Chả Cutie, an Asian-inspired charcuterie shop, which will operate out of the bakery at 3419 W Walnut Street when it opens later this year.

Hyunh and Seto, who is Chinese, have spent months learning Vietnamese baking techniques fro Hyunh’s mom, she told the DMN. The pop-up’s name is a nod to chả, a type of Vietnamese pork sausage. Before they fully launch, Hyunh and Seto plan to sell small-batch custom charcuterie boards in the next coming weeks. Follow them on instagram at @chacutietx for updates.

Modern taqueria with impressive culinary team hits Fort Worth this week

A new taqueria helmed by a longtime butcher will open later this week in Fort Worth. Chef Miguel Mendoza spent 16 years as a butcher in Monterrey, Mexico, before deciding to open a taco shop in North Texas that would honor the recipes and traditions of his hometown. Maestro Tacos, at 3011 Bledsoe Street, will serve up birra, carnitas, barbacoa, pollo asado, and trompo, alongside tequila and mezcal margaritas and non-alcoholic agua frescas. The vibe of the restaurant is meant to evoke the vibrant but laid-back feel of taquerias in Monterrey and Mexico City, complete with an open-air patio and late-night hours. The restaurant is expected to open by the beginning of November.

Lucky’s Hot Chicken to open second location in Highland Park

Lucky’s Hot Chicken, the Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant that debuted in East Dallas in mid-September, is adding a second location at 6309 Hillcrest Ave in Highland Park later this year. The Highland Park spot will include a new addition to the Lucky’s menu — boozy frozen cocktails. The retro diner-style restaurant’s first location, at 4505 Gaston Avenue, was an instant hit, with dishes like the Big Lou spicy chicken sandwich, collard greens baked beans, and chicken in five spice levels, from “kinda lucky” to “best of luck.” No word yet on an opening date for the second location, but look for it sometimes before the end of 2020.