New Restaurant Inspired by Korean Soju Bars Debuts in Uptown

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.

Korean-inspired drinking den Anju opens Friday in Uptown

Anju, the new late-night restaurant inspired by Korean soju bars, will officially open this Friday, April 23, at 2901 Thomas Avenue. The restaurant, whose name comes from the Korean word for snacks served with late-night drinks, has been quietly open for a few months, testing out dishes and cocktails on diners while tweaking the menu and interior. At the grand opening party, which begins at 9 p.m., expect dishes like kaarage chicken, drunken noodles, angus dumplings, and wasabi fried rice, as well as soju, somaek, and classic American cocktails.

Cinnaholic will bring gooey cinnamon rolls and other vegan treats to Arlington this weekend

Cinnaholic, the vegan bakery known for icing-coated cinnamon rolls and other sweet desserts, will open a brand new location on Friday, April 23 at 5001 South Cooper Street in Arlington. The bakery, which gained fame following a 2014 appearance on ABC reality show Shark Tank, has its sights set on much of Texas, with new locations planned for Houston and a spot in Frisco opening in May, per a rep for the company. Cinnaholic first landed in North Texas with a Fort Worth location that opened in 2019.

LeBron James-backed Blaze Pizza opens location in Dallas proper

Blaze Pizza, the chain that cooks up fast-fired customizable pizzas and counts LeBron James as an investor, has announced four new locations for North Texas, including the first inside Dallas city limits. According to the Dallas Morning News, the two of those locations, in Rowlett and on Greenville Avenue and Lovers Lane, have opened in the last week. Two more are expected to open in May in Mesquite and Irving.

The restaurant is known for letting diners choose from a variety of toppings, assembly-line style, then baking the pizzas in a quick-fire oven that only takes three minutes to cook. The first Blaze Pizza in the area opened in Frisco in 2015.

Oak Cliff bistro Victor Hugo’s will close after seven years

Neighborhood eatery Victor Hugo’s, known for its eclectic menu, will close in late May after seven years in Oak Cliff. Owner Victor Hugo and wife Brianna Ruelas said in a statement that they “held on as long as we could,” but that the COVID-19 pandemic hit their business hard. According to Culturemap, the couple had a second restaurant in the works that was roughly 75 percent complete when the pandemic first hit in early 2020. Despite advances made with vaccines and restaurants being able to reopen fully in Texas, they’ve opted to take a pause and focus on other ventures, such as catering and private dinners. Diners have until May 30 to visit Victor Hugo’s, at 1115 N. Beckley Avenue.