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Richardson, Texas
June 2018
Nikky Phinyawatana, chef and creator of Asian Mint and now EnjoyMint, has gained quite a few fans (called MintFanatics) with her funky street food-style bowls. The Bangkok spices and comfy-yet-trendy atmosphere has been drawing fans to Asian Mint’s “daughter restaurant,” Enjoymint, where they find a cashless kiosk, an electronic charging bar and even a video selfie machine.
Fresh veggies, noodles, rice and a variety of protein make up the building blocks of bowls at EnjoyMint, but it’s the spicy condiment bar that’s driving new flavor discoveries.
Plano, Texas
June 2018
The Biscuit Bar’s “Biscuit Window” lets guests peek inside the kitchen of the cozy new fast-casual spot. The namesake biscuits were lovingly tested in the home kitchen of husband-and-wife restaurateur duo Janie and Jack Burkett. Containing just six ingredients, the biscuits serve as a pillowy vehicle for lots of cool toppings for all dayparts.
The Hoss (pictured) features Southern fried chicken, bacon, Jack cheese, house-made sausage gravy and honey butter. Other biscuits include fig preserves, arugula, brie, burgers and more. A cute and sweet “holiday style” tater tot dish tops sweet potato tots with brown sugar, pecan streusel and toasted marshmallow. Cocktails like the Cucumber Vesper and the Southern Tea cut through the cuteness nicely.
Austin, Texas
June 2018
The third restaurant from the team behind Odd Duck and Barley Swine is an all-day affair with a café, bakery, bar and beer garden. “High-quality, slow, local food” is the aim with Sour Duck Market, according to chef/partner Bryce Gilmore. The 200-seat structure, designed by Hubnik Architecture, makes ordering at the counter and then wandering outside flow naturally.
A nod to Austin’s breakfast taco obsession, this pizza looks like just the right kind of mash-up. In addition, daily-baked bread is a focus on the menu, showing up in places like the Pickled Chicken Sandwich with fennel slaw and house mayo. A custom-built smoker allows for smoked meats, mostly whole chickens. Sustainability fact: The restaurant’s excess cooked food and raw ingredients is delivered to local non-profits.
San Francisco
June 2018
If Salvador Dali had been just a little more goth and living in San Francisco in 2018, he might have designed the backdrop for Curio, a San Francisco bar and restaurant that’s connected to the Chapel, a music venue that plays host to everything from folk singers to metal heads. In fact, the designer of the trippy décor is Michael Brennan. Meanwhile, chef Mario Tolentino and bar director Darren Crawford applied their own artistry to the food and drinks menu.
In addition to little beauties like these broiled oysters, the menu also features flashy seafood towers, in sizes of “petite,” “grand,” and “shuck the front door,” along with snacks and bites, more seafood, deviled eggs and a signature burger with raclette cheese, crimini mushrooms, fried onions and tomato jam called The Holy Grail Burger.
Columbus, Ohio
June, 2018
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ latest addition to the growing Columbus restaurant scene is a Jewish deli with a Midwestern twist. The name Harvey & Ed’s pays homage to CMR President David Miller and vice president of Ocean Prime Mitch Miller’s father and uncle, who could often be found sitting in a deli, noshing, drinking and having a good old time. The menu includes signature dishes like Latke Royal and chocolate babka, plus matzo ball soup, noshes of chopped liver, caviar and hummus, plates of tabbouleh, roasted halibut and lamb, and platters of bagels and cured fish with all the fixin’s.
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