12 DECEMBER 18 - 24, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS force in Dallas dining up until he became the culinary director at The Charlotte, a kinda new American Bistro in Knox/Henderson. Before that, Lima was the executive chef at Le Margot in Fort Worth, which was named one of Texas’ best new restaurants by Texas Monthly at the begin- ning of 2024. Other accolades of his include opening Sister, a Mediterranean restaurant that landed on The New York Times’ “Best New Restaurants” list in 2022, and his fine dining career in Chicago, which began at the Mi- chelin-starred Temporis and the three- starred Grace, thanks to a James Beard Foundation scholarship. Most recently, Dallasites have discovered chef Lima through his underground dinners and art-driven events via his pop-up social club, The Experience. Now, diners get to en- joy the dishes Lima feels are most like him at Ateliê. The Menu Ateliê will open with a 12-item bistro menu that highlights world regions and the fla- vors that Lima has been surrounded by his entire life. Chef Wyl said in a release that the half- roasted chicken, cacio e pepe and the grilled mackerel on the menu are the clearest re- flections of his culinary voice. The chicken celebrates the African and Caribbean influences Lima grew up around, incorporating Indian and Italian inspirations. Cacio e pepe is a classic that he’s reshaped with his own technique and the grilled mack- erel, to Lima, is about purity and letting the ingredients speak for themselves. Slow-braised lamb shank, arrachera (skirt steak) with piquillo salsa and yuca, roasted carrots with tofu curry, mushroom cro- quettes and a turkey hot pocket filled with truffle mornay and smoked gouda fill out the menu. There will also be a wagyu melt and fried rice with egg yolk, garlic crisp and nori. The limited menu will be available dur- ing the opening weeks, then Ateliê will ex- pand to its full menu with potato-mushroom cakes, wagyu bolognese, a seafood platter and much more that will round out the bis- tro’s identity. The Cocktail Selection Behind the bar is Stephen Gazaway, who has been a longtime collaborator with The Ex- perience and leads the bar at The Charlotte. The eight different dinner cocktails are where things get interesting. There will be a Caesar martini, made by in- fusing vodka with concentrated Caesar dress- ing and a dirty martini that is infused with Hot Cheetos. The drinks aim to strike a balance be- tween creativity and approachability. Satellite Art Ateliê, while a love letter to chef Lima’s culi- nary journey, will also aim to be a cultural incubator. Central to that vision is the col- laboration between the bistro and the Dai- sha Board Gallery, which will transform the bistro into a rotating satellite gallery show- casing emerging and underrepresented vi- sual artists. The installation and menu will both shift with the seasons, keeping the dining room in a constant state of creative motion. The space is meant to feel lived-in, with irregu- larities in design elements celebrated as part of Ateliê’s story. Opening Date Ateliê will open at 367 W. Jefferson Blvd. on Monday, Dec. 15. It’s a stone’s throw from Xaman Cafe, the Texas Theatre and Blind Bishop. It will be open seven days a week, serving brunch and lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brunch will only be offered on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. On Wednesday and Thursday, dinner service will run from 5:30 to 10 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, dinner service will run from 5:30 to 11 p.m. It will be closed for dinner on Sunday evenings. In the 6-8 weeks after Ateliê opens, Chef Wyl’s tasting experience, Origen, will open. It will be a reservation-only, art-driven tast- ing menu inspired by art pieces selected by Daisha Board Gallery. . COFFEE GOOD COMBO WHITE RHINO COFFEE BUYS EMPORIUM PIES. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS D allas-born and based White Rhino Coffee announced this morning that it has purchased Emporium Pies, one of Dallas’ most popular pie shops. Emporium Pies originally launched its quaint pie business in a Victorian bungalow in the Bishop Arts District in 2011, quickly ex- panding to multiple locations around North Texas. The shop became popular for large soul-satisfying staples like the French silk Smooth Operator, Lord of the Pies (a deep- dish apple pie), and many others. The pie shop prided itself on baking with high-qual- ity ingredients without hydrogenated oils, ar- tificial preservatives, dyes or corn syrup. In 2022, Landon Perdue, Jen Abohosh and Addie Roberts bought the company from the original owners. White Rhino was founded in 2007 as a third space in neighborhoods (after home and work). Addie Roberts and the baking team at Emporium Pies will continue to work along side the team at White Rino Coffee to ensure a seamless transition. Sara Escamilla, CEO of White Rhino Coffee, ensures the pies will continue to be made with high-quality in- gredients. Per a press release, business will operate as usual for now, and White Rhino Coffee plans to “explore expanding Emporium Pies’ footprint across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.” Additionally, there will be “thoughtful collab orations and menu integrations in the future, including signature pie-and-coffee pairings.” “For now, it simply means coffee and pie two of life’s best comforts - can be enjoyed across both brands,” said Escamilla, an idea we can fully get behind. . HOLIDAYS IT’S CHRISTMASA TIME THE BEST PLACES TO ORDER, MAKE OR COMPETITIVELY EAT TAMALES IN NORTH TEXAS THIS CHRISTMAS. BY CARLY MAY GRAVLEY T amales are a holiday staple in Dallas but like everything else that’s fun and worthwhile about Christmas, getting them to your table isn’t without its stressors. Unless your family is making them at home (in which case, please con- sider inviting us to dinner), the hunt is on to find high-quality ones before they disap- pear for the season. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities to get your yuletide tamale fix in North Texas. You can go the traditional route and order them in advance from a local restau- rant or grocery store, or you can get a little more creative. Either way, we’ve got you covered. Tia Doras Bakery 2478 W. Illinois Ave. This Oak Cliff staple makes tamales daily. Get a dozen pork and chicken tamales for $18, or tamales de res for $22. One local, T. James, wrote that these arrive by horse and chariot, adding, “If I had $3 in my account, I’d overdraft for a dozen and just figure it out later.” The overdraft endorsement is real. EJ Galvez Roasted half chicken at Ateliê. City of Ate from p11
