Table Talk

Restaurant impresario Tristan Simon is launching another hot spot on Henderson Avenue. Victor Tango's is expected to open in the coming week after several tweaks to the concept and the decor. "Originally, we were going to do a cocktail bar with limited food," says Mr. Simon.

"That was really based on parking. We were able to open the parking up ... and balance it more between the food and the bar. We turned it more into a true gastropub." That translates into a menu of gourmet fare (think foie gras Monte Cristo sandwiches) washed down with handcrafted cocktails such as the signature Tango Fresh (fresh cucumber and mint muddled and shaken with fresh lime juice and tequila).

Mr. Simon's next ventures have him heading west. After about a six-month delay, Westside Tavern is scheduled to open in Los Angeles in late October or early November, giving Californians a taste of Mr. Simon's East Dallas appeal. "It has a lot of the Porch DNA in it, but it's adapted to a West LA point of view," he says.

Closer to home, look for a fifth branch of Fireside Pies to open in Fort Worth's West 7th development next summer. The gourmet pizzeria will join fellow transplants Tillman's Roadhouse, Iron Cactus, Patrizio and Brut in the mixed-use project near the Fort Worth Cultural District.

The art of Tex-Mex

Jorge's Tex-Mex Cafe is now open in One Arts Plaza. The new location is the sixth in the family-owned group founded in Midland by George Veloz. His daughter, Michelle Mireles, is in charge of the Dallas branch, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Ms. Mireles says talk of further expansion in the area is premature but not out of the question. "One of the things that has helped us be so successful is that we've expanded slowly," she says. As far as another location in Dallas or its suburbs, "we're in no hurry, but we're certainly not against it."

Park place

More major restaurant tenants have been announced for the 33-acre Park Lane development scheduled to open next spring across from NorthPark Center. Gordon Biersch Brewery, Village Burger Bar and Uptown Sushi will join the expansive mix of restaurants and retail that includes Daily Grill (a more casual version of the Grill on the Alley), Potbelly Sandwich Works and Bailey's Prime Plus Steakhouse (owner Ed Bailey is also opening a branch in Cedar Hill's Uptown Village).

Watters supply

The $750 million Park Lane project isn't the only new complex to score some familiar culinary names. The aforementioned Village Burger Bar and Potbelly have locations in the works for Allen's Watters Creek retail center, and the bustling development will welcome an outpost of Celebrity Cafe and Bakery on Sept. 25. Also coming this month is the second area Woodlands Grill. The New American restaurant, modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece Fallingwater, will celebrate its grand opening Thursday with a fundraiser benefiting Allen Community Outreach. The restaurant will open to the public on Sept. 22.

Down the Hatch

If you haven't yet indulged in the seasonal delicacy that is New Mexico's Hatch green chile, you still have time to get your fix at several area restaurants. The 20th annual Green Chile Party at Chuy's ends Sunday and features such specialties as the Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken and the New Mexican Martini (made with green-chile-infused tequila).

The celebration at Blue Goose Cantina runs through the end of the month, with a special menu including Hatch-spiked queso and quesadillas filled with green chiles and slow-roasted pork. The 12th annual Hatch Chile Festival at Blue Mesa Grill also runs through September, with dishes ranging from Hatch chile pozole to chiles rellenos made with mild Hatch peppers. The Addison and Plano locations of Blue Mesa are presenting a special four-course Hatch chile dinner (on Sept. 23 and 24, respectively) paired with premium tequilas from the Partida Distillery.

Comings and goings

• Despite the struggling restaurant economy, several new ventures have opened in recent weeks. The Egg and I made its Dallas debut on July 28. The Colorado-based franchise serves breakfast and lunch favorites ranging from eggs Benedict and stuffed French toast to tuna melts and chicken-apple-walnut salad. Also new are Off the Bone Barbeque, in the Cedars district just south of downtown, and 55 Degrees Wine Bar and Bistro in Plano.

•  Cremona Bistro has reopened in new digs less than a half-mile from its longtime Routh Street location, which was shuttered following a fire on June 4. The new location previously housed the Cape and, before that, Johnny Orleans. Another Dallas stalwart, Gordo's, is once again dishing up thin-crust pizzas and hearty Italian-American entrees after relocating from Lovers Lane to Preston Center.

• But, of course, the news isn't all good. Metro Grill in Knox Park Village closed on Sept. 1, and the Uptown branch of Chip's Old Fashioned Hamburgers is expected to close at the end of the month following a rent increase. Chip's Park Cities location will remain open.

Kim Harwell is a Dallas food writer.