The State Fair of Texas does not return until September, but two State Fair concessionaires will start serving food year-round. There were two notable restaurant closings in Dallas to kick off the new year, and some tasty accolades for Babe’s Chicken Dinner House. AWARD-WINNING STATE FAIR OF TEXAS VENDOR OPENS RESTAURANT Usually, the food you eat at the fair is only available for the 24 days the State Fair of Texas is open. That changes this month in two instances. The State Fair concessionaire who won a Big Tex Choice Award in 2023 for his cheesecake is opening a new dessert shop called Drizzle Cheesecakes in Irving on Saturday. Stephen El Gidi won “best taste” for his Biscoff Delight cheesecake, a dessert that many people stood in long lines to get. STATE FAIR OF TEXAS WINNER SHARES SPACE IN DEEP ELLUM The creator of the Dominican Fritura dog, which won “best taste” at the Big Tex Choice Award in 2024, now has a permanent Dominican restaurant in Deep Ellum. It’s called Picadera, and it shares a space with Trinity Cider on Main Street in Deep Ellum. There are a lot of interesting dishes at this Dominican restaurant, including at least a dozen that use a beloved Dominican ingredient, the plantain. TWO DALLAS RESTAURANT CLOSURES GRAB HEADLINES It is a time to look forward to the excellent restaurants that will be opening all throughout the year. But it’s also a time for restaurant closures. Two that got big attention this week. Morton’s, a steakhouse in Dallas, closed after nearly 40 years in business at two different locations. La Madeleine Country French Cafe closed in Dallas’ NorthPark Center on New Year’s Eve. BABE’S CHICKEN DINNER HOUSE HONORED WITH BIG AWARD Ending with some good news, Southern Living readers picked Babe’s Chicken as Texas’ best Southern restaurant. Babe’s has been open for nearly 30 years, and it is beloved for its smoked chicken, fried chicken, and family-style sides like mashed potatoes and gravy. The Southern Living writeup said one diner was brought to tears of joy because of the food at Babe’s. For more food news visit DallasNews.com/Food