Radar Range: New Burger Joint, New Latin Place Coming From DRG Concepts & Chef John Tesar

An insider with a taste for secrets says to keep an eye on Mike Hoque’s burgeoning dining empire, DRG Concepts (Dallas Fish Market, Dallas Chop House, Go Fish Ocean Club, and Fish Express).

Hoque and DRG Concepts have been scoring some nice publicity recently. Former Mansion on Turtle Creek execuchef John Tesar joined DRG. A recipe from their Dallas Fish Market is featured in September’s Bon Appetit Magazine, and Hoque’s chef at Go Fish, Tiffany Derry, is tearing up tv’s Top Chef competition, which is bringing a surge in business to what had been a slow North Dallas restaurant with a difficult location.  Now, it looks like Hoque’s recent decision to employ the talented, controversial former Mansion chef  is producing two more new concepts for the collection.

What’s coming? Following a redesign and renovation of Dallas Fish Market later this month (with a new menu), DRG will launch Chophouse Burger, at the corner of Main Street and Ackard in downtown Dallas, then follow it with a Latin American concept (which could explain why Tesar has been snarfing tacos at dives all around town).  One name being bantered about internally: Wild Salsa.