Tag Archives: Jill Bates

by | October 13, 2026 · 11:04 am

Cookie Butter Pear Danish and More: Sugar & Sage Rolls Out Fall

The Cristo Amann has company. A few weeks after Sugar & Sage Bakery turned Dallas on its ear with a Monte Cristo baked inside a kouign-amann, the little bakery on Lovers Lane has rolled out its fall lineup, and it is the best argument yet for setting an alarm on a Saturday morning.

If you have not been, Sugar & Sage sits at 4314 Lovers Lane, across from Highland Park High School. Alison Weinstein opened it in 2023 with her daughter, Ashley Sage Weinstein, after the two spent years eating their way through New York’s best bakeries. To run the kitchen, they hired Jill Bates, and that was the smartest thing they could have done.

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by | September 21, 2026 · 12:21 pm

Ham, Gruyère and Fig Chili Jam: Inside Sugar & Sage’s New Cristo Amann

The kouign-amann has been Sugar & Sage Bakery’s calling card since the mother-daughter team of Alison and Ashley Weinstein opened on Lovers Lane in 2023. Now it is doing double duty as a sandwich.

The Cristo Amann is the bakery’s take on a Monte Cristo, and it started the way good ideas in a kitchen usually do, with everyone bringing something to the table. Executive chef Jill Bates, who led pastry at Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton before joining the Weinsteins, says it came out of a collaboration party where the whole team pitched ideas. “We made sandwiches, brought sammies and ideas,” she said. From there she kept working on it and sampling it for guests until it was ready.

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by | May 15, 2026 · 6:29 pm

The Kouign-Amann at Sugar and Sage is the Best Reason to Visit Lovers Lane

There is a pastry that launched a bakery. Not a concept, not a business plan — a single bite of kouign-amann at a New York patisserie that Alison Weinstein and her teenage daughter Ashley shared years ago, looked at each other across the table, and decided that Dallas needed one. That moment is how Sugar and Sage Bakery came to exist at 4314 Lovers Lane in University Park, and the kouign-amann is still the reason to go.

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by | November 11, 2025 · 4:10 pm

Sugar & Sage Brings Joy This Holiday Season

If you find yourself wandering down Lovers Lane and catch a whisper of warm butter drifting through the air, keep walking — it’s probably leading you straight to Sugar & Sage Bakery. Located in University Park, this little spot feels like a deep breath in the middle of the day. There’s sunlight pouring through the windows, neighbors chatting over coffee, and trays of pastries so pretty you almost hesitate to touch them. Almost.

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by | September 26, 2024 · 1:25 pm

Fall Flavors Have Arrived at Sugar & Sage Bakery

Get ready to indulge, because Sugar & Sage Bakery is rolling out a delicious lineup of pastries that are sure to make your taste buds dance! Crafted by the award-winning pastry chef Jill Bates, this new menu brings the cozy essence of fall right to your plate, with delightful twists on classic favorites that are just perfect for the crisp autumn air.

Chef Bates has a knack for making every season special, saying, “At Sugar & Sage, we believe fall is meant to be savored. Our new menu offers a little something for everyone—whether you want a sweet treat to brighten your coffee break or a savory snack to warm your soul.”

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by | March 16, 2019 · 11:51 am

Chef Jill Bates Takes Leave of Fearing’s Pursuing Consulting Biz

jill_b.jpgby Steven Doyle

Not long ago we ran into chef Jill Bates, the recently  former pastry chef at Dean Fearings eponymous restaurant located in the beautiful Dallas Ritz-Carlton. We asked about her departure and she made it very clear the move was bitter-sweet, not too unlike the chocolate  she uses with some of her marvelous pastries.

“We are still family, great friends. In fact we will see each other next week”, Bates told us during a phone conversation. Continue reading →

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by | October 13, 2017 · 8:08 am

The Wonderful World of Pumpkins in Dallas and 10 Places to Find Them (And A Bonus To Boot)

pumpkinby Steven Doyle

We as Americans have an odd relationship with the pumpkin. Sure, we stock up on the squash as decor during the Halloween season (which according to retailers begins in August), and adorn our tables as centerpieces with them during the eventide of Thanksgiving, but as far as a true dining offering we fall short.  Continue reading →

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by | February 17, 2017 · 3:34 pm

Sweet Treats To Finally Put An End To Your Silly New Year’s Resolutions

IMG_5928by Steven Doyle

Admit that you have already blown your New Years resolutions. If everyone behaved themselves we would be out of business, along with most of the city’s restaurants. In keeping with your good nature we wish to explore a few choice desserts in Dallas. Follow along at home and make reservations!   Continue reading →

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