Open a new concept in this economy? You'd have to be crazy. Chain Leader blogger Lane Cardwell found two crazy restaurateurs, both of whom debuted restaurants in Dallas in the past month.

Following the trends of comfort food and affordable prices, Chef Kent Rathbun has opened Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen. Though his concepts Abacus and Jasper's receive a high per-person check ($100 and $50, respectively), Blue Plate Kitchen's tab is about $30. The menu includes Niman Ranch Beef Rib Pot Roast and Heirloom Corn-Chipotle Spoonbread.

Similarly, Phil Romano and partner Joe Palladino have opened Nick & Sam's Grill, anoffshoot of the $70-a-person Nick & Sam's Steakhouse. The menu also features traditional comfort food, such as Grown Up Grilled Cheese and Homestyle Meatloaf, and most entrees range from $7 to $12.

“For watching trends, there is nothing more revealing than to watch what a new concept opens with in food and look,” Cardwell writes. “Existing restaurants and chains have to evolve with new trends and designs; they don't have the luxury of just starting over every three to five years.”