[DFW] - Openings, Closings & Changes

[Richard Kilgore]

Tim Love's new tapas restaurant, Duce, expects a May opening (6333 Camp Bowie).

And Love's NYC location for Lonesome Dove Western Bistro is shooting for a September opening.

Taverna Pizzaria and Risotteria plans to open in Ft. Worth in the former Zoe location. Date unknown.

Kingfish is expected to open this week in Colleyville. Inexpensive grilled seafood by chef David McMillan, and located below his 62 Main restaurant.

Source: Bud Kennedy in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, 8 March, 2006.

Please send notices of openings, closings and changes to me at rkilgore@eGullet.org.

[Richard Kilgore]

Openings

Trece, June 19

Chef-owner Amador Mora, previously at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. Contemporary Mexican, plus a tequila lounge. (Former Sipango location)

Shinsei, late June

Executive chef Casey Thompson, formerly at The Mansion at Turtle Creek and executive sushi chef Shuji Sugawara, formerly at Teppo Yakitori and Sushi Bar, as well as Tei Tei Robata Bar. Owners Lynae Fearing and Tracy Rathbun.

Closings

Il Molino New York (Dallas). High price points required in liscensing agreement did it in.

George...to be replaced with Urban Bistro Mediterranean Cuisine by Avner Samuel.

Source: Dotty Griffith, Dallas Morning News

[Qwerty]

Openings

Trece, June 19

Chef-owner Amador Mora, previously at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. Contemporary Mexican, plus a tequila lounge. (Former Sipango location)

Shinsei, late June

Executive chef Casey Thompson, formerly at The Mansion at Turtle Creek and executive sushi chef Shuji Sugawara, formerly at Teppo Yakitori and Sushi Bar, as well as Tei Tei Robata Bar. Owners Lynae Fearing and Tracy Rathbun.

Closings

Il Molino New York (Dallas). High price points required in liscensing agreement did it in.

George...to be replaced with Urban Bistro Mediterranean Cuisine by Avner Samuel.

Source: Dotty Griffith, Dallas Morning News

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Yeah I'm sad to see George go. Ate there a few times, always had a pleasurable experience. Liked the food philosophy, simple, clean and good.

I am, however, very much intersted in what Avner will do with a "bistro" type place.

[Richard Kilgore]

June 21 -- Craft Dallas. Kevin Maxey, executive chef; Shannon Swindle, pastry chef. 130 seats in 4,000 square feet in the W Dallas Victory. Architects: Bentl & Bentl, who designed the original Craft in New York City. Click here for the discussion.

[Kevin72]

Closed--Kathleen's Art Cafe in Plano

Closed--Ali Baba in Plano

[Kevin72]

There's been kind of a bloodbath on the Dallas dining scene lately.

From Pegasus News, the following places have closed in the past month:

Rick Stein's

62 Main in Colleyville.

New San Dor--Plano That sucked. We went there quite a bit and a new "happy place" for me was doing their Peking Duck meal and a glass of house chardonnay.

Kirby's Steakhouse--Plano

Grotto Ristorante

Alessio's and Scene

ETA: BLT Steakhouse, too.

Tough times. If you have a favorite local restaurant and the money to spare, thow 'em some love.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Kevin72 (log)

[Kevin72]

Add SushiSamba at the Galleria and Fusion Cafe in Plano to the pile of closed locations, also, according to the DMN's Eats blog.

[jsmeeker]

Add SushiSamba at the Galleria and Fusion Cafe in Plano to the pile of closed locations, also, according to the DMN's Eats blog.

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SushiSamba wasn't opened long. I wonder if The Grill on the Alley will be next to go.

Five Guys in the Galleria is now OPEN. Not sure exact date, but it was open whan I was in the mall on Sunday.

[Kevin72]

Kitchen 1924 Gone.

And the doozy of the week: Plano-based Metromedia Restaurant group, whose affiliates include Bennigan's, Steak & Ale, and Plano Tavern, filed for Chapter 7 and shuttered many of it operations overnight.

Article 1

Article 2

Full disclosure: Metromedia Restaurant Group is a client of the company I work for.

[jsmeeker]

Closed: Nove Italiano at Victory Park

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?searc...1-16&version=31

[theabroma]

Doughmonkey closed Saturday, September 20, 2008.

I hope & pray that Rhonda and Michael will not return the whisk's wires to the piano or beat the tempering machine into a plowshare and depart Dallas.

Until they resurface, however, it is a terrible, terrible loss.

Que viva!

Theabroma

[Kevin72]

Ounce Prime Steakhouse closed Sunday.

But according to the article there may be a plan afoot to try another location in Frisco or Allen.

[jsmeeker]

Ounce Prime Steakhouse closed Sunday.

But according to the article there may be a plan afoot to try another location in Frisco or Allen.

←

Not totally suprising. It's located very close to where I live. But I never went. Just had no desire to. It was located in a spot that was previously another restaurant, but was vacant for some time. Not sure if it's the location or that Dallas is just over saturated with steakhouses, or what.

[Richard Kilgore]

Since the steak houses are dependent to a goodly extent on expense account dining, I would think that many of them are hurting in the face of corporate belt tightening for some time now.

[Kevin72]

Here's one that's bound to cause some gossip: despite apparently booming business Martini Park in the Shops at Legacy closed.

Snarky sendoffs here and here.

I went once for drinks, paid I think north of $10 for a Manhattan, and had half of it slooshed out of my glass trying to navigate the elbow to elbow crowd to get back to our group.

[Kevin72]

Potentially closing or closed: Olea Mediterranean Bistro.

My wife just got the following email from them:

"After much thought and consideration we made the tough business decision to close the doors of Olea Mediterranean Bistro.

We appreciate your business and friendship.

We invite you to visit us at

LAVENDOU BISTRO"

Dammit. I really liked that place. Some rough cooking spots but a lovely patio and nice place to have a leisurely and different dining experience.

[jsmeeker]

Here's one that's bound to cause some gossip: despite apparently booming business Martini Park in the Shops at Legacy closed.

Snarky sendoffs here and here.

I went once for drinks, paid I think north of $10 for a Manhattan, and had half of it slooshed out of my glass trying to navigate the elbow to elbow crowd to get back to our group.

←

I've read into this a bit more and it seems that they were essentially forced to shutdown due to a Plano city ordinance that states a place can't derive more than 50% of it's revenue from alcohol sales. I also read that there is a movement to change said ordinance to allow places that derive the bulk, if not all, of their revenue from alcohol sales.

[Kevin72]

Yeah, Nancy Nichols at D Magazine has been all over it:

Link

It's really a pretty interesting and kinda murky case. Then in today's news on the D-Mag blog she hints at rumors that it's not settled yet. Possibly maybe. Gotta make sure I keep things ambiguous too.

[Andrew Chalk]

I've read into this a bit more and it seems that they were essentially forced to shutdown due to a Plano city ordinance that states a place can't derive more than 50% of it's revenue from alcohol sales.  I also read that there is a movement to change said ordinance to allow places that derive the bulk, if not all, of their revenue from alcohol sales.

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Just one of the prohibitionist rules in Plano. The more serious one is that Central market, for example, cannot sell a bottle of Port!

[Qwerty]

Nine steakhouse closed. I've never eaten there, but I imagine it won't be sorely missed.

[jsmeeker]

Nine steakhouse closed. I've never eaten there, but I imagine it won't be sorely missed.

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Interesting.. First Nove, then N9NE. Losing both has gotta be really bad for Victory Park.

Never made it to the Dallas location of N9NE, but did go to the Las Vegas location. Loud as heck. Young, hip crowd. But it was a great steak.

[Qwerty]

Oh man, you were in Vegas and you ate at Nine? I hope you did better than that for your other meals

Meh, whatever. I feel bad for the peeps working there (I knew a few from perv. jobs--and it'll be tough to find other jobs right now) but otherwise I don't see it as a big deal. I've heard through the rumour mill they've been in trouble for a while so no suprise.

[jsmeeker]

Oh man, you were in Vegas and you ate at Nine? I hope you did better than that for your other meals

Meh, whatever. I feel bad for the peeps working there (I knew a few from perv. jobs--and it'll be tough to find other jobs right now) but otherwise I don't see it as a big deal. I've heard through the rumour mill they've been in trouble for a while so no suprise.

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I've been to Vegas a bunch of times and have had many good meals. Some friends wanted to go to N9NE, I had no other plans, so I went. As mentioned, I enjoyed my time there. Not your father's steak house, that's for sure. It's not the steak joint for everyone. But at the time, it worked fine.

As far as it being a big deal, I think any restaurant closing down is a a fairly big deal. Moreso in an area like Victory Plaza that's been struggling to get tenants. I want to see that area succeed.

[Andrew Chalk]

Moreso in an area like Victory Plaza that's been struggling to get tenants.  I want to see that area succeed.

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Why?

[Andrew Chalk]

Akbar, in Plano. Doors are shuttered with a note giving instructions on where to send the rent.