Italian Food Is Hot

Harwood adds authentic Italian to menagerie of Uptown Dallas restaurants

Authentic Italian food eatery Dolce Riviera is coming to Dallas' Uptown.

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Uptown Dallas juggernaut Harwood Hospitality Group is debuting a new restaurant that fills an increasingly vital niche: authentic Italian food. Called Dolce Riviera, it's a fine-dining authentic Italian concept designed to re-create the spirit of the world's best-known resort, the Côte d'Azur. It launches with a very quiet opening by limited reservations only, on September 6.

Located at 2950 N. Harwood St., Dolce Rivier is steps away from Harwood's ever-growing menagerie of eateries that include Saint Ann Restaurant and Bar, Mercat Bistro, Marie Gabrielle, Magnolia's Sous Le Pont Coffee Shop, the Groves at Harwood, and Happiest Hour.

The chef is Christian Sbordi, who attended culinary school in his native Italy, then moved to New York, where he worked at Fiamma Osteria, which earned a Michelin star rating.

Recipes will hold true to classic Italian cuisine: There'll be house-made pasta and authentic dishes such as chitarrucci di mare (pasta with seafood) and tonno al sesamo (seared tuna with sesame).

Dolce Riviera takes a step back in time when the Italian and French Rivieras were simple yet elegant. Remember those days? They were before our time, but they sound divine. The decor will draw inspiration from the blue hues of the Mediterranean Sea, with blue-and-white tablecloths and a light airy atmosphere in the dining room, patio, and lounge.

As befits a Harwood International concept, there'll be meticulously manicured European gardens to lend a sense of calmness and serenity, evoking the spirit of a small giardino found in Italy. If it's Harwood, there has to be a patio.

If you're the kind of person who always has to be first to dine at new restaurants, there's already a website for the restaurant as well as a Dolce Riviera page set up on Open Table, where you can make reservations for dinner starting on September 6. A spokesperson at the restaurant said that Dolce Riviera would eventually open for lunch, as well.

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Back in Business

Garland restaurant from Bobby Flay winner to reopen in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Pangea

Chef Kevin Ashade has found a new home for Pangea.

Pangea, the popular Garland restaurant which closed in January 2025, has found a new home. A new iteration of the restaurant will open in downtown Dallas, at 1910 Pacific Ave., Ste. 1400, in a location that was once vegan restaurant Belse.

According to restaurant personnel, it will open at 4 pm Friday, February 13.

Pangea is from chef and restaurateur Kevin Ashade, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who won Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2016 with his signature coq au vin, which will be served at the new restaurant.

Ashade has a strong culinary background in Dallas, which includes Craft at the W Hotel, Nana at the Hilton Anatole, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, and his GourmEats catering business, before opening Pangea in January 2020.

In this new chapter of Pangea, which is defined by Ashade as “elevated and globally inspired," the menu will expand past the original restaurant's upscale Southern eats to include new flavors and fusions from Italian, Nigerian, Japanese, French, and Caribbean cuisine.

“The focus will be on a true definition of what Pangea is, with new dishes and a true cultural approach to food,” Ashade says.

The menu will feature about half of the dishes from the original location, including the popular jerk roasted lamb shank, stuffed salmon, and crab cakes. It will expand to include more fish options, like a branzino plate, and more cuts of steak, in addition to the New York strip, filet, and ribeye that were served in the Garland location. Entrees will range from $35 to $50, with more casual options such as burgers and sandwiches available as well.

The new restaurant will also feature a full raw and sushi bar, including an omakase option starting at $85. They will also be serving brunch on weekends, with options such as chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, omelets, steak frites, pastry baskets, and a full coffee menu.

Pangea downtown Dallas The menu is globally inspired. Photo courtesy of Pangea

The 240-seat space is upscale with a lounge vibe, with warm lighting creating a sophisticated but welcoming look. It features a full bar, a private dining room, and an ample climate-controlled patio. It is centrally located, across the street from Pacific Plaza Park and on the same block as the Majestic Theatre.

“This relocation means a better spot for us, an opportunity to be part of the business district. We want to create a vacation feel, a place that makes you feel like you are traveling in Mykonos, Tulum, or Ibiza,” Ashade says.

Pangea will be open for dinner seven days a week, as well as offering lunch on Fridays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant will stay open late — until 2 am — on weekends.

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