More Gourmet Mex

Upscale Mexican restaurant has designs on new Dallas neighborhood

Gourmet Mexican food is coming to Fitzhugh Avenue.

El Bolero

A second location of El Bolero, the Mexican restaurant in the Design District, is coming to Dallas in fall 2017. It'll open at 2650 N. Fitzhugh Ave., at a new mixed-use project at Fitzhugh Avenue and Central Expressway.

El Bolero describes itself as an authentic, regional Mexican concept that draws inspiration for its food and beverages from the diverse regions of Mexico. The first branch opened in April 2015, with a stylish interior and with chef Hugo Galvan, previously at Cafe San Miguel on Henderson Avenue and Hacienda San Miguel in Fort Worth. Chef John Tesar stepped in for a spell a few months later.

The menu includes entrées such as enchiladas, scallops with lobster rice, chile rellenos, fajitas, and snapper veracruz. There are tacos, ceviches, flautas, and empanadas. Tortillas are housemade and extra thick. There are cocktails and a full wine list with wine by the bottle or by the glass. There is brunch.

It'll go into B & F Flats, a new mixed-use development at the corner of Fitzhugh and Bennett avenues. B & F, can you imagine yourself saying, "Hey, I live at B & F." In addition to residential units for rent, the project will feature widened sidewalks, street parking, and structured parking. That's two kinds of parking. In case you think there is a parking problem, well, there's not.

B & F comes from JLB Partners, who also built another 311-unit project a few blocks away on Bennett Avenue. It's one of many developments under construction on Fitzhugh between 75 and Ross Avenue.

Richard Ellman, co-founder of Apheleia Restaurant Group, which owns El Bolero, Oak, and Pakpao, is enthused about the area. "We look forward to participating in the transformation of the Fitzhugh corridor, which is seeing great momentum this year," he says in a release.

openings

Celebrity Chef News

Knife steakhouse by chef John Tesar to close location at Dallas hotel

Photo courtesy of Knife

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A Dallas celebrity chef steakhouse is closing: Knife, the steakhouse at The Highland Dallas hotel at 5300 E. Mockingbird Ln. from John Tesar, is closing after more than a decade.

According to a release, Knife will be closing and moving to a new location "as it moves toward an exciting new evolution." Its final day is August 31.

According to a statement from Lennox Capital Partners, the private lodging investment and management firm that acquired the Highland Dallas in 2018, The Highland Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton and Chef John Tesar and the Knife restaurant concept are concluding their partnership.

The hotel is in "interim talks" with a new hospitality group for a new concept that will replace Knife — which could also be implemented prior to the August 31 date.

"We are grateful for Chef Tesar’s partnership over the years and we wish him success in his future endeavors," their statement says.

An original plan between Tesar and Lennox Capital Partners, outlined in October 2024, called for the steakhouse to rebrand into a new expanded concept that would be called Knife Steak & Seafood, which would pull from Knife & Spoon, a sibling that Tesar opened at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in 2020. The Highland Dallas hotel is also undertaking a $13 million renovation.

In addition to Knife & Spoon in Orlando, the Ritz-Carlton there also has a location of Knife Burger.

Tesar has two other Knife restaurants: Knife Italian Steak - The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, and Knife & Spoon Knife Steakhouse - The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, in which he's partnered with restaurateur George Stergios.

The Knife Burger at Willow Bend in Plano is temporarily closed. And a Knife location in California, at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott, was dissolved in 2023.

Tesar is currently appearing on House of Knives, a cooking competition show on Food Network.

The release goes on to say that John Tesar Concepts, in collaboration with GBOD Hospitality Group (El Chingon) and 3ntourage Hospitality Group (Wade's Landing), has identified a "premier Dallas location" for a new expanded version of Knife that would feature Knife; plus a more intimate and experiential entity called Pocket Knife; and a new social concept called Switchblade, all under one roof. Where that roof will be, they cannot yet say.

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