Uptown News

New Italian restaurant takes prime corner space in Dallas' West Village

That's Italian.

Kathy Tran

There's a new Italian restaurant opening in Uptown Dallas: Called Fiatto, it's a chef-driven spot opening at the West Village at 3700 McKinney Ave, #126, IE the former Eureka space.

According to a release, it'll open in spring 2022, for dinner and weekend brunch.

The restaurant is a partnership between executive chef Kylil Henson and general manager John Dal Canton, who both have backgrounds in Italian culture from growing up in New Jersey and South Philadelphia. Almost everything will be made in-house including bread, pasta, and mozzarella with a focus on seasonal, organic ingredients.

The menu includes American-Italian dishes such as Agnolotti (sort of like ravioli), Mafaldini (ribbon-shaped pasta), something called 24K Risotto, and Roman-spiced lamb shank.

Cocktails will include Negroni and Aperol Spritz, with a focus on Italian aperitifs and espresso. The wine list was developed by Dal Canton, who is a Level 3 sommelier. with by the glass options that the release describes as approachable and sustainable, with the majority being from Italy.

They'll serve brunch, with unique items such as the Ferro Roche Waffle, Cappuccino Waffle, and lemon-ricotta souffle pancakes.

Brunch beverages will include large-format mimosas and Bloody Mary samplers with a Bloody Mary, Michelada, and Bloody Maria.

Eureka sadly closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. The space has 4,000 square feet inside and boasts a spacious 800-square-foot dog-friendly patio that seats 46.

Prior to moving to Dallas in 2018 to work at Flora Street Cafe, Henson worked at restaurants such as French Laundry and DBGB Kitchen and Bar by Daniel Boulud. In a statement, he says he grew up eating classic Italian food.

"Growing up in South Philly, one of the biggest hubs of Italian cuisine in the country, I was fully immersed in the culture and cuisine," Henson says. "Many of my friends were Italian and when I would go over to their house, their parents would cook decadent dishes for us and often times would teach me how to make them. My mom’s Italian co-workers would always give her recipes to make us at home as well so I grew up eating classic Italian dishes all the time."

Dal Canton is a CIA graduate who worked in Tuscany before joining Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant in Dallas and Los Angeles as beverage director. He also helped create and execute the Cowboys Club at the headquarters in Frisco, the first private members club for a professional sports franchise.

"We want Fiatto to be a place where the community can gather for all occasions from celebrations to a weekday dinner to weekend brunch with friends," Dal Canton says. "We are taking the fond memories we associate with these dishes and bringing them to Dallas in hopes that our guests get that same, warm feeling."

uptown openings

Diner News

Home-cooking classic Chubby's closes location in southwest Dallas

Chubby's

Biscuits and gravy at Chubby's

A beloved diner near Duncanville in southwest Dallas has closed: Chubby's, famous for its home-cooking cuisine and splendiferous breakfasts, has closed its location at 7474 S. Cockrell Hill Rd., near I-20 and 67, after 18 years.

In what will be a relief for Chubby's many fans, the original location, at 11331 E. Northwest Hwy., is still open. A manager at the original location confirmed that the Cockrell Hill location had closed, while a spokesperson for the property said the building was up for sale because the owner was "ready to retire."

The location has been on the market since June, but they finally shuttered the restaurant on October 31. It had been at that address since 2008, taking over a space that was formerly Owens Family Restaurant, and originally a Bob Evans Restaurant.

Chubby's was founded by brothers and Greek immigrants John and George Touris, who opened the first location in 1987. Over the years, they opened more locations, winning over fans with their pancakes, omelets, chicken-fried steak, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more, as well as a few Italian and Greek dishes.

If you know restaurants, you know that Greek restaurateurs usually adhere to a high standard of quality. Stellar signatures, shown in their most tempting light on Instagram, include biscuits & gravy, chicken-fried steak, Greek baked chicken with potato wedges, banana pancakes topped with banana slices and whipped cream, Greek salad, and masterful desserts including multi-layer cakes and baked pies in varieties such as cherry, coconut cream, and the rare chocolate meringue.

As their website explains, John Touris was 16 when he, his brother, and mother left Greece in 1978 and emigrated to Buffalo, New York, where John learned the ropes from his uncle, a restaurant veteran who worked at Towne Restaurant, which helped many Greek immigrants find their way in the U.S.

John moved to Dallas and in 1982 opened his first restaurant, Dough Boys, which eventually evolved into Chubby’s when it moved to its location on Northwest Highway. Together with his brother George, John built Chubby’s into a community cornerstone, expanding to four locations across Plano and Lancaster, which both closed, and this location near Duncanville, which has now closed as well.

Chubby’s is treasured by old-timers as one of a shrinking pool of diner-type places, like Mama's Daughters' Diner, Original Market Diner, Metro Diner, and Norma's Cafe, that offers unpretentious, well-prepared food at a relatively low price.

breakfast closings greek cuisine