Italian Eats

Houston's vets open exciting Italian restaurant at luxe Dallas center

Some pasta, some wine, you're good to go.

Photo courtesy of il Bracco

Dallas' sad Italian-restaurant scene has an exciting newcomer in the works: Il Bracco, an Italian-inspired restaurant from a team with deep experience in the Houston's/Hillstone group, slated to open in the spring.

Located at 8416 Preston Center Plaza, in a former bedding store called Iron Bed, Il Bracco will offer a fresh take on classic Italian dishes with everything made from scratch, including breads, pastas, and sauces. Fresh fish will be delivered daily and all proteins will be butchered on-site.

A release notes that Il Bracco comes with an impressive pedigree, representing 25 years of experience on the part of CEO Robert Quick and COO Matt Gottlieb.

Quick graduated from SMU where he played football, before following his true passion and attending the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California.

He worked for Thomas Keller as a chef de partie at Ad Hoc and Bouchon, before working as kitchen manager for Hillstone Restaurant Group (Houston's).

He was president and co-owner of Mountain Mike’s Pizza, which he helped grow from 30th largest national pizza chain to 19th under his 5 years of leadership.

He and his wife moved back to Dallas in 2018, where he founded his company Western Addition. Il Bracco is the first concept to open in this portfolio. The official name is il Bracco with a small "il" but CultureMap frowns on special type treatments, even if they are technically accurate. Il it is.

Gottlieb was a 10+ year general manager with Hillstone Restaurant Group, with experience at nine locations nationally. He's been in the Dallas market for the last eight years, running Hillstone, R+D Kitchen, and Houston's, and has thus become a familiar personality.

The 3,200-square-foot restaurant will seat 74 in its dining room, plus 18 seats at the full-service bar, and another 46 on the patio.

A full-service outdoor experience will be home to large umbrellas fortified with hedges to offer an intimate, relaxed dining experience.

The design of the interior pulls from different time periods and uses luxury neutrals such as wood, brass, terrazzo, and leather to create a sophisticated setting.

Il Bracco's wine list will mix Italian varietals and approachable New World wines, allowing guests to explore Italy or stick with a bottle of their favorite domestic.

Signature cocktails will be a take on classics with an Italian twist and made to complement the food.

"The Plaza at Preston Center is a development full of rich history and is a cornerstone of well-positioned dining and shopping in the Park Cities and Dallas. We are thrilled to be surrounded by a great community and so many excellent businesses," Quick says.

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat and grandchildren. According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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