Sfuzzi News

Buzzy Uptown Dallas Italian restaurant makes comeback on Henderson Ave

They were among the first restaurants in Dallas to have arugula on the menu.

Sfuzzi

The revival of iconic Italian restaurant Sfuzzi is set to commence: The one-time Uptown Dallas hot spot will re-open in a new location on Henderson Avenue on Friday, March 4.

The restaurant, which is going into the old Capitol Pub space at 2401 Henderson Ave., will be open with upscale Italian food and cocktails including their signature frozen Bellini for dinner and weekend brunch.

First debuting on McKinney Avenue in 1987. the concept has been adopted by This & That Hospitality partners and veteran restaurant/bar operators Brandon Hays and Phil Schanbaum; Hays has a personal connection, having worked there early in his career and knows first-hand of its history as a chic destination for locals and celebrities, with a swanky atmosphere and, at the time, cutting-edge Italian food.

"Recreating this space has been a walk down memory lane," Hays says in a statement. "Everyone we run into has an amazing story to tell us about the birthday they celebrated, the life partner they met, or just an amazing night out they'll never forget. This has been the driving energy and force behind getting this project to the finish line and Phil and I can't wait to have all those wonderful guests back in the doors!"

The menu will include Sfuzzi classics such as:

Chicken Parmesan – breaded chicken breast topped with basil tomato sauce and mozzarella on a bed of spaghetti

Lasagna with house Bolognese, tomato, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan

Pork Chop Piccata – 14 oz. roasted pork chop with saffron risotto in a caper-piccata sauce

Chicken Paillard – oven roasted chicken, cherry tomato, pickled onion, arugula, and parmesan

Filet mignon with truffle butter, carrots, and portobello mashed potatoes

Sea Bass with puttanesca sauce

Italian bites include meatballs, beef carpaccio, asiago & artichoke dip with focaccia, and portobello mushroom fries with tomato aioli.

Pizzas and pastas include sausage rustica pizza with Jimmy's Italian sausage, spicy vodka rigatoni, pesto fusilli with rosemary chicken, and gemelliwith house Bolognese.

Drinks
The drink program was created by acclaimed bartender Fernanda Rossano, who herself worked as a barback at Sfuzzi in 2009. Espress Yourself has Tito’s vodka, NOLA St George, cold brew, and demerara; and the Spritz Thyme has Aperol, grapefruit, lemon, thyme, and prosecco.

Atmosphere
The space has 4,000 square feet inside, with a 2,000 square feet patio. Seating capacity is 80 inside and 120 outside. Design by Wallace Johnson Studios (Sachet, Alice, R&D, Beverly's) embraces Sfuzzi's trademarks that include a wraparound patio, U-shaped bar, a Woodstone wood-burning oven, and a split in the interior, with lounge seating on one side and traditional dining on the other.

henderson-avenue openings

Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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