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

Taking the field

Dak Prescott-backed Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux kicks off in Wylie

Photo courtesy of Walk-Ons

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux is opening in Wylie on August 10.

A Louisiana sports bar chain that counts Cowboys QB Dak Prescott as a partner continues to build its fan base in Dallas-Fort Worth: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux is set to open a new location in Wylie on Monday, August 10.

Announced earlier this year, the restaurant is at 906 FM 544, near the intersection of Highway 78 and FM 544. The opening marks the chain's 20th Texas location and its second operating restaurant in the DFW area.

Founded in Baton Rouge in 2003 by former LSU basketball "walk-ons" Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, Walk-On's has grown to more than 80 locations nationwide. The company is co-owned by former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (an Austin native), and franchise partners include Prescott, along with former NFL player Derrick Brooks, and college football coach Dabo Swinney.

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux Wylie The new Walk-On's is at 906 FM 544, Wylie.Photo courtesy of Walk-On's

The menu is centered on seafood and classic Louisiana dishes: fried seafood platters, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, po'boys, fried oysters, gumbo, fried alligator, and boudin balls. Prices range from $10 to $20.

Starters include waffle cheese fries, fried pickles, boneless wings, cheeseburger sliders, spinach-artichoke dip, and venison nachos. They have a bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

There's also a plentiful selection of beers on tap, plus margaritas and other crafty-ish cocktails.

The Wylie restaurant is owned by franchisee Cooper Thomson, who says the community made the city an appealing place to expand.

"I am thrilled to expand Walk-On's presence in Dallas, and particularly in the community of Wylie," Thomson says in a release. "To be a part of the growth in this area - to serve families and be a place where little league teams celebrate and football fans cheer on their team - is such a special opportunity."

Although Walk-On's has been in the DFW market since pre-pandemic times, Wylie will be its second restaurant in DFW open currently, joining a location at Grandscape in The Colony. Earlier Dallas-area locations in Irving and Arlington have closed, although the company has previously said it plans to reopen the Arlington restaurant at a new location.

The Wylie restaurant features a sports bar with dozens of TVs, a large outdoor patio, and a family-friendly dining room designed for game-day crowds.

Grand opening festivities will kick off at 10:30 am on Monday, August 10, with a ceremony featuring Walk-On's founder Brandon Landry, franchise owner Cooper Thomson, Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter, city officials, and representatives from Wylie High School and Wylie East High School.

The celebration will include donations to the two schools' athletic departments, followed by a ribbon-cutting at 10:45 am. Doors open to the public at 11 am, and the first 100 guests to dine will have a chance to win free Walk-On's for a year.

Walk-On's will be the second sports bar concept with celebrity cred to open in DFW within a few days' time. Shark Club, from Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, opened Friday, August 7 in Northlake.

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