Downtown News

Big restaurant changes at Statler Dallas Hotel include a new Primo's

Inside these walls, big changes are going down.

Photo courtesy of the Statler

Dramatic changes are happening on the dining front at the Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas, including a brand new restaurant and a second location of an iconic Mexican restaurant from Uptown.

The newbie is an Italian-American restaurant called Sfereco and it will open in the former Ramen & Bao space adjacent to the Statler. This is a brand new entity from Refined Hospitality Concepts (RHC), a subsidiary of Centurion American, the company belonging to developer Mehrdad Moayedi, who also owns the Statler. RHC operates Primo's MX Kitchen & Lounge, Dallas Proper, Bourbon & Banter, Scout, Over Easy, Fine China, Waterproof, and Nosh Bistro.

Also opening at the Statler: Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge. It will go into the spot at the Statler currently occupied by Fine China, which will shutter on March 9, IE today, though it will live on via catering events, Fooda events, and occasional pop-ups.

A release says that reconcepting Fine China had already been in the works, and Primo’s was deemed the perfect fit "for the festive atmosphere at the Statler." The two new restaurants will open summer 2020.

Primo's MX Kitchen & Lounge recently re-opened its Uptown location — successfully, says Refined Hospitality Concepts COO Robert Hall.

"Primo's opening has been such a success in Uptown so we're excited to bring that energy and excitement to downtown Dallas,” Hall says. "Extending the Primo's brand to this space at the Statler allows us to meet the growing need for private dining space with the food and cocktails for which Primo's is known and loved."

Hall says he drew inspiration from New York City, "where it becomes clear that American Italian is its own cuisine," he says.

For corporate chef Ryan Carbery, it's an homage to his childhood days working in his family's restaurants. "I can remember so vividly the sights and smells of my dad's pizza and pasta restaurant, and how it really brought people together," he says.

Sfereco will follow a quick-service model, where you order food at a counter and eat at communal tables. A full-service bar will include beer, wine, and craft cocktails, including some Italian-inspired drinks.

Sfereco's signature dish will be the meatball, in beef, pork, chicken, and even vegetarian options. They can be ordered solo, or in bowls, or on pizza, or in pasta.

Chef's favorites include

Sfereco Meatball with house-made pork-beef-veal grind, spaghetti, pomodoro, parmiggiano-reggiano, and basil
Pesto Pasta with basil pesto, parmiggiano-reggiano, and pine nuts
Short Rib with polenta, tomato sauce, and parmiggiano-reggiano
Jimmy’s Italian Flatbread with Jimmy's Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, and basil

They'll also do an American Italian theme on that most important meal of the week, brunch.

Sfereco and Primo'x MX will join the hotel's other three dining spots: Overeasy, the casual all-day restaurant; Scout, the fun-and-games bar on the hotel's ground floor; and Waterproof, the glamorous bar on the 19th floor of the hotel.

downtown

What Just Opened

Crazy wave of Dallas restaurants and bars have all just opened

Courtesy

1519 Main St.

The Dallas hospitality scene almost never sleeps and right now it's pulling an all-nighter, with a big slate of fresh openings, all of which have debuted within the past days, give or take.

Everyone's hustling to get their doors open in time for the holidays, and these establishments have all made it happen: From a cosmopolitan new lounge in downtown Dallas to a modern Asian restaurant in Plano to a bountiful AYCE Chinese seafood spot in Richardson, there's something here to pique everyone's interest and appetite.

1519 Main
Spectacular lounge is now open in downtown Dallas at 1519 Main St., in a nearly century-old building across from the Joule Dallas hotel where it's serving up stellar drinks in a space that's both cosmopolitan and low-key. The bar is from Hospitality Alliance, the company led by restaurant wunderkind Kevin Lillis, who helped create the original AT&T Discovery District. It's a stunning space with many original features like the rose-and-cream marble floors from the 1920s and the brick walls with signage from prior businesses in the space that dating back decades. The menu has cocktails from Brian Van Flandern, who oversaw the program at Per Se, The Carlyle Hotel, The Plaza Hotel, and Palm Court restaurant, and also has a homage menu featuring recipes from some of the most impactful but now closed cocktail lounges in the country. They're open Thursday-Saturday from 5 pm-12 am.

Centrale Italia
New concept from veteran restaurateur Patrick Colombo (Cru Wine Bar, Princi Italia) opened in November at Preston Hollow Village at Walnut Hill Lane and US-75 with a menu of wood-fired dishes, Neapolitan style pizza, pastas, and gelato made in-house. They're debuting brunch on Sunday December 7 and lunch on Monday December 8, with a menu that includes spicy meatball sub, chicken parm on toasted ciabatta, and a parmesan garlic cheeseburger with Wagyu beef and arugula. Salads include Little Gem Caesar, chopped salad with salami, prosciutto, and soppressata, and an Italian Cobb salad with chicken, Romaine, radicchio, avocado, beets, prosciutto, eggs, and Campari tomato in a creamy gorgonzola.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Restaurant in Richardson which just opened in the former Maxim's space is an all-you-can-eat sushi/seafood buffet featuring a daily rotating menu with 300-plus items from various Asian cuisines. There are oysters, crab legs, lobster, sushi bar, ramen bar, dumplings bar, skewers bar, noodles, stir-fries, and Chinese dishes both Cantonese and Sichuan, such as spicy boiled beef and kung pao chicken. Plus dim sum and desserts such as precision-cut layer cakes and a chocolate fondue station where you can dip strawberries and other fruit. (The lobster and crab are available at dinner and weekends only, not at lunch.) The price is $20 at lunch, $30 at dinner on weeknighs, and $35 all weekend long.

Jashan
Indian ambitious new Indian restaurant with a one-of-a-kind menu offering has opened at Plano's Legacy North with a chef team who are bringing flavors from cities and regions across India, from Dehli's fried potato tikkis to pepper chicken from the south. For those seeking something truly unique, Jahsan also offer a Dil Se menu — an omakase-style tasting, available in 7- or 13-course versions, featuring a procession of these flavors, letting guests discover the stories of these cities in one visit.

La Stella Italian Steakhouse
Stupendous Italian restaurant just opened at a storied North Dallas address at 14655 Dallas Pkwy. in the former Lawry's space, where it stands as a bigger, grander spinoff of its sibling La Stella Cucina, the Italian restaurant in Dallas' Design District. The menu is an expanded version of the original: combining Italian seafood and a chophouse, plus an accompanying music lounge for live entertainment.

LuLu Modern Chinese
Glamorous new Asian restaurant just opened in Plano at 3310 Dallas Pkwy. #121, with a goal is to bring an authentic and modern Chinese American dining experience. The menu features classics like Peking duck, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and seafood executed with spices and recipes from various regions of China — from Shanghai to the Pan Asian continent. The 4,300-square-foot space features a subtle lounge theme — a place you can dine or grab tequila shots over a soundtrack of '90s hip-hop and pop, plus craft cocktails, and a serious collection of sake and wine — but not what you'd typically find at a Chinese restaurant.

Mendocino Farms
California chain known for creative sandwiches, salads, soups, and other healthy fare, has opened its newest DFW-area location — the sixth — at NorthPark Center, joining Addison, downtown Dallas, Plano, Preston Hollow, and Dallas' West Village. With its casual but upscale menu, featuring staples such as the Chicken & Hummus Crunch Wrap — as well as seasonal offerings like the November to Remember sandwich with turkey, mozzarella, mushroom & turkey sausage stuffing, spicy cranberry chutney, and Romaine on toasted cranberry walnut wheat bread — NorthPark seems like a perfect fit.

Old Ferry Donut
Doughnut shop chain from Korea entered the U.S. in 2023, with five locations in California. Now they've made their Texas debut in Carrollton at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #215, Their doughnuts are unique: They have a slightly chewier, more bready texture than the fluffy texture of a Krispy Kreme, and are a little less sweet than traditional American doughnuts. Many of their doughnuts have fillings, made from premium ingredients. The menu includes old-school flavors such as Boston Cream, Original Glaze, and Cinnamon Sugar — but also new-school flavors like White Chocolate Sesame, Earl Gray, and Matcha Cream.

Roots Chicken Shak
Fried chicken restaurant concept from celebrity chef Tiffany Derry, just opened a location at 3748 Belt Line Rd. #118, in a former Einstein's Bagels on the southeast corner of Marsh Lane. There are chicken wings, tenders, nuggets, and sandwiches on sweet potato buns. Derry opened the first Roots Chicken Shack at Plano's Legacy Food Hall in 2017, but the Addison location is owned by franchisees.

Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice
Halal BBQ spot which originated in Pilot Point is in soft opening mode at a new second location in Plano at 3201 Alma Dr., just west of US-75, where they'll be open from 11 am–3 pm or sell out. There's likely to be a line, because BBQ places like to have a line, but the Yearby's in Pilot Point also earned a slot on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best list for 2025.

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