Ciao Dallas

North Italia restaurant hails Dallas with handmade everything

The first North Italia in Dallas will open in Plano.

Courtesy photo

Italian food fans get another shot with North Italia, the Italian food concept from Fox Restaurant concepts, which is scheduled to open on June 27 in Plano.

Texas currently has two branches of North Italia in Austin and Houston but this is the first branch in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It'll be located at Legacy West, along with its corporate sibling, True Food Kitchen.

Italian food has never been a strong suit for Dallas, but in the past year or two, we're seeing newcomers such as Americano at the Joule Dallas hotel, Dolce Riviera in the Harwood District, fast-casual Italian sandwich chain Piada Italian Street Food, and Sprezza on Maple Avenue.

And there are more Italian restaurants on the horizon including Sassetta, the Tim Headington restaurant set to open in the Design District; and two chef-driven Italian concepts opening at Highland Park Village.

The menu at North Italia includes antipasti, pizza, pasta, and more. Everything is made fresh on the premises daily, including pasta and pizza dough. According to a release, the menu evolves to incorporate seasonal produce.

Signature dishes include The Pig Pizza with tomato sauce, spicy pepperoni, soppressata, and Italian sausage; prosciutto bruschetta with Crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, and truffle; and burrata tortelloni with cherry tomato, basil, and Pecorino cheese.

The restaurant will occupy a roomy 6,500 square feet with an additional 1,500-square-foot patio. The interior will have an exhibition kitchen overlooking the dining room, bar, and seating for up to 270 guests.

Plano will be only the 11th branch. Other locations are in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Kansas. North Italia Plano marks the fourth Fox restaurant in the DFW area, along with True Food Kitchen and Flower Child, the massively popular healthy restaurant concept that recently opened at Inwood Village.

A second branch of North Italia is opening at the Union Dallas in Uptown in 2018, where it will be joined by yet-another Sam Fox concept, The Henry. If we like Sam Fox, he definitely likes us.

Fox Restaurant Concepts' founder Sam Fox is a James Beard nominee and is on the list of "the 50 most powerful people in food service" by Nation's Restaurant News.

Open seven days a week, North Italia will offer lunch and dinner every day, and brunch on the weekends along with happy hour Monday through Thursday from 3 – 6 p.m. North Italia will also offer half price bottles of wine all day on Sundays.

openings

Wine News

New Vinifera Wine Lounge and Bistro debuts on Flower Mound’s Riverwalk

Vinifera

Vinifera Wine Lounge & Bistro

A new wine bar and bistro has opened in Flower Mound. Called Vinifera Wine Lounge & Bistro, it's at 4120 River Walk Dr., in a space formerly occupied by a short-lived pizzeria, joining a string of bars overlooking the Riverwalk.

Vinifera is from Jamie Creevy, a British native who moved to Dallas in 2007, and who has worked at concepts such as Henderson Tap House and Peppersmash Concepts. At Vinifera, he's partnered with Chris Kummer, a former US Marine with experience in nightclubs and restaurants, including Chill in Grapevine.

Running the kitchen is executive chef Justin Samsill, who has worked at a wide range of high-end places including Knife, Town Hearth, The Mitchell, Smoke, and Hide. The menu has a big selection of seafood such as mussels, shrimp cocktail, squid pasta, and scallops, as well as steak au poivre, pasta bolognese, and trendy items such as steak frites and a smash burger, with entrees ranging from $19 to $35.

Vegetarian options include an unusual rendition of ratatouille, in which vegetables such as eggplant and tomato are cut into slices and arranged like a pinwheel. There are also salads and harissa carrots with Greek yogurt.

They describe the wine list as being "from all over the world", with 38 offerings by the glass. There are also cocktails.

Between the indoor dining room and outdoor space, the restaurant seats about 130 people. It shares a private event room with next door neighbor Whiskey & Smoke.

Riverwalk is the 158-acre mixed used development developed in 2017 and designed as a destination resembling the Riverwalk in San Antonio, with live music, events, and a range of eatery options including Whiskey & Smoke, Pennywise Pub, and Underdogs Burgers & Brews.

“We are looking to be creative and pivot to keep the area fresh," Creevy says. “People are looking for live music, value, free events, we want to entertain the residents and the community at an inexpensive rate."

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