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.

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Putting into Plano

New Plano restaurant Sip'Stroke tees up golf with chef-driven fare

Saffron salmon skewers, one of the featured seafood offerings on Chef Madan Oli’s menu at Sip’Stroke.

Photo courtesy of Sip'Stroke.

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It's tee time for a new restaurant featuring a private Full Swing golf simulator and an indoor putt-putt course in Plano: Called Sip’Stroke, the new "eatertainment" spot is opening Saturday, August 1 at 5969 Dallas Pkwy.

The concept comes from Kushal Raj Bastakoti, a cityscape artist and interior designer from Nepal who moved to Dallas in 2013 to attend the University of North Texas. Bastakoti also owns Skyline Lounge in downtown Dallas, which opened earlier this year, and is a franchisee of the Asian beverage and dessert chain Feng Cha Café.

He says he chose the location due to the rapid growth of businesses and residences in the nearby Legacy area.

“At Sip’Stroke we created a space that is entirely unique — it feels like you're on a 9-hole golf course, but paired with exceptional dining,” he says.

Although built around golf, the restaurant is also chef-driven. Bastakoti recruited chef Madan Oli, who launched his culinary career in Copenhagen, where he developed a focus on high-quality ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and presentation.

“My goal is to bring people together through modern American cuisine with bold flavors and global inspiration,” says Oli. “Every dish is crafted with care, balance, and a true passion for hospitality.”

$Sip\u2019Stroke$ At Sip’Stroke, you can catch the game, play a round of putt-putt, and enjoy a high-end meal.Photo courtesy of Sip'Stroke.

Oli designed a menu featuring shared boards, fresh seafood, premium steaks, elevated bar staples, and desserts. Highlights include prime ribeye frites, saffron salmon, maple leaf duck breast, Cabernet-braised short ribs, Wagyu sliders, and a selection of tacos and wings, with prices ranging from $20 to $35.

The full bar serves classic and signature cocktails, along with shots, wine, beer, and zero-proof drinks.

The venue includes a private golf simulator that accommodates up to eight guests, a custom nine-hole mini-golf course integrated into the dining room, seating for 60 indoors, and an additional 15 seats on the patio.

While Sip’Stroke has been operating with limited hours during a soft opening over the past several days, regular business hours begin Saturday, August 1, from 12 noon to 12 midnight daily. A grand opening celebration is planned for late August.

A second Sip’Stroke location is also in the works next to Skyline Lounge at 2012 Commerce St. in downtown Dallas and is expected to open before the end of the year. The owners say restoring the historic 100-year-old building has taken longer than anticipated.

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