Downtown News

Italian restaurant from Chicago to open in century-old Dallas building

The pizzas sound divine.

Courtesy of Etta

A chef-owned Italian restaurant from Chicago is coming to downtown Dallas: Called Etta, it's from chef Danny Grant and will open in the East Quarter, the development on the easternmost side of the Central Business District.

According to a release, Etta will open in 2022. It's going into a century-old two-story building at 2203 Commerce St., where it will span 11,000 square feet, including a second-floor patio.

Etta East Quarter represents the third concept in Dallas from What If Syndicate, the national hospitality group from Grant and partners David Pisor and Jim Lasky. In March, they opened Monarch and Kessaku, two restaurants inside The National building. Both the National building and East Quarter are projects being developed by Dallas-based Todd Interests.

Food
The menu will feature local and seasonal fare including:

wood-fired pizzas
house-made pastas
salads
dishes to share

Etta's sibling Monarch is also Italian-leaning but more high-end; Etta has a neighborhood restaurant theme with "affordable" prices.

Pastas such as orecchiette with fennel sausage run from $18 to $25. A wild mushroom pizza with "melted" onions, goat cheese, black truffle, and raclette cheese is $22. A pancetta pizza with pistachio pesto, English peas, mint, and pecorino is $22 and sounds divine.

There are two family-style dishes to share including the signature Pig Picnic, a $62 feast with pork loin and pork belly alongside vegetables, lettuce cups, bread, and sides such as dill spiced yogurt, chimichurri, serrano, Veracruz oil, drippings, and garlic butter.

The restaurant will be open daily for dinner and will also serve weekend brunch.

Neighborhood
The East Quarter comprises 18 charming brick buildings that used to be automobile showrooms, centered around the Meletio building, now being restored and developed by Todd Interests, along with a new 20-story mixed use development with retail, office, and residential space.

The Etta building has a historic garage and an adjacent alleyway space which What If is working to find unique ways to use.

In a statement, Grant calls the development "progressive and incredibly thoughtful" and says they're honored to be a part of it.

downtown

Closing News

Longtime Dallas restaurant Sevy's Grill to close after nearly 30 years

Photo courtesy of Sevy's Grill

undefined

A longtime Dallas restaurant is closing in 2026: Sevy's Grill, which has been open at 8201 Preston Rd. near Preston Center for nearly 30 years, will close on June 27, 2026.

According to a release from the owners, they're closing due to what appears to be an increase in rent.

"After months of negotiations, we were not able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement for our fourth 10-year lease," the post said.

The restaurant is located in Preston Sherry Plaza, which was acquired in September 2025 by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate. Somebody gotta foot the bill.

Sevy's says they are looking at other locations.

"Our focus now is to finish these next 6+ months taking care of our guests and staff at the same caring level we built our brand on: Warm, professional service, consistently good food and a comfortable ambiance where the guest is always first," the post says. "First on our list of priorities is taking care of our guests in December and all the wonderful celebrations of family, friends and business groups. We do still have some availability for reservations, including our last New Years Eve at Preston Sherry. Come celebrate with us as the exciting anticipation of a new year for all of us."

"Our second priority will be the search for a new location to continue doing what we love," they said. "We are already reviewing possible sites and will keep everyone updated regularly."

Owned by chef Jim "Sevy" Severson and his wife Amy Severson, the restaurant has long been a neighborhood favorite with a lively bar scene, and was nominated in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards for Best Neighborhood Restaurant. They were a frequent choice for winemaker events and are also known for the longevity of their staff.

"Eight team members have been with us all 29+ years, with an average tenure in the kitchen of 15+ years and a Management team that you all know," their post said. "Come support our staff as we celebrate the next 6+ months.Thank you again for your support through all the normal challenges of running a restaurant as well as economic downturns, market bubbles, Y2K, and of course the COVID era. As I tell my family and friends to “enjoy the ride in life”, wow, what an amazing ride it has been for us! And as always, Sevy’s Grill is here for you."