Pizza News

New pizza chain tosses more authentic Italian pies to Dallas-Fort Worth

Midici is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy of Midici

A new Neapolitan-style pizza chain is headed to DFW, bringing more authentic Italian thin-crust pizzas to both Dallas and Fort Worth. Called Midici, it's a chain from California that was founded in 2015 and is a sibling to Menchie's Frozen Yogurt. It's currently in hyper-growth phase, with more than 100 branches opening across the country.

The first local branches to open will be in Fort Worth, at the new Left Bank complex, and in Euless, at Chisholm Trail Pkwy., both opening by fall 2017. More locations are penciled in for Dallas, including one in Uptown. There's already a Midici open in Katy, near Houston, with two more set to open in the Houston area in 2017, as well as one in El Paso.

Midici observes all of the usual standards that a Neapolitan-style pizzeria observes, with the dough made from four ingredients: Italian "00" flour, water, salt, and yeast, and pizzas baked for 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven that burns at close to 1000 degrees.

The menu features vegan-friendly selections, authentic Italian gelato, a signature Nutella calzone dessert, and happy hour with wine and beer.

Serving as culinary consultants for Midici are Peppe Miele and Mario Vollera, known as the masters of Neapolitan pizza. Miele is president of VPN Americas, the American delegation of Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, which provides certification to pizzerias who observe the Neapolitan methods.

Running the Fort Worth opening is Michael Crain, a graduate of Texas Wesleyan Law School (now Texas A&M University School of Law), who has worked in government and real estate. He and his wife, Joanna, were living in China and decided to get involved with Midici after moving back to Fort Worth.

"We love the pizza and also the atmosphere," Crain says. "It's fast-casual and fast-dining, and yet the quality and experience makes you feel more like it's fine-dining."

All Midici branches have very tall ceilings and an open space. Each branch has an indoor olive tree, which is a requirement and makes finding the right location key.

"The idea is to create the feeling that you're dining in an open-air piazza in Italy," Crain says.

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Back in Business

Garland restaurant from Bobby Flay winner to reopen in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Pangea

Chef Kevin Ashade has found a new home for Pangea.

Pangea, the popular Garland restaurant which closed in January 2025, has found a new home. A new iteration of the restaurant will open in downtown Dallas, at 1910 Pacific Ave., Ste. 1400, in a location that was once vegan restaurant Belse.

According to restaurant personnel, it will open at 4 pm Friday, February 13.

Pangea is from chef and restaurateur Kevin Ashade, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who won Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2016 with his signature coq au vin, which will be served at the new restaurant.

Ashade has a strong culinary background in Dallas, which includes Craft at the W Hotel, Nana at the Hilton Anatole, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, and his GourmEats catering business, before opening Pangea in January 2020.

In this new chapter of Pangea, which is defined by Ashade as “elevated and globally inspired," the menu will expand past the original restaurant's upscale Southern eats to include new flavors and fusions from Italian, Nigerian, Japanese, French, and Caribbean cuisine.

“The focus will be on a true definition of what Pangea is, with new dishes and a true cultural approach to food,” Ashade says.

The menu will feature about half of the dishes from the original location, including the popular jerk roasted lamb shank, stuffed salmon, and crab cakes. It will expand to include more fish options, like a branzino plate, and more cuts of steak, in addition to the New York strip, filet, and ribeye that were served in the Garland location. Entrees will range from $35 to $50, with more casual options such as burgers and sandwiches available as well.

The new restaurant will also feature a full raw and sushi bar, including an omakase option starting at $85. They will also be serving brunch on weekends, with options such as chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, omelets, steak frites, pastry baskets, and a full coffee menu.

Pangea downtown Dallas The menu is globally inspired. Photo courtesy of Pangea

The 240-seat space is upscale with a lounge vibe, with warm lighting creating a sophisticated but welcoming look. It features a full bar, a private dining room, and an ample climate-controlled patio. It is centrally located, across the street from Pacific Plaza Park and on the same block as the Majestic Theatre.

“This relocation means a better spot for us, an opportunity to be part of the business district. We want to create a vacation feel, a place that makes you feel like you are traveling in Mykonos, Tulum, or Ibiza,” Ashade says.

Pangea will be open for dinner seven days a week, as well as offering lunch on Fridays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant will stay open late — until 2 am — on weekends.

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