Pasta News

Dallas' ravioli kingpin adds take-out with Italian dinners ready to eat

This could be your dinner tonight.

Civello's

Dallas' ravioli kingpin Civello's Raviolismo, noted for its fresh artisanal ravioli, is expanding its repertoire with a new offering that makes it easier and more convenient to enjoy their awesome Italian food.

The East Dallas shop has launched a take-out meal operation with dishes such as beef lasagna, beef ravioli, and spicy Italian sausage in a madeira cream sauce, all in single-serving packages, ready to be heated and consumed.

Since 1954, the store has always sold the raw materials — pasta sauces, manicotti, Italian sausage, meatballs, ravioli — both to the public and to restaurants, who represent about three quarters of their business.

For home customers, this required assembly and preparation. Owner Phil Civello was getting feedback that they wanted something already prepared.

"What we had in the past was frozen, where you'd have to thaw and heat it," he says. "We've gone ahead and done the cooking, sauced it, and made it more convenient. Not everyone wants to cook. And these are also good for workers who want to take something back to the office for lunch."

Today's offerings include meat ravioli and cheese ravioli, about 8 to 10 per serving; plus beef lasagna, eggplant lasagna, and black bean ravioli with red chili cream sauce.

"As we begin this, we're keeping about 4-5 varieties on hand," Civello says. "If it gets bigger, we'll add more selections."

He's also extended his hours later in the day: until 6 pm Monday-Friday and 4 pm on Saturday. "We're here in case someone needs to catch dinner," he says.

dinner

BBQ News

Tejas BBQ nabs former Civello's space in east Dallas for tacos & BBQ

Tejas BBQ

BBQ from Tejas BBQ

A new restaurant serving BBQ and Mexican food is opening at a hallowed East Dallas address: Called Tejas BBQ, it'll open at 1318 N. Peak St., which old-timers will remember is the space previously occupied by longtime pasta shop Civiello’s Raviolismo.

It'll open in spring 2025.

Tejas BBQ is from Antonio Guevara and Tifany Swulius, two industry vets who founded the concept in 2022 as a late-night pop-up camped at local spots such as The Balcony Club and Three Links.

Their menu is a crowd-pleasing fusion of smoked meats with Mexican favorites such as tacos and pozole. Bestsellers include brisket and the fajita tacos with grilled vegetables and green salsa. The meats— brisket, pulled pork, and sausage— are all smoked over charcoal.

They make a complementary team: Swulius is the experienced baker who handles breads and desserts; Guevara is the BBQ king.

For their buns, which they use for their brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, they add a special ingredient.

"Whenever I'm smoking brisket, I save the trimmings and put them in the smoker with the brisket and the fat to render off, then we use that smoked beef tallow for the buns," Guevara says. "It gives the buns a more silky, smoky flavor. We want to make our own tortillas eventually, but that's a big undertaking right now."

Desserts include peanut butter blondies and corn cookies for $2. Prices range from $3 for a taco to $25 for a pound of brisket.

Their location has foodie history: It's the former home of Civello's, which had been open since the 1980s selling ravioli and pasta from family recipes that dated back to the 1950s. The original family sold the business in 2022; the new owner closed the shop in October 2024. It remains a charming storefront, a few doors down from Peak Inn, but with no indoor seating, available for pickup and delivery orders only.

Guevara and Swulius both work full time as bartenders, Guevara at Lakewood Landing and Swulius at Sundown at Granada, although Guevara recently put in his notice to focus on Tejas.

In the meantime, they continue catering events and have their eyes set on the State Fair of Texas to get one of the coveted featured vendor spots.

"Last year, we decided to partner up and try to get into the fair," Guevara says. "We didn't, but they invited us to apply for a business master class under the guidance of a vendor-mentor. Hopefully that'll give us a bette chance of getting in this year, so that's the goal."

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