Closing News
High-profile restaurant in Dallas' troubled One Arts Plaza shuts down
There seems to be another one down in downtown Dallas: Proof + Pantry, the once-high-profile restaurant at One Arts Plaza, has closed, reportedly due to a shutout by the landlord.
A downtown worker spotted notices announcing the closure on the door, and a former staffer confirmed that the restaurant has been closed for about a week. A spokesperson for One Arts Plaza confirmed that it was permanently closed, and that the center was in talks with restaurant candidates to take over the space.
The restaurant was opened in 2014 by a team that included mixologist Michael Martensen, who is currently working in Mexico on a consultant job and for whom the shuttering seems to have been a surprise. On April 25, he posted an exultant update on Facebook, congratulating the entire staff for earning a spot on a list by Eater.
But that was April, and May is a new month. A new month requiring rent.
Martensen, who has also been involved in the opening of Deep Ellum bar Shoals Sound & Service, was not available for comment.
P+P opened with fanfare, describing itself as a multifaceted American restaurant and bar featuring progressive yet approachable American fare, along with a diverse and original bar program.
For a hot minute, it brought some buzz to One Arts Plaza, and went on to earn some attention when it rejected a review from a critic at the Dallas Morning News. It was one of the biggest restaurant stories of 2014.
It was highlighted by CultureMap as a key opening for summer 2014, and its cocktails made a CultureMap list of Where to Drink in 2016. It also saw a series of chefs come through, including Anthony Bombaci for a short-lived stint.
Proof + Pantry bravely took over a location with some turnover: It started out as Dali Wine Bar, which lasted two years; followed by chef John Tesar's excellent burger joint The Commissary, which lasted a year; followed by The Greek, from the owners of Ziziki's.
At the time it opened, Martensen was partnered with Sal Jafar and Jeremy Hargrove, but they both left the company in January 2017, leaving Martensen as the remaining operating partner/owner.
Survivors at One Arts Plaza remain Yolk, the breakfast place that opened in the former Screen Door location in 2014; Tei An, the acclaimed soba concept from chef Teiichi "Teach" Sakurai; and Jorge's Tex-Mex, from Michelle Mirales, who also recently opened LaLa's Mexican at Preston Center.
