Coronavirus News

Closures outnumber openings in this COVID-19 Dallas restaurant tally

Cool River Cafe salmon, never to be tasted again.

Photo courtesy of Cool River Ranch

With the recent protests in Dallas, the coronavirus may be less on the forefront of everyone's mind, but Dallas restaurants haven't stopped reeling from its effects. With a capacity of 50 percent now allowed, there are some new openings in the works. But in this edition of openings and closures, there are more restaurants who've decided to permanently close.

Here's the latest round:

Openings

Corner Bakery Cafe reopened four dining rooms on June 1 with enhanced sanitation and safety measures that include spacing out furniture, masks and gloves on employees, tape marking six feet of distance, and limiting access to the condiment station to one customer at a time. These locations will operate at 50 percent capacity. They include:

118 E. John Carpenter Fwy., Irving
8420 Preston Center Plaza, Dallas
2401 Preston Rd., Plano
100 State St., Southlake

Kate Weiser Chocolate is reopening all three locations. Trinity Groves, which continued to operate a curbside pickup business, has reopened. The store at the Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth reopened June 2 and the location at NorthPark Cener reopens June 3. Precautions include robust cleaning, strict hygiene protocols, and consolidated hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 am-5 pm and Sunday 12-5 pm at Northpark and Clearfork. Customers can also shop online at kateweiserchocolate.com.

Uchibā, the bar concept that sits atop Uchi in Uptown Dallas, has reopened with limited, reservations-only in-restaurant dining with patio seating, expanded dining hours, and an extended Whisky + Wagyu happy hour from 4-6:30 pm. They're observing new COVID-19 protocols and measures to keep everyone safe. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 4-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 4-10 pm. Call 214-855-5454 for reservations.

Closures

Ceviche, the short-lived ceviche bar in Oak Cliff opened by Raul Reyes, has closed. Reyes has meanwhile reopened La Palapa del Sabor at 118 W. Jefferson Ave.

Cool River Cafe, the Southwest restaurant and cigar bar in Irving, has closed. It was conceived in 1998 by, of all people, Gene Street, Tristan Simon, and Steve Hartnett, and had been there for more than 20 years. It had a major bar scene and was a favored hangout during the annual Byron Nelson golf tournament. The phone number has been disconnected and it's marked as "permanently closed" on Open Table. On the Cool River website, the only location listed is the outlet at Dallas Love Field, and an employee at one of the other restaurants owned by parent company Consolidated Restaurants Operations (CRO) said that it was closed.

An official statement from CRO says that "Cool River Las Colinas remains closed; the restrictions mandated to mitigate the pandemic must be further eased or eliminated before we can determine the disposition of Cool River. The success of the location has always depended on attracting groups socializing in the restaurant and lounge. Without group occasions, we have no business prospects at this time."

Mercy Wine Bar has closed its longtime Addison location after 17 years. Owner Glen Agritelley blames COVID-19, parking at the Village on the Parkway, and construction woes. A second location at the Toyoa Music Factory in Irving remains open.

Neighborhood Services, the hugely popular concept from chef Nick Badovinus, has shuttered its location at Preston Royal. The restaurant was one of many businesses that sustained severe damage from the 2019 tornado. The chain's other two locations have reopened.

Off-Site Kitchen, the burger joint in Trinity Groves from chef Nick Badovinus, has closed for good, although Badovinus is reportedly considering reopening in another location. Meanwhile, his burgers can be ordered at Vantina, the new popup operating in the parking lot of Desert Racer on Greenville Avenue.

Perfect Union Pizza Company, the pizzeria in Highland Park Village from chef Nick Badovinus, has also closed. A spokesperson at the center says that the space will be reconcepted.

Twigs American Kitchen has closed its location at the Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth. "This crisis created a significant strain on our ability to operate the restaurant during the pandemic with the resulting loss of revenue, for which we have been left no choice," the restaurant said. They'll continue to operate their newest location in Grandscape at The Colony, where it's full steam ahead.

Here's more news of openings and closings:

Surprise shutter leads these Dallas restaurant COVID openings and closings

New Greenville Ave outdoor cantina plus more Dallas restaurant openings

closings

Red letter opening

Dallas bar veterans open Italian speakeasy-restaurant in Denton

Photo courtesy of Red: Italian

Exposed stone walls and a backlit glowing bar anchor the subterranean space at Red: Italian.

A new speakeasy lounge serving high-end Italian food has arrived at a cool historic building in Denton. Called Red: Italian, the subterranean restaurant opened in the basement of Ruby Rodeo, a bar and live music venue located at 122 N. Locust St. on Denton Square.

The concept comes from Victor García and Mike Church. García spent years at Truth & Alibi — the popular speakeasy lounge disguised behind the faux storefront of the Deep Ellum Candy Company — before acquiring the same space for Scarlett Lounge and Kitchen in Deep Ellum in 2024. Church, a commercial pilot, trained at The Culinary School in Fort Worth and the Ritz-Carlton to refine his passion for cooking.

The business partners say they fell in love with the historic nature of the 1877 building in Denton, which housed Andy’s Bar for 30 years.

“We have always loved the building — it is the oldest building on the square. We saw the vision and loved the aesthetics for both our Ruby Rodeo and Red: Italian concepts,” Church says.

After opening Ruby Rodeo, the duo launched Red: Italian this month. Church notes that the "red" naming convention across their concepts — Scarlett, Ruby, and now Red — nods to his favorite color, a symbol of passion, and the red wines and tomato sauces central to Italian dining.

Church’s passion for Italian cuisine defined the menu, which he created alongside executive chef Denise Gabrielle, his former culinary school instructor. Gabrielle brings decades of hospitality experience from the Westin Hotels, The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona, and most recently, The Taste Project in Fort Worth and Arlington.

The 58-seat underground space — which includes 10 seats at the bar — serves elevated Italian classics. Entrees range from $25 to $40, with menu highlights including:

Spicy sausage lasagna with arrabbiata sauce
Cacio e pepe bucatini
Chicken piccata
Braised lamb leg
Mediterranean Sea bass
Shrimp diablo
Espresso-crusted filet mignon with Italian seasoning

Appetizers are priced under $15 and include house-made fried mozzarella, stuffed mushrooms, grilled artichokes, bruschetta, meatballs, and flatbreads. The kitchen also serves salads, featuring a classic Caesar and a house chopped salad with nine toppings.

Shrimp diablo served over pasta with toasted slices of bread at Red: Italian.Photo courtesy of Red: Italian

Desserts feature house-made panna cotta, ricotta-amaretto Italian cheesecake topped with drunken cherry sauce, and a table-side bananas Foster served with house-made amaretto gelato.

The bar program leans into Italian flavors with options like an Italian margarita made with house limoncello, tequila, amaretto, and simple syrup, alongside a peach Bellini and a smoky Godfather. The wine list spotlights Italian bottles and a selection of Napa Valley options.

“The place has the perfect intimate, upscale, fun Italian wine and food ambience,” Church says.

While entering Red doesn't require a password, it still has an off-the-beaten-path entry that is characteristic of speakeasies. Social media posts direct patrons to "look for the red awning" adjacent to Ruby Rodeo’s black awning. A set of red stairs leads guests downstairs to a door with a small sign reading "Red:".

To preserve the speakeasy atmosphere, cell phone use is discouraged. The space also features subtle Easter eggs for guests to discover, such as conversation starters tucked beneath the napkins.

Following a sold-out opening weekend, Red: Italian is now open, with an official ribbon cutting planned for September (exact date to be announced).

Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 5-10 pm, with last seating at 9 pm to wrap up dinner service before Ruby Rodeo’s live music starts upstairs at 10:30 pm.

speakeasy italian restaurant denton