Pizza News

Dallas pizza chain Cane Rosso opens first location since heinous pandemic

Pizza has arrived in North Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Cane Rosso

Dallas' popular pizza chain Cane Rosso has opened a new location in North Dallas, at the revitalized Hillcrest Village neighborhood center at 6959 Arapaho Rd., with trademark elements that include Neapolitan-style pizza and a sprawling patio.

A release says that Cane Rosso founder and owner Jay Jerrier is a fan of the center, which is home to a number of other restaurants including Haystack Burgers, The Brass Tap, and a coming-soon location of the Howard Wang's chain, opening in the former Lada space.

"The landlord had a vision for this center that looked really promising, and we could feel that the surrounding neighborhoods were looking for somewhere new to go out," Jerrier says.

Hillcrest Village will be their seventh location, and fills a geographical gap between Carrollton and Frisco. (Other locations are in Deep Ellum, Lakewood, Fort Worth, and Arlington.) At 3,200 square feet, it's among their smallest, which fits with what's happening in this post-pandemic takeout world.

"We've obviously seen a huge turn towards takeout and delivery in the past couple of years, and we've built this restaurant with that in mind," Jerrier says.

The location boasts a walk-up window near the entrance where guests can place or pick up to-go orders.

Outdoor space is a big deal: The restaurant has not one but TWO patios that include a 3,000-square-foot patio with games, picnic tables, and fire pits, and a separate 800-square-foot patio with seating. Hillcrest Village also has a 1.5-acre greenspace/park.

Food
Menu items include basics like the Margherita pizza with San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella made in-house daily, and the Honey Bastard pizza, a once off-menu specialty pizza with mozzarella, hot soppressata, bacon marmalade, and a habanero-infused honey drizzle at the end.

New menu items for the North Dallas location include one new pizza and two new pastas:

Straight Fire pizza, a previous pizza of the month with mozzarella, Calabrian chile béchamel, hot soppressata, mushrooms, and fresh jalapeños
Cavateppi Vesuvio, with sausage, peppers, red pepper pesto, kale, sugo, and parmesan cheese
Ziti Alla Bolognese, with brisket bolognese, ricotta, and parmesan cheese

There are also appetizers, salads, and desserts.

Discount days include Half Price Wine Nights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays where every glass and bottle of wine is half price; and Happy Hour Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm with discounts on drinks, appetizers, and select pizzas for $7-$9.

They're open now for dinner only on weekdays and full days Friday-Sunday, but will eventually open for weekday lunch.

pizza openings

Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings