Agave Azul Siesta

Downtown Dallas restaurant takes siesta until neighborhood action perks up

Agave Azul blazed a trail when it opened a branch in downtown Dallas in April.

Photo by Marc Lee

Despite a comprehensive remodel, stellar patio and plenitude of positive press, the downtown Dallas branch of Agave Azul has temporarily closed due to lack of business.

Owner Zotico Reyes says that the restaurant is, for now, "in hibernation."

"Although we earned many loyal guests and exceptional reviews, we were not able to gain a large enough audience to support the business at this time," Reyes said in an email. "We will reopen in the near future when all the great projects in the downtown Farmers Market are completed."

Named after the blue agave tequila plant, Agave Azul first opened in Carrollton with Mexican food, award-winning margaritas and more than 200 tequilas. Reyes opened the downtown spinoff in April in the new Lone Star Gas Lofts building with a name-brand chef: Sebastian Royo, a 2013 Hell's Kitchen contestant. Royo left in May with plans to launch his own food truck, but the restaurant's patio was an eye-catcher and its margaritas earned critical nods.

The Farmers Market redevelopment is still in progress, says Tanya Ragan, president of the Farmers Market Stakeholders Association.

"We have over 20 restaurants coming to Shed 2, but that's still under construction," she says. "Shed 3 and Shed 4 were taken down within the last 30 days, to make way for retail and apartments.

"The Shed, formerly Shed 1, is going through transition. Mudhen, the restaurant from Shannon Wynne going where Caliper's was, is still under construction."

She points to Green Door Public House, the restaurant from the Uncle Uber folks that opened a year ago in July, as a success story for the neighborhood. "They've had tremendous support from the community, but they're closer to the market area," she says.

Reyes knew he was blazing a trail when he opened the restaurant on an edge of downtown that is still not quite populated. But another apartment complex on Cesar Chavez is nearing completion. Meanwhile, he'll make the space available for private parties and events.

"We look forward to reopening in early 2016," he says.

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Italian News

New restaurant at Hall Park Hotel in Frisco will do house-made pastas

Hall Park

Palato at Hall Park

A new Italian restaurant is coming to Frisco: Called Palato Italian Kitchen, it will open at the Hall Park Hotel, at 3220 Internet Blvd. where, according to a release, it will open in the fall.

Hall Park Hotel is a 224-room hotel slated to be the first Marriott Autograph Collection property to open in Frisco. In addition to well-appointed guest rooms, the hotel will offer The Reserve suites: four private floors designed for extended-stay business travelers and those seeking apartment-style accommodations with the services of an Autograph Collection hotel.

Inspired by the Hall family’s love of wine and expert food pairings, Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge embraces an Italian concept with seasonal menus, house-made pasta, cocktails, and an extensive list of Old and New World wines, including selections from Hall Wines.

The restaurant will feature an exhibition-style kitchen, open-air design, stone hearth oven, central bar, and outdoor patio. Adjacent to Palato is the Lounge, an intimate space for happy hours and nightcaps.

In addition to Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge, guests can also experience the Parkside Pool & Bar at Hall Park Hotel’s seventh floor rooftop with panoramic views of Kaleidoscope Park, cocktails, and bar bites.

Food & drink
Palato's menu highlights include delicacies such as:

Fritelle di Baccala, Ligurian-style salt cod fritters
Bigoli with Valpolicella Braised Duck, featuring the traditional pasta shape and ingredients from Veneto
Bonet with dark chocolate, amaretti, rum and pistachio, an iconic dessert from Piedmont

The cocktail menu is presented in four distinct categories — Spritz, Shaken, Stirred and Garibaldi — a unique twist unlike any other cocktail bar. Cocktails include the Oasis of Venice Spritz, featuring l’aperitivo nonino, rum, roasted pineapple syrup, prosecco, and Fever Tree sparkling lime + yuzu; and the Sicilian Breakfast Garibaldi, with Aperol Averna amaro and fluffy blood orange juice.

Cast & crew
Palato Executive Chef is Eric Sakai, who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants Rubicon and Acquerello in San Francisco, the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, and the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, as well as studying pasta in Italy.

Executive Pastry Chef is Sophie Candia, a native of Argentina who has spent the past decade perfecting her craft. Her role on-property will include creating an artisan bread program and creating exclusive pastry offerings and catering menus, including bespoke wedding cakes for couples who choose to host their nuptials at the hotel.

There will also be an on-site cheesemonger, and General Manager is Hans Ritten, who says they are excited to add Chef Sakai and Chef Candia to the team.

The credits
Hall Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, will open next door to Kaleidoscope Park where it will offer a premier hotel experience as the first Autograph Collection hotel in Frisco, with 60 suites, world-class contemporary art, approachable dining and international wine program, and luxury amenities and accommodations for both short-and-long term stays. The property is owned by Dallas-based Hall Group and operated by Coury Hospitality.

The Hall Park development in Frisco encompasses 2.2 million square feet of office and retail space throughout 15 buildings. One-third of the park is dedicated to green space and includes three miles of walking trails, over 200 works of art including the Texas Sculpture Garden, the largest private collection of contemporary Texas sculpture available to the public. In October 2021, its developer, Hall Group, commenced construction on the first phase of its new masterplan development that will evolve Hall Park into a dynamic mixed-use community.

openings