New Restaurants

Mexican restaurant with Hollywood ties inks deal at Las Colinas plaza

So much happening here right now.

Water Street

The buzzy bustling Water Street project in Las Colinas has some more exciting buzz in the works, including a new restaurant with Hollywood ties. Water Street, you may recall, is the mixed-use development on the hypnotic shores of Lake Carolyn.

According to a release, the newbies include a popular local pub and a new concept restaurant from a Meso Maya veteran.

Several are spinoffs of locations we already know and love, as follows:

Cork & Pig Tavern will open its fourth location at Water Street in fall 2018. Cork & Pig Tavern is chef Felipe Armenta's mini chain with locations in Fort Worth, Odessa, and San Angelo. It's known for delicacies like West Texas biscuits & gravy and Carolina pork ribs.

The Ginger Man, known for its pioneering, expansive collection of beer, will open its ninth location at Water Street in fall 2018. The Ginger Man's Water Street location will also feature a full restaurant menu in addition to its popular bar appetizer menu.

Olivella's, the artisanal pizza chain from Dallas restaurateur Charlie Green, is opening its sixth location at Water Street in September.

Green also opened El Famoso, his Mexican diner concept, at Water Street earlier this year. The menu puts an L.A. spin on Tex-Mex with items such as the Sloppy Jose sandwich, carne asada fries and giant burritos.

Go Fish Poke opened its second location at Water Street with poke bowls, Asian craft beers, and sake cups.

Creamistry is the dessert chain that specializes in liquid nitrogen ice cream in unique flavors such as honeycomb toffee and lemon cookie.

Big Little Market, a family-owned neighborhood pantry and beverage bar opening in September, will offer groceries, beer, wine and meals to-go, such as specialty deli sandwiches with gourmet meat and cheeses, fresh-baked bread, and locally grown organic produce.

Hugo’s Invitados, a partnership between Hugo Miranda, previously with Meso Maya, and movie producer Mark Hulme, is expected to open fall 2018. Hugo's Invitados menu is influenced by Mexico and characterized as Cocina Fresca, good food that’s good for you. Each and every dish is handcrafted from all-natural, nutritious ingredients that are always fresh and flavorful.

Additional retailers and conveniences at Water Street include The Gents Place, an ultra-premium men's lifestyle and grooming club opening in September. We Yogis is Water Street’s yoga studio, offering both in-studio and lakeside classes. Ciel Nail, GQ Tailor and Waxing the City are all now open; Flirty Girl Lash Studio opens in August. Dallas-based designer Mike Mousel also opened a Homeworks studio offering residential and commercial design services. Homegrown Hounds is a nonprofit doggie deli and bakery benefiting a local dog rescue organization.

Water Street has a massive mix of retail, restaurant, apartment homes, green space, and lake views, all walking distance of the DART Rail System, Toyota Music Factory, and the landmark Mustangs at Las Colinas.

"Las Colinas is closer to downtown and Dallas' center than Addison, only fifteen minutes from the airport, and its daytime and residential population has been exploding,” said Charlie Green of Olivella’s and El Famoso. “The Water Street project is the garden spot smack dab in the midst of all this development, a little oasis on the water with abundant parking and easy access both from O'Connor and Las Colinas Boulevard by foot, train, motor vehicle and rail. We could not have picked a better DFW location."

openings

Downtown News

Mom-and-pop Italian grocery in downtown Dallas closes after a year

Ari's

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A buzzy grocery store in downtown Dallas has closed: Ari’s Pantry, the small local chain specializing in Italian groceries and to-go foods, has closed its location in the heart of the Central Business District at 1800 Main St.#124.

A statement from the owners called it "a difficult decision." The closure is effective July 15.

"We are truly grateful for the welcome Ari's Pantry received from the downtown Dallas community. You have supported our business and shared in our passion for Italian food and hospitality. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Downtown Dallas location effective today," their post said.

The closure comes a little over a year since they opened in May 2025.

Downtown was the third location for the small mom-and-pop market, which debuted in Winnetka Heights in December 2023 to fulfill owner Ari Lowenstein's passion for all things Italy, with pastas, gourmet goods, dried foods, produce, plus meals for dining in or to go.

They opened a second location in Trinity Groves in 2024, which is currently marked on their website as "closed for the summer," although it does not list a re-opening date. Lowenstein was unavailable for comment.

The downtown location was originally a joint venture between Lowenstein and Alan Kearney, a downtown enthusiast who owns businesses nearby such as The Crafty Irishman and Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, as well as Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in Oak Cliff. However, Kearney withdrew from the store after it opened.

To accommodate the needs of downtown workers and residents, Lowenstein added a coffee shop and gelato stand. It was open for coffee at 7 am and until 9 pm, with a dining area where customers could have wine and cheese.

The location at 1800 Main St. seems to be in a favorable spot, surrounded by residential buildings and hotels such as the AC Hotel and Statler Dallas. Who has not spent a night in a hotel and longed for a market nearby with snacks and wine? It's also across the street from Neiman Marcus, whose imminent closure in September has provoked some pearl-clutching about the prosperity of downtown. But the downtown population does not always support local businesses.

Ari's was not the first to find the location challenging: It was previously occupied by the well-mounted Berkley's Market, which closed in 2024 after six years in the space.

The owners stated that they would "continue focusing on our locations in Coppell and Bishop Arts as we look ahead to the next chapters of Ari's Pantry," before thanking "every customer who stopped in for coffee, lunch or gelato, picked up dinner, discovered a new favorite ingredient."

downtown closings