In Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant news, Park Cities gets a Thai spot, and downtown Dallas gets a sports bar that's no longer called a sports bar. September is looking good, and here's the dish:
The second branch of Pakpao opens on September 4 at the Preston Hollow Village complex, across from Trader Joe's. Pakpao is the Thai-cuisined restaurant from Aphelia, which also owns Oak and El Bolero. The Preston Hollow Pakpao will be open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Design and menu are similar to the original in the Design District, but with a few unique offerings from executive chef Jet Tila and chef de cuisine Pierre Trevino, including steamed pork and shrimp dumplings with shiitake mushrooms, fresh ginger and scallion, and fried garlic.
Frankie's, formerly Frankie's Sports Bar of Uptown, has opened in downtown Dallas in the residential Davis Building. Cocktails got a consult from Lucky Campbell, and there's a big Chili's-type menu with calamari, burgers, spinach-artichoke dip, stuffed jalapenos, fried pickles, blackened chicken Caesar, pizzas, flatbreads, club sandwiches, and wraps. If all of that sounds thoroughly average, it really kind of is, but that's part of the appeal.
Saint Rocco's, an Italian restaurant, is opening in September at Trinity Groves, from a promising team: Trinity Groves founder Phil Romano and Jay Valley, corporate chef of Eatzi's. The menu will include pasta, charcuterie, and seafood. The menu features unique twists on favorites including Sicilian lasagna, a deconstructed version of the classic served tossed in bowl with mini-meatballs, Bolognese and fresh ricotta; and pecorino pastina with shrimp and asparagus. Italian for "tiny dough," pastina with butter, milk and cheese was the go-to comfort food of chef Valley's mother.
Hofmann Hots is relocating from its location on Singleton Boulevard to across the street, where it will open in mid- to late-November. It's being moved to make room for a 300-unit apartment complex owned by Roger Staubach, Robert Shaw, Phil Romano, and Stuart Fitts.
Parker Barrows is a new restaurant opening in Bishop Arts at 334 W. Davis St., at the corner of Bishop. The restaurant is named for the surnames of famed Dallas-born crime couple Bonnie and Clyde.
Eight Bells Alehouse, the Expo Park offshoot of Ten Bells Tavern in Bishop Arts, is open. The menu has a Spanish tapas theme with stuffed piquillo peppers, sardines in olive oil, mussels, potato salad, garlic bruschetta, sandwiches, and plates with charcuterie and cheese.
Hickory, the Kent Rathbun concept that specializes in barbecue and burgers, will open in Terminal B at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in late 2016. Features will include a lounge, HD TVs, and Dallas-area sports memorabilia. Menu items will include Wagyu brisket, pork shoulder, pork loin chop, St. Louis style pork spare ribs, cheeseburgers, craft beer, and cocktails.
Paul Martin's American Grill is open for lunch daily at 11 am. The menu features $12 specials such as pork chili verde enchiladas, salmon sandwich with arugula, and vegetable pasta.
Greenville Avenue Pizza Company is open for brunch. The menu will feature breakfast calzones filled with egg, potatoes, sausage, bacon, cheddar, and mozzarella; ricotta, blueberries, raspberries; and veggie calzone with egg, mozzarella, potatoes, red onion, spinach, mushrooms.
Knife has new cocktails "handcrafted" by bartender Charlie Moore: gin with Aperol and fresh strawberry, lemon and honey; an appletini with vodka, sour apple syrup and a splash of wine; and a Rusty Nail with scotch and Drambuie, in which quantities are limited.
Cafe Momentum has a new chef de cuisine in Sarah Green, former pastry chef. She replaces Eric Shelton, who is leaving for a job in Kansas.
SĒR Steaks & Spirits chef Anthony Van Camp has joined Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, where he'll oversee Crockett's, the hotel restaurant, as well as menu planning, banquets, events, and room service.
Sera Dining & Wine has promoted Victor Villarreal to chef; has been sous chef at Sera since May. He was previously at Clay Pigeon and Grace. He'll do house-made pastas, mussels and charcuterie.
Pretty Thai food a la Pakpao comes to Preston Hollow Village.
Designed by local artists at Decotron, the front-porch sign at Trapèze offers a taste of what's inside. Photo courtesy Trapèze/Peter Novotny