Uptown Dallas juggernaut Harwood Hospitality Group is debuting a new restaurant that fills an increasingly vital niche: authentic Italian food. Called Dolce Riviera, it's a fine-dining authentic Italian concept designed to re-create the spirit of the world's best-known resort, the Côte d'Azur. It launches with a very quiet opening by limited reservations only, on September 6.
Located at 2950 N. Harwood St., Dolce Rivier is steps away from Harwood's ever-growing menagerie of eateries that include Saint Ann Restaurant and Bar, Mercat Bistro, Marie Gabrielle, Magnolia's Sous Le Pont Coffee Shop, the Groves at Harwood, and Happiest Hour.
The chef is Christian Sbordi, who attended culinary school in his native Italy, then moved to New York, where he worked at Fiamma Osteria, which earned a Michelin star rating.
Recipes will hold true to classic Italian cuisine: There'll be house-made pasta and authentic dishes such as chitarrucci di mare (pasta with seafood) and tonno al sesamo (seared tuna with sesame).
Dolce Riviera takes a step back in time when the Italian and French Rivieras were simple yet elegant. Remember those days? They were before our time, but they sound divine. The decor will draw inspiration from the blue hues of the Mediterranean Sea, with blue-and-white tablecloths and a light airy atmosphere in the dining room, patio, and lounge.
As befits a Harwood International concept, there'll be meticulously manicured European gardens to lend a sense of calmness and serenity, evoking the spirit of a small giardino found in Italy. If it's Harwood, there has to be a patio.
If you're the kind of person who always has to be first to dine at new restaurants, there's already a website for the restaurant as well as a Dolce Riviera page set up on Open Table, where you can make reservations for dinner starting on September 6. A spokesperson at the restaurant said that Dolce Riviera would eventually open for lunch, as well.
