Enter Ivy Kitchen

Nick & Sam's Grill exits Look Cinemas to make room for new restaurant

Big changes are brewing at Nick & Sam's Grill, the casual young sibling of Nick & Sam's from restaurateur Joseph Palladino, including the closure of the branch at Look Cinemas in Prestonwood. A transformation of the Park Cities location is also in the works.

The Nick & Sam's Grill at Look Cinemas will close September 14, to be replaced by a new concept called Ivy Kitchen, managed by a team that includes one of the founders of Houston's. Ivy Kitchen is anticipated to open in early October.

According to a manager at the restaurant, the lease was up and they decided not to renew.

"The contract expired, and it was decided to open a new concept that would be a better fit for us," said the staffer. The bar and interior are set for renovation, a process they expect to take a couple of weeks. The restaurant will no longer be associated with Nick & Sam's Grill management. However, the adjoining Coal Vines pizzeria, a Nick & Sam's sibling, will remain.

Look patrons can dine at the restaurants or in one of three dine-in screens. The Nick & Sam’s Grill menu was always an abbreviated version, with bistro favorites in addition to gourmet comfort food.

Overseeing the transition to Ivy Kitchen is Jennifer Echevarria of the Branstetter Group, a California-based consultancy founded in 2011 by Vic Branstetter, co-founder of Houston's and former chief operating officer of its parent company, Hillstone Restaurant Group. Echevarria was part of the opening team at Hillstone concept R+D Kitchen in Preston Center.

According to its marketing materials, Ivy Kitchen's menu will include both "classic favorites" and "creative sushi rolls," with ingredients from around the world: "Our beef comes from a family-owned butcher in Chicago; seafood comes from Alaska, Scotland, Rhode Island and Asia; Italian meats are made in San Francisco; and flatbreads come from an authentic Arab bakery in Los Angeles."

Seems like a long way to go for bread.

Meanwhile, the Park Cities Nick & Sam's Grill will get an upgrade, from a casual grill to a more formal steakhouse. The changeover is coming this month.

"We're in a transition period as we become more of a steakhouse, and we'll move away from the grill," according to a staffer. "We'll still have some of our regular dishes on the menu. We haven't come to an agreement yet about what we're keeping. But we going more toward a steakhouse."

"That change could come as soon as next week – by mid-September," she said.

Nick & Sam's at Look Cinemas is closing September 14.

Photo courtesy of Nick & Sam's Grill

Nick & Sam's at Look Cinemas is closing September 14.

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Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

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Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

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