Bishop Arts News
Dallas' Bishop Arts will be home to serious new Argentinian restaurant
A Dallas chef who owned an award-winning taqueria is back in the game with a fancy-sounding new restaurant.
Called Chimichurri, it'll be an authentic Argentinian bistro from Jesus Carmona, founder of Tacos Mariachi; and Ramiro Fernandez Pazos, a native of Argentina who has been running restaurants and bars in Mexico City for 15 years.
Chimichurri will open in the Bishop Arts District, taking over the space at 324 W. 7th St. previously occupied by Tillman's Roadhouse, which closed in 2019. According to a release, Chimichurri will open in October, starting with dinner only for the first two weeks.
The restaurant is named for the tasty green sauce made of parsley, garlic, and olive oil, served with grilled meats in Argentina.
In a statement, Pazo notes that the sauce has many variations, a reflection of the multi-cultural country and the restaurant that it inspires.
"Argentina is a country of immigrants, each with their own story to tell, and its cuisine, art, and music reflect this mix of cultures and accents," Pazo says. "At Chimichurri, we want to tell these stories and make you feel at home with our cooking."
Carmona and Pazos collaborated on the idea for this place for five years. Now Pazo has moved to Dallas to make it a reality. Joining the team is chef Charlie Peralta, who's been working with Pazos for 13 years, and has international experience running high-end kitchens in Mexico City, New York, and Dubai.
Carmona worked at fine-dining establishments such as Rosewood Hotels, Knife Dallas, and Dakota's Steakhouse before opening Tacos Mariachi in West Dallas in 2015. The taqueria went on to be featured on Diners, Driveins, and Dives, the brass ring for any indie restaurant, and Carmona was nominated for a Tastemaker Award in 2018. But after the coronavirus hit, he closed shop in March.
Chimichurri's menu will feature traditional Argentinian specialties, including
- grilled meats served in the asado style
- empanadas
- Argentinian pizzas
- choripáns (chorizo sandwiches)
- dulce de leche
They'll have a full bar program with cocktails by James Slater (Knife, Five-Sixty, Network Bar) and a wine list with 75 percent Argentinian wines and 25 percent from South America and California.
The space will include a 120-seat dining room, outdoor terrace, and two bars:
- The Vermoutheria, a bar on the outside terrace specializing in vermouth cocktails, bitters, and spritzes
- Tango Bar, a speakeasy that will serve classic and creative cocktails in an intimate space, opening date still TBA
Design elements include colorful murals, geometric colored ceramic tiles, chandeliers made from recycled wine bottles, paintings of Argentinian figures, and memorabilia from the movie Evita with a special shout-out for the track "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina."