Coronavirus News

Thanks to COVID-19 for these Dallas restaurant openings and closings

Wonder what will happen to all their cool furniture?

Courtesy photo

Coronavirus cases have supposedly leveled off, leading Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to allow bars to reopen. That won't happen in Dallas for now, since Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said he won't reopen bars in Dallas County until Dallas County stops presenting "moderate risk" for COVID-19 transmission.

But we're still seeing a few openings and reopenings here and there, as well as some sad closures.

Here's the latest batch.

OPENINGS

Good Wings
New wings-to-go concept features wings, both boneless and bone-in, plus sides including mac & cheese, fried pickles, French fries, and red velvet cake. Their hours are 3 pm-midnight, and they can be ordered via Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grub Hub, or you can pick up at their ghost kitchen at 520 Shepherd Dr. in Garland.

Founder is Cole Chavarria, a F&B pro who lost his job due to the pandemic and decided to give this wings thing a shot.

Their menu includes traditional wings, boneless wings, and sliders such as "Carolina Reaper," featuring fiery hot chicken tenders on a mini bun, speared with a pickle. Buffalo Ranch fries are as you might expect: topped with spicy Buffalo sauce, then drizzled with ranch.

Asian Mint
The small, impeccable Thai chain has managed to hang on with creative to-go options and a brisk takeout operation. Now they're slowly reopening the dining rooms at their four locations, one by one.

The Inwood Village location at 5450 Lovers Ln. opened at the beginning of October.
The Richardson location at 300 W. Campbell Rd. #140 opened on October 5.

The two remaining locations — at US-75 and Forest Lane and at 4246 Oak Lawn Ave. — are still "coming soon."

Cadillac Pizza Pub
Pizzeria in historic downtown McKinney at 1125 S. Kentucky St. has reopened, starting with curbside pick-up only. Calling this a COVID-19 reopening is not quite true: The McKinney Square staple suffered a fire in April. They're doing curbside pickup first, and plan to open for dine-in service in mid-October, with the possible return of live music in November.

Cadillac Pizza Pub does New York-style pizza, making dough every day and featuring wood-fired pies with all-natural sauce and locally sourced toppings.

They're part of {33} Restaurant Group, which also owns and operates The Yard in McKinney, Taverna Rossa Craft Pizza and Beer in Plano and Southlake, and Heritage Pizza and Taproom in The Colony.

CLOSURES

Beauty Bar
The longtime Dallas dance club that debuted on Henderson Avenue a decade ago has closed. The closure was announced on October 1 via a Facebook post.

"Well RIP Beauty Bar," it said. "We tried to hang around...but ya know, 2020."

Beauty Bar was among the first bars to help transform Henderson Avenue into a buzzy area when founder Brooke Humphries opened it in 2010. It had a welcoming atmosphere and became a big platform for local DJs. Humphries moved the bar to Deep Ellum in April 2019 as part of her overall departure from Henderson Avenue.

Kobe Steaks
The hibachi-style restaurant in Addison closed on October 2, announcing the news via a Facebook post on October 6. "After 40 years of operation, due to COVID-19, Kobe Steaks has made the difficult decision to close its doors," their statement said.

Kobe Steaks opened in December of 1980 on Belt Line Road in Addison.

"We will be forever grateful to our friends and loyal customers who have supported us throughout the years. It has truly been a pleasure and an honor to have served you," their post said. "We wish good health for you and your loved ones during these uncertain times."

El Fenix
The Lemmon Avenue location of this Tex-Mex chain closed on September 25. It had been at that address for 60 years. Owner Mike Karns, who bought the chain in 2008, told the Dallas Morning News that "current conditions" led to the closure. There are 14 other locations.

openings closings

Red letter opening

Dallas bar veterans open Italian speakeasy-restaurant in Denton

Photo courtesy of Red: Italian

Exposed stone walls and a backlit glowing bar anchor the subterranean space at Red: Italian.

A new speakeasy lounge serving high-end Italian food has arrived at a cool historic building in Denton. Called Red: Italian, the subterranean restaurant opened in the basement of Ruby Rodeo, a bar and live music venue located at 122 N. Locust St. on Denton Square.

The concept comes from Victor García and Mike Church. García spent years at Truth & Alibi — the popular speakeasy lounge disguised behind the faux storefront of the Deep Ellum Candy Company — before acquiring the same space for Scarlett Lounge and Kitchen in Deep Ellum in 2024. Church, a commercial pilot, trained at The Culinary School in Fort Worth and the Ritz-Carlton to refine his passion for cooking.

The business partners say they fell in love with the historic nature of the 1877 building in Denton, which housed Andy’s Bar for 30 years.

“We have always loved the building — it is the oldest building on the square. We saw the vision and loved the aesthetics for both our Ruby Rodeo and Red: Italian concepts,” Church says.

After opening Ruby Rodeo, the duo launched Red: Italian this month. Church notes that the "red" naming convention across their concepts — Scarlett, Ruby, and now Red — nods to his favorite color, a symbol of passion, and the red wines and tomato sauces central to Italian dining.

Church’s passion for Italian cuisine defined the menu, which he created alongside executive chef Denise Gabrielle, his former culinary school instructor. Gabrielle brings decades of hospitality experience from the Westin Hotels, The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona, and most recently, The Taste Project in Fort Worth and Arlington.

The 58-seat underground space — which includes 10 seats at the bar — serves elevated Italian classics. Entrees range from $25 to $40, with menu highlights including:

Spicy sausage lasagna with arrabbiata sauce
Cacio e pepe bucatini
Chicken piccata
Braised lamb leg
Mediterranean Sea bass
Shrimp diablo
Espresso-crusted filet mignon with Italian seasoning

Appetizers are priced under $15 and include house-made fried mozzarella, stuffed mushrooms, grilled artichokes, bruschetta, meatballs, and flatbreads. The kitchen also serves salads, featuring a classic Caesar and a house chopped salad with nine toppings.

Shrimp diablo served over pasta with toasted slices of bread at Red: Italian.Photo courtesy of Red: Italian

Desserts feature house-made panna cotta, ricotta-amaretto Italian cheesecake topped with drunken cherry sauce, and a table-side bananas Foster served with house-made amaretto gelato.

The bar program leans into Italian flavors with options like an Italian margarita made with house limoncello, tequila, amaretto, and simple syrup, alongside a peach Bellini and a smoky Godfather. The wine list spotlights Italian bottles and a selection of Napa Valley options.

“The place has the perfect intimate, upscale, fun Italian wine and food ambience,” Church says.

While entering Red doesn't require a password, it still has an off-the-beaten-path entry that is characteristic of speakeasies. Social media posts direct patrons to "look for the red awning" adjacent to Ruby Rodeo’s black awning. A set of red stairs leads guests downstairs to a door with a small sign reading "Red:".

To preserve the speakeasy atmosphere, cell phone use is discouraged. The space also features subtle Easter eggs for guests to discover, such as conversation starters tucked beneath the napkins.

Following a sold-out opening weekend, Red: Italian is now open, with an official ribbon cutting planned for September (exact date to be announced).

Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 5-10 pm, with last seating at 9 pm to wrap up dinner service before Ruby Rodeo’s live music starts upstairs at 10:30 pm.

speakeasy italian restaurant denton