Ice Cream News

New frozen dessert shop in Plano employs unusual technique for its gelato

What you have here is bubble gum ice cream topped with red velvet cake.

Photo courtesy of OMGelato

A new frozen dessert shop has opened in Plano doing what it calls "hand-crafted" Italian gelato. Called OMGelato, it's located at 3829 W. Spring Creek Pkwy., at the northeast corner of Coit Road, in a former Indian market at #103, where it's making gelato via an unprecedented technique: liquid nitrogen.

Liquid nitrogen is a molecular gastronomy technique which, when applied to liquid, freezes the liquid instantly. If it's being used to make ice cream, the process causes the fat and the water molecules to stay small, resulting in ice cream with an extra-creamy consistency.

OMGelato founder is Mehrdad Tabrizi, a native of Iran who says his previous career was landscape engineering, and who wanted a change. He settled in Plano because he has a brother who lives here.

"I had my own shop in Iran, and it was successful so I decided to open one here," he says.

OMGelato has more than 50 flavors for gelatos and sorbets, and more than 50 different choices of mix-ins and toppings.

There are three chocolate options — dark, milk, and white — plus classic gelato flavors like pistachio and dolce latte. Tabrizi also does nontraditional options like bubble gum, cookie butter, and apple pie.

Some of his flavors summon his heritage such as cinnamon, ginger, and saffron red rose. He also does sorbets, cakes, milkshakes, espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, and special teas, such as the herbal tea with saffron, rose, and cardamom. "It's a tea you have never experienced before," he says.

Liquid nitrogen ice cream is the signature of Creamistry, a California chain that has seven locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

But that's ice cream. Gelato is not typically made with liquid nitrogen. Gelato is made in a regular churning machine but churned at a slower rate than ice cream. It has more milk and less cream than regular ice cream. The result is a less airy, more dense, creamy texture than ice cream.

This is not to say you can't make gelato using liquid nitrogen, but it isn't done in Italy, birthplace of gelato.

"The flavor you get is more delicious than regular ice cream," he says. "You get more flavor in a single spoon."

Knife's out

Knife Italian by chef John Tesar closes at Ritz-Carlton Las Colinas

dallas.culturemap.com

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A Dallas celebrity chef restaurant has closed: Knife Italian Steak, a culinary venture from John Tesar, has shuttered at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, after two-and-a-half years.

The Dallas Business Journal first reported the news, which was confirmed to CultureMap with more details by a spokesperson for the hotel.

"As part of the ongoing evolution of The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, following its recent $65 million transformation into a premier luxury resort destination, Knife Italian Steak concluded its run at the property on October 6," the spokesperson says.

Knife Italian opened at the luxury resort in March 2024 as the latest in a series of Tesar's Knife restaurant concepts, which included Knife Steakhouse in Dallas and Plano, and Knife & Spoon at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando.

Knife Steakhouse at The Highland Dallas hotel closed in August 2025 after more than a decade and was replaced by a restaurant called The Reserve at the Highland; the Plano and Orlando Knife locations remain open.

Chef John Tesar of Knife steakhouse in Dallas Knife chef John Tesar in the meat room. Photo by Marc Lee

The Knife Italian menu in Las Colinas was designed with family-style dining in mind, with dishes to share. There were crudi with yellowtail, kingfish, and lobster, plus oysters and a selection of Passmore Caviar specifically created for Knife Italian.

Steaks and meats were the focal point, with steaks dry-aged onsite ranging from 45-240 days. The Bistecca a la Las Colinas was an ode to the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, featuring a 48-ounce 44 Farms Dry Aged Porterhouse carved tableside.

The 170-seat restaurant featured an eclectic theme with vibrant hues, from a striking magenta sofa to towering palm trees, tied together by original artwork by Thomas Schoos. A Pink Champagne Bar beckoned with a psychedelic sofa, birds-eye maple side table, and a captivating pink bubble light fixture.

Knife Italian Steak opened shortly after the Las Colinas hotel - previously a Four Seasons - rebranded and reopened as a Ritz-Carlton property in January 2024.

The evolution of the hotel continues, and that includes the hotel dining options. A concept called The Dining Room has moved into the Knife space.

"As the resort is preparing for the next chapter of its culinary experience, The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton has opened in that location," the spokesperson says. "Guests can continue to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and special occasions in a sophisticated yet welcoming setting featuring Italian-inspired cuisine, premium Texas steaks, pristine seafood and a vibrant raw bar."

There are bigger plans with a different celebrated chef on the way, which the spokesperson declined to divulge just yet.

"The resort is currently developing an exciting new signature restaurant concept to launch early in 2027 — created in partnership with an acclaimed chef — that will further elevate and expand the culinary offerings for guests and local patrons alike," she teases. "Additional details will be announced at a later date."

The resort currently has three other dining experiences for guests: Bar Juniper, poolside Aire Libre, and Campo Coffee & Provisions.

As for Top Chef alum Tesar, he's reportedly landed at Palladino's Steak and Seafood, where restaurateur Joseph Palladino has tapped him to help expand the restaurant across the country. The steakhouse opened a Dallas location in July after a New York outpost earned raves.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

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