Downtown News

Luxe downtown Dallas residence will boast Michelin-starred chef eateries

Some high-end dining is coming to downtown Dallas.

Rendering courtesy of What If

A new residential building in downtown Dallas set to debut in spring 2021 will open with a pair of restaurants led by a high-profile Michelin-starred chef.

The building: The National, located at 1401 Elm St., part of an exciting new project from Todd Interests that also includes the new Thompson hotel.

The chef: Danny Grant, a two-time Michelin-starred chef and the visionary behind Maple & Ash, an innovative steakhouse which embraces the buzzy wood-fired trend.

Grant has two eateries in the works, located on the 49th and 50th floors:

Monarch, a wood-fired modern Italian restaurant
Kessaku, a high-end sushi restaurant

Grant is co-founder of What If Syndicate, a national hospitality group, with partners David Pisor and Jim Lasky that started with Maple & Ash in Chicago five years ago. New brands include Etta, Mavens & Aficionados, Monarch, Celestina, and Kessaku, with new restaurants also opening in Scottsdale, Ft. Lauderdale, and Los Angeles.

Grant says in a statement that he's had his eye on Dallas for a while.

"This market has been on our radar for a long time, and finally, we have the right partners and the perfect location to bring our concepts to life," Grant says. "Our partner, Todd Interests, the developer of Thompson Dallas/The National has been incredibly wonderful to work with. They know and love Dallas, and their commitment to the city is amazing."

Monarch will be a wood-fired, modern Italian restaurant that will serve handmade pasta, steaks, and grilled seafood. The approach will be light, fresh, and technique-driven.

The heart of the restaurant will be the wood-fired hearth where guests can expect to find fresh prawns charred to perfection alongside wood-fire roasted artichokes and octopus a la plancha.

The menu also features large-format dishes to be shared amongst the table, from whole, live Alaskan king crab to a 50 oz. porterhouse steak charred in coals.

Kessaku will be a lavish sushi and cocktail lounge centered around high-end ingredients, high-quality seafood, warm and delicate rice, and an extensive collection of sake. The menu offers nigiri, sashimi and an array of eclectic rolls. The sushi sits alongside a progressive cocktail menu that is approachable yet sophisticated and fun.

The restaurants promise to be ultra-swank. Monarch will feature a two-level space with a grand staircase, towering wine cellar, and private dining spaces.

The National is a $460-million preservation project by Todd Interests, who transformed the historic George Dahl-designed former First National Bank Tower, a historic high-rise located at 1401 Elm St.

It includes the Thompson Hotel and the National Residences, a luxury high-rise with 324 apartments, loaded with amenities such as room service and housekeeping.

The Thompson opened in November and features 219 rooms, including 52 suites and two penthouse suites, plus two restaurants of its own: Nine at The National, open for breakfast and lunch; and Catbird, a restaurant, lounge, and rooftop bar on the 10th floor.

downtown

Grandscape goals

Soccer and dining venue from the UK gears up for U.S. debut in The Colony

Photo courtesy of TOCA Social

TOCA Social will make its U.S. debut in Grandscape in The Colony.

In time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup frenzy taking hold of Dallas, a soccer-themed entertainment and dining venue from the United Kingdom will make its U.S. debut in DFW this spring: Called Toca Social, it will open at The Grandscape complex in The Colony on March 6.

First announced for Grandscape in 2024, Toca Social combines soccer, entertainment, and dining, with a state-of-the-art venue and innovative soccer-based games. (A Toca Social was originally planned for Dallas, but that location was scrapped.)

The concept was founded by two-time U.S. World Cup veteran and MLS player Eddie Lewis and is backed by soccer legend Abby Wambach. It's billed as "the world’s first soccer social club" and only has three other locations - two in London and one in Birmingham, England.

“Toca was born from my obsession with the technical side of the game and the belief that a soccer ball should be at everyone’s feet,” says Lewis in the release. “After seeing the incredible reception in the UK, bringing our Social flagship home to the U.S. — and specifically to a soccer-rich market like Dallas — is a dream realized. We’ve created a place where the skill of the pros meets the energy of a world-class night out.”

Toca Social soccer Toca Social coming to Granscape in March 2026. Toca Social

The 20,000-square-foot high-tech venue features "social boxes" where players kick soccer balls against a screen that keeps score on best kicks. Cleats are not required. They tout their proprietary ball-delivery and tracking technology — an evolution of the "small ball" training method Lewis used during his 14-year professional career, the release says.

“Soccer is the ultimate unifier, but for too long, the 'entry fee' was being a pro-level athlete,” says Wambach in the release. “Toca Social is changing that narrative. This Dallas-area flagship is where the next generation of American soccer culture is being built.”

Sustenance comes by way of a chef-driven “Global Street Food” menu featuring Birria Tacos and Spicy Fried Chicken; along with a bar program that includes something called a "Pitch Invader" cocktail, which the release does not describe but calls a fan favorite.

There are massive 4K screens, ensuring Toca Social will be a premier location for FIFA World Cup watch parties this summer. Nine World Cup matches will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in June and July. Dallas' Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will serve as the official will also serve as the International Broadcast Center.

Toca currently operates another concept, Toca Soccer and Sports Centers, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with locations in Allen, Carrollton, The Colony, Keller, and Mansfield. The company also has a strategic partnership with MLS club, FC Dallas.

“Our partnership with MLS is a cornerstone of our mission to engage fans in innovative new ways,” says Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of Toca. “By launching our U.S. Flagship at Grandscape now, we are providing a world-class destination where fans can play, dine, and celebrate the global game."

Reservations are now open at Toca Social in Grandscape for group outings, celebrations, corporate events, and matchday gatherings.

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Raven Jordan contributed to this report.

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