Eatery R.I.P.
A Monica Greene meltdown? Dallas restaurant scene buzzes with end-of-yearclosures
Little BEE Enchiladeria in Oak Cliff went bye-bye.BEE: Best Enchiladas Ever/Facebook
Restaurateur Monica Greene abruptly closed both of her restaurants in December.Photo courtesy of Monica Greene
Gone are the days when you could sit down at Sushiyama and get a Sapporo in afrosty pint glass.Photo courtesy of Brad Murano
Farewell to the surf and turf of Bailey's Prime Plus.Bailey's Prime Plus/Facebook
Happy New Year means that we just said goodbye to not only a year, but also the end of a month. Restaurants often close at the end of the month because the rent comes due, and December turned out to be a doozy:
Monica's Nueva Cocina
Drama drama drama: First came the not-so-good review from D Magazine. Then came the strange declaration from owner Monica Greene (on her Facebook page, no less, a post that's been removed) that she hadn't been involved with the restaurant for more than a month:
Whether change is by choice or imposed, negative or positive, personal or professional, it's always a challenging fact of life. With any major changes there are actions we can take to ease the process. The rumors were true. I haven't been a part of Monica's Nueva Cocina for about a month now.
Then, lastly, the closure, which in retrospect seems to have been inevitable. But it didn't stop there.
BEE: Best Enchiladas Ever
The Monica Meltdown continued on New Year's Eve day, when she shut down BEE: Best Enchiladas Ever, her enchilada place in Oak Cliff (announced via another post on Facebook, as follows:
To All Dear Friends and Patrons: Bee closed it's [sic] doors for business today. Thank you for your support for the past two years. Love to all.
Eater reported back in October that Greene was possibly opening a place in Fort Worth, but you shouldn't hold your breath.
Bailey's Prime Plus at the Shops at Park Lane
The closure of Bailey's Prime Plus comes as no surprise, especially if you've driven by on your way down to the underground parking lot to shop at Whole Foods and seen the idle valets and the barren sadness in that nook of the Shops at Park Lane. But Park Lane jinx notwithstanding, the steakhouse was doomed.
It was the last branch of the overly ambitious steakhouse chain launched by restaurateur Ed Bailey, following the closures of its three siblings in Cedar Hill, Fairview and Fort Worth. Bailey has since shifted his energies to the Patrizio chain, having just opened a branch in Southlake.
Sushiyama
This tiny but well-regarded sushi spot had been open in North Dallas since 1997. The Brad hinted at the demise on his Facebook page on December 28, posting a photo of Yōshoku karē raisu with a warning that it would be open "two more days." Calls placed to the restaurant on Saturday went unanswered.
However, someone sent Kim at Eats a photo of the "going out of business" sign taped to the front door:
Thank you very much for many years, it's been a pleasure to serve you. Signed, The Owner.
