A restaurant long in the planning is ready to roll: Knife Italian, the latest culinary venture by celebrity chef John Tesar, will (finally) open at the newly transformed The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas.

According to a release, it'll open on Tuesday, March 19.

Italian is the latest in a series of Knife restaurant concepts that include Knife Steakhouse in Dallas and Plano, and Knife & Spoon at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando.

"When I created Knife Steakhouse a decade ago, my aim was to create a steakhouse for everyone," Tesar says. "As the culinary landscape has evolved locally and nationally, diners are looking for a true dining experience that feels fresh and familiar, yet something unique that you don’t just get every day; and that is what we have curated with our newest restaurant concept.”

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

Antipasti include clams oreganata, veal meatballs, and a duck egg omelet. Pastas made by hand daily include squid ink bucatini with mussels & spicy marinara; lobster agnolotti; potato gnocchi with blue crab and black truffle essence; and goat cheese mezzaluna.

Steaks and meats are the focal point, with steaks dry-aged onsite ranging from 45-240 days. There's a 44 Farms Filet plain or Italian, a Neapolitan preparation consisting of thinly cut pan-fried steaks braised in tomato sauce. The Bistecca a la Las Colinas is an ode to the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, featuring a 48-ounce 44 Farms Dry Aged Porterhouse carved tableside.

Pizzas feature a Neapolitan-style dough and include the margarita, clam with potato, truffle, and duck egg; lobster; and meatball & Italian sausage.

Wines have an emphasis on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux, plus a collection of Amari from celebrated regions of Italy. Cocktail are classic Italian like a Negroni with a Texan spin.

The 170-seat restaurant features 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 beckons with a psychedelic sofa, birds-eye maple side table, and a captivating pink bubble light fixture.

In the dining room, a sculptural black and white table serves as the focal point, with Papier Mache lanterns floating from high ceilings, and curved caramel banquettes. An adjoining solarium has wicker banquettes create a bird’s nest-like environment.

An additional dining room has a fully exposed kitchen, with exposed barbecue and pizza oven adorned in slick pink tiles and ribbon-like wood paneling.

As a true hotel restaurant, Knife Italian will serve breakfast and lunch seven days a week, with an Italiano menu option at breakfast featuring Italian breakfast options alongside the usual bacon & eggs. Lunch will showcase items from the dinner menu along with paninis and salads.

The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas was previously the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas and intermittently The Las Colinas Resort, Dallas. It was acquired by a joint venture between Trinity Investments and Partners Group in 2022, and transitioned to The Ritz-Carlton brand on January 23, 2024 after a $55 million renovation.