Closing News

Glossy gal bar and restaurant at Dallas' Trinity Groves has closed

Turnover at Trinity Groves

Courtesy photo

A Dallas restaurant noted for its girly focus has closed: Lexy’s, which was in operation at the Trinity Groves restaurant complex for two years, closed at the end of May.

On June 5, Trinity Groves posted an announcement that did not quite acknowledge the closure, stating "thank you for an amazing 2 years of allowing Lexy’s to be a part of your girls nights, birthdays, anniversaries and so much more. We hold those memories close, it’s been a pleasure serving you."

But a recording on the restaurant's answering machine states that it closed permanently on May 20, and advises anyone with pending reservations/events to email hello@lexysdallas.com.

An email sent to hello@lexysdallas.com on June 14 went unanswered.

Lexy’s opened with great fanfare in 2022 in the former Casa Rubio/Souk Mediterranean space, a passion project from Alexa Rodarte, Trinity Groves' then-director of marketing and the restaurant's co-creator, along with her chef husband Julian Rodarte.

Julian had been appointed to take over the reins at Trinity Groves by founder Phil Romano, who'd had a series of bad-press incidents including racist language on the menu at his Trinity Groves Chinese restaurant Sum Dang Good Chinese Food.

Romano made Rodarte the CEO in charge of creating new restaurant concepts, stating that Rodarte had "the creativity to create exciting and unique concepts that better cater to today's generation."

For Lexy's, Alexa had a vision: "to create a space that was feminine, to attract women, [who] make up 90 percent of our clientele."

The restaurant had a worthy menu designed by chef Aubrey Murphy with dishes such as Wagyu hot rock and avocado toast, as well as a fun self-serve Champagne vending machine stocked with Moet & Chandon splits, set against a wall of flowers, totally on trend.

Alas, Alexa and Julian were dismissed in 2023.

A month later, Garrett Munck — who began as an intern at Trinity Groves and helped open the pizza concept Holy Crust — was promoted to Director of Operations. Holy Crust has since closed.

Trinity Groves is now under the guidance of Phil Romano's son Sam Romano, who is said to be reinventing it by focusing on fun: fewer restaurants, more pickleball. Nonetheless, they just signed La Rue Doughnuts, a new doughnut shop going into the old Cake Bar space from the owners of Carte Blanche restaurant; and in May, TG opened Oreste's, a pizzeria spinoff of Saint Rocco’s, Phil Romano's Italian restaurant, also at Trinity Groves.

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's hospitality group Yela Concepts led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting - we wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis,” says Yaser in a statement.

Mak went to college to sudy biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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