it's brunch time

3 Dallas eateries make OpenTable list of top brunch spots in U.S.

Cafe Pacific is a Highland Park favorite better known for its lunch than its brunch.

HP Village

Brunch is a big topic in Dallas and OpenTable has some interesting ideas about who does it best. The online reservation site has a new list of the "Top 100 Brunch Restaurants" for 2025, and three Dallas eateries make the list: Al Biernat's Oak Lawn, Cafe Pacific, and Kenny's Wood Fired Grill.

These three Dallas choices are all quite elegant, adept at turning a casual meal into something more posh. But … brunch?

Released annually in preparation for Mother's Day, the list is determined using over 10 million verified diner reviews and dining metrics (such as reservation demand). Restaurants are not ranked, but arranged in alphabetical order by their state and name.

Al Biernat's is an OpenTable favorite. The steakhouse made it on OpenTable's inaugural Icons list in 2024. The restaurant offers a traditional weekend brunch service with classic staples like a brioche French toast, chicken and waffles, and an "American Breakfast" consisting of all the usual breakfast items (eggs, potatoes, gravy, toast, and a choice of sausage or bacon).

"Packed since it opened in 1998, restaurateur Al Biernat’s Oak Lawn chophouse has made a name for itself for world-class steak, exceptional seafood, and a 700-bottle wine list — one of the city’s largest," OpenTable's editors wrote in the restaurant's profile. "Whether at the lively bar complete with a domed ceiling and glass art-inspired painting or in the opulent dining room outfitted with rich leather booths, every meal here feels like a special occasion."

Cafe Pacific is a Highland Park favorite probably better known for its lunch. The restaurant serves brunch on Sundays only, offering upscale dishes like a crab cake or Rosewood Texas Wagyu benedict, Nova Scotia lobster omelet, and Tex-Mex favorites like huevos rancheros and chorizo migas. They also feature a premium caviar service during brunch, though it costs hundreds of dollars.

Kenny's Wood Fired Grill is described as a "beloved Dallas destination" that combines comfort food with an upscale and sophisticated atmosphere, which shines through its weekend brunch service. In addition to classic brunch meals like chicken and waffles, French toast, and egg Benedicts, Kenny's also serves a hearty bacon and egg burger and chicken fried steak and eggs topped with cream gravy and smoked bacon.

Only two other restaurants in Texas made the list, both located in Austin: Aba and Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar.

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Pasta News

Acclaimed team opens Tutto Gustoso Italian at Watters Creek in Allen

Tutto Gustoso

A new Italian restaurant with a high-powered culinary team has opened in Allen at Watters Creek Village: Called Tutto Gustoso Italian Restaurant, it's a contemporary Italian spot located at 842 Watters Creek Blvd., in the former Cru Wine bar space which closed in mid-2025 after 16 years.

Tutto Gustoso is from General Manager Leo Gravina, a native of Italy who is well known to Allen diners via Numero 28, the Italian restaurant he oversees at The Village at Allen; and executive chef Enrico Glaudo, a global culinarian, also from Italy, who previously helped open Ocean Ranch, an Italian restaurant on Greenville Avenue which has since closed.

Credentials
The famously charming Gravina previously worked for the Bice Group, the acclaimed Italian restaurant company founded in Milan in 1926, and was part of a team of Italians who opened a location of Bice in Uptown Dallas in 2006. He's since worked for hotel groups including Hilton and the Gaylord, and served as director of operations for the Lombardi Group for five years.

Glaudo started his career in the kitchen at age 14, and is well known in southern California's cosmopolitan Italian restaurant scene, having earned acclaim as a chef at restaurants such as Primi where his authentic Italian cooking dazzled critics. He first came to Texas nearly a decade ago by way of Houston, where he served as executive chef of Hotel Granduca Houston.

“Our goal is simple,” said Gravina, “to make our guests feel like they’ve stepped into a trattoria in Italy, where every ingredient is fresh, every pasta is handmade, and every meal is shared with joy.”

Menu
The menu at Tutto Gustoso celebrates Italy’s regional diversity, featuring handmade pastas, fresh seafood, Italian meats, and artisanal breads prepared daily.

Highlights are as follows:

Antipasti: Focaccia and dips featuring olive tapenade and spicy whipped ricotta, or Burrata Caprese — burrata mozzarella with basil oil and balsamic pearls. Polpette al Sugo (beef meatballs in marinara); Olive Ascolane (stuffed fried olives), and Fritto Misto with crispy calamari, zucchini and oyster mushrooms.

Pasta: Tagliatelle Bolognese with beef sauce, Ravioli Pere e Ricotta pear and ricotta-stuffed ravioli in a creamy walnut sauce, and Spaghetti Chitarra alle Vongole Rosse with Italian clams and Calabrian chili.

Risotto: Barbabietole Pistachio e Gamberi (roasted beet risotto with shrimp and Sicilian pistachio) or Porcini e Mirtilli (porcini mushrooms and blueberries).

Secondi: Main courses include Brasato al Barolo—tender short ribs braised in Barolo wine; Tagliata di Manzo, a 14-oz grilled New York steak with Tuscan beans and balsamic arugula salad; Salmone alla Senape Dolce; Filetto di Branzino; Pollo alla Milanese.

Pinsa & Piadine: By day, Tutto Gustoso serves light piadine—Italian flatbread sandwiches with gourmet fillings such as Parma (prosciutto, goat cheese, and candied figs) and Mortadella (burrata and pistachio pesto). At dinner, Roman-style Pinsa flatbreads take center stage — crispy, airy, and topped with Calabrese (spicy salami, San Marzano tomato, honey drizzle) or Modenese (prosciutto di Parma and stracciatella cheese).

Designed for both casual lunches and refined dinners, Tutto Gustoso offers a warm, contemporary setting with Italian charm, perfect for date nights, family gatherings and weekend aperitivos on the patio.

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