Pizza News

Veg-friendly Pizza Ella restaurant slings a kosher slice in Richardson

Pizza Ella pizza.

Pizza Ella

A special new slice of pizza has come to Richardson: Called Pizza Ella, it's open at 7134 Campbell Rd. #A, across the street from Campbell Green Park, where it's doing kosher-certified pizza with Middle Eastern flavors.

Pizza Ella is from husband-and-wife Yehuda and Lital Alila, who are originally from Tzfat, Israel; they also own Meat Point, a steakhouse in the same shopping center they opened in 2013.

They opened Pizza Ella to fill the void of kosher pizza.

“We are very familiar with the Jewish community in the area, and we listened to the community needs," Lital says.

Under kosher dietary laws, meat and cheese are kept separated, which means they cannot be cooked or served together. For this reason, Pizza Ella is mostly vegetarian, which the only exception being anchovies and tuna, since fish and cheese are allowed together in a meal.

They do both Neapolitan- and New York-style crust, with a menu designed by Yehuda, who was inspired by a pizza place in his hometown Tzfat called Pizza Palermo.

Toppings incorporate Mediterranean, Israeli, American, and Turkish flavors. There's even a tasty option without cheese.

Varieties include:

White Pizza with alfredo sauce, mozzarella, zucchini, sweet potato, eggplant, and caramelized onion
Tunisian Pizza, a cheeseless pizza with harissa, tomato sauce, tuna, olives, bell pepper, and preserved lemon
Lebane Pizza, with alfredo sauce, Lebane cheese, chives, olive oil, and za’atar
Mykonos Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Kalamata olives, Bulgarian cheese, red onion, and za’atar

Pizzas come in two sizes, 12-inch and 24-inch with prices ranging from $14 to $16, and $4.30 for a slice.

They also serve salads and family-style pastas in regular and gluten-free options. From 9 am-2 pm, they serve breakfast such as eggs, omelets, shakshuka, borekas, and coffee. Pizzas are served from 11 am-10 pm. They observe Sabbath so they are closed on Friday-Saturday, when they open from 8:30 pm to midnight.

Most of their orders are delivery or takeout, but the restaurant also seats about 10 people for noshing on-site.

"Even New Yorkers that moved to the area have told us that they like our pizza best," Lital says.

pizza openings

Burger News

Northeast burger chain Slap Burger set to smash in Richardson

Slap Burger

Smash burger from Slap Burger, coming to DFW.

A buzzy burger concept from the Northeast is coming to Texas: Called Slap Burger, it's a small smash burger chain based in New Jersey, and it's opening its first Texas location in Richardson, at 888 S. Greenville Ave., in a center called the Arabian Village, taking over a space that was previously occupied by a CBD shop.

Slap Burger was founded in Paterson, New Jersey as a smash burger joint that adheres to the principles of halal, including using meat from halal purveyors and avoiding certain ingredients such as pork. (Their bacon and hot dogs are made from beef.) Halal has been increasing in popularity, due to both a growing Muslim population as well as a rising demand for "ethical" clean-label food.

Slap now has five locations in the Northeast — two in NJ and three in NY — as well as an expansion to Tampa, Florida.

They specialize in smash burgers, loaded hot chicken tenders, and cheese fries topped with slap sauce. They make a decadent banana pudding dessert, and they also keep late-night hours.

Their burgers are four ounces, featuring the lacy and crispy edges that are a signifier of a smash burger, topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and pickle on Martin's potato buns, which they toast on the outside, leaving the inside of the bun soft.

They do two other burger styles: the Slap’N Melt, which features cheese stuffed into a beef patty, then seared so the exterior is hard and the interior is melting cheese; and the Slap N Jack, a double patty burger with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pepperjack cheese.

Other menu options include hot dogs, as well as fried chicken in a number of ways: as a sandwich with pickles and cole slaw on a griddled bun; as tenders; in a loaded platter over choice of mac & cheese or fries; or chicken & waffles, with choice of an Oreo or Fruity Pebbles waffle.

Alcohol is not allowed at a halal restaurant, but Slaps has house-made lemonade in a variety of flavors such as dragonfruit, strawberry, orange Curacao, and mango.

Shepherding the concept to DFW is Adam Shawish, the enterprising owner of Arabian Village, who is transforming the center into an exciting foodie destination with businesses such as Arwa Coffee, recognized as the first Yemeni-style coffee shop in DFW.

Shawish was inspired after visiting Slap Burger while on a trip to the Northeast, seeking interesting concepts that might make a good fit at the center.

"One night, my wife and I had already had dinner, but I was determined to try it and they were open late," Shawish says. "I fell in love with it on the first bite. Texas has a lot of burgers, but I said, 'This is my type of hamburger.' It's very simple, not mixed with anything, the buns are not too soggy — just a pure burger experience, not like anything else in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Shawish says that construction is underway and they hope to get it open by Christmas.

"My office is right next door," he says. "Every time I get ready to go home for the day, I ask the kids what they want for dinner, and I can't wait for Slap Burger to open so that I won't have to ask."

burgers openings