Opening news

Revered French restaurant St. Martin’s reopens in new east Dallas space

Coq au vin at St. Martin's Bistro.

Susie Oszustowicz

Venerable French restaurant St. Martin’s Wine Bistro is back. The restaurant, which closed its longtime location on Greenville Avenue in 2023 after 46 years, has resurfaced at a new location in East Dallas.

The restaurant is at 4223 Bryan St., the former L&B Antiques spot, where it reopened March 11. It’s a hot foodie corner, with neighbors such as Bangkok City, Vietnam Restaurant, Ciao! By Civello's, and Bryan Street Tavern.

The restaurant left its 3020 Greenville Ave address when the lease ran out, and owner Mohsen Heidari turned over the operation to his two sons Pasha and Sina, who helm the Black Marble Hospitality group that also owns Bowen House, Las Palmas Tex-Mex, Mike’s Gemini Twin Lounge, and Urbano Cafe; and Omid Haftlang, their uncle, who is both their partner and running the restaurant day to day.

“It was the right intersection of circumstances — with more than 45 years in our last space, we were excited for a chance to build a new space out to our standards and specifications,” the brothers say in a statement.

They strove to recreate the atmosphere of the previous location, known for its quiet and romantic ambience with live piano music. The new building required significant renovations to transition from antique shop to restaurant, including the installation of a larger bar than Greenville Avenue.

Construction was expected to be complete last September, but that estimate got bumped back several times before St. Martin’s finally reopened.

“We took our time because we knew our loyal guests wouldn’t cut us any slack — and they haven’t,” the brothers say. “So we took our time and did it right, and we feel it shows.”

The menu will stay largely the same with returning signatures such as their champagne Brie soup, escargot (snails), tournedos Rossini (a French steak dish), and foie gras torchon, although they plan to expand the menu with a few new offerings as well.

The restaurant originally opened in 1980, founded by two veterans of the Vietnam war, Scott Fickling and Phil Patterson. Over the years, multiple restaurant families have run the restaurant before Heidari took over in 1997.

"We wanted to keep the nostalgia and the feel of what made us who we are today," they say.

openings greenville-avenue

Supermarket News

Italian gourmet grocery gets ready for business in downtown Dallas

Ari's

Ari's Pantry

A buzzy grocery store is opening in downtown Dallas: Ari’s Pantry, the local destination for authentic Italian groceries and warm hospitality, will open a location at 1800 Main St.#124, in the former Berkley's Market, with a grand opening on May 14.

This is the third location for the small mom-and-pop market, which debuted in Winnetka Heights in December 2023 to fulfill Ari's passion for all things Italy. They opened a second location in Trinity Groves in 2024.

Following the success of those first two shops, owners Amy and Ari Lowenstein are continuing their expansion by bringing Ari's Pantry’s to the heart of downtown — a joint venture between Lowenstein and Alan Kearney, owner of downtown businesses such as The Crafty Irishman and Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, as well as Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in Oak Cliff, as well as Dino Santonicola, owner of Partenope Ristorante, and Nick Roditis, owner of Yolk at One Arts Plaza — all of whom share a commitment to strengthening retail in downtown.

As as the other two locations, the Ari's on Main Street will feature authentic Italian ingredients and high-quality staple groceries. They'll also do:

breakfast frittatas starting at 7 am
porchetta sandwiches on house made-ciabatta for lunch
barista-crafted coffee
grab-and-go meals
gelato
recipe cards to help guests cook traditional Italian food at home.

More than a market, Ari’s Pantry is an Italian-leaning food space offering everything Chef Ari keeps in his own pantry. Visitors will discover handmade sauces, fresh baked goods, luxurious pastas, sumptuous cheeses, design-forward housewares, useful kitchen gadgets, exciting cookbooks, imported delicacies, and specialty flours, sugars, and salts — all thoughtfully chosen to elevate everyday cooking.

“Don’t know what to make for dinner? Come in and ask one of our culinary ambassadors” says Ari. “We’ll help you put all the ingredients together… and include the recipe!”

They also do ready to go meals, sides, desserts, and imported delicacies as well as gift boxes filled with high-quality ingredients and culinary treasures perfect for your favorite foodie.

Catering services range from dropped off lunch service of house made focaccia sliders to bespoke 10 course dinners with wine pairings for each course. Although Ari’s specializes in Italian cuisine, they are flexible in their fare and encourage clients to share specific and niche catering requests.

They bring back a valuable grocery component to the Central Business District, absent since the 2024 closure of Berkley's. Prior to Berkley's, it was a location of Austin-based Royal Blue Market, so there is definitely grocery history in the space.

"Amy and I are grateful for the opportunity for Ari’s Pantry to be part of this historic district," Ari says in a statement. "The vibrancy and diversity of clientele that downtown Dallas brings to Ari’s Pantry has our whole team buzzing. For the past two months we’ve been working to quickly open this dynamic location with a knowledgeable staff, hundreds of new products and a remarkable menu. We welcome everyone to come and check us out!."

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