Opening soon

Italian restaurant from TV chef to debut at Dallas' Victory Park

A celebrity chef-led restaurant that's been in the works for nearly three years is finally opening its doors in Dallas' Victory Park: Urban Italia, from chef Carla Pellegrino, will debut on Friday, January 9 in the former WFAA studio at 3030 Nowitzki Way.

According to a release, Urban Italia will be a "modern interpretation of Italian-American cuisine ... blending Old World technique with New-World flair."

Courtesy photo

Chef Carla Pellegrino

Led by TV-famous chef Pellegrino in partnership with Dallas-based Tivona Group, Urban Italia will feature what they're calling "Italia-Merica" food.

“Italia-Merica food, as we call it, started in these tiny kitchens where immigrants were just trying to bring a piece of home to their new life,” says Pellegrino in the release. “They made do with what they had — more meat, more garlic, whatever was fresh — and out came dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, steak pizzaiola. At Urban Italia, we’re serving nostalgia, making sure these classics are made with care, with great ingredients, and with the kind of love that started it all.”

Crispy Calamari & Zucchini.Photo courtesy of Urban Italia

The menu features hand-tossed Neapolitan-style pizzas, as well as housemade pastas such as Fettuccine al Ragù Bolognese, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, and Cappelletti Carciofi & Prosciutto.

Appetizers include jumbo lump crab meat cocktail and baked clams. Entrees include Chicken Milanese, Chilean Sea Bass Mediterranea, Salmon Harissa, and American Wagyu Sirloin Au Poivre.

Cocktails and mocktails promise to come with an Italian accent. Developed by award-winning mixologist Yangdup Lama, the beverage program pairs classic Italian flavors with contemporary mixology. Signature sips include: Milano Bianco (gin, dry vermouth, bitter bianco, grapefruit, Campari air); Amalfi Highball (vodka, Italicus, limoncello, cranberry, lime, milk-clarified and carbonated); and Sicilia Espresso Martini (mezcal, fig-infused Marsala, hazelnut, espresso.)

Pellegrino was born in Rio de Janeiro, lived in Italy, attended the French Culinary Institute in New York, and with Frank Pellegrino Jr opened Baldoria Restaurant in New York's theater district. She has starred on TV cooking shows such as Top Chef and Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

In 2023, she partnered with restaurateur Sanjay Joshi on a restaurant in Grapevine called Teatro Bistro and Cocktail Lounge. Joshi is also partnered on this restaurant and previously said in a statement that he was excited to partner with Pellegrino to bring an Italian experience to Victory Park.

"When I heard the old WFAA space was becoming available I immediately knew that it was the perfect home for our new restaurant," Joshi said. "With its high visibility in the bustling heart of Victory Park, it’s truly one of the most desirable locations in Dallas.”

The restaurant includes a private dining room.Photo courtesy of Urban Italia

Urban Italia spans 5,500 square feet and seats 250 guests across an indoor dining room, indoor-outdoor bar, and spacious patio. The design, by Fusion AE, draws inspiration from coastal Italy, combining warm natural woods, bright accents, and a relaxed yet refined aesthetic, according to the release.

Urban Italia will open for dinner on January 9; lunch service will debut at a later date.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

celebrities chefs victory park italian openings

Coming soon

Chinese restaurant from celeb chef to debut in Dallas Design District

A table spread at Night Rooster with tea smoked duck, noodles, and steamed redfish

Samantha Marie Photography

Tea-smoked duck, steamed redfish, and more await at Night Rooster

A new Chinese fine dining restaurant from a celebrity chef will debut in Dallas’ Design District later this month: Called Night Rooster, it will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., taking over the first floor of the building that's home to Italian steakhouse The Saint.

A Saint-sibling concept from Hooper Hospitality Concepts, Night Rooster is the culmination of 20 years of conversations between restaurateur Andy Hooper and Los Angeles chef Shirley Chung, the Beijing-born chef who’s appeared on food competition shows such as Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions.

This is the first Dallas restaurant for Chung, whose kitchen experience includes working alongside culinary heavy-hitters like Thomas Keller and Jose Andres.

“Shirley and I have talked about building something together for over 20 years, and Night Rooster is the realization of that dream,” Hooper says in a release. “Night Rooster tells a story — of friendship, perseverance, and starting fresh — and we’re incredibly proud to bring that story to life.”

Chef Shirley Chung.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Chung, dubbed the “Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles,” brings her own brand of perseverance to the restaurant. In 2024, Chung was at the top of her culinary game when she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, says the release.

After undergoing an “intensive” treatment regimen, her cancer is now in full remission, and she’s been busy dreaming up a menu of Texas-inflected Chinese dishes ranging from orange quail, a play on the classic Chinese-American orange chicken, to cheeseburger-stuffed potstickers.

Elsewhere on the menu, diners will find creative, shareable dishes like jasmine tea smoked duck, tequila-marinated Drunken Yellowtail, and multiple noodle options, including the Cacio e Sichuan Pepe, a tingly riff on the classic Italian pasta with Sichuan peppercorn.

Many dishes will be made with ingredients from local purveyors, like beef from Outpost 76 Ranch in Sulphur Springs and mushrooms from Arlington’s Texas Fungus.

Night Rooster dumplings Chef Shirley Chung is known as the "Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles."Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Night Rooster's cocktail menu will have a similar focus on blending Texas ingredients with Chinese flavors and techniques, all with a modern twist. Drinks like the East Meets West, mixed with Nikka Coffey malt whisky, bourbon, black sugar, bitters, and cherrywood smoke, await.

When it debuts on January 31, Night Rooster will be open for dinner service only. The restaurant will serve dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 pm.

chefs chinese restaurant design district openings