The Dallas Dish — Sweetgreen Hits West Village, a Swanky Miami Spot Debuts Downtown, and Wagyu Heaven Has Arrived

It’s been a crazy two years since Bon Appétit named Dallas the 2019 Restaurant City of the Year. But even through a pandemic, our city’s dining scene has persevered. With the overwhelming amount of recent openings (particularly in Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, and downtown), it’s easy to forget that many in the industry are still struggling, but Texas restaurants have been innovating to provide the comfort food — and cocktails — we need. Now, it’s time to look forward to the Dallas restaurant news ahead.

From exciting openings to unfortunate closures (plus any other food news we might find fitting), The Dallas Dish is your weekly helping of need-to-know local dining news.

La Stella Cucina Verace Brings Italian to Dallas Arts District

This winter, a new Italian concept from Tricolore Pride LLC is coming to the Dallas Arts District. It will be the company’s flagship location of La Stella Cucina Verace, led by chef Luigi Iannuario (formerly of Da Mario Ristorante Autentico at The Star). The new spot will serve authentic, nostalgic Italian family recipes including Gnocco Fritto con Salumi e Formaggi Misti, Paccheri All’Astice, and Risotto Oro del Maestro. Taking over the former Flora Street Cafe space, the new restaurant will include a centerpiece bar, cozy booths, and a privacy screen for more intimate parties. Expect an extensive wine list and cocktail program to round out the experience.

Wagyu Mania Pops Up in Plano

Starting on November 20 through December 31, Wagyu lovers can visit a one-of-a-kind pop-up at Plano’s Mitsuwa Marketplace — the largest Japanese supermarket in the U.S. Wagyu Mania brings Yamagata Prefecture Wagyu to the area in pop-up form, offering sandwiches, burgers, sushi, and curry made with the sought-after meet.

On opening day, professional Japanese baseball player Kohei Arihara will be in attendance to sign autographs for the first 100 people who purchase Wagyu.

Villa Azur debuts at The W Hotel

Just opened at the W Hotel in Victory Park, this new restaurant and nightclub comes from Jean-Philippe Bernard, Michael Martin, and Paul Breuza. The original location opened in Miami Beach in 2012 and boasts upscale European vibes. Taking influence from the South of France, the restaurant offers an extensive wine list, handcrafted cocktails, seafood towers, steak, pasta, and more.

Starting at 10:30 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the space turns into a nightclub with DJs, live music, and dancers. Villa Azur also brings art inside of its space by rotating contemporary pieces from local spots like Markowitz Fine Art Gallery.

Sweetgreen opens its first Dallas location

California-based fast-casual healthy restaurant, sweetgreen, is set to open its much-anticipated doors in West Village on November 23. The popular salad and bowl spot will feature locally-sourced products like bread from Empire Baking Co., romaine from Fredericksburg Peach Co., and tomatoes from Village Harvest. Favorite dishes include Kale Caesar, Harvest Bowl, and Guacamole Greens. A Texas exclusive item will be a Garlic Chili Shrimp Bowl.

To celebrate the opening, sweetgreen will offer free delivery for the first two weeks when guests order through their mobile app.

East Dallas’ Loro Expands to Addison

An Austin — and now Dallas — favorite, Asian steakhouse Loro is expanding to Addison next year. The hotspot from Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Uchi’s chef Tyson Cole brought its Malaysian chicken bo ssam, smoked prime bavette, and char siew pork belly just this year. The new location will open next fall at 14999 Montfort Drive.

Val’s Cheesecakes closes The Shack on Maple Avenue

According to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas favorite cheesecake spot Val’s will be closing its original space on November 21. But don’t worry, owner Val Jean-Bart explains that they’ve simply utgrown the tiny, 255-square-foot space on Maple Avenue. Thankfully, the Lower Greenville location will remain open for all your cheesecake needs.