Farena Chef Tony France Is Redefining Italian Dining in Arlington

On a recent evening at Farena, guests of a special six-course wine dinner began with a lavish spread of cheeses, cured meats, olives, and seasonal fruit while servers passed Aperol spritzes and gin fizzes through the crowd. Soon after, Executive Chef Tony France led a culinary journey that showcased his command of Italian flavors and his instinct for hospitality.

Each plate — from heirloom tomato carpaccio brightened with burrata to a prime beef filet layered with truffle and lardo — found elegant counterparts in pours from Massolino Vineyards of Piedmont, Italy, the evening’s wine partner. The wine and spirits pairings reflected the vision of Chef France and the Farena team, who together guide one of Arlington’s most acclaimed restaurants.

“The wine dinners are a playground for us, a way to draw in guests where we can provide a culinary experience unlike anything they’ve ever experienced,” France tells PaperCity Fort Worth.

After building a career at luxury addresses in Marina del Rey, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara — and spending four years as Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas — France joined Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center, which includes five restaurants (including Farena), in June 2024.

“Since I’ve been here, I have had a tremendous amount of support,” he says. “I’m very grateful for that because you don’t get that from a lot of companies. They give the opportunity to take risks and be rewarded for those risks.”

A Childhood Steeped in Sicilian Tradition

The sights and smells of Sicilian cuisine were a familiar feature of childhood, France recalls. Raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family, he spent countless hours in the kitchen with his grandparents, watching his grandfather prepare nightly dinners and elaborate holiday feasts. Christmas Eve meant the Feast of the Seven Fishes, which followed a yearly ritual of shopping, cleaning, and cooking eel, calamari, smelt, and salmon. This experience left an indelible mark on the future chef.

“Growing up with that background led me to pursue my current career,” he says. “Being in the kitchen felt very natural to me.”

The Los Angeles area native vividly remembers seeing the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena at the age of eight and being “enamored by the luxury marble and chandeliers.” In that moment, he told himself that he wanted to work at the Ritz-Carlton as a chef.

By eighth grade, he was sketching floor plans for a restaurant he aspired to own one day. After briefly studying business in college, he shifted his focus to the culinary field, graduating with honors from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. He credits the chefs he worked alongside in the years since — both mentors and peers — with shaping the kind of chef he is today.

Bold Menu Changes That Built Upon Farena’s Vision

Soon after taking the lead culinary position at Farena, France reworked parts of the menu — a bold move at the time, but one that has since elevated the restaurant’s identity and deepened its connection to both locals and hotel guests.

“When I first got here, we had a breakfast menu and a lunch/dinner menu,” he says. “Let’s say you came for lunch and then you came back for dinner. You would see the same menu. I wanted to differentiate lunch and dinner, to add value to what we offered.”

France introduced a lunch menu built around starters, salads, pastas, and pizzas, while dinner shifted toward more upscale entrées with refined sides and no casual sandwich options. He also reimagined desserts, pairing them with digestifs, amaros, and crafted coffees to create a more complete dining experience. Making such changes only three months after Farena opened was a risk, he says, but the enhancements were well-received by guests.

Seasonal Shifts and a Growing Dinner Series

Already, France and his team are preparing for a seasonal shift in Farena’s menu that will feature a fig and bacon pizza, richer meats like duck and lamb, and an octopus starter, among other additions. With projects like Café Americana, the revitalized Old Town district, Live! by Loews, and the twin stadiums anchoring the Entertainment District, France sees Arlington as one of the up-and-coming leaders in the North Texas dining and hospitality scene.

In November, Farena will host a Pappy Van Winkle spirits and food pairing. France hopes to host wine and spirits monthly next year. The ticketed dinners are a fun project for the culinary team, he says.

“When you are cooking with great chefs and you have the brotherhood, that love pours into your food,” he says. “It brings joy and reminds us of why we got into this business.”