The Saint Relocates From Deep Ellum To Dallas Design District
Chef Sergio Esquivel To Lead Culinary At Texas-Driven Italian Steakhouse
BY Melissa Smrekar //
Hooper Hospitality Concepts announced that their modern Italian steakhouse, The Saint, is relocating from Deep Ellum to the Dallas Design District. The new location at 1000 N. Riverfront Boulevard officially opens for dinner service on Saturday, January 3, under the helm of Executive Chef Sergio Esquivel. (Photo by Samantha Marie Photography)
Hooper Hospitality Concepts announced that their modern Italian steakhouse, The Saint, is relocating from Deep Ellum to the Dallas Design District. The new location at 1000 N. Riverfront Boulevard officially opens for dinner service on Saturday, January 3, under the helm of Executive Chef Sergio Esquivel.
Originally opened in 2023, The Saint quickly earned recognition for its refined take on comfort-driven Italian classics and Texas-sourced steaks. According to the press release announcing the new location and new chef, the menu “has evolved based on guests’ preferences since opening in 2023,” and the new elevated space in the Design District “marks an intentional evolution for the concept.”
Andy Hooper, CEO of Hooper Hospitality Concepts, explains the impetus for the move, saying, “The Design District offers the ideal setting for the experience we’ve created. It gives us greater visibility, a setting that matches the sophistication of our menu, and a chance to welcome even more guests into the world of The Saint.”
The Venue & Vibes
What is the world of The Saint, then? The Saint’s vibe centers around the interplay of dualities. They’re merging opposing forces. Luxe and grit. Dark and colorful. Industrial and soft. Saints AND Sinners, ya feel me? Perfect example: Upon arrival, guests ascend the golden-tiled stairway leading to the restaurant’s landing, which is crowned by an 18th-century gilt chandelier… and a graffitied antique oil portrait (hand-tagged by Design District artist Kelly O’Neal).
The 1,800-square-foot restaurant seats 85 guests. Nearly every one of those seats offers a striking view of the downtown Dallas skyline. A custom wallpaper with a modern interpretation of the saints and sinners iconography (flora! fauna! snakes! doves!) in a damask pattern anchors the space. The dining room features scalloped upholstered booths, with a 1920s Parisian glass-domed chandelier casting a warm pink glow from above. Artwork from Zach Grear adds “a contemporary spiritual layer — modern icons hand-tattooed and embellished with symbols of luck, protection, and cultural intrigue.”
That all sounds fabulous, but what are we eating?
The Food & Drinks
Dallas-born Chef Esquivel seems like an ideal fit for The Saint’s Texas-driven approach to Italian steakhouse dining. (He quite literally started cooking alongside his grandmothers, which feels very Italian!) Esquivel’s diverse professional experience includes working at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Georgie by Curtis Stone, and Harper’s, in addition to his tenure as the personal chef for the Jones family at AT&T Stadium.
The Saint’s press release describes Esquivel’s perspective as “refined yet soulful,” and says he plans to strike “a balance between the classics diners love and the more adventurous preparations that have become a hallmark of the concept.” What exactly is that hallmark? Think signature dry-aged cuts from Texas ranchers, wagyu selections, and housemade pastas, in addition to seafood and a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Chef Esquivel says, “What sets us apart is our commitment to Texas ingredients and our ability to elevate Italian classics with a uniquely local perspective. We focus on refinement without losing the warmth that comfort food should deliver.”
For the Type O bloods (meat lovers) among us, you’re in luck! The menu promises protein aplenty. Some dishes we’re particularly excited to cut into:
- Texas Wagyu Tartare with truffle carpaccio and balsamic cured egg yolk
- Fresh Shellfish Platter with Maine Lobster, King Crab, oysters on the half shell, and giant prawns served with spicy cocktail sauce and rose mignonette
- Brisket & Foie Gras Ravioli finished with a dried cherry reduction
- Wild Mushroom & Black Truffle Tagliatelle with truffle herb cream and Parmigiano
- Texas Quail Picatta with lemon butter, capers, shallot, and garlic
- 32 oz. Bistecca Alla Fiorentina and Double Cut Berkshire Pork Chop with peach mostarda
The bar program will continue slinging clever cocktails alongside a notable wine selection. New signature drinks we’re excited to sip include the In Good Faith with Ford’s Gin, Ramazotti Apertivo, hibiscus syrup, lemon, and sparkling wine, as well as the Smoke Rings After Dark featuring George Dickel Rye, Cynar, Bénédictine, cocoa, and smoked mesquite. In the new location, The Saint is also introducing its new smoked whiskey decanter drinks, offering bespoke mesquite-smoked Manhattan and Old Fashioned preparations available in both regular and top-shelf selections. (Don Draper would.)
“Dallas diners want familiarity and discovery in equal measure,” Hooper summarizes. “Their sophistication has pushed us to keep evolving. The energy of the Design District and the opportunity to welcome guests in this new space make this move incredibly exciting.”
The Saint opens for dinner service on Saturday, January 3, at their new location at 1000 N. Riverfront Boulevard in Dallas.
