Duro Hospitality Debuts Norman’s Japanese Grill in Former Homewood Space, and More Dallas Restaurant Openings

The Dallas dining scene is forever evolving. To help you stay in the know, we’ve gathered the buzziest openings, the unfortunate closures, and any other food news we might find fitting. This Dallas Dish is your weekly helping of need-to-know Dallas restaurant openings — and will hopefully point you in the direction of your next great reservation.

Norman’s Japanese Grill

4002 Oak Lawn Avenue

We finally know what new Duro Hospitality (Mister Charles, El Carlos Elegante) concept will go into the former Homewood space on Oak Lawn Avenue, and it’s not at all what we expected. Norman’s Japanese Grill will debut this Friday, August 1, as a “Western-inspired Japanese raw bar and grill that was influenced by the Duro Founders’ deep admiration for Japanese food and culture.”

Designed by Sees Design, the 3,100-square-foot space was inspired by the American West and post-war Japan. It aims to feel like a home that’s been lived in, collected over decades. “Think Kyoto ryokan meets Marfa bunkhouse,” Corbin See states in a release. “The materials are worn-in and layered: blackened steel, hand-planed wood, lacquered finishes, and vintage textiles. The interiors of Norman’s feel like a personal collection — curated over time by a man who once carried a leather-bound journal and a Nikon rangefinder.” A highlight will be a sunken bar area and indoor/outdoor patio.

As for the menu, it will blend the two cultures, as well. There will be an Argentinian-style wood-fired grill and a traditional Japanese charcoal robata to cook up bites like charred octopus and Rosewood NY strip skewers, BBQ pork cheek, A5 beef, dry-aged Cowboy ribeye, New Zealand King Salmon, and more. The raw program will feature sashimi, handrolls, and nigiri — in an “irreverent,” very Duro way.

“If John Wayne were to open a Japanese restaurant, this would be it,” states co-founder Chas Martin. “Incredible quality, yes, but not stuffy. Norman’s is all about that space in between elegance and ease — and making it feel like a true neighborhood spot where people can drop in often.”

We love every restaurant Duro Hospitality comes up with, most recently its first Fort Worth debut, The Chumley House, but Norman’s sounds like a game-changer and we’re pumped.

Casa Brasa

8111 Preston Road

From Big Dill Hospitality (Chef Omar Flores and the Marshi Family) comes a new steak and seafood restaurant to Dallas’ Park Cities. The new spot, “inspired by the open-fire grills of Latin America,” will open this summer and bring prime cuts of beef, Mexican aguachiles, Mediterranean-inspired salads, sushi, and more to Preston Road. The space, which was once home to Nick & Sam’s, is undergoing a renovation that will feature an open-fire grill, raw bar, sushi counter, bar, and private event space.

Chef Flores also has a new coastal Mexican restaurant, Maroma, in the works for the Design District. Both are expected to open this September. His latest concept in Addison, Even Coast, is also a stunner you should check out in the meantime.

The Sicilian Butcher

5225 Belt Line Road, Suite 240

Following the opening of its first Texas outpost in Fort Worth last summer, this modern-casual Italian restaurant is opening a second location in the Lone Star State in North Dallas on August 7. Originally launched in Arizona in 2017, the concept is known for its build-your-own experience, including meatballs, pasta, bruschetta boards, cannolis, and more. A third Texas location is set to open in San Antonio later this year. To celebrate its opening, The Sicilian Butcher will donate 5 percent of all opening day sales on Thursday, August 7, to Feed the Children — a nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger by providing families with food and essential resources worldwide.