Hash Over

Swimming from the goldfish

Do managers at AquaKnox fear the glare of public life in a Fishbowl? Fishbowl is the new hip "'60s pan-Asian" (don't ask us what that means) noodle-wok-sushi joint set to flood the AquaKnox lounge later this month. But shortly after the concept was announced, Executive Chef Jason Gorman cut bait. Now, it looks as though General Manager George Majdalani is following suit. But Majdalani insists he wasn't overtaken by Fishbowl phobia. "I'm 100 percent in support of Fishbowl," he says. "AquaKnox will prosper more with Fishbowl. It's just that an opportunity has come to me, and I can't say no." What that opportunity is, isn't clear. Majdalani, who will depart November 20 after more than five years at Star Canyon and AquaKnox, says he's chatting with an unnamed Dallas restaurant company in town. But he also says he'd like to launch his own restaurant. At any rate, AquaKnox released a sneak peek at Stephan Pyles' Fishbowl menu last week. It also released some "clever expressions that help set the hip, Asian tone..." Hip quips like "All know the way. Few actually walk it." Where's the bailing bucket?

Haines hikes

Just down the street from AquaKnox, Sipango Executive Chef Marc Haines announced he was calling it quits too, as of November 30. The onetime PoPoLos and NorthSouth chef has apparently hooked up with millionaire Darwin Deason of Affiliated Computer Systems to devise a time-share personal chef service whereby Haines and a squadron of five cooks will prepare dinner for some of Dallas' richest families (including Deason's). He says they already have 10 Dallas families ready to ink a one-year contract for three gourmet meals per week plus one party each month, though he hasn't worked out the price yet. But is this the kind of stuff from which kitchen legends are made? No, but Haines says it's a swell bridge to bigger things, like his own Dallas restaurant. It never hurts to pour finger bowls for the wealthy.

Mixed hash

Costa and Mary Arabatzis just snagged Samba Room sous chef Kenneth Weis for their second Ziziki's location, set to open within the next week in Spanish Village on Coit Road in North Dallas...Vitto owner Marc Serrao opened the 88-seat Chiao Marco Italian in the former Spasso space behind Hunky's on Cedar Springs. It will have a "Tex-Italian" menu similar to Vitto in Oak Cliff and the defunct Vitto on Oak Lawn.

— Mark StuertzE-mail Dish at markstz@flash.net.