Two of Dallas' Biggest Chefs Are Teaming Up For a Joint Venture in Highland Park Village

Fresh off the opening of two of Dallas' hottest new restaurants — Julian Barsotti's Sprezza on Maple Avenue and Nick Badovinus' Town Hearth in the Design District — Barsotti and Badovinus today announced a new joint venture in Highland Park Village, the frou frou Highland Park shopping center that boasts clientele such as Chanel, Christian Louboutin and Dior. The two new Italian restaurants will be adjacent to one another, which could make Highland Park Village a serious food destination when they open in late summer and early fall 2017.

Slated to open first in late summer: Badovinus' Perfect Union Pizza Co., which will have "bold, straightforward and honest flavors, with a light and sunny atmosphere that flows from the inside of the space to the patio, inspired by the raw woods and warm whites found on the West Coast," according to the press release. On the menu: "... oysters on the half, artisanal pizza and rotisserie chicken, along with other items including crudos, chopped salads and spaghettis. As for beverages, there will be a robust assortment of wines, refreshing and effervescent cocktails, and a well curated list of beers on tap — perfect for lunch, slow-sipping afternoons and dinner."

Badovinus, who is also behind Neighborhood Services, Off-Site Kitchen and Montlake Cut, is no stranger to Italian food; the fresh, house-made daily pasta specials at Neighborhood Services are often some of the restaurant's strongest dishes.

Opening next: Barsotti's Fachini, an "homage to old school, upscale Italian-American dining," according to the press release. Barsotti is quite possibly the most prolific chef/restaurateur in Dallas when it comes to Italian food, having opened the Carbone's, Nonna and Sprezza trifecta. Fachini will be his fourth Dallas restaurant. "The menu will focus on sensationalized versions of red sauce classics," according to the release. "Like Carbone’s, named for Barsotti’s maternal grandmother’s family, Fachini is his paternal grandmother’s maiden name."

Expect dishes like "tableside caesar salad, 100-layer lasagna bolognese, whole Maine lobster fra diavolo and prime-bone-in beef tenderloin a la pepe" served in an ambiance "inspired by iconic Italian-American restaurants," according to the release.