Restaurant Roll Call: Sfuzzi’s and Jasper’s Close, Plus 12 New Openings

PHEW. We hope you’re hungry.

The millisecond patio weather kicked all the frost to the curb, dozens of restaurants decided it was time to open … all at the same time. 

In March, some heavy hitters opened in Uptown, the Toyota Music Factory got a new lounge, another fast-casual chain filed for bankruptcy and more food news.

OPENINGS

Evelyn

1201 Turtle Creek Blvd., The Design DistrictThe previously elusive Evelyn has debuted in the Design District. It’s an old Hollywood-inspired steakhouse and lounge with three separate themed rooms: Room Seven, The Piano Room and the Ruby Room. The 9,500-square-foot space is from the same group as The Mexican, Black Tap and Pie Tap.

DOMODOMO kÅ

2681 Howell St., Uptown DOMODOMO kÅ is a beloved New York City sushi concept that opened this month in The Quad. Each month, it offers a different, elevated tasting experience, which promises to be an immersive, course-driven journey using seasonal and local ingredients. DOMODOMO is the name of the original restaurant with hand rolls and a sushi bar, but Dallas got DOMODOMO kÅ, which is strictly an omakase experience for $135 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.

La Stella Cucina Versace

14655 Dallas Pkwy., AddisonLa Stella, a popular Italian restaurant, opened in the Arts District in 2022. This year, it’s opening a new spinoff location in Addison, where Lawry’s The Prime Rib stood for over 40 years. The new digs are over 11,000 square feet and will feature three separate dining areas, one of which will have live entertainment and a completely updated interior.

Nirvana Lounge

340 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Las ColinasIndo-Chinese cuisine and an electronic atmosphere are the hype inside the Toyota Music Factory’s newest lounge, Nirvana. The culinary team behind Sanjh developed the menu, and the cocktail program is stellar.

Ocean Ranch

2114 Greenville Ave., Lower GreenvilleA restaurant can’t be any more straightforward than Ocean Ranch, which opened in the old Carte Blanche space earlier this month. The menu is seafood-heavy, with some prime cuts of beef and a hefty bar program to complement it.

The Hampton Social

1520 Main St., DowntownChannel your inner Martha Stewart at this brand-new, East Coast-inspired eatery with Chicago roots. The massive space in downtown Dallas has three floors, each equipped with a bar, and an extensive seafood-forward menu. With the drinks to match, of course. We have a review incoming –  watch out for the auto-gratuity added to every check.

Puradak Carrolton

3044 Old Denton RoadPurdak hails from South Korea and is a luxury fried-chicken restaurant known for its unique flavors, oven-baked chicken, and bold slogan, “The Most Favorite Korean Chicken.” It gives a whole new meaning to KFC.

G’s Cheesesteaks

2525 Wycliff Ave., Medical DistrictG’s Cheesesteaks started its cheesy empire in Staten Island in 2015, and now this East Coast hit has made its way to Dallas. Obviously, cheesesteaks are the main event, but they also have chicken dishes, burgers, desserts, wings, apps and BYO steaks.

Mei Asian Cuisine

7325 Gaston Ave., LakewoodJia Asian Bistro has new owners and, therefore, a new name, Mei Asian Cuisine. They’re still serving all of our Asian food favorites like papaya salad and pork soup dumplings.

Black Rock Coffee Bar

5200 N. Garland Ave., GarlandBlack Rock Coffee Bar expanded to caffeinate the city of Garland. They have locations across Texas, Colorado, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. This new location is the tenth in North Texas.

Black Agave Cocina Y Cantina

1980 Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy., Farmers BranchIn January, Black Agave closed temporarily for renovations. It reopened its doors on Monday, March 17, with a new look in the dining room, plus an updated menu and new drink selections.

Waters Edge Winery & Bistro

6750 Abrams Road, Lake HighlandsWaters Edge Winery & Bistro recently celebrated its grand opening in Lake Highlands. It features an extensive wine menu with old and new-world wines, food pairing options and an exclusive wine club.

CLOSINGS

9NINE Kitchen & Lounge

2211 N. Houston St.Barely a year after pro football player Matthew Judon opened his restaurant, it has closed. They stopped doing social media posts in October, but there hasn’t been an official statement on the closure.

On The Border

Multiple locationsIrving-based Tex-Mex chain On The Border filed for bankruptcy protection last month and closed 40 restaurants across 18 states, including Texas. Although many closed around North Texas, 19 are still open and operating. WFAA reported that Texas-based Pappas Restaurants (behind Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Pappasito’s Cantina, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen) could be purchasing the chain to save it.

Jasper’s

1251 State St.Jasper’s, an upscale restaurant in the Richardson CityLine development, closed just shy of its 10-year anniversary on March 3. The farewell message on its website (that is now offline) read: “We are incredibly grateful for the milestone memories you’ve shared with us – anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and more. Each meal and moment has been a treasured part of our story”.

Sfuzzi’s

2401 Henderson Ave. Sfuzzi’s, the ’90s-era pizza shop and wine bar, closed in February. In June, the space will be transformed into Hendy’s, an American restaurant backed by Brandon Hays, Michelin-nodded chef Peja Krstic, Phil Schanbaum, Cote Bona and Chris Carpenter. It’s in good hands.