Thursday, January 1

2008 Dallas restaurant closings by Kim Harwell

It seemed as if a day didn't pass this year without news of another restaurant shutting its doors. And on some days, the grim announcements came in threes and fours. This list is roughly in order of when the restaurants were shuttered.
Felissa's in Snider Plaza, owned by original York Street owner Felissa LaFlamme
Caribbean Pan, the Northwest Dallas eatery that later reopened in Addison as the Scarlet Ibis
Arc-en-Ciel, a longtime destination for dim sum and Chinese-Vietnamese fare, in Garland
Cosmo Rouge bistro and cocktail lounge in Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District
Hola!, Ildefonso Jimenez's eight-year-old tapas restaurant on McKinney Avenue
Firehouse, the Lower Greenville restaurant and bar specializing in hot and spicy food
Carrabba's Italian Grill in Rockwall
Alfredo Trattoria, a 20-year veteran of Lemmon Avenue
Il Sole, Travis Walk's upstairs Italian stalwart
Chaparral, the fine-dining restaurant on the 38th floor of the former Adam's Mark Hotel (now the Sheraton Dallas)
Ferré, Patrick Colombo's Italian restaurant in the West Village (the Fort Worth branch remains open)
Bistro Nous, chef James Rowland's short-lived North Dallas restaurant
TwoRows restaurant and brewery on Greenville Avenue (other locations remain open)
Bice, the fine-dining Italian restaurant in the Crescent Court space that formerly housed Gumbo's, We Oui and Sam's Cafe
Big D's Dogs, the gourmet hot dog shop on Lower Greenville
Four G's Sports Bar and Grill, in downtown Plano
The Preston-Forest location of Greenz, the fast-casual salad spot (other locations are still open)
I Love Sushi in Far North Dallas
BLT Steak, the upscale steakhouse from famed chef Laurent Tourondel, after barely six months
La Paesana, the Park Cities rebirth of Uptown stalwart La Trattoria Lombardi
The Plano branch of Kirby's Steakhouse (Dallas and Southlake locations remain open)
Scene, the splashy downtown sibling to nearby Fuse (which remains open)
Alessio's il Ristorante, the namesake restaurant of longtime Dallas fixture Alessio Franceschetti
Upscale Italian restaurant The Grotto, part of Houston-based Landry's Restaurants, Inc.
Nine Fish Japanese restaurant and sushi bar in Frisco
Trail Dust, the kitschy mid-priced steakhouse where neckties are verboten (the Arlington branch remains open)
Tucker, near downtown Dallas, converted to banquet facilities for chef Andrew Ormsby's catering operation
Balls Hamburgers in Snider Plaza
62 Main, chef David McMillan's acclaimed fine-dining restaurant in Colleyville
New San Dor, a Cantonese restaurant in northeast Plano
Frida's Mexican Bistro in Oak Lawn, specializing in regional Mexican cuisine
Nodding Dog Coffee Company, in Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District
Riccardi's Italian restaurant in the Quadrangle
Rick Stein's, one of many steakhouses located on the Dallas North Tollway
Exposition Park Cafe, a favorite for brunch and cheap eats near Fair Park
Le Rendezvous, the resurrected French restaurant in Preston-Royal shopping center
Fusion Cafe, a coffee bar and eatery in downtown Plano
The Park Cities branch of Milwaukee Joe's Ice Cream
Kitchen 1924 in Lakewood
SushiSamba, the flashy Galleria spot serving food from Japan, Peru and Brazil
All area locations of Bennigan's and Steak and Ale, as well as their offshoots Plano Tavern, Southlake Tavern and 29 Degrees, after parent company S&A Restaurant Corp. filed for bankruptcy
Michael Anthony's Fine Dining, a steakhouse in Southlake
Sushi on McKinney, due to owner Ben Sanada's retirement
BayGrill in Frisco
Amuse, chef Doug Brown's New American eatery across from South Side on Lamar, though it will reportedly reopen this spring in Victory Park
Metro Grill, the family friendly eatery in Knox Park Village
Zoom Vietnamese and Thai Cuisine in Far North Dallas
Nove Italiano, the glitzy, high-end Victory Park restaurant perhaps best-known for its brazen patio topiaries of nude ladies
Doughmonkey, the beloved Snider Plaza bakery
Grill 400, a neighborhood spot in the Bishop Arts District
The Uptown branch of Chip's Old Fashioned Hamburgers (the Park Cities location remains open)
Pulcinella, the Italian restaurant and pizzeria on Henderson Avenue
The Henderson Avenue flagship of Cuquita's (though other locations remain open)
Ounce Prime Steakhouse in North Dallas, which closed after less than a year in business
Istanbul Grill, the Deep Ellum spot that served Turkish cuisine in addition to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean
Prego Pasta House's Far North Dallas spin-off
Meridian Room, the seven-year-old restaurant and bar in Exposition Park (it has since reopened with new owners)
Bailey's 1st and 10, the no-frills sports bar at Mockingbird and Abrams
The Club, Robert Colombo's supper-club concept in the Centrum
Tilley's Grill, a casual burger joint on Upper Greenville
Brothers Chicken, the beloved fast-food eatery owned by Steve and Jimmy Kazanas
Martini Park in Plano's Shops at Legacy
Olea Mediterranean Bistro, a new concept from Lavendou owner Pascal Cayet
Urbano Paninoteca, the six-year-old Italian sandwich bar and restaurant on McKinney Avenue
The Abbey Grill, one of Frisco's oldest restaurants, after 15 years
Tio's Tortas, the fast-casual Mexican sandwich shop on Lemmon Avenue
Swirll, the blend-your-own winery in downtown Dallas
County Line BBQ on Lake Ray Hubbard in Garland
Ed's Deli at Preston and LBJ Freeway
Isshin Sushi Bar and Grill in Irving
Strong's Everyday Tavern, the casual Uptown eatery from Chili's founder Larry Lavine (whose Red's Patio Grill in Plano is still open)
The Allen location of Korean-sushi restaurant Naan (Legacy Naan, the location sold by the original owner, remains open in Plano)
Table 18, the upscale project from Food Friends and Company slated to open across from the Ritz-Carlton; owners Jack Baum and Morton Meyerson canceled plans for the restaurant.

2 comments:

  1. Wow. How on earth does Ed's Deli close when there's Cindi's still open? Tragedy.

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  2. Anonymous3:48 PM

    wow thanks for posting this! I hope you have an update for 2009. I wish restaurants were a bit more open about their business troubles, I hate losing good places to eat! And Cuquita's is just a damn shame!

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