11 May 14 - 20, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents A Dozen Daisies Here are 12 new restaurants in Dallas we’re excited about this spring. Mostly, anyway. BY AAREN PRODY W ith the rate of local restaurants closing in Dallas and big-city im- ports opening, the fu- ture of our dining choices was looking a little bleak. But this spring brought some fresh, mostly local openings that give us hope. Could this new award-winning bagel shop rival Dallas’ favorite bagels? Is it true that the new sandwich shop in the Cedars is destined for greatness? And how many remodels does it take for this Dallas restaurant to thrive? All of this can be pondered at these 12 new Dallas restaurant openings. Seegars Deli 1910 S Harwood St. The Empire State Building was built in a re- cord 410 days. Seegars Deli has taken up- ward of three years. What does that tell you? Greatness takes time, duh. We got an early look at this spot (we were excited), and writer Austin Wood said it was the best Reu- ben he’s ever had. They also have a bologna, which comes on thick brioche with garlic mayo and American cheese. All sandwiches can be ordered with housemade potato chips or thin-cut fries. We’re excited to work through this whole menu. Trattoria Bugatti 3850 W Northwest Highway Nowadays, some restaurant owners waste no time in expansion or franchising, but for the owners of Bugatti Ristorante, it took them 40 years to expand their foot- print. The new sister concept of this staple Italian restaurant is a modern day tratto- ria, which in Italy is sorta rustic, fami- ly-owned eatery. Trattoria Bugatti serves an apertivo menu, along with lunch, din- ner, and dessert all by a James Beard Award-nominated chef. Théodore’s Steak and Seafood 2918 W. Pioneer, ArlingtonThis modern steakhouse is a complete redo of the space that was previously Campo Verde, the Christmas light wonderland. The interior was scrubbed to its bones; an exorcism may have been involved. It’s now a high-end steakhouse, with a chef focused on bringing fine dining to this corner of Arlington. Check back soon for a full review. In the meantime, if you need a fancy meal in Arlington, every- thing we’ve tried has been great. Alara Modern Mediterranean 1628 Oak Lawn Ave.The latest of many open- ings in the Design District is Alara Modern Mediterranean. Modern plates. A seasonal menu. No seed oils. Chef Onur Akan is creat- ing it all, drawing inspiration from his child- hood along Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Akan believes that less, done well, is everything. Across the menu you’ll taste the warmth of North Africa and the Aegean and Levant re- gions along the Mediterranean Sea. Ospi 1621 Oak Lawn Ave., Design District We all know that after Meddlesome Moth closed, whatever took over this space along Oak Lawn Avenue had some large shoes to fill. Ospi is a modern, Southern Italian restaurant from Mo- mento Mori Con- cepts. Top Chef alum Jackson Kalb grew this concept starting in Venice, Califor- nia. It has a few other locations in the Los Angeles area, and Dallas is its first location outside of the Golden State. It offers daily menus with lunch, dinner and apertivo hour. Brunch is served on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jetsetters Coffee Lounge 6911 Lemmon Ave., Love Field Jetsetters Coffee Lounge is an interesting new addition to the Frontiers of Flight Mu- seum. It’s serving coffee from Cultivar Cof- fee Roasters, breakfast tacos from Taco Deli and Sugar & Sage pastries. You don’t need a museum ticket to get caffeinated, but while you’re there, it’s worth popping into the Smithsonian-affiliated venue that features full-size planes on display and the Apollo 7 command module. Luna Roja 1525 Elm St., Downtown The rest of Downtown Dallas may be going through some growing pains, but the food is the best it’s been in a while. Luna Roja is a new modern Mexican restaurant across from The Woolworth, the Giant Eyeball and Starship Bagels. It’s helmed by chef Omar Larson, who was previously the sous chef at Kessaku and Monarch. It’s open for lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends. Also, everything on the happy hour menu is under $10. Persuaded? Us too. Archive & Alchemy 1922 Greenville Ave., Lower Greenville Rye closed and was absorbed by its neigh- boring bar, Apothecary. Then, Apothecary was reimagined into a dual concept called Archive and Alchemy. That’s a lot of moving parts, but you get the picture. Archive has drinks from the original Apothecary menu, which push the envelope. And that’s no ex- aggeration: They’re serving a pickle cheese- cake cocktail. But if the Apothecary team is behind it, trust us, it works. Maroma 1333 Oak Lawn Ave., Design District Chef Omar Flores is expanding his empire after success with Casa Brasa, Even Coast and Muchacho. Maroma is inspired by towns on Mexico’s western coast: Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Sinaloa. Seafood is at the center here. There’s a raw bar, big sea- food towers and live-fire cooking. Salt water and fire. What more could we want? Kilmac’s 814 W Davis St. Feargal McKinney probably believes that if something ain’t broke, you shouldn’t fix it. He owns three fixture bars in the Knox-Henderson area: The Old Monk, The Skellig and Spider Murphy’s. In 2024, he ex- panded the Old Monk to North Oak Cliff, with the promise of a darker, cocktail-fo- cused concept opening next door, soon. Two years later, Kilmac’s opened. It’s a hit, to no one’s surprise. They have a smoked Guin- ness old fashioned, toasted coconut daiquiri with two different rums and about 10 other cocktails that hold their own. For food, you have garlic knots, antipasto and a robust lit- tle menu of pizzas. Cafe Lucca 4445 Travis St., Knox-Henderson The latest in Knox-Henderson is Cafe Lucca, a brand new concept from former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and head coach Jason Garrett and local restaurateur Julian Barsotti. When it opened, all the res- ervations were scooped up expeditiously, but now you can stop by for lunch with ease or dinner with a few days’ notice. People are dining here mostly for the Sicilian and Med- iterranean fare. Julian Barsotti is a cele- brated Dallas chef whose other concepts, Barsotti’s and Nonna, are both featured in the Michelin Guide. You’re in good hands. PopUp Bagels 5450 W Lovers Lane When a perfectly branded bagel shop takes Dallas by storm, it’s normal to question its merit. But given that PopUp Bagels has won the same award as our own Starship Bagels, and that right now they’re serving spinach artichoke cream cheese and truffle butter, some of us are eating our words, literally. Just don’t forget about the bagel shops in Dallas that walked so PopUp could run. TOP CHEF ALUM JACKSON KALB GREW THIS CONCEPT STARTING IN VINCE, CALIFORNIA. The gnocchi bolognese at Trattoria Bugatti Samantha Marie Photography | CITY OF ATE | t Dish
