One of The Nation’s Most Successful Eateries Will Sling Italian Fare in DFW

— A Chicago-area establishment that ranked in the top 100 highest-grossing independent restaurants nation-wide will debut at The Colony’s Grandscape development in 2020. Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar is expanding to DFW for its first location outside of Chicago’s trendy River North district where it debuted in 2005. It will also be the first Texas outpost for the Chicago-based parent company Gibson Restaurant Group, which counts at least 4 eateries among the 100 top-grossing independent restaurants in the country. In The Colony, Quartino’s founding chef John Coletta will create a menu of dishes like Neapolitan pizza, handmade pastas and risottos, artisanal salumi and house-made cheeses, alongside an extensive wine list and Italian cocktails. When Quartino debuts, it will join a host of other eateries previously announced for Grandscape, including another out-of-town Italian concept.

— Houston’s Bellagreen will debut its fast-casual healthy fare next week at The Hill. This is the first DFW outpost for the brand, which operates six in the Houston area. Beginning November 8, Bellagreen will serve up its menu of salads, wraps, panini, burgers, tacos, and pizza, which can all be modified for dietary restrictions including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, keto, paleo, Whole 30, and more. Two more area locations are slated for Plano early next year, including The Shops at Legacy and the intersection of Preston Road and Park Boulevard. Bellagreen’s sister company Original ChopShop also debuted in The Shops at Legacy and Las Colinas this year.

— A Phoenix-area pizza chain, Sauce Pizza & Wine, just opened its second DFW location at 7300 North MacArthur Boulevard in Las Colinas this week. The fast-casual eatery offers a variety of handmade pizzas, salads, and pastas in Prosper with a third location planned for The Hill. A press release touts menu highlights like a rosemary potato pizza with spinach, feta, olive tapenade, and truffle oil, and a spicy chicken sausage pizza with with hatch green chile and smoked mozzarella. For dessert, the “pizza cookie” offers an indulgent treat of a half-baked chocolate chip cookie dough base that’s topped with gelato.