A Ridiculously Named Eatery and Art Gallery Will Soon Open Under One Uptown Roof

Pl8, a ridiculously-named new spot that promises to be equal parts art gallery and eatery, is expected to open its doors in Uptown next month.

A press release for Pl8, which is slated to open at 2533 McKinney Avenue, absurdly describes the forthcoming spot as a “restaurant-forward” restaurant, a phrase that has no actual meaning. The new eatery is a project of WhiteROC, the management company that is still working on bringing New York City’s Circo to Dallas. That project is equally over the top, and is expected to come complete with a pool and bartenders in the bathroom.

“We searched, literally, the entire U.S. for years to find the best location to grow the company, and Dallas was number one,” Lauren Santagati, CEO of WhiteROC, told Eater. “A lot of the concepts locally we noticed are ‘bar-forward’, and we wanted to set ourselves apart as a concept based on food, that’s what we meant by ‘restaurant-forward,’ but the press kind of took it and ran with it.”

Actual details on the food that Pl8 will serve are sparse, but Santagati says that diners can expect local ingredients and global influences on the menu, including Middle Eastern mezze, focaccia from Italy, and Asian-inspired seafood dishes. Chef Alfio Longo, an Italian native who trained in Michelin-starred restaurants overseas and did a stint as the executive chef of the New York Jets before joining the team at Le Cirque, will oversee the kitchen.

WhiteROC manages restaurants across the globe, and acquired the licensing rights from the Maccioni family, who founded Le Cirque and Circo, to bring Circo to Dallas. Eater reported back in 2016 that Circo, which still operates outposts in Dubai, India, and the Dominican Republic, was set to make its Dallas debut in early 2017. Those plans have been pushed back several times, but Santagati says Pl8’s location was chosen so that its strategically situated across the street from the forthcoming Circo, at the bustling intersection of Routh Street and McKinney Avenue.

No official opening dated for Pl8 or Circo have been announced just yet, but both are expected to arrive this spring. Stay tuned for more details.

• Circo’s Dallas Expansion Is Still Happening [EDFW]
• NYC’s Circo Files For Bankruptcy Protection, Dallas Location Still Expected To Move Forward [EDFW]
• NYC’s Circo Hits Dallas With A Glass-Bottom Pool & Bathroom Bartenders In 2017 [EDFW]