Two Beloved Bishop Arts Restaurants Reopen Thanks to Grants and Loans

Essential Bishop Arts restaurants Lucia and Macellaio have been closed for weeks, but the two beloved eateries are ready to make a pickup-only comeback.

In an announcement posted to both restaurants’ websites, owners Jennifer and David Uygur wrote that both Lucia and Macellaio will resume curbside service on Friday. The dining rooms at both locations are still closed, and diners should plan to place their orders by 4 p.m. the day before pick-up due to the restaurant’s limited staff.

Both spots will serve the same family-style menus. The first includes slow-cooked pork shoulder with white beans, garlic, and rapini, freshly baked bread, and beet salad with feta, orange, and arugula. Another option includes a DIY kit to make fresh tonarelli in beef and pork ragu and arborio rice pudding. Diners can also score salumi boards and bottles of wine.

In an email to supporters, the Uygurs wrote that gift certificate pre-sales were a major help in keeping the restaurants afloat over the past few weeks. “You—our kind, generous guests—bought gift certificates and promised not to use them until we re-open our dining rooms,” the letter reads. “Because of this, we were able to cover April and May health insurance for all our staff who have insurance benefits with us.”

Macellaio, which Eater Dallas named Restaurant of the Year in 2018, also won a grant from the James Beard Foundation, and both restaurants received federal Paycheck Protection Program loans. “Because of all this, we’ve been able to hire back some of our staff,” the email reads. “Due to our small size and an abundance of caution, we’re not yet able to safely bring everyone back.”

The menus for Lucia and Macellaio’s curbside service will change in the coming weeks, and diners should check their respective websites before reserving dinner.