East Dallas Seafood Favorite 20 Feet Permanently Closes Its Doors

Welcome to AM Intel in the time of coronavirus, a round-up of the city’s newest bits of restaurant-related intel. Follow Eater on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date details on how COVID-19 is impacting the city’s dining scene.

Lucia will reopen soon in former Macellaio space

Beloved Bishop Avenue Italian spot Lucia is one step closer to reopening for dine-in service at its new, expanded location. The restaurant’s owners Jennifer and David Uygur, have announced that the restaurant is pausing its takeout program to prepare for in-house diners. They have yet to announce an opening date for the dining room but said in an email that it is coming soon.

The reopening marks a bittersweet year for the Uygurs, who closed both Lucia and sister restaurant Macellaio last March at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurants were eking by on gift cards and takeout until October, when their business partner Justin Holt announced he was permanently closing his own restaurant Salaryman to undergo aggressive treatment for leukemia. in December, the couple announced that Macellaio would close for good so that Lucia could move into the space.

That’s good news for fans of the restaurant, one of Dallas’s best spots for pasta, cheese boards and creative wine pairings. Previously Lucia’s tiny 14-table space was notoriously hard to book. The move to Macellaio, at 287 North Bishop Avenue, will create room for more diners while also allowing for patio seating and social distancing.

East Dallas fish and chips fave 20 Feet Seafood Joint will not reopen

East Dallas neighborhood hangout 20 Feet Seafood Joint will not reopen after closing temporarily last March at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant’s owner, chef Marc Cassel, told the Dallas Morning News that a year of financial struggles and the end of his lease on Peavy Road meant the restaurant would be closing for good. Cassel said he never felt comfortable opening for takeout pr limited seating, and that a Paycheck Protection Program loan helped him pay his employees over the last year, but that funding — and lease negotiations — have stalled. The restaurant, which opened in 2013, was known for its fish and chips, chowder, and lobster rolls.

Tim Love will open two new restaurants at Fort Worth Stockyards

Chef Tim Love, known for his restaurants Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and White Elephant Saloon, is set to open two new restaurants at Stockyards development Mule Alley. The as-yet-unnamed restaurants will join the shopping and entertainment complex, which is already home to Provender Hall, a Shake Shack, Cowtown Winery, and retail stores like Wrangler and Lucchese Bootmaker. No word yet on an opening date for the new eateries.