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Welcome to AM Intel, a (mostly) daily round-up of easily digestible Dallas dining details that every local needs to know. Looking for more intel about where to eat and drink in the Big D? Sign up for Eater Dallas’s newsletter, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Australian gelateria Zero Gradi will celebrate opening with three-day party
Zero Gradi, the sibling desert shop to popular Neopolitan pizza restaurant 400 Gradi, will open this weekend with a three-day celebration including live music, Instagram photo-ops, tastings and more. The festivities begin September 29 from 5-9 p.m., and continue nightly through October 1 at 2000 Ross Avenue.
The gelateria is right next to 400 Gradi, the Australia restaurant founded by celebrity chef Johnny Di Francesco, which opened a Dallas location in 2019. (“Gradi’ means degrees in Italian, as in the Celcius temperature inside of a pizza oven.) At Zero Gradi, diners can expect more than 20 flavors of handmade gelato, sobettos, and semifreddo ice cream cakes, all made with fresh and imported ingredients, like yogurt from the Maremma region of Italy, plus a full espresso bar.
A Thai-style chicken and rice restaurant has set its sights on Dallas
Rooster and Rice, a San Francisco-based fast food chain serving Thai-style chicken and rice, or khao mun gai, has set its sights on Texas with plans to open five locations in the DFW area in the next few years.
The restaurant specializes in organic poached chicken served over fragrant jasmine rice, and garnished with cilantro, cucumber, chili, ginger, garlic and more, plus variations with brown rice, salad, or tofu. Founded in 2015, the company is now eyeing Dallas thanks to the metroplex’s growing Asian population and an increasing demand for quick-service Asian restaurants. No word yet on a debut date for the restaurant in Dallas, but stay tuned to Eater for future details.
Over-the-top bar Texas Republic opens second location near University Park
Texas Republic, the self-described highest grossing bar in Fort Worth, is set to open a second location near Southern Methodist University on September 30. The bar, at 5609 SMU Boulevard, is known for its laid-back vibe, drinks like the 35oz Candy Carafe cocktails, and 136-foot LED screen for sports, plus food like Trash Can nachos, brisket burgers, and weekend brunch.
The Dallas location will feature 6,400 feet of indoor and outdoor space, including a large patio, and will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
