Table Talk

Thinking small

Famed chef Stephan Pyles will follow up the success of his namesake Arts District restaurant by opening a casual, moderately priced eatery serving an array of global tapas. His new restaurant, tentatively named Tanta , will focus on small plates inspired by the cuisines of such diverse locales as India, Turkey, Spain and Peru. The acclaimed restaurateur is currently in negotiations to lease a 2,000-square-foot space very near the Ross Avenue location of Stephan Pyles. Though he will develop the menu and overall concept for Tanta, he will select an executive chef, as yet unnamed, to oversee the kitchen on a day-to-day basis.

Northern Italian via NorthPark

Culinary hitmaker Alberto Lombardi is at it again. Hot on the heels of Uptown's popular La Cubanita, the restaurateur with the Midas touch is opening a new Italian eatery in NorthPark Center. Cibus is scheduled to debut in August or September, serving the cuisine of Mr. Lombardi's native Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The new spot will have a split personality of sorts: The contemporary space will be divided into two distinct concepts, a quick-casual cafe serving premade pastas, sandwiches, salads, antipasto and house-made gelato, along with a full-service white-tablecloth dining room offering sophisticated northern Italian fare (handmade pastas, seafood, etc.). The more formal side will include a glass-walled private dining room, a patio with garden views and furnishings imported from Italy. Construction should begin this month.

Hello, Dali

Joel Harloff may have shut the door on his position at the upcoming Screen Door restaurant in One Arts Plaza, but he found a new gig next door – literally. He's taking on the executive chef position at Dali Wine Bar and Cellar, also in One Arts Plaza, which is scheduled to open later this month. The vino-centric spot is headed by Paul Pinnell, best-known for his years as general manager of Nana in the Hilton Anatole hotel. (He's also on the Morning News Taste section's wine panel.)

A movable feast

Look for a new version of the Caribbean Pan to open in Addison in June. The casual restaurant closed its North Dallas location in January after nearly two years in business. "We weren't really satisfied with the location," says owner Walker McDonald, "and let's just say we didn't have a good relationship with the landlord." The new site at the corner of Midway and Beltway (next to Stone Trail) will have a slightly more upscale feel, with an expanded menu and significantly more vegetarian offerings, as well as a new name, not yet announced.

A food network star is born

If one of the up-and-comers on the upcoming season of The Next Food Network Star looks familiar, you probably recognize Lisa Garza from Suze, the Dallas restaurant she owns with her chef-husband, Gilbert . In addition to her duties as co-owner and special-event planner of the critically acclaimed restaurant, the newly minted reality-TV star has her own line of vintage-inspired handmade aprons. For her newest gig, she will be competing against nine other culinary hopefuls for a job hosting a six-episode series on cable TV's Food Network. The fourth season of The Next Food Network Star premieres June 1 at 9 p.m.

Tex-Mex twister

Cyclone Anaya's Mexican Kitchen has blown into town. The first Dallas location of the Houston-based restaurant has opened at the corner of Oak Lawn and Hall, serving upscale renditions of Tex-Mex classics. The restaurant was founded in 1966 by former professional wrestler Jesús Valencia, and there are three locations in Houston, with plans to expand to Addison later this year, followed by branches in Plano and Fort Worth before heading out of state to Florida, Arizona and other destinations.

Coffee klatch

Guests at the Fairmont Dallas won't have far to go for a good cuppa joe when the downtown hotel opens a full-service Starbucks in its lobby level on Monday. The 2,300-square-foot coffee shop will offer inside seating for 54, as well as an outdoor terrace, but what will set it apart from its freestanding corporate brethren is its menu of food and pastry items, all created in-house in the hotel's kitchen, and a regular arts salon held the first Saturday afternoon of each month. All proceeds from the store's first-day sales will be donated to the Dallas Arts District Alliance. 214-720-2020.

Three-martini dinner

Martini Park, the chichi cocktail lounge in the Shops at Legacy, is offering a new full-service dinner menu with entrees that include stuffed chicken Florentine, fried jumbo Gulf shrimp and "Anything for Love" meatloaf. The Plano hot spot is also hosting an income tax party on April 15, with live music and free tax-return courier service to the post office from 6 to 10 p.m.

Kim Harwell is a Dallas freelance food writer.