Table Talk

With the recent opening of Twenty2, you can add bar impresario to the résumé of Mico Rodriguez. The tiny, 800-square-foot boutique lounge (attached to the Shops at Legacy location of Taco Diner) was modeled on the chic bars of the Ginza district in Tokyo. While the restaurant czar behind the M Crowd Restaurant Group and its flagship Mi Cocina chain is better-known for his Tex-Mex combo plates than his premium martinis, he notes that he's no neophyte when it comes to peddling booze. "Every six seconds, we sell a margarita at a Mi Cocina," he says with a laugh, "but yeah, the bar business is a completely different animal." After spending "way too much money" on Twenty2, and following his summer off to travel with his family, Mr. Rodriguez's next venture will be a little more back-to-basics. He'll return in August to concentrate on Taco Sanatico, which he describes as "a neo-industrial taqueria complete with drive-through service. The location has not yet been chosen, he says.

Puppy love

Got a canine companion? Want a free pizza? Head to the Uptown branch of I Fratelli Pizza on Wednesday beginning at 11 a.m. for the takeout and delivery spot's "Smooch Your Pooch" promotion. The first 100 dog-loving customers willing to lay a wet one on their four-legged friends will get a free medium cheese pizza. In other I Fratelli news, the Cole brothers' popular Italian chain has opened a ninth location. Like all branches except the Irving original, the newest one offers pickup and delivery service only. A 10th location is planned soon for the Park Cities.

Corked and forked

Cork, the retail wine shop and tasting room in West Village, now offers an array of cheeses, charcuterie and desserts to accompany its inventory of more than 700 wines. The new menu includes handmade artisan cheeses from Deep Ellum's Mozzarella Company, Lucky Layla Farms in Garland, Veldhuizen Family Farm (in Dublin, Texas) and Flower Mound's Latte Da Dairy, along with cured meats, hummus and a handful of desserts ranging from Italian panna cotta to house-made frozen custard. The shop, which specializes in hard-to-find and rare quaffs, offers a "try it before you buy it" system featuring 1-ounce wine samples and extensive tasting notes and pairing suggestions.

Bits and bites

• Tom Fleming has resigned his post as executive chef at Central 214. The restaurant, attached to the hip Hotel Palomar, has launched a nationwide search for a replacement.

• After barely six months in business, BLT Steak has closed. The upscale steakhouse, part of famed chef Laurent Tourondel 's culinary empire, abruptly shut down two weeks ago due to a "lack of reception in the Dallas market." Managing partner Jimmy Haber said in a press release that he was perplexed by the area's less-than-enthusiastic reaction.

•  The Second Floor celebrated its grand opening last week. The upscale hotel restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is under the direction of husband- and-wife team Scott and Gina Gottlich , the duo behind Inwood Village's celebrated Bijoux.

•  Asian Mint owner Nikky Phinyawatana plans to open a spinoff of her popular Forest Lane restaurant this summer in the Highland Park space that previously housed Green Pepper Noodle House and Grill. The new place, simply dubbed the Mint, will feature a similar Asian fusion menu, with a few additional offerings.

• Chef Anthony Bombaci is now serving prized paleta iberico de bellota at Nana in the Hilton Anatole. The cured pork shoulder comes from Spanish black pigs that spend their last six months of life feasting exclusively on acorns. The expensive delicacy has only recently become available for import into the United States.

•  Dali Wine Bar and Cellar, the new One Arts Plaza venture helmed by noted wine guru Paul Pinnell, is now open for brunch on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The a la carte menu by executive chef Joel Harloff includes a berry-basil fruit cocktail with orange cream, vanilla bean French toast with Texas pecans and hibiscus maple syrup, and a mushroom and manchego cheese omelet with roast fingerling potatoes.

• Two local dining institutions are celebrating important anniversaries this month. Chef Richard Chamberlain's award-winning Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House turned 15 last week, while Newport's Seafood and Steaks is marking 25 years in its quirky West End digs (which formerly housed the Dallas Brewery and Bottling Works). Even more impressive: Newport's executive chef Salvador Soto has been cooking at the restaurant since it opened in 1983.

• Apparently Dallas is the place to be for Sunday brunch. Two local restaurants were honored this month by the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards. Fearing's in the Ritz-Carlton took second place in the brunch category for luxury restaurants, while Blue Mesa Grill landed third-place brunch accolades in the value restaurants category.

Kim Harwell is a Dallas food writer.