A Dallas restaurant specializing in classic Italian comfort food is relocating to a new spot just a short distance away from its current location. Anthony’s Eatalian plans to make the move in late 2023 from 3751 Forest Lane to 3797 Forest Lane, the former home of Boston Market, which closed last fall.
Over the years, even during the Pandemic, Anthony’s grew its customer base, so the restaurant has simply outgrown its space. Anthony’s owner and Executive Chef Robert Olson told What Now Dallas the new location is a larger space at 3,400-square-feet, which is 2,000-square-feet more than the current location. The size of the seating space will nearly double, and the new location will include a patio with a half-wall. “It will be a more cozy, intimate feeling on the patio,” he said.
Olson already has contractors and an architect, and he hopes to begin the remodel in early September. The move could interrupt service for a couple of weeks in late 2023, but Olson hopes to reopen at the new location in January 2024.
Olson purchased the restaurant six years ago. “We were actively looking for restaurants that were for sale. This one struck us as having a lot of potential,” he said. “I completely changed and introduced my own menu items and recipes when I purchased my restaurant from the former owners.”
Some popular dishes on the current menu include the Veal Piccata, which is a tender veal cutlet in a lemon butter sauce with capers over angel hair pasta. “My pride and joy — it’s a family recipe — is the Bolognese sauce,” he said. “That’s a labor of love of eight hours of reducing and simmering. It’s a red wine-based tomato sauce.”
Olson plans to expand the menu after the move. “The new location will include additional seafood offerings of Red Snapper and Cod al Forno, as well as several elevated dishes of my family recipes such as Osso Buco and Braciole.”
The new space includes two large kitchens, each of which is larger than the current location’s kitchen. Olson plans to construct a pizza area in the back and have an exposed kitchen to create pastas and bread. The new space will include a full bar, and although Olson did not want to divulge too much information, a slight name change is planned.
Olson is from New England, but he and his family live in the neighborhood where Anthony’s is located. He wants to bring authentic Italian flavors to his neighbors. “It’s all about the community here.”
