Pizza News

New pizzeria in Arlington lobs Chicago-style pizza and Italian roast beef

Mushroom pie from Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

A new take-out pizzeria is bringing deep dish pizza to a neighborhood in need: Called Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, it's opening at the Green Oaks Plaza in Arlington, at 4407 Little Rd. #610, where it will serve Chicago's favorite style pie as well as a few other Windy City classics.

Chicago Deep Dish is from Ashraf Ghousheh, a veteran on the Chicago-style pizza front who previously opened Chicago Pizza Las Colinas back in 2009 (which he sold last year).

"I was taking a break from the pizza business, but there's no Chicago-style pizza in this part of Dallas-Fort Worth, and I found this spot in Arlington that's close to where I live," Ghousheh says. "Pizza is what I know."

If all goes well with construction and permitting, he anticipates that this new spot will open in March or April.

His menu includes 15 specialty pies, each named for an element of Chicago culture. There's one called the Chicago Bulls with pepperoni, salami, sausage, and bacon; and another called the Great Chicago Fire with sausage, sport peppers, garlic, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese.

His pizza with Alfredo sauce, fajita chicken, red onion, bacon, and jalapeno is called the White Sox, while the John Dillinger has BBQ chicken, red onion, and smoked Gouda cheese.

He offers five vegetarian options including one with spinach and olives, and the "Sears Tower," with "veggies stacked high as the sky."

While deep dish is the trademark, he'll do a thin-crust option as well. He makes his own tomato sauce using Bonta Brand tomatoes and Grande brand mozzarella. There's also pesto sauce, alfredo, barbecue, and olive oil.

Sizes begin at 6-inch for an individual, starting at $7.99, and top out at 16-inch, with a basic cheese pizza going for $19.99.

Other Chicago specialties include an Original Chicago hot dog topped with pickle, celery salt, red onion, mustard, sport peppers, tomato, and green relish; and an Italian roast beef sandwich, sliced wafer thin.

There's also a meatball sub, Greek salad, antipasto salad, wings, garlic bread, cheese bread, and pesto garlic cheese bread, a sourdough baguette topped with basil pesto and mozzarella, with a side of marinara.

One thing that drew him back into the restaurant world was the post-pandemic trend of being a place that does delivery and takeout only. His location does not have a dining room or dine-in option.

"Staffing is still an issue these days, and this means that I can put my focus on the kitchen," he says.

pizza openings

Restaurant News Roundup

Buzzy bakery leads this latest roundup of Fort Worth restaurant news

Paris Baguette/ Facebook

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For this mid-May roundup of dining news around Fort Worth, there are exciting openings and sad closings, along with new menus, new beers, and pretty new cocktails.

Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:

Sammy's On The Lake At Lakeview Marina is closing, after six years on Eagle Mountain Lake. Their last day as Sammy’s on the Lake will be Father’s Day, June 15. They were a hub during the summer and beloved as a place for to grab a burger, taco, and $2 beer, and catch some live music on Friday-Saturday nights, after a day on the lake. The owners only recently did a big renovation and there's another restaurant, identity still to be revealed, taking over the space.

Banh Shop, the small Asian restaurant chain dedicated to the banh mi sandwich, has closed its "streetside" locations which include a location in Fort Worth at 3051 S. University Dr., and a location in Irving at 7601 N. MacArthur Blvd. #105. According to a spokesperson, there are five locations open, all in airports, with more airports to come.

Paris Baguette is opening a location in north Fort Worth at 2700 N. Tarrant Pkwy. #100, in a new strip center on the southwest corner of I-35, with pastries, bread, cakes, and expertly brewed drinks. According to a Facebook post, they'll be opening on May 19. This will be the 7th location in DFW, joining Allen, Carrollton, Coppell, Frisco, Grand Prairie, and Lewisville.

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken has closed its location at 7064 Blue Mound Rd. in Victory Shops in Basswood. The restaurant was opened in November 2024 by husband-and-wife Ashwin Reddy and Isha Vedire — their second location, following the first they opened in Victory Park Dallas. That location is still open, according to an employee of the Victory Park Jimmy John's which is next-door to Rise and which, unlike Rise, answers its phone. Rise is a chain from North Carolina that serves exactly what's advertised: Southern food, biscuits, and chicken sandwiches.

Beren Mediterranean, the Near Southside restaurant at 1229 8th Ave. featuring Turkish food, has a new spring-summer menu. For breakfast, there is a croissant with hazelnut, a croissant with egg & cheese, a watermelon salad with feta & beets, and the borek plate with two pieces of Turkish pie — one beef, one spinach-feta — served with a salad. That is quite a breakfast. There are also lamb chops with rice for $28.50 and salmon with shrimp over green beans for $21.50. The restaurant also has shish kebabs, falafel plate, a gyro platter, and hunkar begendi, a Turkish dish with lamb in tomato sauce over eggplant puree.

Panda Express, the quick-serve Asian chain, has brought back eggplant tofu at some DFW locations. The dish — featuring eggplant, tofu, and red bell peppers in a sweet and tangy brown sauce — has developed a cult following over the years, inspiring lots of copycat recipes as well as websites dedicated to finding every Panda Express location that offers it. It used to be a regular item, and was recently revived. There are 18 Panda Express locations in DFW, not all have it. Panda Express has dabbled previously in plant-based offerings, including its revered Orange Chicken, which it has more than once offered, with Beyond plant-based chicken

White Rhino has a new menu for summer with strawberry pistachio matcha, the Strawberry Pistachio Latte, and the Pineapple Yuzu Matcha. They've also added a new line of energy drinks including The Avalanche, with almond, white chocolate, and vanilla; Matcha My Energy, with starfruit yellow flavor and a matcha float; and The O.J., a mix of orange juice, strawberry, and passionfruit. Summer drinks start at $5.50.

Lazy Dog has a new frozen cocktail: the prickly pear sloshie. It's inspired by founder Chris Simms’ adventures in Wyoming, and blends Pantalones Organic Reposado Tequila, prickly pear purée, agave nectar sweet and sour, triple sec, and a salt rim. It's $15. Available for a limited time.

Original Chop Shop is launching a new tikka masala chicken bowl with jasmine rice, grilled chicken, roasted veggies, tikka masala sauce, green chutney, smoked almonds, and black currants. Available starting May 20.

Wingstop has a new flavor on the menu: Mexican street spice. The Mexican street corn-inspired flavor is a dry rub featuring chili, paprika, chipotle, roasted garlic, lime, and parmesan cheese. The flavor can also be added to fried corn and fries.

Golden Corral has three new sauces for chicken tenders during dinner including garlic buffalo, mango habanero, and honey mustard. Available at all Dallas locations through June 29.

Golden Chick has a new sandwich on the menu: Pimento Crunchwich. The sandwich has fried chicken with pimento cheese spread, jalapeño crisps, and extra-thick pickles. A sandwich is $6, a combo with a side and drink is $9. Available through August 3.

Eight Elite Light Beer, the beer brand from ex-Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman, is launching a new slim can. It's still a 12-ounce can but it's taller and slimmer than a regular beer can. Eight is brewed with three ingredients — water, malt, hops — for a crisp, full-flavored beer with 90 calories and 2.6g of carbs, without the additives many mass market light beers contain.

Shiner Bock has new summer releases: the Shiner Shandy Lemonade variety pack and Ruby Sunburst. The variety pack flavors include raspberry lemonade, mango lemonade, and lemonade, with 24 cans for $18. Ruby Sunburst is tangerine flavored and comes in a six-pack for $11.

Texas Barbecue is a Facebook group founded by Desert Storm veteran and Rockdale native Derik Strelsky. He channeled his PTSD into a positive force to connect with others on BBQ trips and share reviews. The group spotlights barbecue joints, family recipes, and the talents of pitmasters across the state.

Raven Jordan contributed to this story.

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