CampO Modern Bistro is Closed, the Space Will Undergo a Makeover

Both Escape Hatch and Eater have reported that CampO Modern Bistro, which opened in August 2011, is now boarded up and locked down as of last night. Owners Miguel Vicéns and John Paul Valverde of Coevál say that Dallas didn’t latch onto their farm-to-fork focused restaurant as well as they’d hoped, and now the North Cliff eatery’s space is undergoing a redesign. The owners plan to open the new restaurant in 45 days.

“It’s bittersweet,” says Valverde. “Obviously, we know the amount of work that we’ve put into CampO. We’re not crossing our hands and saying we’re giving up. We’re seeing what a big mass of people loves versus what a small, wonderful crowd loves.”

Matt McCallister, the execuchef of CampO when it first opened, had just gotten off the phone with Valverde when I rang him up. Valverde broke the news to him today, so he hadn’t known that a new concept had been in the works for the last four weeks. “I hope whatever concept they’re working on they get success out of it,” he says. But right now, McCallister is focused solely on his baby, FT33, and he hasn’t been in the CampO loop lately. The owners say they just had lunch with the most current execuchef, Michael Ehlert, today, and the split has been amicable.

As for the new concept, Valverde and Vicéns are still kicking around ideas and finalizing all the details. Valverde says the new restaurant in the North Beckley space will  have “casual, approachable cuisine.” They’re going to “shoot for having grade-A products just like (they) did at CampO.” Local ingredients, quality food, and the rest of the whole nine yards. From the sound of it, the concept is going to be completely different from CampO’s. The Coevál team wants to reach a bigger demographic, so presumably, its going to cater more to what the majority likes. And what the majority likes… well, isn’t CampO.

After 44 Years at Harry Hines Boulevard, The Mecca Restaurant is Moving to Lakewood

The new Mecca location at 5815 Live Oak Street

The Mecca Restaurant is known for its bigger-than-your-face cinnamon rolls and home-cooking style, and now it’s about to take all of that to its new location at 5815 Live Oak Street. After 44 years at its Harry Hines location, owner Michael Sealy says it’s time to move. The lease is up, the building requires a great deal of care, and most importantly, he says, “Since DART bought up Denton Drive behind us, our sales are half of what it used to be. And we can’t increase our sales because there’s no market for dinner.”

After nine months of scouting for a new location, Sealy settled on the Lakewood location that used to be the old space for Molly Maguire’s Irish Pub. Before that, in the 30s, 40s, and 50s (according to Sealy), Volk’s Department Store occupied that space, and people would buy their blue jeans there. Now the space right next to an exercise center called CrossFit White Rock will be used to serve three-egg omelettes and homemade pancakes to keep up Mecca’s 74 years of breakfast tradition.

Sealy plans to add dinner service once Mecca makes its move, starting August 17 at the soft opening. The Harry Hines location will close on August 12.

Screen Door in One Arts Plaza Closes This Saturday

Big Mama’s fried chicken, collard greens, baked mac 'n' cheese, and a side of gravy (photos by Carol Shih)

Four days ago, Nancy announced that The Commissary was closed and speculated yesterday that Screen Door might be next. It turns out that she’s right. The Screen Door in One Arts Plaza is closing doors tomorrow. A few friends and I went there for lunch just to capture some Southern comfort food memories before it completely shutters down, and our waiter told us that he and the other employees found out late last night around 10 p.m. that it was official: Screen Door’s last dinner service will be at 7:50 p.m. this Saturday. They’ll open bottles of wine and say goodbye. According to the waiter, The Commissary will re-open as Ziziki’s in approximately three weeks (rather soon, it seems) and Screen Door will re-open as a French concept as part of the Lombardi family in late September early October.  (Still waiting on a call from a Lombardi spokesperson to confirm this fact.)

Free matches. Now a collector's item.

When I asked Chef David McMillan if he was sad to see Screen Door go, he shook his head no. “That’s the way it is when you have a fun economy,” he said. He’s hoping to open something closer to where he lives, either in Colleyville or Southlake.

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