Eater Including a mess at closing of three Design District restaurants who did not pay employees their final checks In a fast-paced city like Dallas, restaurants come and go all the time. This July, we lost a long-standing favorite fine dining spot, a pair of places in Deep Ellum (where dining continues to churn), and we see the closure of a place in the Bishop Arts for renovations. Know of a Dallas restaurant closure that’s not on this list? Drop us a line at [email protected]. El Bolero, Pakpao, and Shodo This trio of Design District restaurants from restaurateur Richard Ellman of the Apheleia Restaurant Group closed their doors. The Dallas Observer has a report on how employees at El Bolero are caught in the legal wrangling following an attempt to sell it to Local Favorite, which owns El Fenix and Meso Maya, among other restaurants in DFW, with both restaurant groups pointing fingers at each other about who owes the employees their final checks. A spokesperson for Local Favorite said that money was paid directly to Ellman to settle overdue rent and prevent a lockout. The Observer reports that neither party intends to pay the servers at the time of publication. Yo! Lobster Pour one out for the departing of this seafood spot in Highland Park — the second closure this year for a chef Nick Badovinus venture that opened during the pandemic. He’s undoubtedly doing fine with all his steakhouses. Urban Vines This flatbread emporium and wine bar that’s been a fixture off White Rock Lake for the last 10 years has closed its doors. A report from CultureMap indicates that the spot struggled during the pandemic and never quite got back on a solid path with expenses mounting. Vinetti’s From the karaoke nights to the 40-foot-long buffet, this Addison combination restaurant/nightlife spot shut down early in the month following 18 years of service. In an Instagram post, the restaurant announced a “new business adventure” will be “coming soon.” With directions to add oneself to the mailing list or VIP list for more info, we’ll let this sleeping dog lie.