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The meatballs are coming, the meatballs are coming: The Sicilian ButcherThe modern Italian restaurant from celebrity chef and concept king Joey Maggiore has a date for its grand Texas debut.

The restaurant known for its innovative yet traditional Italian cuisine will open in Fort Worth at Alliance Town Center, 3200 Tracewood Way #110, in the same bustling center as HEB, on July 20.

According to a release, they will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony that day at 3:30 p.m. ahead of the 4 p.m. opening, before getting ready to serve up their artisanal meatballs, five-foot-long charcuterie boards, house-made pastas and Italian desserts.

Like their three other locations, all located in Arizona, The Sicilian Butcher in Fort Worth will also house a sister concept called The Sicilian Baker, which will feature a build-your-own cannoli bar, pastries, gelato, espressos and other Sicilian treats.

“My father, Tomaso, a chef of Sicilian descent, inspired me with the dream of creating a restaurant that embodied his passion for Italian cuisine,” Chef Joey said in a statement. “The Sicilian Butcher is a testament to that dream, delivering delicious experiences and flavors that wow our guests.”

Other tempting menu items include

• Charcoal Grilled Artichokes
• Neapolitan pizza
• piadina — sandwiches, including chicken parmigiana and eggplant parmigiana, served on thin, rustic Italian bread

They offer all sorts of meatballs—Sicilian, sausage, eggplant—that you can order alone or in a variety served on a meatball “wheel.” How cute! Salads include a chopped Caesar and a “Sicilian wedge” with iceberg lettuce, marinated fennel, tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, and a creamy gorgonzola dolce and smoked bacon vinaigrette. Clever!

Pasta includes pappardelle, tagliatelle, spaghetti, rigatoni and gnocchi. And besides gluten-free pasta, what is that?

The bar serves craft cocktails including four versions of the Negroni, the classic Italian drink, as well as sangria, craft beers and AF drinks.

Chef Joey co-founded the brand with his wife, Cristina Maggiore, and their business partner, Flora Tersigni, who is now part of Savory Fund, a private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant concepts, which acquired Hash Kitchen in 2021 and The Sicilian Butcher in 2022, with plans to expand both concepts nationally. _The Savory Fund currently invests in 11 brands: Swig, R&R BBQ, Pincho, Via 313 Pizzeria, Houston TX Hot Chicken, Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food, 86 Repairs, Saigon Hustle, Hash Kitchen, The Sicilian Butcher and South Block.)

Maggiore and his team opened Hash Kitchen next door to the Sicilian Butcher in May, and it’s no exaggeration to say the reception they’ve received has been incredible.

The release also states that they will be opening locations in North Dallas and San Antonio, but no details are available yet on this hot news.

They will be open from Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.