A legendary late-bite site, freshly resurrected

Resurrecting a franchise requires preserving the original's essence while allowing for current tastes -- for proof, look no further than Jar Jar Binks, who continued Star Wars' proud tradition of cloying tertiary characters, and satisfied the fashionable 1990s trend of hating Jamaicans. Meesa-updating a departed classic, Sfuzzi Uptown, now open.

In the former Split Peas/Urbano space, this gourmet Italian resto was once Dallas' happeningest eatery, and had locations in 5 states, all disappeared by 1998; now an original co-founder (who also runs Villa-O & Trece) is bringing it back, taking cues from slick out-of-staters like L.A.'s Chateau Marmont to create a red-hued haunt retrofitted with a velvety Victorian sitting room and an expansive patio with weatherproof TVs and tables & benches made from wine boxes, plus a comfy lounge sentried by a spot-lit grove of green apples and a portrait of Barbra Streisand (you know, Josh Brolin's stepmom?). While reflective of the old menu, the new one incorporates local organic ingredients when possible, kicking off with tomato-basil aioli portobello fries, five-cheese mac, and salami-prosciutto bruschetta topped with gorg & mozz, then moving on to pizzas, from traditionals like the margherita, quattro formaggi, and Pops' Pepperoni, to numbers with braised short rib & caramelized onion or Texas farm-raised eggs-&-bacon -- finally, pizza for breakfast! Pastas include spaghetti w/ either turkey or Wagyu meatballs and bucatini fra diavolo (lobster, shrimp, calamari in spicy tomato sauce); momentous entrees range from parm-crusted veal Milanesa to a 12oz grass-fed NY strip w/ double-cooked fries, because atherosclerosis is not something you leave to chance.

In addition to 45 wines ($26-$99), the bar slings 22 bottled beers (Peroni, Rahr Ugly Pug, Crispen Cider...), plus cocktails like the bloody Canadian Club 12'd "OMG Mary" (w/ jalapeno-stuffed olive), the ABSOLUT/Tuaca "Tuscan Mule", and the prosecco/peach nectar "Frozen Sfuzzi" -- the resto's original signature drink, once again ready to produce cloyingly terrible dialog.