McKinney | March 2022

DINING FEATURE UrbanGrill &Wine Bar McKinney menu varies fromAsian to Italian influences R ecent California transplants David and Jaylene Hall said from the second they visited McKinney in 2020, they were in love. BY KAREN CHANEY

what their new chef, Anthony Vallejo, will bring to the table. “He’s come into his own,” David said. “He has done such a good job creating weekly specials.” When David put the menu selection together for the McKinney location, he thought about what would be popular in this area. “We use fresh pasta that we make in-house,” David said. “We used to own an Italian restaurant, so that’s where we got a lot of our Italian stuff like the meatballs. We carry some Italian wine, which pairs well with the Italian cuisine.” The Halls said they are in Napa Valley all the time and describe themselves as “hugely into wine.” They carry 120 different wine labels, most of which are boutique style productions. “Thirty percent of our list are imports, a lot

“It’s so cute and quaint, and it had everything we wanted,” Jaylene said. “It’s a 100% change fromCalifornia, and that’s what we were looking for.” The couple bought a house in McKinney, and in December 2020, they signed a lease to open Urban Grill & Wine Bar on East Louisiana Street. After overhauling the 100-year-old building, the couple opened their doors for business March 9, 2021. “It was run down and dirty. We painted and polished the floors, tiled and repainted the entire place,” David said. “We put in the beautiful

3 THINGS TO TRY

Roasted beet salad ($13) has arugula, fennel, cherry tomatoes, fried goat cheese and champagne vinaigrette. (Photos by Karen Chaney/Community Impact Newspaper)

bar with purple heart wood. …We wanted quality throughout the restaurant.” This is their second Urban Grill &Wine Bar. They opened the first one in California 10 years ago. The restau- rant and bar is still

“WEDON’TWANT PEOPLE TO FEEL IT’S SOUPSCALE THAT IT’S JUST FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.” DAVID HALL, CO-OWNER

Pork chop ($28) includes apple sauce, cipollini onions, fingerling potatoes and arugula.

fromFrance, Italy [and] Argentina,” David said. They describe the ambiance as fun and lively. “We don’t want people

AND CHEF, URBAN GRILL &WINE BAR

open today and run by longtime staffmembers. With decades of restaurant experi- ence, the couple said they find balance by dividing and sharing business responsibilities. Jaylene is in the front of the house, and David is the chef. David created the menu, which Jaylene describes as, “everything fromAsian to Italian to American influence. It runs the gamut of all sorts of profiles.” The Halls are eagerly anticipating

to feel it’s so upscale that it’s just for special occasions,” David said. “We want it to be a place where they have a great burger, seafood, steak, whatever they want.” The Halls said they are happy with their new digs. “Texans are such amazing people,” David said. “They are more friendly and welcoming than you can imagine. We love it here.”

Urban Grill &Wine Bar carries boutique wines that represent 50 grape varietals ($44-$275 per bottle).

Owners David and Jaylene Hall said they have enjoyed meeting many locals.

UrbanGrill &Wine Bar 218 E. Louisiana St., St. 300, McKinney

LOUISIANA ST.

214-548-4075 | www.urbangrillmckinney.com Hours: Mon. 4-9 p.m., Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

CLOYD ST.

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MCKINNEY EDITION • MARCH 2022