For Giuseppe “JP” Piccinini, the story behind his restaurant, La Stella, is rooted in family, honoring heritage, and a desire to share the flavors of his home country with Texas diners. The Italian eatery brings together generations of recipes and traditional hospitality at its two current locations, in the Dallas Arts District and in the northern edge of the city near Addison.
The flagship, La Stella Cucina Verace, opened in 2022 in the Arts District at 2330 Flora St., Suite 150. Building on that success, the team expanded north to open La Stella Italian Steakhouse and Music Lounge last year, at 14655 Dallas Pkwy. And now, there are plans to expand to Fort Worth.
“Our growth is guided by the same principles that brought La Stella to life: family, authenticity, and hospitality. As we expand, every guest who walks through our doors will continue to be welcomed as family,” Piccinini told What Now.
Born in Italy, Piccinini immigrated with his family from Naples to Texas. Before entering the restaurant industry, he pursued an engineering career, and then got into real estate, founding JP and Associates REALTORS in 2011. He went on to build the real estate brokerage into one of the nation’s fastest-growing companies before turning his attention to hospitality. Today, he serves as CEO of Vesuvius Holdings and leads the La Stella brand.
The name La Stella, which translates to ‘the star’, reflects his family’s immigration journey. Recipes are influenced by Piccinini’s mother — affectionately known as Chef Nonna — and by Culinary Directory and acclaimed Dallas chef, Avner Samuel. Dishes at La Stella are all authentic Italian cooking, with house-made pasta and carefully selected ingredients.
While the philosophy remains the same across locations, the experience at each La Stella offers something different for diners.
Spanning roughly 5,000 square feet, the Arts District eatery is across from the Winspear Opera House and Meyerson Symphony Center, and acts as an intimate, dinner-only concept, with a main dining room, private dining space, and outdoor patio. Its menu showcases classic, refined, regional Italian fare.
Its northern location, occupying the former Lawry’s The Prime Rib building, features weekday lunch, a full steakhouse program, and an extensive wine selection. The 11,000-square-foot space accommodates up to 400 guests across its 150-seat main dining room, the 200-capacity Art Deco Sophia Lounge, and two private dining rooms. The menu features all of the signature pastas, alongside tableside specialties, caviar service, and high-end meat cuts.
Both concepts have also earned notable industry recognition. Tasting Table named La Stella Cucina Verace one of the 16 best family-owned Italian restaurants in America, along with praise from The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Observer, and OpenTable Diners’ Choice. Meanwhile, the Addison steakhouse’s wine program earned Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence this year.
Beyond the dining room, La Stella has participated in community initiatives, including DFW Restaurant Week 2026, which supports Lena Pope and the North Texas Food Bank. The eatery was also the host venue for What Now’s Dallas Accelerate networking event on September 9, where 42 attendees gathered to exchange ideas, build relationships, and have conversations about the F&B industry.
Looking ahead, Piccinini sees additional opportunities to grow the brand.
“In the short term, we want to expand the La Stella brand to Fort Worth, and beyond from there,” he shared.
The company hasn’t shared a timeline for growth, but says it’s important that expansion happens in a way that preserves what made La Stella meaningful in the first place: family traditions and the hospitality that comes with them.
