While most visit Italy and think, I should move here, Ari and Amy Lowenstein thought to bring Italy's renowned culinary scene to Dallas when he first opened Ari's Pantry in December 2023. The dream was just a seed decades ago. After spending 10 years in Rome, Ari discovered his passion for food among the aisles of his neighborhood market, Mercato Rionale. Every day, he walked there to purchase ingredients for his next meal. While doing so, he became friends with the longtime vendors who also served as his mentors in Italian cooking.

Ari's Pantry in Oak Cliff, a quaint shop on the western edge of the Bishop Arts District along Davis, is modeled after those days in Rome, where every grocery trip was personable and intimate. The vision came to fruition just last year after Ari left his job as executive vice president of a wholesale company.