BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

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Bocce, the restaurant not the ball

A new restaurant, Bocce, was expected to open in Bishop Arts last month. Bocce is a family-style Italian restaurant, in the former Inforzato’s space, from former Whitehall Exchange chef David Rice. The menu will include handmade pastas, four or five sauces, New York-style and Chicago-style pizza, salads, meatball sliders and a variety of sandwiches, including porchetta, Italian beef and meatball subs. Bocce will be open for lunch and dinner ,and BYOB. Rice is applying for a liquor license, but the space has only one restroom, and two are required for a liquor license, says Rice’s business partner and dad, Bob Rice. David Rice’s mom, Donna, and brother Doug also are partners and will be working in the restaurant. They named the place Bocce because the younger Rices are fans of the game, active in the Dallas Bocce League. Originally, they thought they could find space for Bocce courts, but that seems unlikely now, Bob Rice says.

Books with buzz

The Wild Detectives opened on Eighth Street about a month ago and began generating buzz in and outside our neighborhood for its curious concept of marrying books, booze and caffeine. The shop threw a grand opening party last month with live music and opened its expansive back patio. Named after the novel “The Savage Detectives,” by Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, The Wild Detec-