The Spread.

Ships Lounge Possibly Sets Sail, Pints & Quarts Opens and A Piano Bar Keys In On Deep Ellum.

Welcome to The Spread, our weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except, this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.

Leading things off this week is a bit of potentially sad news — emphasis on “potentially.”

Over the past week or so, the news has come to light that the long-revered Greenville Avenue dive Ships Lounge is going on a temporary hiatus that's possibly starting as soon as tonight.

Owner Charlie Hunt has cited recent health complications as the reason behind the break, saying he also needs to take a less active role in the business. To that end, he hopes that a month in the dark should find him someone to take over the reins from him as the spot's new manager. In that best case scenario, the spot will reopen sometime next month, this as-yet-undetermined new person at the helm. Still, everyone's freaking out just that same in the meantime, only worried that this spells the end of things at the City's Favorite Dive.

Us? We're keeping our fingers crossed.

It's too bad that happy thoughts alone aren't enough to float a business, though. To that end, another well-liked Lower Greenville spot will soon be empty, no doubt about it. The good news in this case is that this story has a silver lining: Since losing its Truck Yard lease, Carnival Barkers has already been approved for amobile cart license. Ice cream lovers will be able to find the cart roving throughout Deep Ellum and East Dallas in the coming weeks. Or they can always stop by the Truck Yard exterior before it closes on September 14. Or they can just head out to Oak Cliff and get their fix at Carnival Barkers' new home out that way.

Or, well, they can just stay home and look elsewhere for their frozen treats as Uber Ice Cream returns on Friday, July 24. Trucks delivering Steel City Pops and old fashioned ice cream can be hailed via the Uber app if you set your location and request ICE CREAM. Five treats will go for $25 and are available between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Fuzzy's Taco Shop on the corner of Abrams and Mockingbird is set to close this Sunday, with a third outpost of Dream Cafe slated to take over the space. The area won't be without tacos and cheap margaritas for long, though, as Fuzzy's management says it plans to find another location in the area to peddle its butt-burnin' wares soon enough, says the Lakewood Advocate. In the meantime, the space will undergo remodeling starting next month for Dream Cafe's proposed November opening.

Just across the parking lot from Ships, meanwhile, the latest venture from Brooke Humphries' — the force behind Barcadia, Beauty Bar, Mudsmith and It'll Do — is ready for the public. Pints & Quarts officially opened over the weekend, and the '50s-style burger stand comes complete with a menu of non-modifiable burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches, as well as a selection of beers, cocktails and wines. The restaurant will stay Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Friday and Saturday hours running from 11 a.m. to midnight.

Yet another burger spot is making its way to North Dallas, too. And this time, it's with a Canadian theme. Maple Leaf Diner will feature staples like poutine and Canadian bacon, as well as burgers with 10-inch-tall toppers like fried mushrooms, cheese sticks and more — all with prices under $12. Look for it to open at Preston Valley Shopping Center in mid-September.

Also new to Dallas is a new location of Louie Louie's Piano Bar, which has announced a new location in Deep Ellum that will represent the largest piano bar in Texas. The 6,000-square-foot space will hold two full bars and it will welcome performances from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts students in addition to recreational performances. Pending the approval of its liquor license, the Elm Street space is slated to open in November.

In craft beer news: Craft and Growler owner Kevin Afghani is fighting against the prevention of the sale of “crowlers” (a can-growler hybrid), alongside Austin's Cuvee Coffee Bar. Under current TABC rules, crowlers are viewed as “canning,” and require a manufacturing license to sell. Afghani wants to change that.

Noble Rey Brewing Company, on the other hand, is hosting its Wicked Wednesdays with Cards Against Humanity tonight at 6 p.m., with $1 off select beers. We're guessing a trip to this event could help Afghani come up with some clever ways to make his case down in Austin.

Cover photo of Ships Lounge by Jeremy Hughes. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!