Kersten Rettig: Restaurant Openings, Closings, and Awardees
It’s been a minute since we’ve had a restaurant scene update. Let’s jump right in.
RESTAURANTS
The Porch – the Knox Henderson mainstay has been closed a few months for a well-deserved refresh. It will reopen on March 6 but, in the meantime, if you’re craving the buttermilk fried chicken salad, you can order it to go from Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grub Hub.
Ramble Room – Jon Alexis’ highly anticipated Snider Plaza eatery has been hosting friends-and-family dining events the past week and reports across the board are that it’s going to be amazing. It’s got a great menu with lots of options and a warmed toilet seat in the ladies’ room. It will open to the public March 6.
Au Troisieme – a quiet little bistro in Preston Center west was recognized by Texas Monthly magazine as being one of the best new restaurants in Texas. That’s quite a compliment!
Evan’s Meat Market – now open in The Shops of Highland Park in SoHip right next to Sachet restaurant. The market sells premium raw proteins and Po’ Boys they make while you wait.
Forget Me Not – is a gift shop, bakery, and café steps away from Evan’s Meat Market. There, you can find Becky Nelson’s gloriously decorated shortbread cookies.
Homewood – the award-winning restaurant is closed, as has been reported. Chef Matt McAllister, pastry chef Maggie Huff, and their culinary team created brilliant dishes using the freshest ingredients and complicated preparation techniques. Every meal I had there was the best one I’d eaten in a month of dinners.
The closure leaves a hole in the Dallas dining scene. The story is tragic on many levels, as its co-founder and general partner, Michael Barnett, passed away unexpectedly on February 13. No news on what will become of the building, located at the corner of Oaklawn and Avondale, which is owned by the restaurant ownership entity.
EVENTS
March 9 – Eataly Dallas is celebrating International Woman’s Day with Festa Della Donna, a food and wine fest featuring some of Dallas’ most talented female chefs and purveyors who are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a non-profit culinary organization that provides scholarships, support, and mentoring for women in the culinary and hospitality world.
Dallas Dames participating include Nikky Phinyawatana, chef/owner of Asian Mint, Francesca Nor, chef/owner of Dive Coastal Cuisine, Andrea Hagar, chef/owner of Bisous Bisous Patisserie, Paula Lambert of Dallas Mozzarella Company, and more. Lidia Bastianich, a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier’s New York Chapter, will also be on hand to cook, visit, and sign a few books. Tickets are available here.
March 18 – Dude, Sweet Chocolate is hosting an Irish Tea Party featuring Irish food and lifestyle expert Rachel Gaffney. Tickets are going fast, buy here.
March 1-31 – The Dallas Galleria and the Dallas Museum of Art are partnering to bring art to the community. Shoppers at Galleria Dallas will have the opportunity to learn more about Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks, an exhibit that recently launched at the museum. Reproductions of select paintings will be displayed on the Gallery Wall, located on Level 1 next to Sephora.
In addition to the Gallery Wall, the DMA’s Community Engagement Team will provide drop-in artmaking activities at Galleria Dallas for kids of all ages during spring break. The programs will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 7, 9, 14, and 16, on Level 3 near the Children’s Play Place. Yes, I know the title of the exhibit doesn’t sound particularly kid friendly but the folks at DMA’s education department are experts, they know how to present art to an audience.
HOTEL NEWS:
The JW Marriott Dallas Arts District is slated to open May-ish and just announced Jonah Friedmann as the new executive chef. Jonah learned his craft at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked as a chef for nearly a decade, most recently at the Virgin Hotel.
The first JW Marriott to open in Dallas will have three food and beverage outlets: Margaret’s, a three-meal farm-to-table restaurant featuring an open kitchen and 30-seat bar; Vincent’s, an outdoor lounge on the hotel’s 11th floor with gorgeous views of the surrounding Dallas Arts District; and 800 North, a coffee-to-cocktails concept located in the lobby on the street level of North Harwood Street.
Emara Estate – break out the purple bikini and Vilebrequin trunks, you can now rent Prince’s massive tropical estate in Turks and Caicos. Have Starfish and Coffee, Girls & Boys, and Let’s Go Crazy, this property is The Most Beautiful Girl in The World. Only The Beautiful Ones will get Delirious in this tropical Paisley Park. If you drive your Little Red Corvette, Take Me With You. AT $14,000 per night, I Feel For You but Money Don’t Matter 2 Night.
That’s all I got. Eat well, be well.
