A few weeks ago, I was digging around the city building permits and pulled up an application for 642 Davis. I contacted some high profile restaurant folks in The OC and they refused to tell me who was behind the venture. Well, I found out anyway.
Veteran restaurant GM Jonn (Salve, Dallas Fish Market, Nicola) Baudoin is the man behind the concept going into the former Confusion space on West Davis. 642, right next door to Bolsa’s new market Mercado to be exact. Driftwood is the name and seafood-centric will be their game. “New American with an East Coast and a West Coast influence,” Baudoin says. The vibe? The Hamptons meet Oak Cliff. The price? Small and large plates from $7 to mid-$20s. Total seating, inside and out, is 90. “I will take a limited number of reservations for tables inside,” Baudoin says. “I want to appeal to people who have to drive to Oak Cliff.”
Baudoin is more concerned about a well-priced and interesting wine list than cocktails. “We will have 6 to 8 specialty cocktails. But for the seafood, I want to have a unique list of wine.” The approachable, refined menu will be cooked by a chef. However, Baudoin, now an official member of the OC Restaurant Owners Secret Keepers, will not tell me HIS name. “He’s currently in Dallas at one of the top 100 restaurants list in the Dallas Morning News,” Baudoin says. “He’s put in his notice and it will be announced within 4 weeks.”
We’ll see about that.
