We devote a lot of time and pages to dishing out our opinions on the
Dallas restaurant scene. But once a year we like to give local chefs
and restaurateurs a chance to tell us what they think. We mail hundreds
of ballots to the top restaurants in town, requesting their picks in 13
categories, from best chef to signature dish and everything in between.
Only one ballot per restaurant was accepted; duplicates and
self-nominations were tossed aside. And, as we soon discovered, the
more things change, the more things stay the same. You’ll see a lot of
familiar names on this list. Herewith, the winners of the fourth annual
Chefs’ Choice Awards. Drumroll, please.
BEST CHEF
BEST RESTAURANT (TIE)
Sharon Hage, York Street >>
In a realm dominated by men, chef Sharon Hage has quietly built a
reputation as one of the finest chefs in Dallas, if not the country.
And those men know talent when they see it: they are the very ones who
named her Best Chef, and her restaurant, York Street, shares Best
Restaurant honors with Lola. Hage honed her skills in some of the
city’s top kitchens—Zodiac Room, Salve, Hôtel St. Germain—but she has
no interest in basking in the limelight. Her heart lies in York Street,
where every night she prepares innovative yet simple dishes using
fresh, local ingredients, to the delight of the 40 patrons who are
lucky enough to get a seat. York Street is not about flash or sass; the
focus here is unabashedly on the plate. From the complimentary sherry,
almonds, and herb-bathed olives, to the poached duck egg with truffles
or pepper filet with Vidalia onions, to the pure-comfort blueberry
buckle, Hage concentrates on your taste buds. 6047 Lewis St.
214-826-0968.
BEST RESTAURANT (TIE)
<< Lola the Restaurant
In 2000, Point West Volvo owner Van Roberts followed a dream
and took on the seemingly nightmarish role of restaurateur. And this
was not just any restaurant. He was reopening the Victorian
house-turned-restaurant that was formerly Barclays, the critically
acclaimed spot run by beloved Englishman Nick Barclay. Roberts has not
only done justice to his predecessor, but he’s exceeded all
expectations—with the fixed-price two-, three-, and four-course menu
designed by chef Scott Gottlich (pictured); the award-winning wine
program that Roberts himself oversees; and, now, the Tasting Room,
where chef David Uygur prepares 10 or 15 small tasting-size portions of
rotating epicurean delights. Roberts has taken a hobby and turned it into a masterpiece. Dreams do come true. 2917 Fairmount St. 214-
855-0700. www.lola4dinner.com.
BEST PASTRY CHEF
Rick Griggs, Abacus >>
Abacus has never underestimated the power of the pastry. The
breadbasket is often a diner’s first taste impression; the dessert
frequently the last. Pastry chef Rick Griggs upholds tradition. The El
Centro culinary school grad landed a gig as pastry cook, then pastry
chef, at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, followed by a spell at Susan
Spicer’s Uptown Bakery in New Orleans. Griggs found his way back to
Dallas and into the kitchen at Abacus, where he turns out pastries
designed to please your eyes as well as your palate. Fabulous focaccia
(think caramelized shallot with goat, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses)
and blue cheese biscuits are just two varieties in the breadbasket.
Devil’s food cake with caramel dulce de leche sauce (pictured) and
gooey apple almond cake with toffee sauce and vanilla sabayon are sweet
endings. 4511 McKinney Ave. 214-559-3111. www.abacus-restaurant.com.
BEST RESTAURATEUR
Teiichi Sakurai, Teppo and Tei Tei Robata Bar >>
Teiichi
Sakurai was slicing sushi before sushi was chic—in Dallas, at least.
There were a few other Japanese joints in town when Sakurai opened
Teppo in 1995, but they were missing that intangible ingredient: cool.
As evidenced three years later by sibling Tei Tei Robata Bar, Sakurai’s
restaurants are just as much about style and substance as sushi and
sake—though he never sacrificed quality for design. Dallas palates were
ready for exotic tastes (quail eggs, anyone?) and weren’t afraid to pay
for it. Even now, his still-hot establishments are packed with
discriminating diners eager to dish out big bucks for fresh fish and
Kobe beef. No one ever said the best things in life come cheap. Teppo,
2014 Greenville Ave. 214-826-8989; Tei Tei Robata Bar, 2906 N.
Henderson Ave. 214-828-2400.
BEST COCKTAIL
<< Redheaded Slut, The Slip Inn
We appreciate—and listen—when chefs spot culinary talent. But we
have more respect for a chef who knows a good dive when he sees one.
The Slip Inn, next to a seedy Save-way convenience store on McMillan,
is a deliciously dark and dank place, complete with u-shape booths, a
jukebox that takes credit cards, and tacky Coors beer posters behind
the bar. But what keeps the chefs coming back is the Redheaded Slut, a
fruity concoction of—don’t wrinkle your nose—Jagermeister, peach
schnapps, and a splash of cranberry, served by the requisite tattooed
bartender. The Slut’s available in shots for the hard-core drinkers or
on the rocks with more juice for us lightweights. Either way, she’s a
winner. 1806 McMillan Ave. 214-370-5988.
BEST RESTAURANT BAR
Dragonfly, Hotel ZaZa
Hotel ZaZa’s flame is still burning bright, especially in the bar at
Dragonfly. And who can blame the throngs of pretty patrons who come
here to see and be seen? Everything about the place is sexy and exotic,
from rich gold and red jewel tones to sumptuous textures such as velvet
and silk to high-backed booths perfect for sipping and snuggling. Of
course, we wouldn’t expect anything less from this Mediterranean and
Asian-inspired Uptown fantasyland, where locals and travelers mix and
mingle the night away. A word of caution: watch your Manolo Blahnik
step in the Urban Oasis. Better to gaze at the moonlit pool than to
swim in it. 2332 Leonard St. 214-550-9500. www.hotelzazadallas.com.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Fireside Pies
Dynamic
duo Tristan Simon and chef Nick Badovinus have done it again. But this
time they’ve redefined the neighborhood pizza joint. With pizza crust
made by pastry chef David Brawley as a base, Badovinus creates chic
pies made with top-notch and often locally made ingredients, such as
Paula Lambert’s mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, and pepperoni paired
with hand-torn basil retrieved from the herb garden on the roof. Add to
that a list of smashing salads (Caesar, heavy on the anchovies),
sangria (refreshing white wine peach), and sandwiches (gut-busting
meatball grinder), and it’s a can’t-miss combination of casual and
cool. 2820 N. Henderson Ave. 214-370-3916.
BEST SIGNATURE DISH
Brisket Tacos, Mia’s Tex-Mex Restaurant >>
For 23 years, Mia’s has been filling our bellies with chiles
rellenos, chile-con-carne-bathed cheese enchiladas, and comforting
tortilla soup, amassing a quasi-celebrity following—including many a
Dallas Cowboy—along the way. Tex meets Mex on a plate of brisket tacos:
melt-in-your-mouth tender brisket, sautéed onions and peppers, and
cheese folded snugly in a grilled flour tortilla (or corn, if you
prefer). We like it dressed with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes,
and a big wedge of avocado, but sans accoutrements is just fine, too.
We’re glad some things never change.
4322 Lemmon Ave. 214-526-1020.
BEST BARTENDER
<< Sonja “Cupcake” McElroy, Double Wide
This nine-year veteran has poured cocktails all over town: McKinney,
Greenville, Deep Ellum. But Cupcake (though we suggest you call her
Sonja) is currently mixing drinks for folks at the Xpo haunt that gives
white trash a good name. Amid velvet paintings, stuffed boars, and a
poor little rooster hanging upside-down above the bar, the petite,
short-haired, tattooed sweetie with the husky voice swaps stories about
dogs, neighbors, and the local bar scene—something she knows a bit
about. You can also find her at the new State & Allen Lounge, where
she’s been reunited with owner Joe Hickey, an old friend of hers from
the Cavern. Ask her to make a bloody Mary. You won’t be disappointed.
3510 Commerce St. 214-887-6510.
BEST SERVICE
Nana
We
think of three things when we think of Nana: fine food, fine art, and
fine service. (Well, maybe four, because the view isn’t too shabby,
either.) Local chefs concur, as Nana won this category—along with Best
Ambience—in 2002 and last year was the Best Service runner-up. Credit
10-year general manager Paul Pinnell, who leads a team (many behind the
scenes) of personnel who provide the type of personal attention that
turns customers into regulars. Sure, the food and view are phenomenal,
but, as Pinnell points out, a restaurant is only as good as the quality
of service it provides. Nana has the power to make any occasion
special. Wyndham Anatole, 2201 Stemmons Fwy. 214-761-7470. www.wyndham.com.
BEST VALUE RESTAURANT
The Grape
For
30 years, this wine bistro has been the go-to destination for a
romantic yet affordable night on the town. Thankfully, in all that
time, not much has changed. Tiny tables are still covered with
red-and-white-checked tablecloths; the changing handwritten menu is
still a short but solid list of simple soups, salads, mains, and
desserts; the international wine selection is still top-notch. Despite
the frenzy of flashier, higher-priced establishments, the Grape hasn’t
bent to the trends, offering a lovely, intimate meal that won’t set you
back a car payment. Dine on a weeknight before 7 or on a weekend after
9:30 and enjoy a salad or a cup of divine mushroom soup, a selected
entrée (such as whole-grain mustard-rubbed salmon), and house-made
sorbet or crème brûlée for just $18.95. Enjoy some wine with your meal
for as little as $18 a bottle. Your wallet never had it so good. 2808
Greenville Ave. 214-828-1981.
BREAKOUT TALENT OF THE YEAR
<< Aaron Staudenmaier, Jasper’s
His peers may have named him Breakout Talent, but Aaron Staudenmaier
is no stranger to the Dallas culinary scene. He spent three and half
years in the high-profile kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek before
landing the lead cook position at the Inn at Little Washington in
Virginia. Staudenmaier returned to Dallas in 1999 to be the executive
sous chef at Kent Rathbun’s award-winning Abacus, then took the reins
at Jasper’s, where he creates dishes that use the “standards of
American Cuisine”: almond-crusted rainbow trout, Texas peach barbecued
pork tenderloin, ancho barbecued baby back ribs (a favorite of
Staudenmaier), hickory-grilled Black Angus filet. It’s billed as
“gourmet backyard cuisine”—a concept literally born in Rathbun’s
backyard—but our grills never turned out anything so good. 7161 Bishop
Rd., Plano.
469-229-9111. www.jaspers-restaurant.com.
BEST AMBIENCE
French Room >>
Whatever
the question, a “yes” is practically assured in the romantic rococo
dining room of the Adolphus’ crown jewel. Picture this: arched 18-foot
ceilings painted with murals of the heavens, cherubs smiling down upon
you; enormous Murano chandeliers with hand-blown Venetian glass bathing
you with light; marble floors gleaming under your feet; impeccably
dressed, formally attired service staff catering—unobtrusively, of
course—to your every whim. Bien sûr, all this provides the perfect
backdrop to award-winning chef William Koval’s French cuisine. We can’t
help but say, “I do.” The Adolphus, 1321 Commerce St. 214-742-8200. www.hoteladolphus.com.
Photos: Hage: Dan Sellers; Lola: Doug Davis; Abacus:
Kevin Hunter Marple; Sakurai: Dan Sellers; Slut: Doug Davis; Tacos:
Kevin Hunter Marple; Cupcake: Doug Davis; Jasper’s: Dan Sellers; French
Room: Courtesy of the Adolphus
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