It took Brian Zenner 10 years to achieve his goal of running a kitchen geared to his “soulful global” approach to cooking. His big break came a little more than a year and a half ago, when he was plucked from the kitchen of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek by first-time restaurateurs Tiffanee and Richard Ellman as they gathered talent for Oak, in the Design District. Oak was an instant hit and attracted national attention. The Ellmans got hooked on the restaurant business.
In July 2012, only seven months after Oak debuted, they partnered with John Paul Valverde (CampO, Outpost). The threesome leased the former Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen space on McKinney and opened Bowery Tavern, a gourmet hot dog restaurant. The concept didn’t sell many hot dogs or win any awards. Smartly, they cut their losses and closed the place after only five months. They promoted Zenner, 37, from chef de cuisine at Oak to executive chef at what would become Belly & Trumpet and tasked him with designing a new menu while the three partners redesigned the interior. Belly & Trumpet opened on Valentine’s Day.
Get the SideDish Newsletter
Dallas' hottest dining news, recipes, and reviews served up fresh to your inbox each week.
Related Articles
Hockey
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Stars-Golden Knights, Game 3
A close final score masks a dominant performance.
By Sean Shapiro and David Castillo
Basketball
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Mavs-Clippers Game 3
Little brother no more.
By Iztok Franko and Mike Piellucci
Local News
In a Friday Shakeup, 97.1 The Freak Changes Formats and Fires Radio Legend Mike Rhyner
Two reports indicate the demise of The Freak and its free-flow talk format, and one of its most legendary voices confirmed he had been fired Friday.