How’s this for a tasty deal? Beginning this month, chef Tim Byres of Smoke will personally prepare a monthly private-audience dinner on the back patio of the popular Oak Cliff restaurant. Byres will dine with the guests and preside over the five-course meal. The catch? It’s only open to the first 20 guests to RSVP. And at $50 per person/$75 with wine pairings, the seats are sure to go fast. The first “One Riot, One Ranger” dinner will be May 13 and 14. So, what’s with the name? Smoke explains:
In 1896, Texas Ranger Bill McDonald was called to Dallas by then mayor Franklin Holland in the hope of stopping a riot caused by a crowd that had gathered to watch an illegal heavyweight prize fight between Pete Maher and Bob Fitzsimmons. When the mayor met McDonald at the train station and expressed concern that they only sent one Texas Ranger to handle the situation, McDonald responded, “Hell, ain’t it enough? One riot, one ranger.” It is in that spirit that chef Byres and Smoke offer this new dining experience.