Last week, dining critic Brian Reinhart reported that Homewood, one of Dallas’ finest restaurants, will close on February 19. Owner Michael Barnett said finances forced the restaurant’s closure while sources told D that chef Matt McCallister and Barnett had differing opinions on the Oak Lawn restaurant’s culinary direction.
No matter how big or small (or the reason why), closures are heartbreaking. They are unfortunately common in this industry because restaurants are difficult businesses that come with big risks and mostly low financial rewards. This closure in particular was tough for me to swallow.
In July 2019, I read a glowing review in the Dallas Morning News in which restaurant critic Michalene Busico said it would be an absolute luxury to dine at Homewood every week. She gave it four stars, the highest accolade a restaurant could receive from the News. The review convinced me to book a reservation for me and my now-husband that August.
Our visit to Homewood blew us away with every dish. We licked clean (yeah, really) the bowl of beet salad with tahini dressing and serrano vinaigrette. The ricotta gnocchi that night had crispy pieces of thinly sliced cured coppa and was drenched in a perfectly balanced creamy and tart sauce that I still reminisce about. The waitress caught us scraping the plate of the steelhead trout, which had been cooked over blazing hot embers and plated on top of a rich sauce with potatoes and okra. We cut the savory parts of the meal with a delectable almond caramel bar topped with coffee toffee ice cream.
Since that night, my husband and I have celebrated one Valentine’s Day, two birthdays, two anniversaries, and four “just because” meals at Homewood. I remember where we sat each time we dined there, and I remember the personal touches around the restaurant that made it feel like a tiny home.
When we were in view of the kitchen, I marveled at the tiny piñatas dangling from the ceiling while slurping an oyster. The wine fridge was labeled with quirky things like, “It’s Burgundy, Bitch.” This past fall, we sat at a table where I could admire the hanging persimmons bordering the dining room between spoonfuls of peanut milk-drenched tuna crudo.
To us, Homewood became a place to let your guard down. Servers were always open to questions, and the rest of the staff made you feel like you belonged. No frills, just comforting, delicious food and fantastic company at every turn.
At the end of our meals, my husband made it a habit to order a pot of sticky rice pu’er tea, a Chinese tea blend made with a fermented Yunnan herb that resembles the smell and taste of sticky rice (smooth, earthy, and slightly nutty). The tea is presented on a wooden plank with ring marks burned into it from past teapots. After a meal of delightfully unexpected and rich flavors, one sip of the sticky rice tea always seemed to ground us. We reflected on the meal, talked about our days, and allowed the tea to send us off back into the world with fuller bellies and giddy for the next visit.
I want to emphasize that Homewood’s closure doesn’t mean the unseemly demise of Dallas dining. As a city, we are lucky to have plenty of excellent restaurants that are just as sublime in taste and service. But its closure does have an impressive impact on diners. One person on Instagram wrote that the closure felt like a punch to the stomach. One said it was their favorite—some said it was the best—restaurant in Dallas. If diners feel that way, I can’t imagine what the staff is feeling.
I didn’t expect Homewood to leave me with as many memories as it did, but I’m glad I took advantage of it as it wraps up its time with us. It opened my eyes to Dallas’ dining potential. It made me realize how much I really love good food. It made me happy. And I’m afraid it’ll always make me yearn for one more cup of tea.
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