Annual Restaurant Issue Published

We want to congratulate Morgan Wilson of The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas for his inclusion on our Top Pastry Chefs list published in our 2007 Restaurant Issue.

Openings

Fireside Pies opens its third location with this entry in Southlake. Expect all the usual Fireside amenities like generous cocktail concoctions, hand tossed pies and always a wait for a table during prime times at this popular Dallas pizzeria. Fireside Pies 1285 S Main St., Grapevine, 817-416-1285.

New York’s BLT Steak has opened its first Dallas outpost. No, it doesn’t stand for bacon, lettuce and tomato but shorthand for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, the French trained chef who’s made quite a name for himself with Cello on the Upper East Side of New York and then with his BLT Steak concept. Swanky, urbane and sizzling, BLT looks to be the go-to steakhouse of 2008. BLT Steak, 5301 Alpha Rd, Dallas, 972-726-9200.

Charlie Palmer has landed in Dallas with a decisive bang. His eponymous boite, Charlie Palmer’s at the Joule, opened in downtown Dallas at the Hotel Joule. Palmer’s signature style of American food infused with a classical French background is well suited to this soothing, sophisticated spot. Charlie Palmer’s at the Joule, 1530 Main St., Dallas, 214-261-4600.

The casual Cliff Café is a welcome addition to the burgeoning Oak Cliff dining scene. Perched on a hill in the recently renovated Hotel Belmont, the Cliff serves up great burgers, breakfast fare and the sort of bar food you wish more bars had, like pulled pork quesadillas or pork shank with a mango glaze. Hip and cool, this is fast becoming the breakfast spot to go to after a late night of partying. Cliff Café, 901 Fort Worth Ave
Dallas, 214-393-4141.

Silver Fox Steakhouse spawned a Dallas location in Oak Lawn in the former Star Canyon space. Sleek and modern, it’s a steakhouse for the 21st century featuring an all Prime beef menu. No surprises here, but then you wouldn’t be headed for a steakhouse if you were looking for a far out menu filled with foams and solid liquids. Silver Fox, 3102 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, 214-559-2442.

The beloved Mansion on Turtle Creek has reopened in grand style after a multi-million dollar facelift. Rechristened the rather awkward Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant, chef John Tesar has done the impossible in making the Mansion better than ever.  The new décor is elegant, restrained and chic and the new menu goes hand in hand with the décor. Those of us who grew up considering the Mansion the only possible place to go on a special occasion will be delighted, and newcomers will no longer be puzzled as to why we love the Mansion so much. Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant, 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas, 214-559-2100.

Chef Shuffle

Executive chef Christof Syre has handed over the reins of Café on the Green at the Four Seasons Resort & Club, Dallas at Las Colinas to chef de cuisine Katie Natale. Gone are his signature Asian inspired dishes, replaced with Natale’s fresh take on American cuisine, if you’re lucky you’ll be there on a night when her bacon wrapped pork loin stuffed with local goat cheese is a special. Café on the Green, Four Seasons Resort & Club, Dallas at Las Colinas, 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, 972-717-2420.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON • Top Barbecue Restaurants Near You • Barbecue Products • Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants • Top 10 Barbecue Wines

News Bytes

Fort Worth Loves Its Beef: Part 1
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse opened its first Fort Worth location inside the Hilton Hotel in downtown Fort Worth. As popular as the national chain is, it’s up against stiff competition directly across the street at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse. This hotel, incidentally, bears an important note in history as being the place where John F. Kennedy spent the last night of his life, on Nov. 21, 1963. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 815 Main St., Fort Worth, 817-870-2100.

Fort Worth Loves Its Beef: Part 2
Bob’s Steak and Chop House, with wildly popular locations in Dallas, Grapevine, Plano, Houston and San Francisco, has announced it will open a location in Fort Worth in fall 2008, when the Omni Hotel opens downtown.

Dutch’s Hamburgers on the Hunt
Grady Spears and Louis Lambert, pals and cooking partners since their early days in Reata (circa 1995), are enjoying booming business at Dutch’s Hamburgers in Fort Worth. The two are quietly looking for new Cowtown property for another restaurant, but they’re mum on what, where or when.

Tim Love on the Lookout?
And speaking of quiet, Tim Love of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and Duce is said to be in discussions to open a restaurant Victory Park in Dallas. Nothing is inked yet, so he’s not talking.

A Sequel in Seafood
And Jon Bonnell, whose namesake restaurant Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth keeps turning heads with its creative game dishes, wants to open a seafood restaurant in Fort Worth. He’s looking for just the right property but hasn’t found the right deal as yet.

Redesigned Restaurant Pages Our thousands of restaurant review pages now have a bold new look and interactive features that allow you to search easily for other eateries near you. Click on the rating, price, cuisine and other features to search for more restaurants in that category. To let us know what you think of our new form and function, email us here.

Closings

Escargot, a French restaurant in the Cultural District, says au revoir. There’s a sign on the door that says “closed for renovation,” yet there’s a much larger realtor’s “for lease” sign in the window. Neighboring mainstay, Saint-Emilion, keeps the neighborhood well-fed with good country-French fare and fabulous wines.

CULINARY EVENTS Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.