Dallas | Bishop Arts District

[C-Man 27197]

Didn't know where to place Paradiso -- newly-opened concept in Bishop Arts -- and thought, hey, why not a "neighborhood" thread since BA is very unique.

At any rate, Paradiso looks awesome. A good friend of ours who lives down there -- realtor now after being our favorite mixologist/bartender at Bolsa and later Stock & Barrel -- has been to Paradiso and Botanist (bar) and reports both are fantastic. Anybody been yet?

Quote

If you have been to Botanist, which recently opened in Bishop Arts—and, let’s face it, all of the Park Cities seems to have been—you already know that Paradiso, the restaurant across the patio from the moody-chic bar, was poised to open. Now, we’re closer: it soft-opens this Friday. The restaurant is the lynch-pin in the Exxir Group’s trio of spots arranged around a gurgling fountain.

Here is what they have to say about Paradiso: “The coastal, southern European-inspired restaurant will be taking limited reservations for several weeks. Expect a menu of light apps pushed around on bar carts—shoulder porchetta with salsa verde, toasted fregola with Italian sausage and manila clams and fried baby artichoke hearts—as well as seasonal salads, house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas, grilled branzino, pork chops and bavette.”

When I first was being introduced to the concept, what they told me conjured images of wood-fired pizzas and fresh bread from a deck oven; house-cured meats and house-made pastas; fancy, funky cheeses; whole fish; and carts circumambulating with orange wines.

“We grew up in Europe. My dad and mom loved to go to the south of France, Spain, Italy. You get a lot of little mezze on the table,” says Exxir co-founder Michael Nazerian, explaining the affinity for a light-bite, breezy atmosphere. “We wanted to bring that feeling to the restaurant. We’re a hybrid of Europeans, Californians, and Texans.”

Nick Hurry is executive chef and Anne Parravano is pastry chef. The kitchen was built with ample space for in-house, ingredient-focused production that includes a proofer for breads, a sheeter for laminated-dough pastries, like croissants, which will be served in Good Companions, a coffee-and-pastry shop.

“We’ll eventually be drying our own pastas as well,” says Jeremy Hargrove, COO of Exxir Hospitality, so that not only fresh ravioli, but also dried pastas like fettuccine and spaghettis will be in-house. “It’s really a celebration of ingredients. [The goal, in European tradition, is to] not overdo it. Keep it light and beautiful.”

https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2019/08/a-look-inside-paradiso-in-bishop-arts/

[DFWTexEx 276]

Good to have a thread about Bishop Arts, that's my hood.

I tried to get into the soft opening of the Botanist, but it was packed.  I hope to try Paradiso soon; it looks like a nice add to the district.   That little courtyard with the bar and the restaurant will be perfect in a couple of months.  The anti-gentrification crowd is probably horrified, but I like it.

[C-Man 27197]

10 minutes ago, DFWTexEx said:

Good to have a thread about Bishop Arts, that's my hood.

I tried to get into the soft opening of the Botanist, but it was packed.  I hope to try Paradiso soon; it looks like a nice add to the district.   That little courtyard with the bar and the restaurant will be perfect in a couple of months.  The anti-gentrification crowd is probably horrified, but I like it.

Think there's a third concept that's also going to share that courtyard, right? Is that the coffee shop?

[DFWTexEx 276]

2 hours ago, C-Man said:

Think there's a third concept that's also going to share that courtyard, right? Is that the coffee shop?

From D:

Good Companions: a historic Craftman-style house has been converted into a cozy English cottage-style coffee shop, a 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. location with a fireplace and couches for lounging, sticky buns and house-churned butter. There will be bites like kouign amann pastries and prosciutto baguette sandwiches that can be taken out and eaten under the oak tree or with a glass of natural wine, an obsession of Natasha’s that will find expression here. The name is inspired by Michael and Natasha’s grandparents, who belonged to a British cycling club of the same name. (“Cycling is a big part of Oak Cliff,” Michael says.)

 

It's all so precious, but I can't deny that I will be there.

[Stunns38 3460]

Following.

I live down Davis right around Rosemont elementary. Hoping the the retail/ restaurant gentrification spreads this way. There are some $800K townhomes going in at the NE corner of Davis and Oak Cliff Blvd. Tons of $500K and up housing being built around the hood. Plus the sound of gunshots.

Davis st espresso is overrated to me.
Want to check out the new Cannons Irish pub.
The new Hola coffee on Tyler is pricey but good.
And a plethora of tacos.

Excited to see what’s on the horizon.

Oh, I hear ghetto bird helicopters as I type this.

[C-Man 27197]

We went down there tonight and wound up eating dinner at the bar at Bolsa. After dinner, met a friend on the patio at Paradiso/Botanist and have to say that is a really cool spot. However, this apparently is just the tip of the iceberg of a massive development that is going to involve a hotel, etc. The weather was great tonight and as the weather cools off, you will not be able to find a spot outside. It's neat. But locals -- the OG locals -- must hate what is happening here.

[Hank_Hill 18796]

Love BA, I study at Wild Detectives at least twice a week

[DFWTexEx 276]

On 8/31/2019 at 1:44 AM, C-Man said:

We went down there tonight and wound up eating dinner at the bar at Bolsa. After dinner, met a friend on the patio at Paradiso/Botanist and have to say that is a really cool spot. However, this apparently is just the tip of the iceberg of a massive development that is going to involve a hotel, etc. The weather was great tonight and as the weather cools off, you will not be able to find a spot outside. It's neat. But locals -- the OG locals -- must hate what is happening here.

OG Locals gave up on BA when the valets came.   I hear about it ad nauseum every couple of months on FB.   I'm 15 years local and love a lot what is happening.   The development is putting in parking that might help the area overall.

Bolsa, by the way, is still rocking it.  So, is Hattie's.  It's nice that with all the new comers, the places that made the area what it is are still at the top of their game.  Seriously, the beef tartare at Bolsa that we had a couple of weeks ago is one of the best things I have tasted in a long time.

[Spoosner 86]

My wife got us a daytime babysitter a few Sundays ago and we went to Revelers Hall.  They have a New Orleans style house band that plays from 2 - 5 every Saturday and Sunday, and they were badass.  Drinks were very good, bartenders were very nice, and were happy to have us there.  They don't serve food (only some bar chex mix), so eat before you go, but we loved it.  One of those things you didn't know existed in Dallas (granted we've only been here a couple years so y'all might not be surprised).

Anyway, highly recommend.

Found some video evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqo4-kSRaeg

[Landomatic 3813]

5 hours ago, Spoosner said:

My wife got us a daytime babysitter a few Sundays ago and we went to Revelers Hall.  They have a New Orleans style house band that plays from 2 - 5 every Saturday and Sunday, and they were badass.  Drinks were very good, bartenders were very nice, and were happy to have us there.  They don't serve food (only some bar chex mix), so eat before you go, but we loved it.  One of those things you didn't know existed in Dallas (granted we've only been here a couple years so y'all might not be surprised).

Anyway, highly recommend.

Found some video evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqo4-kSRaeg

That looks really fun.  Minus the guy walking around with the tip bucket panhandling for money.

[ztejas 43414]

On 9/1/2019 at 9:50 PM, DFWTexEx said:

OG Locals gave up on BA when the valets came.   I hear about it ad nauseum every couple of months on FB.   I'm 15 years local and love a lot what is happening.   The development is putting in parking that might help the area overall.

Bolsa, by the way, is still rocking it.  So, is Hattie's.  It's nice that with all the new comers, the places that made the area what it is are still at the top of their game.  Seriously, the beef tartare at Bolsa that we had a couple of weeks ago is one of the best things I have tasted in a long time.

Hatties is legit.

On 9/2/2019 at 6:09 PM, Landomatic said:

That looks really fun.  Minus the guy walking around with the tip bucket panhandling for money.

It's part of the New Orleans experience. 

[DFWTexEx 276]

Sadly, I knew this was coming after the Theodore fiasco and the problems at the Statler, but it's still sad.

Bolsa Closed

This restaurant did change the Dallas dining scene, but more personally, it was really a great, local place for us.  We could pop in and eat at the bar and have Lucky Eddie or, later, Kyle, create some crazy cocktail for us.  Those guys were as instrumental in creating the cocktail scene in Dallas as Graham Dodds was in bringing farm to market dining in a consumable, high end way to Dallas.  It all worked.  We trekked there for booze filled snow day lunches, had neighborhood happy hours there, celebrated and went just because.  It has been killing it lately, including the best steak tartare I have ever had.   It didn't die because of a lack of quality or business.  Financial stress from all the other failed ventures killed the ownership group.

[C-Man 27197]

4 hours ago, DFWTexEx said:

Sadly, I knew this was coming after the Theodore fiasco and the problems at the Statler, but it's still sad.

Bolsa Closed

This restaurant did change the Dallas dining scene, but more personally, it was really a great, local place for us.  We could pop in and eat at the bar and have Lucky Eddie or, later, Kyle, create some crazy cocktail for us.  Those guys were as instrumental in creating the cocktail scene in Dallas as Graham Dodds was in bringing farm to market dining in a consumable, high end way to Dallas.  It all worked.  We trekked there for booze filled snow day lunches, had neighborhood happy hours there, celebrated and went just because.  It has been killing it lately, including the best steak tartare I have ever had.   It didn't die because of a lack of quality or business.  Financial stress from all the other failed ventures killed the ownership group.

My wife sent this to me this morning. Sad deal. We went Bolsa for brunch all the damn time. Had so many great boozy Saturday/Sundays down there. Got to be friends with all the bartenders (Kyle and Spencer initially and later, Marcos) and Landon (GM/maitre d). They all slowly made their way out of there and we didn't go very often.

Other than Bandito's, I think I might've had more meals at Bolsa (at least hours spent) than anywhere in town since my wife and I met in 2012. There aren't many places where we've gone for brunch and stayed on through and had dinner at the same place. Bolsa is one. Nova is the other.

One of my best buddies from UT is tight with Jeffers from HS. Did The Theodore boondoggle kill them? I understood that they were basically given that space and told to run with it so I figure they walked it with no repercussions. How was Bolsa's group involved with The Statler? I know Dodds is doing most of the Statler but I didn't know he was still affiliated with Bolsa group.

(What are they doing with all the framed concert posters inside? I've always had my eye on the Old 97's Boot one.)

[DFWTexEx 276]

D from a year ago.  From what I understand, they could not get away from it.  

Bolsa Group Problems

By the way, C-Man, I can't believe we don't know each other, considering we seem to eat the same places all the time.

On the more positive side of Bishop Arts, we have been to Paradiso three times now and love it.  Great space, nice service, good food.  It all works.  Lots of internet shade being thrown at them, mostly by old Oak Cliff types, but the place is solid.   And we had drinks and apps at Nora on Saturday.  Loved it.  The owner was gracious. The bartender worked at minibar and Jose Andres' place in Plano, so he knows his shit.  Good stuff.

[C-Man 27197]

D from a year ago.  From what I understand, they could not get away from it.  
Bolsa Group Problems
By the way, C-Man, I can't believe we don't know each other, considering we seem to eat the same places all the time.
On the more positive side of Bishop Arts, we have been to Paradiso three times now and love it.  Great space, nice service, good food.  It all works.  Lots of internet shade being thrown at them, mostly by old Oak Cliff types, but the place is solid.   And we had drinks and apps at Nora on Saturday.  Loved it.  The owner was gracious. The bartender worked at minibar and Jose Andres' place in Plano, so he knows his shit.  Good stuff.

Wife, her mom and some of her mom’s friends went to Paradiso the Fri of Safari Club Convention. They loved it. I haven’t been since we met our buddy for drinks there back in Aug (see post above). That buddy was former Bolsa bartender Marcos. He’s a realtor at Compass now. Good dude.

One day you, Lando and I need to meet up somewhere.

[Landomatic 3813]

Looks intriguing...

http://www.sketchesofspain.com

 

[DFWTexEx 276]

Hattie's Closing

This really sucks.  A favorite since we moved to Oak Cliff in 2004.

[C-Man 27197]

1 hour ago, DFWTexEx said:

Hattie's Closing

This really sucks.  A favorite since we moved to Oak Cliff in 2004.

Wow!

[HRSchenker 2268]

Anyone tried Salaryman? Heard lots of good things about it

[DFWTexEx 276]

On 2/20/2020 at 12:46 PM, HRSchenker said:

Anyone tried Salaryman? Heard lots of good things about it

I've been eager to go, but have not made it in.  Yeah, everyone I know has really liked it but has issued the same warning about how the individual items, though the prices sounds cheap, really add up quickly.  The servers really sell it.

[C-Man 27197]

On 2/20/2020 at 12:46 PM, HRSchenker said:

Anyone tried Salaryman? Heard lots of good things about it

 

On 2/25/2020 at 8:44 AM, DFWTexEx said:

I've been eager to go, but have not made it in.  Yeah, everyone I know has really liked it but has issued the same warning about how the individual items, though the prices sounds cheap, really add up quickly.  The servers really sell it.

Semifinalist for James Beard "Best New Restaurant"

https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2020-james-beard-award-semifinalists?utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=2020-02-26&fbclid=IwAR1Bs_RFfNkAceNGdWCTEWkmSBSdoEve2S84KEBZ3TGj6VN-8dL7t5UXbxY

[DFWTexEx 276]

I'm solo tonight and just may go try it (Salaryman).

[HRSchenker 2268]

Tried Salaryman last night. Two hour wait after showing up 5 minutes after opening which I chalk up to the James Beard news. Food was pretty good. One thing I'll warn you is that the food is very salty. They have some really tasty and unique flavors but it's all accompanied by salt. Ramen was great but you can definitely tell that it's an American take on a Japanese dish. Ambiance at night was really great and the lighting was perfect. Overall a pretty nice restaurant. I'm not sure it's the best new restaurant of 2019  but it's still pretty damn good.

[DFWTexEx 276]

Recent Bishop Arts experiences:

Salaryman:  I did not have the ramen, so this isn't a complete review.  I had the potato salad, pickles, several of the chicken yakitori and three non chicken bites (Texas waygu skewer, mushroom and sausage).   The place is hipster precious, friendly for sure but it is a very defined and thoughtful experience.  No wine, for instance.  No to go or boxes for leftovers ("order responsibly").   The chicken yakitori was fine, but even though I ordered different skewers from different parts of the chicken, it all tasted the same: chargrilled chicken.  At some point, I thought this is like eating Regio, but without the tortillas and awesome salsa.  They charged $3 for a single grilled little shitake mushroom on a skewer.    I am happy that this place is successful and it's a great addition to the neighborhood, but I need to go back and have the ramen.

Taco y Vino:  This place delivers on all counts.  Fun and friendly and a great price point.  The owner is a really good guy.  He's from McAllen so the tacos are rooted in authenticity, just kicked up (except for the Tex-Mex, which is meaty and purely authentic, crunch shell and all).  The tamale bits are classic.  It's pretty much all good.   A definite favorite for sure.

Botanist:  Lovely place, but a pale comparison of Jettison, for instance.  Bartender had a very basic understanding of making drinks, which would be fine, except that the pretense of the place is a mixology experience.  It is not that.  The drinks at Nora down the street are way, way better. And Boulevardiere, of course.

Macaeillo:  As much as I love Lucia, owned by the same folks, I just don't get this place.  We went in after an event for just a nightcap and a bite.  We had the salumi plate (cured meats only), some bread and 2 glass of wine.  $83 with tip.  It was very good, but it was a plate of ham.  This was our third time in and the experiences have been consistent. Not interested in going back.

 

 

 

[Stunns38 3460]

Checked out Trompo yesterday. The tacos were good but small. I tried the pork(trompo) which was the best, bistec, which was good but wasn’t the best quality beef, and chicken which was a tad dry. Overall, not the best joint but pretty good. I like the outdoor setup though.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 3/6/2020 at 12:16 PM, DFWTexEx said:

Salaryman:  The place is hipster precious

 

What does this mean?  Can’t figure out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

[DFWTexEx 276]

On 3/8/2020 at 8:33 AM, Landomatic said:

What does this mean?  Can’t figure out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Ha!  It can be bad or good, depending on your mood and expectations.  I just mean that it’s a really curated experience.  There are instructions as to how they expect you to go through the meal.  There are do’s and don’ts.  Customization is not encouraged and likely not even allowed.   The process just seems to be millennial / hipster driven.  The other Japanese restaurants I go to (Tei An, Teppo, Zen) are all managed by more seasoned chefs and let you flow through a meal as you like and offer lots of drink choices, customization, etc.  Hell, Ten Ramen lets you completely create a custom bowl.

Salaryman reminded me of Davis Street Espresso, the “hipster” coffee shop down the street.  They don’t have wi-fi or to go paper cups because they want you to have a European style coffee experience, sitting and reading or reflecting on your own or talking with your companions.  There is only one sugar choice (stylish crumbles of raw sugar), no sweeteners, only one milk, etc.  They want you to “enjoy” your coffee in a manner that they have determined for you.   It’s like performance art.   It’s not necessarily bad.  But can be annoying depending on your expectations.  The coffee is good and we walk there with our dogs on nice days.

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, DFWTexEx said:

Ha!  It can be bad or good, depending on your mood and expectations.  I just mean that it’s a really curated experience.  There are instructions as to how they expect you to go through the meal.  There are do’s and don’ts.  Customization is not encouraged and likely not even allowed.   The process just seems to be millennial / hipster driven.  The other Japanese restaurants I go to (Tei An, Teppo, Zen) are all managed by more seasoned chefs and let you flow through a meal as you like and offer lots of drink choices, customization, etc.  Hell, Ten Ramen lets you completely create a custom bowl.

Salaryman reminded me of Davis Street Espresso, the “hipster” coffee shop down the street.  They don’t have wi-fi or to go paper cups because they want you to have a European style coffee experience, sitting and reading or reflecting on your own or talking with your companions.  There is only one sugar choice (stylish crumbles of raw sugar), no sweeteners, only one milk, etc.  They want you to “enjoy” your coffee in a manner that they have determined for you.   It’s like performance art.   It’s not necessarily bad.  But can be annoying depending on your expectations.  The coffee is good and we walk there with our dogs on nice days.

Gotcha.  So, the type of place that insists upon itself way too much while trying way too hard to make it seem like they don’t try very hard?  In other words, the type of place that I would hate.

[DFWTexEx 276]

11 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Gotcha.  So, the type of place that insists upon itself way too much while trying way too hard to make it seem like they don’t try very hard?  In other words, the type of place that I would hate.

Exactly right.

[Stunns38 3460]

Davis st is annoying with their snark attitudes. One time my wife simply asked for skim milk and they blew a fuse instead of simply saying they didn’t offer any milk outside of whole. That’s overhipstering.

[conVINCEd 21469]

5 hours ago, DFWTexEx said:

Ha!  It can be bad or good, depending on your mood and expectations.  I just mean that it’s a really curated experience.  There are instructions as to how they expect you to go through the meal.  There are do’s and don’ts.  Customization is not encouraged and likely not even allowed.   The process just seems to be millennial / hipster driven.  The other Japanese restaurants I go to (Tei An, Teppo, Zen) are all managed by more seasoned chefs and let you flow through a meal as you like and offer lots of drink choices, customization, etc.  Hell, Ten Ramen lets you completely create a custom bowl.

Salaryman reminded me of Davis Street Espresso, the “hipster” coffee shop down the street.  They don’t have wi-fi or to go paper cups because they want you to have a European style coffee experience, sitting and reading or reflecting on your own or talking with your companions.  There is only one sugar choice (stylish crumbles of raw sugar), no sweeteners, only one milk, etc.  They want you to “enjoy” your coffee in a manner that they have determined for you.   It’s like performance art.   It’s not necessarily bad.  But can be annoying depending on your expectations.  The coffee is good and we walk there with our dogs on nice days.

[HRSchenker 2268]

22 hours ago, DFWTexEx said:

Ha!  It can be bad or good, depending on your mood and expectations.  I just mean that it’s a really curated experience.  There are instructions as to how they expect you to go through the meal.  There are do’s and don’ts.  Customization is not encouraged and likely not even allowed.   The process just seems to be millennial / hipster driven.  The other Japanese restaurants I go to (Tei An, Teppo, Zen) are all managed by more seasoned chefs and let you flow through a meal as you like and offer lots of drink choices, customization, etc.  Hell, Ten Ramen lets you completely create a custom bowl.

Salaryman reminded me of Davis Street Espresso, the “hipster” coffee shop down the street.  They don’t have wi-fi or to go paper cups because they want you to have a European style coffee experience, sitting and reading or reflecting on your own or talking with your companions.  There is only one sugar choice (stylish crumbles of raw sugar), no sweeteners, only one milk, etc.  They want you to “enjoy” your coffee in a manner that they have determined for you.   It’s like performance art.   It’s not necessarily bad.  But can be annoying depending on your expectations.  The coffee is good and we walk there with our dogs on nice days.

One of my favorite coffee places in Dallas is LDU Coffee. They have 2 locations and they're owned by Australian brothers. Really great guys who know me by name because I go there way too much. Thankfully they let me take the coffee away in to-go cups but they have a no wifi on the weekend policy. Always found that to be interesting. They usually post up a sign that says "no wifi today, be social". During the week you can get wifi but you have to ask for the password and they change it every week in a very hipster way. If you ask and they say "I don't remember" then the password is "idontremember". Last month they had "icanttellyouthepassword" as the password.

[Landomatic 3813]

17 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

Me too, dawg.  No bigger turnoff on a restaurant than that type of attitude.  I'm paying you money.  If I want to tweak something that I don't like about your cooking or your establishment, something reasonable, I'm the fucking customer.

I remember the first time I ran into that at some long since closed hipster place in the Design District.  They got all really pissy when I asked for salt and pepper and wouldn't accommodate my wife's request to hold something basic from one of the orders (like no tomatoes on a salad or some shit).  Most of those places don't last very long from my experience.

Conversely, the best meal I've ever had in my life (and one of the most expensive), the chef literally stood at our table and said, "I can do anything you ask me to do, that's what I'm here for.  If you want ketchup instead of tomato sauce, I'll do it."  That's the way it should be.

Fucking hipster millennial punks don't know shit about customer service.  And they need to get off my lawn.

[conVINCEd 21469]

I don’t need instructions for how to go through a fucking meal, particularly one I am paying a decent chunk of change to eat.  I also don’t need a list of do’s and don’ts that extends beyond a brief description of the dress code, if there is one.

[C-Man 27197]

43 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

I remember the first time I ran into that at some long since closed hipster place in the Design District.  They got all really pissy when I asked for salt and pepper and wouldn't accommodate my wife's request to hold something basic from one of the orders (like no tomatoes on a salad or some shit).  Most of those places don't last very long from my experience.

FT33?

[Landomatic 3813]

37 minutes ago, C-Man said:

FT33?

Might have been, I don't remember.  But that sounds about right.  FT33 could definitely be that way.

[C-Man 27197]

Wife and I went to Encina on Friday night. This is in the old Bolsa location. Bolsa chef is back and is part of the ownership on Encina. Similar menu. Layout is pretty much the same but the space has been refined a little -- they've gotten rid of some of the "kitsch." (I'm wondering where the "boots" Old 97's poster wound up. I wanted that so bad.) Got the black bean fritters as a starter, wife got a salad and the mussels app and I got the NY Strip. Pretty good. No more picnic tables on the patio, all 2- and 4-top tables (a couple of high tops).

[DFWTexEx 276]

Was bored on a conference call and wrote this too long review about Ame, the new French/Indian place in Bishop Arts for my FB neighbors/friends.

 

For those of you eagerly waiting for an Indian restaurant in Oak Cliff, Ame (in the old Hattie’s space in Bishop Arts), may or may not make you happy.

It opened this weekend. We went last night with friends for our first indoor dining experience in a year. It was fabulous. And I am using that word intentionally.

 

If you wanted a cheap lunch buffet with all you can eat chicken tandoori and take away chicken tikka masala, this is not it. This is a dress up, luxurious French restaurant, with a French trained chef transforming the dishes and flavors of Indian food. Picture a beautiful velvet banquette, gold cutlery, Christian La Croix wallpaper, a “secret” champagne and cocktail bar behind heavy curtains, and one of the beautiful owners (a mother – daughter duo opened the restaurant) managing the place in a runway ready outfit featuring black palazzo pants and a billowy white blouse. Fabulous.

 

Did the food live up to it? Yes! We loved it. The dishes definitely felt Indian, just different. Not “better” than more authentic Indian food, but different. It’s an experience. The Chaat for instance, is no street food snack, it was an incredible and beautiful plate of chickpeas , veggies and yogurt topped with pomegranate seeds. It was fried perfectly and was our favorite dish of the night. The other highlights were a cashew chicken tikka and the shrimp curry. The chef (the mother of mother-daughter duo) really knows how to use spice and heat. Every dish had the requisite heat (nothing “mild” here) but the heat didn’t overwhelm the dishes. The saag paneer and aloo gobi were spot on.

 

The cocktails were also great and mostly French inspired. If you go for a cocktail first, ask to be seated or make a reservation in the Elephant Bar (the bar in the back). There is also a bar at the entrance (now on 7th, not on Bishop like Hattie’s.) but the front bar is not nearly as special as the Elephant Bar.

Ame is not for everyday dining. It’s more for special occasions or planned nights out with friends. We’ll be back.

 

EDIT: I was thinking about why this so familiar and I finally remembered a film called The Hundred-Foot Journey. It's a wonderful film for foodies starring Helen Mirren. It's about families and the interplay of French and Indian cuisine. I highly recommend it.

[DFWTexEx 276]

 

On Jefferson (at Bishop, so Bishop Arts adjacent) there is coffee shop called Xaman Cafe.  They do some interesting Mexican takes on coffees and breakfast. I look forward to trying it out for that.  The menu looks great.  But, dinner last night was at the speakeasy behind the wooden door after you get past the coffee shop: Ayahuasca Cantina.

 

This is not a chips and salsa Mexican food place. The cocktail is list is incredibly curated and includes a list of just Sotol based cocktails. The food menu includes insects (chapulin (roasted grasshoppers), gusano de maguey (mezcal worm). alacran (scorpion)). Pretty aggressive stuff and not for the grilled chicken Caesar salad crowd.

 

The cantina is dimly lit and oh so hip. But the experience delivers. Great hospitality and service. We loved it.

 

We had Squash blossoms stuffed with rabbit, sopes with ribeye, carnitas and rabbit. A sous vide duck breast with a pepitas salsa verde and a cow femur with marrow and chopped ribeye (presented flaming!). All with the best tortillas I have had in a long time.  The menu has some chicken en mole tacos, boar ribs, and pork confit too.   All sounded good.

 

The only downside (other than paper napkins) was that their supply chain failed and there was no red wine available. They only offer Mexican wines. Like I said, this place is highly curated. Instead we had something that I have never had, a white wine that is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coahuila. I didn’t know this existed. But it was good and filled in well.

 

We will definitely walk back to this place. An excellent addition to the neighborhood and walkable from our house.

 

https://www.xamancafe.com/menu

 

https://www.xamancafe.com/ayahuasca