Restaurant Closure
Award-winning Dallas restaurant lays Mexican-French innovation to rest
In sad restaurant news, Madrina, the upscale restaurant that married French techniques with Mexican cuisine, has closed. The restaurant released a statement saying they were saddened by the closure and honored by the accolades.
A sibling to One Arts Plaza restaurant Proof + Pantry, Madrina opened at the Shops at Highland Park on Oak Lawn Avenue in 2015. Thanks to the cocktail chops of co-founder Michael Martensen, it also had tequilas, mezcals, and several wines and beers on tap.
Opening chef was Julio Peraza, and his menu was a revelation, earning him a nomination for Chef of the Year in CultureMap's Tastemaker Awards.
In July, he departed to focus on family, and was replaced by chef David Fingerman, a 28-year-old Chicago native who kept some of Peraza's dishes while adding his own spin.
The restaurant made CultureMap's Top 100 Restaurants in Dallas, coming in at No. 3 on our list. It also made our list of Dallas dishes you must have, namely its wild setas, aka crispy fried mushrooms in a rich poblano cream.
The Shops at Highland Park has a number of restaurant tenants including Carbone's, TJ's Seafood, and The Mint. The center had seen some turnover, with the departure of longtime tenant La Duni, which was replaced by Celebrity Bakery, and the spring 2017 opening of Sachet, the new restaurant concept from restaurateurs Allison Yoder and Stephen Rogers, who also own the acclaimed Henderson Avenue spot Gemma.
Misery Loves Company, owner of Proof + Pantry and Madrina, has since signed on to open an unidentified "gourmet" concept at Legacy Hall, the food hall in Plano.