Downtown Dining News
Brash new Southern restaurant loads up biscuits and fried chicken for Dallas
There's a buzzy new restaurant opening near downtown Dallas doing Southern food: Called Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, it's a concept from Miami that will open at 2121 N. Pearl St. this spring.
Yardbird is a chain, but a small chain; this will be only the fifth location. According to a release, the concept is by 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, which on Linked In calls itself "one of the coolest multi-concept companies in the land," and who are we to disagree.
The concept's bragging points include its selection of bourbon, its top-notch hospitality, and what the release calls a fresh, inventive take on classic, regional Southern fare.
Food
Signature dishes include:
- Lewellyn's fine fried chicken. Made with a 27-hour brining process and dredged in Kunkel's grandma's secret recipe of spices and flours
- Chicken 'n' watermelon 'n' waffles. Honey hot sauce, chilled spiced watermelon, Vermont sharp cheddar cheese waffle, bourbon maple syrup
- Shrimp 'n' grits. Seared shrimp, roasted tomatoes, Virginia ham, red onions, Nora Mill grits, PBR jus
- Fried green tomato BLT. House-smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, frisée, smoky tomato jam, lemon vinaigrette
- Buttermilk biscuits with honey butter and house-made jam
- Deviled eggs with dill, chives, and smoked trout roe
Drink
The cocktail program uses fresh fruit juices, herbs, spices, and bourbon, and champions brown spirits. They claim to have one of the finest curated collections of bourbon in the country, with more than 75 standouts available to choose from, from small-batch and experimental releases to hard-to-find classics, and who are you to disagree.
Signature cocktails include:
- Blackberry bourbon lemonade -Wild Turkey bourbon, blackberry purée, fresh lemon, cardamom, Angostura Bitters
- Southern Peach- Wild Turkey bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon, thyme, white peach puree, and sweet tea
- Yardbird Old Fashioned- Pork belly infused Wild Turkey 81, Angostura Bitters, orange bitters, and maple syrup
- Violet Beauregarde -A Blueberry Anise Old Fashioned made with Patron Tequila, Veev Acai with Peychaud's, lemon bitters
Atmosphere
The dining space boasts an open plan with an open kitchen and large, street-facing picture windows. A wraparound patio features wooden latticework and swing seating — swings are a bit of a trend. The restaurant will also house a second-level private tasting room with wood ceilings, an illuminated millwork wine cellar, and brass "chicken feet" decor.
Long, wooden communal tables, metal rivet work, and painted vintage mirrors will create a festive atmosphere for intimate occasions.
They'll be open seven days a week, with the pinnacle of the week being their weekend brunch.
The restaurant is opening in the Park District, a 900,000 square foot mixed-use development located in Uptown, near Klyde Warren Park. It will occupy the retail space on the ground floor of PwC Tower at Park District.
50 Eggs
50 Eggs was founded by award-winning restaurateur John Kunkel, who opened the first Yardbird location on Miami's South Beach in 2011, followed by Las Vegas, Singapore, and Beverly Hills. They're also opening a location in Washington, D.C.
The company has four other concepts including Spring Chicken, a more casual fried chicken place, and Spritz Restaurant & Bar, located at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.
Kunkel seems to be kind of a pistol, and he says in a statement that he has family here.
"I have family in Dallas, so being able to introduce the culture and cuisine Yardbird is known for to this special city is like coming home in a sense," Kunkel says. "Combining our chef-driven atmosphere with beautiful interior design by our partners at Rockwell Group, we are elated to deliver a fusion of old and new Southern charm to the community."
The chef from SER prepares activated charcoal-crusted Akaushi ribeye cap and Yukon Gold potato fondant.Photo by Guillermo Rosas
Lavender berry and mocha chocolate tartlets from La Reve Gelato & Patisserie.Photo by Guillermo Rosas
Awards ceremony host Cleo Greene, of NBC5's 'Texas Today.'Photo by Guillermo Rosas