Chef News

Dallas restaurant Up On Knox lures in celeb chef from L.A. for Parkies

This guy looks, I mean, cooks good.

Courtesy photo

In what has become a bit of a revolving door situation, a Knox-Henderson restaurant has a new chef in the house.

Up On Knox, the restaurant on Knox Street that's very popular with the Park Cities set, welcomes chef Wes Whitsell, a Texas native who is returning to Dallas after stints in Los Angeles and elsewhere, as the restaurant's new culinary director.

Whitsell, who has 15-plus years of experience, began his cooking career in Los Angeles. He worked at restaurants such as Osteria La Buca, Blair's, and Gjelina, then headed to the kitchen at Soho House New York.

In 2016, he opened his first concept, an L.A. restaurant called Manuela, but left that in 2017. He's kind of a celebu-chef, having scored a fashion profile on Lucky Jeans website that includes a photo of his jeans-clad behind.

His handle on Twitter, which he no longer uses, is "@wessiepoo22," so he gets points for that.

According to a release, Whitsell's approach complements that of Stephan Courseau, owner-founder of Up On Knox, and they have already revamped the menu. "I'm excited I have found somebody who's just as passionate about what I'm doing," Whitsell says in a statement. "We share a singular vision, and both have high expectations."

The release also says that Whitsell grew up with a passion for the farm to table experience.

"It was here in North Texas where my father taught me how to live off the land," he says. "We grew our own vegetables, fished our local lakes, and hunted the land."

Whitsell represents the fourth high-profile chef that's signed up for duty at Up On Knox. The restaurant opened with chefs Melody Bishop and Dennis Kelly, then formed a short-lived partnership with chef Junior Borges. But it's probably just a coincidence. One of those things that happens.

Chef turnover certainly hasn't impacted business one bit. The Park Cities crowd loves loves loves this place. Try and get into for weekend brunch. No nevermind, don't, because it's nuts.

Whitsell aims to take the restaurant to a new level of sustainability, striving to find local sources as well as companies that give back to the earth, which is one of the pillars for Courseau's team.

Courseau says he feels lucky to have met Whitsell, calling him "the real deal…creative, driven but humble at the same time."

"He just wants to serve great food prepared with the best ingredients. It sounds simple, but it requires real talent," Courseau says.

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat and grandchildren. According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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