Tex-Mex Down

Dallas Mexican restaurant with famed brunch closes rocky location

Sorry for Arlington, who loses out on this.

Photo courtesy of Blue Mesa Grill

Just over five years to the day it opened, Blue Mesa Grill in Arlington has closed. Part of the Mesa SW family of restaurants, Blue Mesa is the concept known for its pioneering role in the brunch world, as well as its sweet potato chips and shake-your-own margaritas.

The restaurant opened in March 2013 at Lincoln Square, in an old Talbot's. Times have been tough at Lincoln Square.

Blue Mesa founder and CEO Jim Baron says in a release that there just wasn't enough business.

"We are sad to leave this location and our loyal customers there," Baron says. "But we did not foresee any improvement in our in-restaurant lunch and dinner business."

Oddly, the company is doing just fine in Arlington with catering jobs. "Our Arlington party and event business is thriving and that's where we see our future growth," Baron says.

Accommodating the catering demands was a factor in the newly-opened flagship Blue Mesa Grill and 5th & Carroll Events in Fort Worth. "That location is more than able to provide catering services for Arlington, and for that reason, it did not make sense for us the keep paying rent and other occupancy costs in Arlington," Baron says.

Four Blue Mesa Grill locations remain in the area, in Addison, Plano, Fort Worth, and Dallas, across from NorthPark Center.

Mesa SW Restaurants also owns and operates a Blue Mesa Taco and Tequila Bar, which has two airport locations including Terminal E at DFW Airport, and two of their more casual concepts, TNT Tacos and Tequila, which has locations at the Quadrangle in Uptown Dallas and in Austin.

closings

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

downtown