French Wave

Mercat French bistro opens in Dallas with a certain je ne sais quoi

Cold lentils and shallots in vinaigrette, served in a beautiful flower-rimmedbowl.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Sweetbreads with butter lettuce and radicchio, topped with a poached egg.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Charcuterie plate with toasts and cornichons.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Mercat serves cold water without ice or straws. Yay!
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Kale and farro salad with mint, cucumber and red onion.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins

Opening night finally arrived on June 8 for Mercat, the new French bistro on the edge of downtown Dallas. The restaurant is the more sophisticated sibling to neighboring Saint Ann.

The patio was furnished, the crew on its toes. Inside, couples and foursomes sat at marble-topped tables, the first on the block to try something new. A large, festive party sipped champagne and feasted: charcuterie plate, bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes and burrata, veal sweetbreads, and roast chicken with French fries.

We had Texas wine by the glass — Fume Blanc by Becker Vineyards, a mixed red by Pedernales — and snacked on house-made pain d'epi, or wheat-stalk bread, served with a basil-flavored butter.

We tried two salads: one was kale and farro (an ancient grain), with mint, cucumber and diced tomatoes; the other was cold lentils and shallots in vinaigrette. We dug into a bowl of mushroom ragu, with roasted mushrooms and breadcrumbs topped with a sunny-side fried egg. We split French fries, brown and crisp, served with sweet, mildly spicy ketchup that they make in-house.

We felt grateful that chef Jared Robinette had spent time at SPQR in San Francisco before biding his time at Saint Ann and that Harwood International owner Gabriel Barbier-Mueller crossed paths with restaurateur and Mercat general manager Stephan Courseau.

We appreciated the water — without ice or straws — with a bottle placed at the table so we could pour our own into French-made Duralex glasses. We took note of the shabby chic mix-and-match combination of plateware. We loved the atmospheric house music — sometimes with female vocals, sometimes not.

It felt like we were somewhere other than Dallas, and that's always a good thing.

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Stir Fry News

Mom-and-pop Asian chain from Austin makes Dallas debut in McKinney

Fire Bowl

A small Asian chain from Austin has entered the Dallas market: Called Fire Bowl Cafe, it's a small chain that has opened its first DFW location in McKinney, at 4060 W. University Dr. #300, in a new shopping center west of US-75.

Fire Bowl Cafe was founded by husband-and-wife Gigi Lee and Daniel Pao in 1996 with a focus on customizable bowls prepared in sizzling woks. They have four locations in Austin and one in Colorado.

Bringing the concept to McKinney is Dallas-based hospitality group DLC Restaurant Holdings (Firo Pizza, Craft Pies Pizza, Desperados), according to a release.

“We are thrilled to bring Fire Bowl Café to McKinney and introduce our unique dining experience to the wonderful community here,” says CEO Mike Daniel in a statement. “Our mission is to ensure that every customer leaves satisfied and happy, and we can’t wait to share our passion for fresh, customizable Asian cuisine with our new neighbors in North Texas."

To give it local flavor, they've partnered with Julian Rodarte, who co-founded Beto & Son, the Mexican restaurant at Trinity Groves in west Dallas, and also served as Trinity Groves' CEO. He was briefly executive chef at COSM at Grandscape and is currently culinary director for Dee Lincoln Concepts.

The menu has a Pei-Wei vibe, featuring a mashup of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines, with favorites like edamame, spring rolls, crab rangoon, pad Thai, pot stickers, and lettuce wraps.

There are noodle and rice bowls, topped with vegetables and choice of protein; and a make-it-your-way stir-fry where you choose from proteins like chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu, tossed in a wok with vegetables, then combine it with your choice of "carb" — noodles, brown or white rice — and a wide selection of sauces, from teriyaki to spicy peanut to classic Chinese.

Prices are $12-$14. They do not currently serve alcohol, but have plans for it at a future date.

openings