Lists Love FT33

Dallas hot spot FT33 tops Wine Enthusiast's list of America's best winerestaurants

Dallas hot spot FT33 topped the list of Texas restaurants on 2013's "America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants" by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

This is the third year Wine Enthusiast has compiled a list of the nation's top wine-driven restaurants. The list will appear in the magazine's August issue, which hits newsstands in early July. [UPDATE: The list was posted online on June 23.]

And it's another feather in the cap of FT33, the fine-dining restaurant starring chef Matt McCallister, which opened in Dallas' Design District in October 2012.

According to Wine Enthusiast, the restaurants on the list have established themselves as "standouts for wine lovers, boasting visionary beverage programs and innovative menus, with eye-catching ambience and exceptional service."

It's the first time FT33 has appeared on this list. The other three Texas entries — Inn at Dos Brisas, Congress and Vino Vino — were all on the 2012 list.

The list wisely ranks each state separately — no interstate disputes, so we can all feel good about ourselves. But come on, only two states really matter: In California, the top-ranked restaurant is French Laundry; in New York, it's Daniel.

Texas winners on the 2011 inaugural list included Lake Austin Spa Resort, Samba Grill, Al Biernat's, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and Stephan Pyles.

FT33's accolades are piling up: So far this spring, the restaurant has appeared on Open Table's Top 100 Hot Spot list; Food and Wine's People's Best New Chef for the Southwest region; and Nation's Restaurant News' Avant-Garde Tables list.

McCallister was also just invited to cook at the James Beard House on September 24.

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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.

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