Chef News

Chef Misti Norris' limited-run restaurant in downtown Dallas is now open

Chef Misti Norris has a big foodie following.

Photo courtesy of Misti Norris

If you want to know where all the foodies are gonna be, it's in downtown Dallas where acclaimed chef Misti Norris is opening a temporary restaurant at the AT&T Discovery District.

Called Stepchild, it describes itself as an Acadian/French-inspired restaurant "with a focus on seasonality, art and French Hip Hop," LOL, and it's a temporary restaurant from the chef and owner of Petra & the Beast in East Dallas.

According to a spokesperson, it's opening on June 24.

Stepchild is located in The Second Floor space and is part of a new rotating chef concept called Attalie. Norris was originally scheduled to preside over the space from June to July, but that will be extended "indefinitely," the spokesperson says.

The talker on the opening menu is the 5-day aged Koji brined chicken, battered and fried, with rolls and gravy, enough to serve 4 to 6 people, must pre-order 72 hours in advance, for the amazing price of $200.

Other entrees include bone-in pork chop, A Bar tri-tip, and two vegetable-based dishes: trumpet mushroom with morel ragout, and embered okra with tomato, pickled okra, and "jasmoon" rice.

Starters include:

confit frog legs
duck boudin
summer tomato salad
crab butter
French onion soup
garlic soup

Desserts include a peach tart and a chocolate-black-banana cake.

A half dozen cocktails include classics with a twist such as a Vieux Carre, a "Deja Vu" with vodka and espresso, and a frozen framboise.

There's also a dozen-or-so wines by the bottle and the glass, heavy on selections from Europe, with some interesting French chardonnay and Bordeaux.

You can make your reservation on Resy.com, it's open Thursday-Sundays for dinner.

Norris opened Petra and the Beast in 2018, and it has won numerous awards including Best New Restaurant in 2019 by Bon Appetit. Norris also won Best Chef of the Year in CultureMap's 2019 Tastemaker Awards, although for some reason she does not list this in her little bio and yet does list that Petra won a Best Charcuterie award. I mean, I feel like a Best Chef beats a Best Charcuterie hands-down but I'm probably biased towards the Tastemaker Awards for probably obvious reasons.

Attalie is part of a recent shakeup on the part of the AT&T Discovery District, that also included the addition of Easy Slider, the slider-centric concept from Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes; and Birdie, a fried chicken concept featuring chef Joshua Harmon.

chefs downtown openings

Family joy

Celebrated chef brings Nigerian-Italian supper club to Dallas for 2 nights

Photo courtesy of Ebi-Ayo Supper Club

Chef Tayo Ola, founder of The Ebi-Ayo Supper Club.

An innovative chef known for blending Nigerian heritage with Italian culinary traditions is bringing his acclaimed dining experience to Dallas: Chef Tayo Ola, founder of The Ebi-Ayo Supper Club, will host two intimate dinners at Lo’ & Rosie Creative Studio in Oak Cliff on August 21 and 22, marking the Dallas debut of the traveling supper club.

The Dallas experience is part of Ebi-Ayo’s 2026 Southern Tour, which also includes stops in Houston and Atlanta. The supper club has previously hosted dinners in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. The dinners regularly attract celebrity clientele, such as Lupita Nyong'o and Janelle James.

The six-course, family-style dinner in an intimate setting is designed to foster conversation, discovery, and connection, a release says.

The dinners will reflect the personal story of Chef Ola, he says. Raised in Nigeria, Ola moved to the U.S. in 1998, where his first taste of Italian food sparked a passion for the cuisine and inspired subsequent travels throughout Italy. That journey inspired a unique culinary style that bridges his Nigerian heritage with Italian traditions.

Jollof Risotto with braised oxtail and creamy goat cheese.Photo courtesy of the Ebi-Ayo Supper Club.

Named for the Yoruba words Ebi (family) and Ayo (joy), the supper club was created to celebrate culture, community, and connection through shared meals, the chef says.

The Dallas menu will feature dishes such as tuna crudo with mango pepper sauce and fried sweet plantain; lobster and egusi beurre blanc puff pastry topped with caviar; and creamy goat cheese jollof risotto with braised oxtail.

The evening will also include handcrafted mezcal cocktails from LNK Mezcal, which is serving as an event partner.

“Bringing Ebi-Ayo to Dallas is about more than introducing a menu; it's about creating the kind of table where culture, fellowship, and joy can be experienced together,” Ola says in the release. “My cooking reflects both my Nigerian roots and the Italian food that became part of my story after moving to America.”

Tuna crudo with mango pepper sauce.Photo courtesy of Ebi-Ayo Supper Club

The supper club chose Lo’ & Rosie Creative Studio, a design-focused event venue at 1515 S. Ewing Ave. in Oak Cliff, as the setting for the Dallas debut. The venue hosts private dinners, celebrations, brand experiences, and community gatherings.

Tickets are $250 per person and include the six-course dinner and cocktails. The event is for guests ages 21 and older, and reservations are required. As space is limited, early booking is recommended. Reservations can be made through the event website.

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