Whimsical Chef Heads to NY

Private Social chef Najat Kaanache takes her knives to James Beard House

Dallas may not have the acumen to appreciate her food yet, but James Beard does. Najat Kaanache, former chef for the now-closed Private Social, will cook at the James Beard House on July 23.

Kaanache will prepare a six-course meal preceded by a trio of appetizers. She and her business partner, Charles Accivatti, will be joined by her Dallas team, including sous chef Matt Medling, chef de partie Rob Schofield, pastry chef Colin Zug-Moore and tournant apprentice Kelsie Melaas.

"With her keen eye for presentation and masterful ability to engage all the senses, Kaanache brings a playful twist to haute cuisine," reads the Beard House website.

"We were invited in May when we went up for the World Science Festival," Kaanache says. "They told us that we could pick whatever day we wanted. When I knew the date, I went back to my kitchen and told the chefs. For the past two months, each chef has been putting aside small savings for the airfare. They paid their own way. I had no idea what was happening with the restaurant, but I knew this would be an exciting opportunity."

When cooking at the Beard House, chef teams are usually required to find another kitchen for their preparation, but Kaanache's team gets the run of the house. "The Beard House is closed on Monday [July 22], so that gives us all day to prepare," she says.

The Beard House website is lavish in its praise of Kaanache, saying, that "it's no surprise that Dallas restaurant P|S became a culinary sensation after Najat Kaanache took the helm; the superstar chef had trained at Noma, Per Se, El Bullí, Alinea and the French Laundry. With her keen eye for presentation and masterful ability to engage all the senses, Kaanache brings a playful twist to haute cuisine."

The event is already sold out. Her menu is as follows:

Hors d’Oeuvre

Cured Basque Pyrenees Mountain salmon with house-made bagels and cream cheese
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Caprese > fried tiger prawns with Caprese salad eElements
Frida Goes to Fez > colorful roasted vegetables with Moroccan flavors

Dinner

Sensory Bill of Rights > 10 inalienable flavor sensations
The Turtle Pond Freezes Over > A Midsummer Night’s heirloom tomato gazpacho
Hobbit’s Halibut > seared halibut on the shire with Farmer Lee’s vegetable mousses
Edible Dalí > taste transmuted into art
It Takes a Party Fowl to Run Afoul of French Law > filet mignon and duck breast with duck confit bisteeya and duck liver mousse

Dessert

An Apple Walks into the Genius Bar > study of apple flavors and textures

unspecified

Deli News

Gourmet market Ari's Pantry to open in Dallas' Trinity Groves

Ari's Pantry

undefined

A new gourmet grocery is coming to Trinity Groves: Ari's Pantry, the market launched in Oak Cliff by husband-and-wife Ari and Amy Lowenstein, will open a second location in West Dallas’ Trinity Groves, with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, November 30.

Located at 3011 Gulden Ln. #119 in the space that was once home to Potato Flats who remembers them, the Trinity Groves store will offer: pasta, olive oil, vinegars, preserves, candy, bread, crackers, cheese, meats, pizza dough, fresh pasta, housewares, cocktail ingredients, novelty kitchen gadgets, spices, prepared foods, fresh pesto and Ari’s own tomato sauce.

“We are excited to open our newest location at Trinity Groves joining the great businesses already there and the wave of new ventures opening in the development,” Ari Lowenstein says in a release. “With this location we will reach a new audience in West Dallas and be closer to our customers coming from downtown and the north.”

The couple opened their first location in Winnetka Heights at 1307 ½ W. Davis St. in December 2023 to fulfill Ari's passion for all things Italy. The idea was a small Italian food store with recipe-ready staples, with a hyper-local vibe. It has since blossomed into a general-purpose gourmet stop.

In addition to the food staples for sale found at their Bishop Arts location, Ari’s Trinity Groves location will also include a commercial catering kitchen that will enable them to provide full-service catering, prepared meal pick-up, pasta classes, and private dinners.

“Amy and Ari bring something new and special to this development as our first partner to offer consumer packaged goods made by people and companies outside of Trinity Groves,” said Sam Romano, Partner at West Dallas Investments, parent company of Trinity Groves. “They are part of the vision we have for the future of Trinity Groves that will combine innovative, up and coming chefs and restauranteurs with lifestyle and entertainment options like pickleball, bocce ball, popup events, arcade game play and additional retail partners.”

The Ari's empire doesn't stop here: Their goal is to open multiple locations "in all corners of DFW and beyond," and that includes a location in the Cyprus Waters community in Coppell, slated to open in spring 2025.

downtown openings