Congratulations to chefs John Tesar and Matt McCallister, whose restaurants have made a big-deal list: nominees for Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants 2013. Restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton "spent countless hours and traveled thousands of miles" crossing the country to compile the list of 50 contenders.
The list — mercifully available at a single glance — spreads its wealth from California to New York and includes a surprisingly robust six from Texas:
About FT33, the magazine says:
While the food scenes in Austin and Houston continue to gather buzz, chefs like Matt McCallister are out to make sure Dallas gets cred right alongside them. His contemporary cooking (duck breast with pickled celery root; grouper with charred local potatoes) is nothing if not precise — no surprise, given that the guy worked at Alinea and Daniel. The Design District space that houses FT33 is easy on the eyes, but the attention's on the plate.
For Spoon, the infamous D Magazine profile get a mention:
A magazine once labeled Spoon's John Tesar 'the most hated chef in Dallas.' We're willing to look past that when the food's this good. With Tesar, landlocked Dallas gets an ode to the ocean in his fiercely original seafood dishes, and the mod white-and-black space leaves you feeling like you're dining in a (stylish) aquarium.
On August 14, the magazine will reveal its list of the 10 best new restaurants and the editor's pick for the best new restaurant in America.
Spoon restaurant in Preston Center is a contender for Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurant in America.
