Dallas Restaurant News
New high-profile Dallas restaurants set the table for September
Foodie frenzy alert is set to go off the first week of September, when two high-profile Dallas restaurants will start serving up gourmet grub.
Pink Magnolia, the Southern restaurant in Oak Cliff from chef Blythe Beck and restaurateur Casie Caldwell, has named an actual opening date (which is such a brave act in the restaurant world): September 3.
A release says that the restaurant aims to deliver the nostalgic charm of Southern home cooking in an elegant yet casual setting. Chef Beck says that she has never been more excited about a project in her entire career.
"As for the food, you'll be seeing a more grown-up and sophisticated version of what I have done in the past but still very much my food and personality," she says. "I'm taking our old family recipes but twisting it up a little with bacon, butter and booze."
Located in the former Driftwood space at 642 W. Davis St., Pink Magnolia will seat 84 inside, with 20 more seats outside. A remodel incorporated an open kitchen and chef counter where diners can interact with Beck.
Madrina, the latest restaurant from Proof + Pantry owners Misery Loves Co., opens at the Shops of Highland Park, in the old Nosh Euro Bistro space, during the first week of September. According to a release, it will marry classic French techniques with authentic Mexican cuisine. Julio Peraza is executive chef.
Menu items include hay-smoked foie gras; lobster bisque en croûte; Mexican-inspired vegetables and black jalapeno hash; enfrijoladas with cilantro tortillas; duck confit and duck skin; and plantain empanadas featuring a steamed plantain casing filled with braised oxtail, capers, and chives.
Cocktails by Michael Martensen will be inspired by French and Mexican classics. "Mindful" and focused drinks include a heavy and hand-picked selection of agave-distilled spirits such as mezcal; tequila from Mexico; and Armagnacs, eau de vies, and aperitifs from France. The wine list will feature bottles from the Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Loire Valley regions.
Madrina also will offer an up-close-and-personal chef counter seating option, allowing diners to tug at Peraza's chef jacket.