Some world-famous ham is coming to Dallas. A new gourmet shop by Enrique Tomás, who oversees the largest collection of Spanish Jamón Ibérico gourmet shops in the world, will open a location in Dallas at 2822 Henderson Ave., which locals will recall is the former Mesero space, in the fall.
Jamón Ibérico is Spain's signature cured ham. It's an expensive foodie thing. Enrique Tomás specializes in Jamón Ibérico and has more than 100 shops, mostly in Spain, plus locations in London, Paris, Rome, and Mexico City.
This is not only the first shop in Dallas for this Spain-based company, it's the first location in the United States. The Dallas shop will sell the ham retail, and also house an adjoining bar and restaurant.
The launch is being headed up by local businessman and SMU alumni Ricardo Sieveking. According to a release, he's super-duper into Jamón.
"In Spain, Jamón Ibérico is not just something to eat, it is an integral part of the culture and everyday life," Sieveking says in a statement. "We look forward to introducing Dallas to the true Spanish Jamón, which has previously been hard to find at such a high level of quality."
Sieveking says that Enrique Tomás chose Dallas as the first market in the U.S. "because of its strong ties to Spain and its community of food lovers with exquisite palates." Huh. Do we even have two tapas restaurants right now?
The restaurant will be full-service and will feature contemporary Spanish cuisine, wines, and a mixology program.
In Spain, restaurants place a Jamón leg on display, cutting thin strips to order. Enrique Tomás will sell the Jamón not only by slice, but also by boneless piece, or in whole legs if you're really feeling hammy, and along with cheeses and wines.
Here's a trippy thing: Customers can rent a cellar onsite. So you buy a leg, then keep it stored there, like a cellar for your wine.
Sieveking says that Enrique Tomás will be a destination for Spanish food – "in the restaurant, through catering and in our pre-packaged retail space," he says. "It is important to us to share Spain's extraordinary Jamón culture, while truly immersing ourselves in the Dallas community."
