Chef Swaps
Cook Hall at W hotel switches up chef with new menu on the way
A year after opening, Cook Hall, the restaurant at W Dallas Victory hotel, has changed chefs: Douglas Wagenhauser replaces Rick Graff as chef de cuisine, overseeing daily operations in the kitchen and assisting with seasonal menu changes.
According to a release, Wagenhauser, a native of Dallas, is preparing a new fall menu for Cook Hall, including local and seasonal ingredients.
He was previously sous chef at the Landmark Restaurant at the Melrose Hotel; before that he was in the kitchen at Townhouse Restaurant and Saint Ann’s. Prior to becoming a chef, he was a photographer at Fossil.
The menu hasn't been announced, but during his tenure at the Landmark, he took to posting photos of dishes he'd made on his Facebook page, such as terrine with pork, apricot and pistachio; curried chorizo wrapped in a potato crisp; and octopus with jalapeño-yuzu vinaigrette. Sounds fancy.
Graff's departure was sudden; he's still listed as chef on the Cook Hall website. The restaurant took the place of Craft, the restaurant from Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio.