Very Important Restaurant Opening

Uptown hangout The Rustic debuts with burgers, Pat Green tunes and TX-OU fanfare

Rustic burger with brisket, cheddar, green chile and onion, with potato chipsand pickled okra.
Photo courtesy of The Rustic
The Rustic's peanut-butter pie.
Photo courtesy of The Rustic
Half dozen shrimp with slaw.
Photo courtesy of The Rustic
Texas goat cheese topped with roasted garlic cloves and served with butteredtoast.
Photo courtesy of The Rustic

Sound the klaxons, ring the bells, it is time, it is time. The Rustic, whose ownership team includes singer-songwriter Pat Green, will open with a flurry of activity as befits the blisteringly hot Uptown restaurant-bar hangout it promises to be.

Going into one of Uptown's most visible spots at the corner of Lemmon Avenue and US 75, The Rustic comes from Josh Sepkowitz and Kyle Noonan, who own Bowl & Barrel and who made such a splash with Mutts Cantina. They've partnered with Green and local businessman Brian Manion on this restaurant-bar that will also feature live music in a sprawling outdoor space. There's seating inside for 250, but outdoor seating totals 300.

"In my mind, there's nothing better than gathering with friends on a Texas ranch and grilling out under the stars," Noonan said in a release.

The menu was developed by chef-for-hire Sharon Hage; the cuisine is "approachable comfort food," with burgers, sandwiches, quail and pork ribs. Matt Balke will run day-to-day operations as executive chef. He worked with Hage for four years at York Street, and he was also at Bolsa and Bolsa Mercado.

Sandwiches range from $8.95 to $11.95 and include turkey, roast beef, crab melt, grilled chicken and a quinoa veggie burger with tzatziki sauce. Sides include hominy with cheddar cheese, chunky avocado salad and onion rings. For starters, there are deviled eggs, wild boar meatballs, chorizo empanadas, cactus fritters, calf fries, and Texas goat cheese with roasted garlic and toast. The most expensive item on the menu is a 12-ounce rib-eye steak for $28.95.

The official opening is October 16, but that'll be preceded by a week's worth of activities that include a watching party for the big TX-OU game on Saturday, as well as a Pat Green concert on Thursday, October 10, that is already sold out.

Friday, October 11: Sneak peek dinner and music night. Doors open at 4 pm, and local bands perform from 7 pm to midnight.
Saturday, October 12, 8-10 am: TX/OU party with Pat Green and ESPN live broadcast. $30 per person, with breakfast tacos, Bloody Marys and full bar.
Saturday, October 12, 11 am-2:30 pm: TX/OU watching party
Saturday, October 12, 2:30 pm: Pat Green concert. Purchase tickets online.
Saturday, October 12: Sneak peek dinner and music night. Doors open at 4 pm, and local bands perform from 7 pm to midnight.
Sunday, October 13: "Sunday Funday at The Rustic." Doors open at 11 am, local bands at 2:30 pm, and sneak peek menu.
Sunday, October 13, 7:30 pm-midnight: Cowboys watching party. Sneak peek menu and giveaways.

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Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

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