Chef News

French Room at Adolphus in downtown Dallas revives dinner with big-name chefs

People have been clamoring to get back in.

Photo courtesy of the Adolphus

A downtown Dallas hotel eatery is easing back to life: After a two-year hiatus, The French Room, the legendary restaurant at the Adolphus hotel, is taking the first steps towards reopening for dinner with a limited dinner series featuring guest chefs.

According to a release, the series will take place on select days in October, November, and January, and represents a return to dinner hours for the restaurant, whose dinner service has been closed since the pandemic.

The restaurant did bring back its High Tea service in 2021, served Wednesday-Sunday from 11 am-3 pm. The hotel also has two other dining options on-site: City Hall Bistro and Rodeo Bar.

But as their F&B general manager Nik Katz observes, there is nothing quite like dinner at the French Room.

"An evening at The French Room has historically been a coveted experience, with countless special dinners and milestone moments taking place within the ornate dining room," Katz says in a statement. "The amount of guest requests we continually receive for dinner service at The French Room is overwhelming, so we are thrilled to offer an opportunity for guests to join us for a one-of-a-kind experience."

The series will launch in October when the French Room welcomes Chef Laurent Quenoix for six nights: October 13-15 and October 19-21.

Originally from Sologne, France, Chef Laurent is the owner and Executive Chef of Bistro LQ in downtown L.A., where he's hailed as one of the city's best French chefs.

Beyond the accolades, Quenoix previously worked with Chef Charles Olalia, Culinary Director for Makeready, the management company for The Adolphus.

His menu will comprise four courses plus dessert — so really, it's five courses — with optional wine pairings for an extra fee, and is $125. The menu includes:

First Course Chanterelles foie torchon, roasted quince pomegranate, pecan praline
Second Course Spiny lobster watercress, kaffir, spicy Chinese relish
Third Course Dover sole chestnut and sweet potato mousse, parmesan viennoise, “Alex Humbert”, scallop “salpicon”
Fourth Course Devil gulch ranch pigeon scented cumin date pure, almond and mint pesto, salmis reduction, confit legs and liver spread
Dessert Tcho chocolate “marjolaine”, Texas pecans, sweet corn mousse, corn glace

Reservations for the ‘Be Our Guest Chef Series’ are limited and can be made on Resy.

Additional chef collaborations and dates for the series will be released in the upcoming weeks.

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Taco News

Award-winning Dallas chef launches taquito concept at Oomi Kitchen

Yelp

Revolver Taco Lounge is known for its tacos.

An award-winning Dallas chef is taking on taquitos: Called Taquitos Ross, it's a new brand from award-winning chef Regino Rojas, owner of Revolver Taco Lounge in Deep Ellum, who will bring his celebrated flavors and techniques to Oomi Kitchen, the digital food hall on 3510 Ross Ave.

Taquitos Ross will be available through the oomi ordering platform and will make its debut on November 19 — bringing a fresh addition to Oomi’s diverse lineup of food concepts.

The focus will be on taquitos filled with premium carefully-prepared ingredients. The opening menu will feature:

Carnitas taquitos
Chicken Tinga taquitos
inventive nachos

Rojas opened Revolver Taco Lounge in Deep Ellum in 2017.

Taquitos consist of a rolled-up tortilla filled with ingredients and deep-fried until crisp. So far, they have not been "elevated." The partnership with Oomi promises not only to elevate the taquito experience — taking it from crunchy snack to refined, flavorful dish — it will also bring Rojas' food to a wider audience.

Oomi founder Markus Pineyro says in a statement that "We’re incredibly honored to work with chef Rojas on Taquitos Ross. His passion for quality and tradition aligns perfectly with our mission to bring exceptional, creative food to our customers. Taquitos Ross is a brand that we believe will not only bring people together but also spark a love for taquitos like never before.”

Pineyro founded Oomi, a digital food hall just outside downtown Dallas in WHEN, as a one-stop shop for bold and innovative concepts, with a focus on delivery and take out. Customers can order from multiple concepts at once — providing a solution for groups with varying tastes — with $2 delivery.

Oomi house brands include: include Bodega Sandwiches & Wraps, Okie Dokie Smash Burgers, Love Bowls, Clucky’s Damn Good Chicken (fried chicken & wings), Savage Rabbit (salads), Hot Lips (Asian-inspired dishes) and Bowlrito (bowls and burritos). Partner brands currently offered include Urban Taco, Pacuigo, and Tribal Juices.

trends tacos