Here's the beef

Dallas neighbor beefs up with new upscale wagyu market from Kansas

High-end wagyu cuts are the thing at Booth Creek.

Booth Creek Wagyu Market/Facebook

A premier Kansas wagyu producer has crossed state lines to make its Texas debut: Booth Creek Wagyu Market is now open in Southlake, bringing its premium Kansas-raised beef to a sleek, upscale market designed to make shopping for meat feel like an experience.

The market is located in the Park Village Shopping Center, at 1161 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 202.

The store comes from entrepreneur Dave Dreiling, whose diverse portfolio includes a t-shirt company and several Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers locations nationwide. Dreiling launched his wagyu business in 2020 out of Manhattan, Kansas. Since then, he has opened four retail locations across Kansas. Southlake is the company's fifth, and the first outside of their home state.

"For us, Texas has always been about relationships; it's about becoming part of the community, earning people's trust, and serving families with a product we're proud of,” says Dreiling. “As a family-owned business, those values are at the heart of everything we do.”

Booth Creek’s approach to beef focuses heavily on genetics and embryo breeding to raise efficient, high-performing cattle. To get scientific: These genetics are engineered around a precise marbling grading system that measures the amount and distribution of intramuscular fat. A higher marbling grade results in juicier, more tender beef with a richer flavor profile.

Because customer service is the storefront's centerpiece, they say, these technical details are explained to guests as soon as they walk through the door. This educational approach allows experts, aficionados, and everyday grillers alike to understand exactly what type of cut they are purchasing. The market's selection typically ranges from 20 percent to 40 percent marbling, with rare 50 percent marbling cuts occasionally available.

“We want everybody that comes in to be able to enjoy it; there’s something for everybody,” says Corrie Lloyd, manager of the Southlake store. “Elevated service goes with an elevated product.”

All of Booth Creek's cattle are raised on the 5,000-acre Booth Creek Ranch in Kansas. While commercial beef cattle are typically harvested at 18 to 24 months, Booth Creek allows its herd to mature for 36 months. The ranch and market deal exclusively in premium wagyu beef derived from Australian and Japanese full-blood cows, as well as F1 wagyu — a full-blood wagyu crossed with an American breed, usually Angus, which produces a larger animal with a signature buttery marbling.

Top Sirloin Filet Steaks on display showcase the shop's distinct marbling scales.Photo courtesy of Booth Creek Wagyu

The boutique-style store in Southlake is pristine, featuring fresh and frozen meats displayed alongside clear pricing and marbling grades. Guests are greeted with samples — typically highlighting two to three different types of cuts — and all the guidance they need to find an old favorite or discover something new.

The market offers a wide variety of cuts, including filet mignon, top sirloin, flank steak, brisket, bavette, KC strips, and ribeye. The price points cater to all budgets: customers can pick up a four-pack of burgers for $12, a high-end picanha for $160, or anything in between.

To complement the meats, the market stocks spices, rubs, and salts ranging from $10 to $15, featuring both their proprietary brand and selections from Caravel Gourmet and Meat Mitch. They also sell beef tallow, a popular cooking oil alternative for grilling.

“We want to be a one-stop shop for grillers,” Lloyd says.

The brand has ambitious growth plans, aiming to open more than 100 stores over the next 10 years. That rollout includes plans for about four locations in the DFW area within the next four years, alongside expansions into other major Texas hubs like Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.

Booth Creek Wagyu Market is open 9 am-7 pm Monday-Saturday, and 10 am-6 pm Sunday. To encourage sustainability, customers receive an insulated bag with their purchase and a $2 discount when they bring it back on return shopping trips.

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Joie de vivre

New Bishop Arts bistro brings French elan to historic Oak Cliff home

Photo courtesy of Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Trapèze is serving French fare in a laid-back bohemian yet deeply thought-out atmosphere.

Transforming historic Oak Cliff homes into dining destinations is an art, and a duo known for their Deep Ellum hot spots has a new work on display: Trapèze, a French bohemian bar and bistro, that has quietly opened at 240 W. 8th St. in a repurposed bungalow on the west end of the Bishop Arts District.

Owners Peter Novotny and Dan Murry, who operate Ruins on Commerce and Armoury D.E. on Elm Street, told CultureMap in February that they envisioned Trapèze as “an old-fashioned bohemian artist’s enclave.”

Now in the soft opening phase eight months later, they say, by "drawing inspiration from the old French bohemian bars and cabarets,” they've accomplished their goal of creating "a place where people can enjoy a great meal and drinks, listen to some music, and just lose track of time a little.”

Trapèze has been welcoming guests discreetly the last couple weekends, as they complete a few finishing touches both to the building — they are excited about the near-complete patio — and to the food: “We have a limited but very solid menu available now, and should have the full menu, brunch and all, ready very soon,” Novotny says.

A grand opening date is still in the works.

Novotny has said that inspiration for Trapèze came from Oak Cliff’s historical French influence. Bishop Arts once was home to the French utopian community La Reunion, which settled in the mid 1800s. The neighborhood pays homage to these roots at its annual Bastille on Bishop celebration.

“We’re trying to do a tribute to the French history of Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts, and our goal is to capture the things we love about regional French cuisine and culture,” Novotny said earlier this year.

trapeze Designed by local artists at Decotron, the front-porch sign at Trapèze offers a taste of what's inside. Photo courtesy Trapèze/Peter Novotny

Novotny and Murry hired New York-bred chef Jeremy Spector to direct Trapèze’s culinary program. He’s worked in famous kitchens such as Balthazar and Gramercy Tavern and has owned and operated restaurants in NYC. The owners have told CultureMap that Spector's menu represents different regions of France, along with flavors inspired by France’s once-vast colonial empire, including Moroccan cuisine.

The bar menu is full of classic French and New Orleans-esque cocktails made with French spirits and liqueurs like absinthe and chartreuse; an extensive list of cognacs; French Caribbean-rooted Rhum Agricoles (or Agricole rums), and French and “French-adjacent” cider and beer.

The house that is now a restaurant underwent a massive revamp, which lasted months due in part to weather-related delays. To make matters more challenging, Trapeze is located in a conservation district, which means construction had to be done in a specific way that would preserve the home’s original look.

“It’s basically a complete renovation,” Novotny says. “They had to rebuild the entire structure. The whole exterior is all new.”

The new sign out front reads Bien Mangé, Bien Bu, which translates roughly to good food, good drink. Made by the sculptural artists at Decotron, an Elm Street-based signage fabrication company, it creates curb appeal and offers a preview of the attention to detail, whimsy, fine craftsmanship, and French flavor found inside.

Hours have been slightly fluid. At this time Trapèze is open 4 pm-"late" Wednesday-Thursday and 4 pm-2 am Friday-Sunday. Updated days and hours will be posted on Instagram along with information about live music performers, they say.

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