Henderson Avenue News
Veteran Dallas team debuts playful bistro on Henderson Avenue
The Charlotte is bright, cheerful, and nostalgic.
A playful, nostalgic new eatery is making its debut on Henderson Avenue: Called The Charlotte, it will be located in the former Enrique Tomas restaurant space at 2822 N. Henderson Ave. According to a release, it'll open on Monday, September 30.
The Charlotte is from a team with notable resumes: Culinary director is Wyl Lima, whose previous tenures include Sister, the acclaimed restaurant on Greenville Avenue from Duro Hospitality, and Michelin-starred Temporis in Chicago; and Operating Partner Kimberly O’Neal, whose nearly 20 years of hospitality experience include 11 years at Hillstone Restaurant Group.
The cuisine is Southern-American with global flavors. Menu highlights include:
- Biryani spiced wingsserved with citrus ranch
- Charbroiled oysters
- Crispy Duck with roasted red pepper sauce and potato pavé
- Steak Au Poivre — served tableside, with brandy peppercorn cream sauce and fries
- Chicken with piri piri sauce
- The Spaghetti & Catfish — a Southern twist on spaghetti with meat sauce and a crispy catfish filet
There is whole seafood, a rising trend, including whole snapper and whole branzino; plus a smashburger and a fried chicken sandwich. Sides include those global flavors mentioned above, such as crab fried rice, Creole okra, charred cabbage, and jollof rice.
Cocktails have a fun, "extreme" vibe such as the Key Lime Pie made with Roku, vanilla, lime foam, boba pearls, and graham cracker dust; a Frozen Espresso Martini featuring Grey Goose and coffee foam, dusted with a cocoa teddy bear shape on top; and the Mexican Candy Shot, sweet and spicy, made with Cuervo Devil's Reserve, Stoli Chamoy, and watermelon.
The 5,800 square feet restaurant features a full-service patio on both floors. A playful touch is found in the restaurant's signature teddy bear motif, incorporated throughout the decor to evoke a sense of child-like nostalgia and charm.
“We found inspiration in a childhood memory shared by one of our partners," O'Neal says in a statement. "His mother, Charlotte, was the heart of the neighborhood. She was like a second mother to all the kids, and everyone looked forward to going to Auntie Charlotte's. Her warmth left a lasting impression, and that’s the feeling we want to bring to the neighborhood – a place where our guests can walk in, see familiar faces, and feel like they're at home.”
