Downtown News

High-profile new downtown Dallas steakhouse leaks opening date and menu

Crown Block will have many kinds of steak.

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There's an opening date for one of the most high-profile restaurants in Dallas: Crown Block, the new restaurant from a high-powered hospitality team that's going into the Reunion Tower downtown, will open on Monday, April 17.

The steak and seafood concept is from hospitality industry veterans and husband-wife business partners, Elizabeth Blau and Chef Kim Canteenwalla of Blau + Associates and Hunt Realty Investments, Inc. and promises lots of features to wow diners above and beyond the building's unique 360-degree skyline views.

They're also revealing details on the menu including a notable steak program featuring Prime Beef, Texas Wagyu, and Japanese A5 Wagyu; sushi and a chilled seafood bar; and a dessert bar.

Some of the dishes that Canteenwalla says he's most excited about include:

Regiis Ova Caviar
Wagyu croquettes with Keen’s hot mustard sauce
Heartbrand Akaushi striploin, from Flatonia, Texas
Rosewood Ranch Bone-In Strip Steak from Ennis
Triple cooked steak fries with truffle mayonnaise, which take several days to prepare

Desserts are described as "unparalleled and photo-worthy," including the Turtle Peanut Butter Candy Bar and Crème Brulee Donut Holes with Maple Cotton Candy.

A custom bar will be stocked with a "substantial" wine list and signature cocktails such as the Midnight Rambler with Balcones Pot Still Bourbon; and the Orange Vesper with Lockwood Texas Style Gin and fresh blood orange juice.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this collaboration to Dallas,” Blau says. “Alongside our Operating Partner, Hunt Realty, we are proud to open our doors and welcome guests to an unmatched culinary experience that transcends a typical steakhouse. It’s an honor to be part of the Reunion Tower story and have the privilege of serving a menu that brings forth the best of Texas hospitality with breathtaking views.”

In addition to the restaurant, Crown Block will offer an event space called The Crown Room, located one floor below the restaurant, which can accommodate 250+ guests for a cocktail reception, a formal seated experience for 200+ guests, and a semi-private space for 100 to 150 guests with choice of south-facing views or views of downtown.

“Reunion Tower is an icon of the Dallas skyline and has served as the premiere destination for the city’s milestones and celebrations," says Tyler Kleinert of Hunt Realty. "Crown Block embodies the spirit of what my grandfather, Ray Hunt envisioned for his development of Reunion Tower nearly six decades ago. Crown Block builds on his vision for downtown and I am excited for the growth taking shape. The selection of Blau + Associates will deliver an experience worthy of our great city.”

Blau is founder and CEO of restaurant development company Blau + Associates and credited with transforming Las Vegas into a world-class culinary destination. A judge on CNBC’s Restaurant Startup, she and Canteenwalla, who is former executive chef for MGM Grand in Las Vegas with more than 30 years of culinary & industry experience around the world, operate several restaurants in Las Vegas and Vancouver. The couple co-authored Honey Salt: A Culinary Scrapbook, named Best Cookbook of 2018 by Food & Beverage Magazine.

downtown openings

STARS STRUCK

Texas Monthly’s handy new restaurant guide crowns 95 Dallas spots

Courtesy of Cafe Momentum

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After half a century, Texas Monthly is ditching its revered Dining Guide. But before hangry locals start storming the magazine’s offices, know it has replaced the massive list with the Texas Grand — an honor roll of the “thousand-ish” best restaurants in the state, including 95 in Dallas proper.

And each Dallas suburb you add to the search increases the number of local honorees. Addison and Garland each boast two restaurants on the roll, and together Plano and Arlington add 14. Once you include Farmers Branch, Grapevine, and Irving in the search, the Dallas metro area has some 128 restaurants on the list.

The Dining Guide has been a fixture of the magazine since its 1973 launch. It was synonymous with Texas Monthly’s former restaurant critic Pat Sharpe, who began her storied career proofreading the entries as an editorial assistant, then added hundreds of restaurants until her retirement in 2025.

The new guide scraps the guide’s star system. Sharpe originally used the ratings under a three-star system, which she described as good/better/best in a 2001 column. In 2017, that scale grew to five. The new Texas Grand describes its entries as “restaurants in the state that are wholeheartedly recommended by [Texas Monthly’s] dining team.”

“Excellent food, service, and overall atmosphere are musts — and that excellence can exist at all price points, whether at a taco truck, a diner, or an upscale steakhouse,” explained the magazine in a FAQ section. “We don’t pay much attention to big chains …Our reviewers focus largely on restaurants with local roots that offer something genuinely special.”

Where once readers had to pour over pages of the magazine to discover new restaurant picks, Texas Grand now allows them to sort by city, type of cuisine, and price point. There are some quirky filters, too, like checkboxes for pet-friendly spots, “fancy” eateries, or those that offer Favor delivery. A map feature lets road-trippers easily plan road-trip dinners.

Dallas picks include an eclectic mix: There's the humble 1-year-old Oak Cliff diner Donde Los Tacos and its 15-year-old neighbor down the street Lockhart Smokehouse. Also on the list, the nonprofit Cafe Momentum downtown and the backyard-born One90 Smoked Meats in Lake Highlands. Slightly up the scale, budgetarily speaking, are spots such as Highland Park soufflé specialists Rise No 1, Design District darling The Charles, and posh Pappas Bros. Steakhouse with its rooftop helipad.

Each eatery is described in one sentence. Frisco's Bharat Bhavan is “an impressively large, sensory, and satisfying destination for vegetarian Indian fare" and Smokey Joe's is a “a gas-station-turned-barbecue-joint with some of the city’s best brisket.” For the publication's full thoughts, readers can pony up for a subscription.

Texas foodies can peruse the full list here.

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