High Roller News

Dallas spends more on dining out than any other city in Texas

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Dallas is a town of high-rollers when it comes to dining out, and now there is data that proves it's true. A new study called the "Top U.S. Cities for Restaurant Spending" puts Dallas at No. 6, with Dallas-Fort Worth residents spending more than $1,000 on dining out every year.

The study is by Escoffier.edu, the website of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, who conducted an analysis of 22 major U.S. metro areas, pulling data from surveys on food and consumer spending by the USDA and the U.S. Bureau of Labor, to form some conclusions about the dining-out habits of Americans around the country.

They looked at what percentage restaurant spending consumes in total spending versus discretionary spending, as well as restaurant spending per capita.

Dallas is well known as a place where people dine out, so it was a tiny bit disappointing that it did not come in at No. 1 on the list. Instead, that spot was taken by Honolulu, Hawaii, where locals spend a little more than $1,260 per year on dining out at restaurants, the report says.

But despite its 6th-place ranking, DFW does not come in too far behind: We spend up to $1007.58 per year, or about $84 per month.

That total sum represents a sizable 31 percent of a Dallasite's total food expenditures for the year. Locals spend nearly three percent of their total pre-tax income on dining out.

Escoffier says Dallas-Fort Worth has a "strong dining culture" because of its numerous restaurants across many diverse cuisines.

"A mix of Southern comfort food, Tex-Mex, and barbecue plays a major role in why residents frequently dine out," the report's author writes.

Dallas is full of Michelin-star-worthy eateries, so it's not hard to see why Dallasites wouldn't want to support local restaurants. There are so many new restaurants opening in the city that it can be hard to keep track of them all, but that's where CultureMap comes in to keep locals informed about the latest openings, closings, and other dining news.

Dallas can at least feel proud it was the top city in Texas. The only other city in Texas to make the top 10 is Houston which came in at No. 9, with residents spending about $776 on dining out annually, or nearly $65 monthly.

"While Houston has the lowest per capita spending of the top cities, it leads in restaurant spending as a percentage of total food expenditures, at 31.72 percent," the report said. "The city’s diverse and multicultural food scene, featuring influences from around the world, makes dining out a regular part of life for Houstonians."

The top 10 U.S. metros where residents spend the most on dining out are:

No. 1 – Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
No. 3 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 4 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 5 – Baltimore, Maryland
No. 6 – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
No. 7 – Denver, Colorado
No. 8 – San Diego, California
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – Tampa, Florida

The full report can be found on escoffier.edu.

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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.

bar food drink craft cocktails french food live music bishop arts restaurants