Omakase News

Reservations are open for new omakase restaurant at Statler Dallas

Sauvage

Reservations are open for one of the buzziest new restaurants in Dallas: Called Sauvage, reservations are open beginning August 20 at the Statler Dallas hotel downtown, at 1914 Commerce St. #100. UPDATE 8-20-2025: The opening has been pushed back until late August.

Sauvage is the new concept from chefs Casey and Amy La Rue, who own La Rue Doughnuts, the artisan doughnut shop at Trinity Groves, and who previously owned Carte Blanche, the award-winning restaurant on Greenville Avenue which closed in 2024.

Sauvage marks their return to fine dining and will follow a similar tasting menu approach that they maintained at Carte Blanche, but with a smaller footprint: just 12 seats, with two seatings per night, and the restaurant will be open only four nights a week, from Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations can be made on tock.

They're calling it a "woodfire omakase." Every course will be done on the wood grill or smoker, with no gas and no fryer.

"The menu will be centered on a wood-fire tasting menu, with 16 to 18 courses cooked on a wood fire and served right to you," Casey says.

The menu is not yet online but they'll continue the focus on wild game they had at Carte Blanche — antelope, elk, venison — plus seafood, vegetable courses, and dessert.

Each course will celebrate wood-fired flavors, whether it's Moroccan antelope sausage with pistachio and fermented harissa, or wild boar burnt ends with sorghum glaze.

The convivial environment will put the diner in the center of the magic, watching as the sizzling meat and game are cut and cooked on the flame and plated — omakase-style.

Amy will do desserts and breads which will occupy 25 percent of the menu. They'll also offer a beverage pairing, although it won't be restricted to wine.

Pricing will be in line with what tasting and omakase places are charging: $245 for dinner, plus $125 for beverage pairing. The restaurant is located two doors to the left of the Statler hotel's front lobby. There is no access from inside the hotel.

Carte Blanche was the first stand-alone restaurant to achieve Forbes Five-Star in Texas for two years in a row, in 2022 and again in 2023. It was also the only Dallas restaurant to earn the prestigious 5-diamond award from AAA.

downtown openings

Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings