Rise no. 1 – Dallas, TX
A very cool new concept referred to by its management as a soufflé salon and yet another tasty gourmet addition to Inwood Village, the strip mall that somehow became the Park Cities’ gastronomic Mecca. Coming in from the parking lot, you don’t expect what you find inside: a tasteful, whimsical, modern yet still French-inspired 92-seat dining room made mostly of reclaimed and recycled materials, most ostensibly a chandelier made of re-purposed wine bottles that fits the space perfectly. The open kitchen affords all diners a view, but the owners may want to rethink that, as the view is mostly of the cooks waiting around for soufflés to come out of the oven. Anyways, the concept is unabashedly green and should be lauded for their efforts (which they publicize extensively on the menu).
The soufflés are very good. We tried three savory soufflés: a mushroom, a ham and cheese, and a boursin and crabmeat. The former two were very good, while the latter—that day’s special—was truly something special. All were well prepared, hitting the consistency, temperature, and even the portions just right. They’re not light, but they make an excellent lunch far better than any sandwich or salad you might get on a weekday. Perhaps because of the success of the first round, the dessert soufflés failed to impress me. Both chocolate and Grand Marnier were, to me, just ok. They were well prepared and there was nothing wrong with them, but they lacked the wow factor of earlier courses.
Whoever is running the wine program knows what he or she is doing. The selections are plentiful, rare, well selected and fairly priced. Furthermore, the approach to flights is the best I have seen yet—breaking the traditional rules of flights while educating and challenging the palette. Best of all, they are priced to encourage experimentation. I personally cannot wait until it cools off a bit to find a designated driver, go sit on their patio, and order flight after flight to taste and discover. Worth it even if you don’t like soufflé.
Try this one out—we need to support new, honest concepts in Big D and this is one of them.
Highly Recommended.
