Photo Credit: Becca Bousquet
2007 Dallas Rising
Stars
CHEFS:
Anthony Bombaci, Nana
David Gilbert, Luqa
Scott Gottlich, Bijoux
Lanny Lancarte, Lanny’s
Alta Cocina Mexicana
Kevin Maxey, Craft
Tracy Miller, Local
Tre Wilcox, Abacus
HOTEL CHEF AWARD:
Marc Cassel, Dragonfly at
Hotel Zaza
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD:
Sharon Hage, York Street
PASTRY CHEFS:
Katherine Clapner,
Stephan Pyles
Shannon Swindle, Craft
Morgan Wilson, Bijoux
SOMMELIER:
James Tidwell,
Café on the Green
BAR CHEF:
Justin Beam, Craft
HOST CHEF:
Tom Fleming, Central 214
at Hotel Palomar
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By Antoinette Bruno and Tejal Rao
March 2007
This year StarChefs ventured to Dallas for our very first culinary
tour of the city, in search of its Rising Stars. For the cynics who
wondered why we would bother with the sprawling metropolis of mega-chain
restaurants and strip malls, we present our Dallas Rising Stars!
The chefs we selected, after our intense editorial process of tastings
and interviews, are committed to their products and constantly refine
their techniques to achieve excellent, delicious dishes that reflect
their approach to the craft. They are leaders in the culinary vanguard
of Dallas dining and well worth a trip.
2007 Dallas Rising Stars
Click
here for more information about
the Dallas Rising Stars Revue on May 14 at Hotel Palomar.
Anthony
Bombaci, Nana
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR
SHINE: Never heard of Anthony Bombaci? That’s because
he’s spent the last nine years in Spain, honing his skills with
some of Spain’s most innovative chefs, including Ferran Adrià
and Joan Roca. Perched on the 24th floor of a hotel overlooking the
Dallas cityscape, his stunning, artistic presentations at Nana promise
a lot and deliver even more with their balanced flavors and textures.
While his dishes may sound alternative (sweet tomato marmalade paired
with yogurt sorbet and jellied olive oil) one never feels like a guinea
pig at the hands of an experimental chef. His mature dishes, which
draw from a global market of ingredients and spices, are completely
polished and precise, presenting a vision influenced by his years
abroad, but clearly his own.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Seared
Venison Loin, Caramelized Bananas, Thai Peanut Sauce, Cilantro
- Fresh Tomato Marmalade, Yogurt Sorbet, Texturized Olive Oil
David
Gilbert, Luqa
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR
SHINE: David Gilbert entertains the diner at Luqa
with his interactive dishes that involve tableside activation of rosemary
aromas, sucking mousses from tubes, and breaking a crème brulée
caramel that hovers a few inches above its generally attached custard.
What sets David apart from so many other chefs playing with their
food is that each one of his dishes stands alone as a high-flavor,
high-concept, sensual experience with pleasing the diner in mind rather
than showing off. He elevates lowbrow ingredients like barley, onion
and bacon in a tender, concentrated risotto with pink slices of squab,
as well as seeking out exotic products like kangaroo which he pairs
with pillows of potato gnocchi. David’s experience with Atlanta
greats Michael Ganley and Joel Antunes honed his leadership skills.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Fruit Slider with Rosewater Cream and Passion Fruit Curd
- Squab
"Through a Window," Smoked Bacon, Pearl Onions, Barley
"Risotto," Apple Curry Foam
Scott
Gottlich, Bijoux
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING
STAR SHINE: Scott Gottlich has a way of gently balancing
the often underappreciated flavors of bitterness and acidity to create
grown-up dishes that direct the palate’s attention to just a
few specific flavors. At Bijoux, products like skate wing
and pork belly are refined by Scott’s technical precision with
temperature and texture, resulting in crisp skins and tender centers.
While the menu is rooted in French and Italian classics, like a simple
cippolini onion soup that celebrates intense, bright, and clean flavors
of mushroom and onion, Scott enhances his menu with international
flavors like red Thai curry without losing his strong sense of culinary
identity or confusing the diner. His execution and high level can
be partially attributed to time spent in the perfected machinery of
Eric Ripert’s kitchen. The
Dishes that Clinched it:
- Slow-Braised Pork Belly with Red Thai Curry
- Eastern
Spotted Skate Wing with Belgian Endive
Sharon
Hage, York Street
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING
STAR SHINE: It’s no coincidence that Sharon Hage’s
restaurant is a favorite destination for working chefs and food industry
professionals in Dallas. In what feels like the same school as Café
Paradiso and Chez Panisse, York Street’s
product-driven menu conveys a generosity and spontaneity from the
kitchen to the table. Sharon Hage’s well-balanced dishes are
unfussy and fresh, served in a small, stand-alone house completely
free of pretense. The duck tongue salad, which arrives with a wobbling
softly-poached egg, reveals Sharon’s ability to make daunting
ingredients accessible and comfortable while lending them a serious
depth of flavor and texture. Though her background is in small and
large hotels, Sharon’s restaurant, philosophy, and miniscule
kitchen are the very antithesis. Sharon’s menu reflects her
strong commitment to sustainability with strictly seasonal and often
locally-driven dishes and sets the standard for a sustainable kitchen
without compromising flavor and creativity.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- The Ruby Salad
- Duck Tongue Salad
Lanny
Lancarte, Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana
WHAT
MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE: Lanny Lancarte grew up in his
parents’ casual Mexican eateries in Fortworth, prepping and
doing dishes; today his self-titled Alta Cocina Mexicana is no overstatement.
With a delicate hand, he layers the flavors of jalapeno with foie
gras and lobster in a transparent lobster raviolo that emphasizes
technical precision. The elk loin, cooked sous-vide with garlic, thyme,
and pepper, is placed on a plate lacquered with mole Colorado. The
control Lanny shows when saucing creates a stunning presentation but
flavor always steals the show from his precise and elegant plating:
the mole itself is a layered flavor experience in chili and spice
that surpasses.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Elk
Loin with Mole Colorado
- Lobster Ravioli with Brussels Sprouts and Foie Gras Butter
Kevin
Maxey, Craft
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR
SHINE: Never has a sparse plate of barely-dressed pasta felt
as sensual as Kevin Maxey's Kabocha squash-filled tortellini with
chestnut honey, sage and parmesan. Kevin's understated presentations
and flavors find their way into simple, unpretentious roulades, risottos,
and galantines that never crowd the palate, or the plate, with too
many fussy flavors. His crab risotto, rich with layers of lemony sorrel
and lemon confit, creates the illusion of being absolutely effortless
while exploring how a minimum of flavors can play off each other and
stand alone all in the same dish (and sometimes even the same mouthful).
With mentors like John Schaefer, Damon Wise, and Akhtar Nawab, it’s
no wonder. The Dishes that
Clinched it:
- Jumbo
Lumb Crab Risotto with Baby Sorrel and Lemon Confit
- Kabocha Squash Tortellini with Chestnut Honey and Sage
Tracy
Miller, Local
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE: The moment you
walk into Tracy Miller's little world of retro-Scandinavian-functionality
with a whole lot of soul at Local, you are entering another
world of flavor and style. From the bowl of welcoming nuts, to the
perfectly refreshing intermezzo of grapefruit and rosemary sorbet,
to the absolutely tiny thumbprint petit four, Tracy's vision permeates
every detail of the restaurant and follows through a meditated progression
to create a completely transporting dining experience. As a chef she's
a perfectionist, skipping the bread service altogether because she's
determined to bake the bread herself, and do it right. As it is she
runs the savory and sweet side of the little kitchen, putting out
beautifully composed dishes that are built with all the delicate sensibility
and sophisticated playfulness of The French Laundry while
being unmistakably her own. Tracy came into her career later in life,
working under Chef Kent Rathbun at Seventeen Seventeen over
at the Dallas Museum of Art.
The Dishes that Clinched
it:
- Cream of Celery Root Soup with Crispy Leeks
- Rosemary-Scented
Lamb Chop with Madeira-Honey Finish
Tre
Wilcox, Abacus
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE:
Tre Wilcox is the self-confident chef running the kitchen at Abacus
who’s not afraid to discuss how corporate training for a national
food chain shaped his skills as a leader. But it's his skills in the
kitchen that truly impress: every element on the plate is cooked precisely
to point—from the starring protein to the minutia of the pearl
onion garnish. Garnishes are always functional and no unnecessary
elements find their way to the plate. Tre's dishes, like his duck,
which shows off not one but three perfect cooking techniques as well
as a sensible, pleasing geometry, are driven by an obvious passion
for food and showmanship. Tre arrived at Abacus by way of
corporate training but credits mentor Kent Rathbun with polishing
his skills as a cook. The
Dishes that Clinched it:
- Duck
Three Ways: Foie Gras, Crispy Breast and Confit Crêpe with
Huckleberry Maple Syrup
- Grilled Lamb Rack with Blue Cheese-Crusted Fingerling Potatoes
and Rosemary Sauce
Katherine
Clapner, Stephan Pyles
WHAT
MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE: Katherine Clapner is a fearless
pastry chef whose bold presentations and flavor combinations are unexpected
but successful. Katherine draws from Stephan Pyles' savory
pantry of Peruvian corn, saffron, fennel pollen, Mahleeb, coriander
seeds, and white balsamic gel to create whimsical, almost Dr. Seuss-like
plates that draw the eye to a tower of dusted doughnuts, spirals of
crispy Peruvian Ponderaciones, and generous quenelles of ice cream
that teeter between sweet and savory. Katherine replaces sugar with
agave syrup for fruity, sugar-free desserts that are true to her well-defined
culinary philosophy. Katherine credits Shayne Gorring for sharing
his sense of fun and boundlessness.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Meyer Lemon Pudding with Blackberry Upside Down Cake and Fennel
Pollen-Huckleberry Ice Cream
- Fresh
Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter-Vanilla Pears, Saffron Anglaise,
and Blackcurrant Sorbet
Shannon
Swindle, Craft
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE: Shannon Swindle's
incredible technical execution and precision shine through in his
unpretentious creations - from the basic croissant baked a dark golden
brown with a firm crust and tender, yeasted center to the almost savory
composed plate of ricotta cheesecake seasoned with pieces of goat
butter brittle and milky froth. His baked-to-order honey tuiles reveal
Shannon's focus on perfecting classic pastry techniques and remind
us how the underappreciated translucent crisps can be a serious experience
in texture and flavor. Each of his desserts elevates the ordinary
to bring our attention to an ingredient that can be, at least when
Shannon is serving it, truly special and at the height of its possibility.
Lisa and Emmett Fox, James Wagner, Stephan Pyles and Kent Rathbun
helped refine Shannon’s techniques along the way.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Goat Ricotta Cheesecake, Goat Butter Brittle, Poached Forelle
Pear, and Honey Tuile
- Ellis
County Pecan Chocolate Tart, Roasted Manzana Bananas, and Cinnamon
Ice Cream
Morgan
Wilson, Bijoux
WHAT MAKES THIS
RISING STAR SHINE: Morgan Wilson plays with classic pastry
forms and flavors in his delicately built desserts at Bijoux
to create clean, modern plates. His espresso mascarpone trifle is
both English trifle and Italian tiramisu, yet refused to be defined
as either one. His carrot cake is a dainty deconstructed version of
the classic with every element actually refined and more delicious
than in its original form of frosting and sponge - with Morgan's high-level
technique and focus of flavor, his revisions of the classics are always
thoughtful improvements on the original. His commitment to his purveyors
is so strong that when his strawberry farmer suffered a bad harvest,
he rethought his menu rather than buying from someone else. Morgan’s
biggest inspiration came from books like Oriol Balaguer’s Dessert
Cuisine and working with chefs Arnold Wong and Scott Mezola.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Espresso
and Mascarpone Trifle
- Carrot Baby Cake
Marc
Cassel, Dragonfly at Hotel Zaza
WHAT MAKES
THIS RISING STAR SHINE: Donning his sparkling cowboy hat,
graffitied sneakers, and cargo shorts, Marc Cassel brings a breath
of fresh air to traditionally uptight hotel fine dining. Marc transforms
the low-brow kitschy foods of the Southwestern American landscape
into quirky dishes like shrimp corn dogs and spicy oyster shooters.
While he takes the liberty of sprinkling hemp seeds on his pork loin
with smoky, smooth mashed potatoes ("because it's fun")
Marc’s focus remains on flavor. The career-changer, who didn’t
get into the industry until 32, has the high-energy and promise of
a chef half his age, but his eclectic, funky dishes are held together
with the mature, singular vision of one who’s been in the business
far longer. Marc is another Dallas Rising Star who credits Stephan
Pyles, Kevin Rathbun, and Kent Rathbun with sharpening his time management
skills and propelling him on a creative path.
The Dishes that Clinched it:
- Rock
Shrimp Corn Dogs with Sweet Chili Ketchup
- Pineapple Ponzu Oyster Shooters
James
Tidwell, Café on the Green
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE: Though you wouldn’t
guess it from James Tidwell’s unpretentious and laid-back
approach to wine, the sommelier is on a serious mission to promote
professional wine service standards and further wine education.
James co-founded the Texas Sommelier Association, a trade association
of Texan wine professionals, and organizes an annual Texas Sommelier
Conference where the group gathers for seminars, tastings, and lectures.
James trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park,
which gave him a strong culinary sensibility when pairing food and
wine. His bold matches - like a Dominique Laurent Nuits, Saint George
1er Cru, “La Richemone,” 1998 with a steamed, ginger-scented
grouper and umami-rich shitake in soy broth - elevate flavors and
textures to new heights.
Justin
Beam, Craft
WHAT MAKES THIS RISING
STAR SHINE: From bussing tables to training with Dale DeGroff,
Justin Beam worked his way up before building the cocktail program
at Craft and The Living Room in the W Hotel Dallas.
Justin’s style is sophisticated and playful, with drinks that
tell their own imaginative story with fresh ingredients and attention
to detail. His Grassy Knoll, a balanced mix of tart house lemonade,
Pimm’s Cup and grassy vodka, evokes an afternoon on the cricket
lawn on a summery afternoon. In The Waterloo, Justin uses fresh key
lime and blood orange juice to layer the flavor of tequila and sweetens
it with agave nectar to create what he affectionately nicknames Napolean’s
Margarita. The drink is chilled by one enormous ice cube, rather than
a multitude of small ones (which means no immediate watering down),
and seasoned with a smoky, salty rim of volcanic salt and agave.
The Cocktail that Clinched it:
- The
Asian Poire
Tom
Fleming, Central 214 at Hotel Palomar
WHAT
MAKES THIS RISING STAR SHINE: Tom Fleming is part of a hotel
restaurant movement peeling off the white gloves, clearing the table
of crystal goblets and silver, and putting out hearty, comforting
American bistro fare. At Central 214, in the Hotel Palomar,
Tom serves classic dishes like mac and cheese with tender caramelized
onions, roasted garlic cream, and Parmigiano Reggiano, or simple seared
flank steak with perfectly crisp fries. His dishes are simple, homey,
and nostalgic. The
Dishes that Clinched it:
- Maryland Crabcakes
- Scallops
with Lentil Rock Shrimp Ragout
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