Simonomics

Tristan Simon redecorates his Porch

Comments (0) By Dave Faries Thursday, Nov 17 2005

Once upon a time, Tristan Simon bought up the Barley House location, sketched out plans for a casual drinking spot serving pub fare called The Porch and set an opening date sometime toward the end of this year. But the usual delays kicked in, giving the Henderson Avenue impresario more time to ponder things. Now he's hired a well-known local chef--official announcement soon--and reinvented The Porch as an urban brasserie. In restaurateur parlance, that translates to a "casually upscale" (whatever that means) venue. When completed in April, the place will seat 200 and offer two patios and one large bar emphasizing traditional cocktails. Why the change from a beer garden to a new foodie venue? Well, Simon explains, "our concepts often finish at a different place than they started." In other words, he's turned a penchant for market research and a willingness to play it by ear into six establishments expected to generate $20 million in revenue annually. The Porch will be Simon's last venture on Henderson Avenue. His operation, Consilient Restaurants, already runs Cuba Libre, Hibiscus, Sense, Candle Room and Fireside Pies. Doesn't mean he's finished, though. A second Fireside Pies is set to open amidst the Shops at Legacy in Plano this spring, followed by a Highland Park location. He also has designs for a place in Grapevine.

Location Info

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The Porch

2912 N. Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206-6403

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: East Dallas & Lakewood

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Zubar

2012 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: East Dallas & Lakewood

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Cat sup:Wanna try something different? Order the catfish bites at Old Republic. Five bucks gets you four hunks of fried mud dweller set on cabbage and a wonton chip. There's an intense rush of several flavors, followed by saltiness and, finally, the soft, spicy kick of cucumber salsa. Not bad for bar food.