Cody Sharp Will Take the Reins at Matt McCallister’s Much-Anticipated Filament

2015 has been a year of incredible restaurant openings, and fall promises to get even better. With French-Mex concept Madrina, Kansas City-style BBQ joint 18th & Vine and pasta spot Americano scheduled to open in the coming weeks, we’re all going to be eating really well  in our neighborhoods. But no opening has inspired more curiosity and anticipation than Filament, the second restaurant from culinary wunderkind Matt McCallister.

A starkly different restaurant than his hoity-toity FT33 in the Design District, Filament promises to be a “casual Southern eatery.” No doubt that McCallister will still forage for ingredients and obsess over recipes, but the prospect of his level of cuisine in a casual, affordable environment is incredibly promising. This week, the opening of Filament got even more exciting when McCallister announced that Cody Sharp would be helming the kitchen at the soon-to-be Deep Ellum hot spot.

Sharp is finishing out his stint at The Standard Pour in Uptown, where he has worked since February. His time there has attracted plenty of attention from critics and diners alike. In June, Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner raved about Sharp’s cuisine and awarded the gastropub three stars, a rating that has generally been reserved for more upscale spots.

Via press release, McCallister echoed Brenner’s effusive praise. “I’ve watched Cody cook for a long time and admire the food he has produced at Stephen Pyles, Casa Rubia at Trinity Groves, and The Standard Pour. We share the same philosophy,” says McCallister. “Bouncing ideas off of each other while developing Filament’s opening menu has been a thoughtful and exciting process.”

At The Standard Pour, Sharp created the sort of modern Texan, Southern cuisine that you’re likely to see hints of at Filament. No menu has been announced yet, but a sneak peek at the menu indicates that there are plenty of inspired Southern and Southwestern dishes with chef-y touches, like beef cheek tamales with banana pepper chimichurri, fried sepia taco with green papaya slaw and tomato chutney. No doubt Sharp’s time working with Stephan Pyles and Omar Flores at Casa Rubia was an excellent stage to hone his current aesthetic.

No opening date has been set for Filament, but McCallister promises that the restaurant will open in “late October” of this year at 2626 Main St. We’ll keep you posted on exactly when Dallas’ most-anticipated restaurant is finally scheduled to open its doors.