Yolk, the breakfast and lunch restaurant located in One Arts Plaza, opened this week. Dallas is just the second location outside the Chicago area for the chain. Another is open in Indianapolis.
Yolk takes over the space that used to house Cafe des Artistes, a Lombardi restaurant that focused on approachable French cooking. Before that, Screen Door offered southern cooking at the same address, but Yolk takes a decidedly different approach from the restaurants that preceded it.
The dark window treatments and walls that turned the space into a bistro-cave have been lightened. Floor-to-ceiling windows let sunlight pour in, and a bright yellow, white and blue color scheme enhances the effect. Yolk is a cheerful place -- the kind that will enhance your mood if you're having a picture perfect morning, or piss you off if you got a terrible night's rest.
And while the restaurants in One Arts Plaza have focused primarily on dinner and lunch service, Yolk boasts daytime hours, opening at 6 a.m. for breakfast during the week and staying open for lunch till 3 p.m. Don't expect late-night steak and eggs at this restaurant.
The kitchen offers breakfast all day, with a mix of scrambles, five-egg omelettes, frittatas and five variations on eggs Benedict. Those with a sweet tooth will appreciate waffles, French toast, pancakes and crepes.
If you're not an early riser, you can always come for an afternoon meal. The lunch menu is a little smaller, featuring a few sandwiches, like that Reuben pictured above, salads and sides. It's pretty much like that deli or office cafeteria in your building, only with food that people actually want to consume. If you're in the area and Proof and Pantry or Tei-An seem too involved, Yolk makes for a good option. Yolk, 1722 Routh St., 214-855-9655, eatyolk.com
