Photo by Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
We tracked down Chef Bruno Davaillon for part of our Chefs Prep Q&A series, where we ask Dallas chefs our most burning culinary questions.
Originally from the Loire Valley, France, Davaillon honed his classical French culinary foundation in Michelin-starred kitchens in France and at Tante Claire in London under renowned chef Pierre Koffman. He earned a Michelin Star as executive chef at MIX by Alain Ducasse. Davaillon moved to Dallas to take the reins at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. He later opened Bullion, one of Dallas’ most lauded restaurants, before it closed during the pandemic.
The chef has recently served as executive culinary director over six restaurants at Travis Street Hospitality Group. Two of those spots, Knox Street and Georgie, are Michelin-recommended. He’s now back in the kitchen at Georgie as executive chef, which is where we caught up with him.
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure meal?
I can make an entire meal with great French cheeses, especially if goat cheeses are in play.
What’s one food trend that you’re tired of?
Overuse of caviar.
Pick one: Michelin Guide or Luka back?
Both.
What’s the one thing you always have in your kitchen at home?
Wooden spatula and an old Le Creuset cocotte.
Who is a Dallas maker (farmer, pastry chef, barkeep) you wish more people knew about?
Lubellas Patisserie. I like what Maria and her husband are building in East Dallas.
What’s the single best meal you’ve ever had?
I had a fantastic lunch at Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée in Paris years ago. The entire experience was amazing. It’s difficult to just choose one .
What dish will you be most remembered for?
I have no idea. I’m not dead yet.
What are some of your favorite restaurants in Dallas right now?
Otaru Sushi & Handroll Bar, Lucia, Encina, Xaman Cafe and Ayahuasca Cantina. I live in Oak Cliff, and it’s great to have good restaurants in the neighborhood.
What’s your favorite bar or restaurant in the world?
Hard to pick. The New York Bar at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo. Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris. I have too many restaurants.
What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in your kitchen – that you can speak of?
I executed an almost entire Easter brunch without power, with an open wood grill, no lights and no exhaust. We did it using cellphone lights and kept the kitchen back door open to evacuate the smoke.
What’s the hardest day in the restaurant industry?
The usual suspects. All the holidays where brunches are involved.
What French food/dish do you miss the most (that can only be found in France)?
Too many to list, but Andouille de Guémené is a Brittany specialty, saucisse de Morteau sausage (smoked pork sausage specialty from Jura area). I love a raw milk Camembert and other raw milk cheeses we cannot find here.
What’s the toughest challenge facing the restaurant industry right now?
Navigate high costs of goods, labor challenges and maintaining the integrity and high standard of your concepts.
What’s an often overlooked part of running a restaurant that can ultimately sink it?
Not enough cash flow to sustain the first year and not having a clear concept .
