Photo by Nathan Hunsinger
Audio By Carbonatix
The city is a-buzz with anticipation for Matt McCallister’s next restaurant, River Sing. Targeted for an October opening, this new concept from the multiple James Beard Award nominee and critically acclaimed chef of FT33 and Homewood has all eyes on every developing detail. What we know so far is whistle-whetting.
River Sing is named for a Grateful Dead lyric, and will be located in a historic building in Exposition Park. The restaurant will serve a $150 prix fixe multi-course menu, and dishes will lean heavily on produce in McCallister’s local, seasonal style. Complete with a hidden garden, it will emphasize comfort and avoid pretension. But you don’t have to take our word for it.
Below, McCallister expands on the new concept, old cliches, and his points of inspiration.
Dallas Observer: What makes this new concept unique and needed in our dining landscape right now?
Matt McCallister: River Sing is meant to feel like an oasis. We are just trying to create a space that’s thoughtful and welcoming, in the same way as going over to your good friend’s house. Now, the technique will still be there, but it’s just not the point. The point is that you feel hosted. If the craft is doing its job, you shouldn’t notice it at all – you should just feel like someone cared enough to take care of you for the evening.
DO: Can you expand on why you’re committed to avoiding pretense and fine-dining clichés?
MM: There’s a whole vocabulary of ‘fancy’ I’m not interested in speaking. Over-narrated course descriptions can turn a dish into a lecture instead of an experience. For example, the hushed, art-gallery reverence that a lot of tasting menus perform, and the single-bite amuse train that is more about ceremony than satisfaction. I’d rather replace this with fewer, more generous gestures.
DO: How will River Sing’s garden be utilized in the kitchen?
MM: The garden isn’t going to be a produce farm. I just really love gardening and creating fun little habitats. I decided to create a space that spoke more to the area’s native species, and specifically those that are edible and will be used to finish dishes: spotted bee balm, wild bergamot, varieties of agastache, elderflower and slender mountain mint. I also have my gardens at my house that produce a bunch of fun stuff, as well, so I will have my hands full for sure!
DO: What is the most inspiring produce-focused dish you’ve ever tasted?
MM: My meal at Alain Passard’s Arpège in Paris was both profound and perplexing. I didn’t love every bite, but that almost isn’t the point. What stayed with me was Passard’s total, uncompromising vision. I love his youthful approach towards cooking with vegetables; he has always been an inspiration to me. Closer to home, I’ve always loved what Chef Charleen Badman does with vegetables at FnB in Scottsdale. That’s where I grew up, and I make a point of eating there every time I’m visiting family.
