Swanky Mister Charles Opens at Former Home of Highland Park Soda Fountain

Mister Charles, a haute Italian and French cuisine restaurant, has opened at the former home of the historic Highland Park Soda Fountain.

Mister Charles comes from Duro Hospitality, which also brought us the high-flying siblings The Charles, Bar Charles, Sister and El Carlos Elegante.

The space seats 98 and has undergone a dramatic renovation. A soaring 38-foot ceiling promises to immerse diners in a “cathedral-like experience.” An arched vestibule of Venetian plaster? Of course. Three-story columns ending in Corinthian capitals? Why wouldn’t there be?
Naturally, you don’t want to forget your Amex gold cards at home.

The menu tagline — or maybe it's a stage setting — reads "an irreverent play on the classics." Sounds delicious, right? Evidently, it does because reservations are already booked through the end of August, which is all that is available as of now. Better set that Resy alert.

When you do get there, start with a cocktail homage to the former resident of the address: the Highland Park Pharmacy Penicillin ($21), a concoction of 12-year-aged Highland Park single malt scotch (no relation to Dallas’ Highland Park) with ginger and honey.
A bluefin tuna crudo with Thai-Passion fruit dressing appetizer will set you back $26, or perhaps a crab cake vadouvan (a French play on Indian spices) with avocado and jalapeño ($32) should lead you nicely into a main course of lamb loin Wellington, foie gras and fennel sausage priced at a cool $91 (which does feed two). Or you can go all out for the Holy Grail of Japanese highest-grade beef: the A5 wagyu striploin ($36 per ounce; 4-ounce minimum).

Whole Dover sole meunière, lightly dredged in flour and decadently fried in butter, is filleted table-side ($110).
If you’re on a budget (a Highland Park budget, that is), one of the pastas should do. The truffle duck berlingot with artichoke and tomato ($38) sounds fantastic, as does the uni shells carbonara with pancetta and bottarga ($32).

For dessert, the banana pudding baked Alaska will make a show, or go with the salted cream chocolate espresso pot au crème, a properly indulgent and a fitting conclusion to a high-society meal at the ritzy Mister Charles. The bottle of Mouton Rothschild 1er Grand Cru Classe 1986 on the menu, priced at $6,500 (and retailing for around a grand), will have to wait until our next lifetime.

Mister Charles, 3219 Knox Street. Sunday – Thursday, 5–10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5–11 p.m.