The bakery-by-day, fine-dining-by-night restaurant along Lower Greenville devastated its cult following with the news, but not without providing hope and anticipation of what would happen next.
Days after the closure, the husband-and-wife team of chefs Casey and Amy La Rue announced that the bakery side would become La Rue Doughnuts and move to Trinity Groves. As for the fate of the dinner side of Carte Blanche, it is now Sauvage, Dallas' first wood-fired omakase, which will open Wednesday, Aug. 20, inside The Statler Hotel, 1914 Commerce St.
The 12-seat omakase is a return to the couple's knack for fine dining and the original vision for Carte Blanche. It will offer 16-18 courses with the same focus on wild game, like elk, antelope and venison, plus seafood, vegetable courses and desserts by Amy La Rue.
At Carte Blanche, they had a no-beef rule, but that will be applied loosely at Sauvage, as tender cuts of rare meats can be tricky to source at times. Every course will come straight off a wood-fired grill or small smoker, directly to the guests sitting at the chef's table. Everything comes directly from the hearth, so no gas or fryers will be used.
From start to finish, the new concept has been an entire family affair, the duo shared in a recent Instagram post:
"'Family Affair.' Nothing here was handed to us. No corporate backing. No safety net. Just persistence, long days, and nights that stretch into mornings. It’s slower this way. Harder. Messier. We’ve had no designer — only our own vision, imagined from our style, drawn out in sketches, arguments, and late-night ideas, then brought to life with our own hands.
"We’ve laid the tiles ourselves, built the counter where guests will sit, and shaped the details that make this space ours. We know it sounds crazy and unconventional — but we’re a little crazy and unconventional ourselves. Every choice has been ours alone — no committee, no outside voice. With each finished surface and every detail considered, we move closer to a restaurant that is entirely ours, crafted with the same care and intention that we’ll bring to every plate that leaves the fire."
This week, the team announced that some of the first reservations for Sauvage were live on Tock. The 16-18-course experience costs $245 per person and requires a 50% deposit to book (that goes toward the final bill).
Optional beverage pairings are available for $125 per person, but we don't know what exactly that consists of. "The beverage pairing will comprise an eclectic range, incorporating cocktails as well as wine," Casey told Culture Map Dallas. "I think limiting it to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another."
There will only be two seatings per night in their venue inside The Statler Hotel downtown, one at 5:45 p.m. and another at 8 p.m. Plenty of reservations are still available now, but that likely won't be the case once word gets out.
Sauvage, 1914 Commerce St. (Statler Hotel), Make reservations on Tock.
