Indulging in The Tasting Menu Trend at Stillwell's

We recently touched on the growing trend of tasting menus and noted how popular they have become, not only here, but all over the country. In that article about Quarter Acre’s ever-changing daily chef’s menu, we teased that Stillwell’s has also launched a Michelin tasting menu after earning a recognized distinction in 2024.

One difference we noticed between the two visits is that Stillwell’s tasting menu is a set menu that doesn’t change from night to night. If you aren’t quite adventurous enough to blindly turn your palette and your whole evening over to the chef, this might be a better option for you. You also always know that one dish you have been wanting to try will be there for you, without the risk of it not being served that night. This menu will change seasonally, but will always be available for perusing before making a reservation.

We found the seven-course tasting menu at the swanky spot priced to move at $125 per person. An optional wine pairing is $75.

One note, your entire party must partake in the tasting menu, and with no substitutions. Fear not: if one of the courses doesn’t appeal to you, this isn’t a light meal, and no one will go home hungry. And save room for the steak: it’s at the end.

Stillwell’s is located in the swanky Swexan hotel, the pinnacle of the Harwood district near downtown Dallas. Tucked away neatly on the seventh floor, unaware guests are likely often shocked to be greeted by a bright neon sign of a cigarette-smoking cowboy as they exit the elevator.

All the restaurants under the large Harwood umbrella exclusively use beef from their proprietary ranches in Texas and Oklahoma for a true ranch-to-restaurant program. The Harwood Premium Beef program is a whole-animal concept with zero waste. Harwood also recently ditched seed oils.

We started our trip at the beautiful semi-circle bar, receiving the knowing nod from the bartender as we walked in: it was Cowboy Hour (4 to 6 p.m. daily) and she knew we were there to sample the half-price drink menu and small bites list. This may be the center of several of our next trips downtown.

After, we were seated in a semi-private booth in the dining room, framed by dark curtains and a chandelier above the table. Servers buzzed around the room skillfully, sporting white tuxedo jackets that added to the ambiance.
We were quickly brought a full loaf of delicious bread along with a crab croquette amuse bouche to get us started. We resisted eating the whole loaf, and found a great opportunity to enjoy it later. The seven courses proceeded to follow one after another at a leisurely pace.

Beef tartare made from chopped Harwood District (HWD) filet, over a garlicky brick of brioche, started the beef parade. Next came a small plate of tuna crudo with agua diablo and avocado, served with spicy wontons to make a couple of tuna nachos.
A bowl with two beef dumplings, one of the most popular menu items, comes as two fried pockets of HWD beerestinged in a white bowl with truffle gravy, which was too good to leave when the dumplings were finished. We used that bread we saved to scoop up the rest of it, which should be standard practice for every diner. The appetizer version of the beef dumplings are steamed and comes with the same gravy. We will definitely be trying that on our next visit.
Next came a couple of vegetable courses. Smoked beets with kale and shaved goat cheese were a nice change of pace. Charred carrots with mustard seeds and cashews came quickly afterward. This was the part of the meal when we realized we might need to leave a little on the plate so we could fully enjoy the steak.

At last, course six. Two generous medallions of 28-day dry-aged HWD akaushi strip steaks came out perfectly medium rare with shaved truffles and a bearnaise sauce that was poured at the table.

The dessert course consisted of a dense butterscotch custard topped with caramel sauce and accompanied by three almost bite-sized beignets.

The whole experience was paced well, lasting just over two hours and we enjoyed every minute. The tasting menu is a fantastic way to get a little of everything Stillwell’s has to offer with a reasonable $125 per person price. Here’s to hoping the tasting menu trend continues. We are big fans.