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In December 2018, Stephan Pyles' Arts District fine dining restaurant Flora Street Cafe announced plans to "casualize" and "reimagine" its menu with the help of chef Tim Byres, who left Pyles' namesake restaurant in 2009 to open Smoke, since closed. It's a major about-face for one of Dallas' most high-end fine dining establishments. Now, the duo is ready to show off a reimagined Flora Street.
There is new lunch and dinner programming, "a fresh spin on the tasting menu with its own luxury venue, and a brunch menu that has recently launched," according to a press release. The goal was to make the main dining room less formal and the menu more "approachable," and the restaurant will shift its prix fixe experience into a new private dining room that they call a "'restaurant within a restaurant' with a progressive, innovative 12-course tasting menu," according to the release.
"The development of the private dining room, launching in late April 2019 with a name soon-to-be-released, will feature a young, vibrant chef from outside of Texas," according to the release, which notes that the search for a new chef is underway. "The 16-seat private room will feature a 10-12 course tasting menu, with two updated price levels of notable, small vineyard wine pairings, for those looking for an elevated and intimate dining experience. The tasting room will offer a more formal, upscale setting poised to become one of Dallas’ most exclusive dining experiences in an ultra-luxe environment five nights a week."
As part of their efforts to casualize (and reduce prices) at the restaurant, the ambiance "will be less formal, with walnut tabletops rather than white linens, positioning Flora Street Café away from being thought of as a special occasion restaurant to a more approachable, yet still elevated, daily dining destination in the Dallas Arts District," according to the release. The restaurant is also adding patio seating, a Champagne and oyster cart and will have "'pooches on the patio' programming, featuring snacks and water bowls for dogs," according to the release.
Flora Street's new Sunday brunch launched last week and "incorporates influences from Tim Byres’ previous concept Smoke, as well as Chef Pyles’ signature dishes throughout the years and brand-new recipes created in collaboration by the duo," according to the release. "The brunch menu is divided into five sections: starters, breakfast-inspired entrees, lunch-inspired entrees, sides and desserts."
Expect dishes like a coconut chia seed bowl with caramelized banana, pulled pork barbecue eggs Benedict and crab-asparagus salad with smoked trout mousse. On the cocktail side, look for bloody marys, a spicy blood orange mimosa and a Texas michelada.
On the new lunch and dinner menus, you'll see dishes like Texas Akaushi rib-eye with crispy potato pave, charred shallots and bone marrow custard, along with wild boar chorizo and fire-roasted Gulf oysters.
The redesigned lunch menu launches April 1, with the new dinner menu following on April 8.
Flora Street Cafe, 2330 Flora St. (Arts District)
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