[DFW] Stephan Pyles Reviews

[PubCrawler]

I have read several differing opinions on the Boards about Stephan Pyle's, and wanted to share my recent experience hosting a private dinner at the restaurant for 25 important clients. I have organized dozens of these types of events over the years so I have some history and knowledge of what to anticipate and consider in regards to the planning and execution of a successful evening.

I worked with event manager Lisa Moore to plan the evening in their private dining room. I also made a site visit to meet her in person and sample menu items and wine. Lisa is a true professional, and willingly indulged me over a series of weeks as I worried over every detail of the evening via telephone and email. It is understandable in a restaurant where the dishes can be complicated or even elaborate that a large party requires a limited menu, however Lisa worked with me to offer a wider choice for our guests than is normal. We did this by pre-selecting the first course (a cerviche tasting) to “buy time” for the kitchen once the guests made their other menu choices. I also worked with their sommelier to plan appropriate wines with each of the courses.

The evening was flawless. The serving staff was precise and informative without being intrusive. The presentation of dishes seemed choreographed. One of the things I liked best was they way they handled the wine pairings. As we progressed through the courses, each guest was given the correct wine glass for the wine selected. There was no “offer” of wine, it was just discreetly poured without discussion. My observation was that people were relieved to have this detail taken care of, and in fact several people asked for the names of the wines they had been given.

The guests arrived to a 30-minute Champagne reception on the patio, for a “meet and greet”. The staff served canapés of the Chef’s choosing. After sitting down, orders were taken and the cerviche tasting was served. A large platter full of crushed ice with six individual cerviches was set on what looked like a pizza stand. Each of the cerviches was passed between the guests and even the most timid in the group took part in the samplings. All were good but the most outstanding for me was the Sea Bass with Avocados and Tomatillios and the Ecuadorian Shrimp with Orange & Popcorn.

Rather than relive every detail of every other course I have pasted our menu below, and will tell you that every dish seemed to be enjoyed. The star dishes of the evening were the Tamale Tart, the Bone-in Ribeye Steak, the “Coffee and Donuts”, and the Global Chocolate.

The best part of the evening occurred just after the cerviche service, when a wall in the private room was opened to reveal a display kitchen from where each of our next courses was prepared and served. Everyone in the room was delighted at this surprising event and it helped to make for a memorable evening. Say what you will about Stephan Pyle’s unique restaurant, but this for me was one of the best dining experiences of my life, and probably the first time I enjoyed an event as much as my guests.

Ceviche Tasting To Start

Honduran Tuna with Coconut & Ginger Sea Bass with Avocados & Tomatillos

Ecuadorian Shrimp with Orange & Popcorn Hamachi with Guanabana

Sea Scallops Amarillo with Golden Tomatoes & Aji Mirasol Lobster with Mango and Basil

Appetizer

Choice of:

Dallas Mozzarella, Watermelon and Heirloom Tomatoes with Serrano Ham,

Smoked Sea Salt and Monte Vibiano Unfiltered EVOO

Tamale Tart with Roast Garlic Custard, Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Smoked Tomato Sauce

Soup or Salad

Choice of:

Iced Gazpachos

Amarillo with Golden Tomatoes and Saffron

Blanco with Almond and Frozen Grapes

Rojo with Smoked Tomatoes and Beets

Verde with Tomatillos and Honeydews

Stephan’s Original Southwestern Caesar Salad with Jalapeño Croutons

and Parmigiano Reggiano “Chicharron”

Main Course

Choice of:

SP’s Bone-In Cowboy Ribeye with Red Chile Onion Rings

and Pinto-Wild Mushroom Ragout

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Duck Confit Potatoes,

Medjool Dates and Balsamico

Roasted Sea Bass with Chorizo and Clams in Verjus Fumet and Spring Pea Tendrils

Coriander-Cured Rack of Lamb with Ecuadorian Potato Cake

and Cranberry Mojo

Dessert

Choice of:

“Coffee and Doughnuts”

Global Chocolate:

Flourless Xocopili Cake

Organic German Chocolate Pot au Crème

Single Origin Columbian Mousse

Venezuelan White Chocolate Espuma

Mexican Abuelita Chocolate Ice Cream

Lemon Lemon Lemon:

Lemon Tart with Fennel Pollen-Kalamansi Ice Cream

Toasted Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

Chicha-Berry Compote with Micro Mint- Lemon Salad

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Jeff Moschetti Camilo Calderon

Executive Chef General Manager

[Chris Hennes]

My wife and I had dinner at Stephan Pyles last night and it was quite good: I'd recommend it to someone looking for a nice higher-end dinner in Dallas who is OK with a bit of heat (spiciness, i.e. I could not take my mother there). Service was very good, unobtrusive, and overall the experience was quite pleasant. I especially appreciated the free valet parking, since there was a concert going on at the museum down the street when we arrived and there was no on-street parking to be had.

The food ranged from OK to excellent, and the highs were higher than the lows were low. In particular I had a king salmon dish as my main course which was excellent: among the best salmon dished I've experienced, really allowing the salmon to shine, with other flavors melding nicely into the background. The mussels served with it were cooked perfectly and were very flavorful. The Kampachi ceviche was good but not stunning (a little one-note), the amuse bouche tasted mostly like orange marmalade, and I could take or leave most of the gazpachos. The roasted poblano soup, on the other hand, was very good. The various breads served were good, though there were quite a few and I'm afraid I've lost track of which I liked the best. The foie gras appetizer was pleasantly savory, with only a hint of sweetness (unlike the norm these days which seems to be practically a dessert course): I enjoyed it but probably would not order it again. My wife enjoyed some kind of crab flan enough that I didn't get to sample it, so I only have her positive opinion for you . For dessert we shared a set of five chocolate dishes: some good, some only OK, nothing spectacular (full disclosure: I have no sweet tooth to speak of).

Shortly after we sat down Chef Pyles came through the dining room welcoming people, which was an interesting surprise in this era of celebrity chefs never to be seen in their namesake restaurants. The poblano soup was comped to us as some sort of intermezzo (in shot glasses, of course) due to some kind of mix-up in the kitchen regarding our entrees, but I didn't find the pace of the meal to be off: if they hadn't said anything when they sent out the soup I would have thought nothing of the delay.

Overall I left feeling happy and full: the price was reasonable for the quality, and I would definitely go again.

Edited to correct spelling.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Chris Hennes (log)

[jsmeeker]

Thanks for that review, Chris. I'm glad you had a good meal while in town.

[Kevin72]

Good reviews both and nice to hear it's still humming. I saw Pyles working the kitchen when I was there last year also. I'm hoping to get there for my birthday in the next week or so and will post a review if we go.