14 February 15 - 21, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents ▼ PIZZA WINNER’S CIRCLE WITH A 72-HOUR FERMENTATION PROCESS, HOUSE-MADE SAUCE AND CUP AND CHAR PEPPERONI, SOUTH POLK PIZZERIA IS A PIZZA SPOT WORTH SEEKING OUT. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T errill Burnett at South Polk Pizzeria in Oak Cliff keeps his menu concise — a dozen pizzas, a couple of salads and wings — for a reason. “I had this one chef tell me, ‘We only sell winners,’” the Detroit native says, “and all of them [the menu items] are top sellers.” Burnett has been selling those winners near the intersection of Polk Street and U.S. Highway 67 for about a year now. Previously, he was a ju- nior chef at Nobu and also worked in the kitchen at Knife, but a year ago he got an oppor- tunity with a local developer, Monte Anderson, to open a place of his own. With an almost-perfect Google rating, you might think Burnett has been toss- ing dough his entire life, but it was Anderson who suggested a pizza spot. “I took a little MasterClass, it was a guy on YouTube, his name was Vito,” says Burnett on prepping for the South Polk Pizzeria. Burnett was drawn to one particular style of dough that was a cross between Neapolitan dough and New York style: Neo-New York. This renders a crust slightly thinner than a typical New York style, but not cracker-thin, with a nice bounce back to each bite. “I just thought it was kind of different. I don’t think I had that style before. So when I first started it, it was really just the process,” he says. He enjoyed the novelty of it and see- ing his days of labor — the dough rises for three days — pay off. The more he worked with dough the more he became fascinated with it. “It’s like a newfound love,” he said. “I un- derstand why people have a passion for bak- ing now because it is different when you create something from scratch with your hands and you just kind of watch the trans- formation almost like science.” In addition to the house-made dough, he makes the pizza sauce and has a from- scratch ranch dressing. Burnett sources sau- sage from Jimmy’s and diversifies his offerings with Halal beef, turkey pepperoni and vegan cheese, aiming to offer a variety to customers. A year in, South Polk has a steady cus- tomer base. Burnett says his biggest chal- lenge in the pizzeria’s rookie year was constant change: “One week you think you have everything figured out and then the next week it’s a totally different ball game.” All the pizzas use the same Neo-NY crust in either a 12-inch or 14-inch. In addition to Jimmy’s sausage, go for the cup and char pep- peroni — the smaller ones that curl into small bowls and char a bit along the rims after being cooked. The 12-inch is $14, and the 14-inch is $19. The Texas Sweet Heat in the photo below is made with those little meat cups, Parmesan and hot honey ($16 for a 14-inch). There’s a special for a 6-inch pizza and five wings for $14.99. And next time, we’ll get one of the cake bowls: plain yellow cake or peach cobbler cake, each $9, but appar- ently worth every dime according to some reviews. South Polk is mostly for pick-up and take- out, with just a couple of tables inside the otherwise utilitarian and clean space. You can order online ahead of time. Next up? Possible expansion. Burnett wants a table-service restaurant in the area, citing a lack of them now in that part of Dallas. Burnett hoped to run a Super Bowl spe- cial had the Detroit Lions made it. Maybe next year. South Polk Pizzeria, 3939 S. Polk St. Mon- day – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. ▼ FIRST LOOK GREAT POINT GREEN POINT SEAFOOD BAR BRINGS MEMORIES OF CAPE TOWN TO DALLAS. BY HANK VAUGHN G reen Point Seafood & Oyster Bar is the newest venture from the Katz Brothers Hospitality Group (Bever- ly’s and Clifton Club), which opened on Knox near Mister Charles and Georgie last summer. Greg and Nik Katz named their take on a modern seafood brasserie after the neighborhood on the Atlantic Seaboard of South Africa where their grandparents lived, hoping for inspiration from their up- bringing in Cape Town. As Greg states on the website, “I want to bring a taste of my childhood here to Dallas.” Reservations are recommended and va- let parking is complimentary, but we braved a Saturday lunch walk-in on the spur of the moment and were seated rela- tively quickly. The space is bright and open; a large horseshoe bar is the focal point, sur- rounded by elegant but not overly fussy seating. Upscale meets neighborhood bis- tro is an apt description. We started with a couple of cocktails, a Green Point martini and a Queen Anne’s Revenge. The martini was vodka-based rather than gin, which we tried not to hold against it. A briny blanc vermouth and lemon bitters completed the drink with a lemon twist on the rim. The brine was pro- vided by oyster liquor, which was the sell- ing point for us, but we wish it tasted a bit more “of the sea.” The Queen Anne’s Revenge was pre- pared with Arette Reposado tequila, pas- sionfruit, orange juice, honey and a spice mixture that added a subtle but welcomed refreshing kick to the beverage. We’re not really sure as to what the object of the namesake revenge is, but at the end of the day, knowledge of Great Britain’s royal lin- eages is not a prerequisite for enjoying a midday cocktail or two. Green Point’s cold bar offers red snapper ceviche, smoked whitefish dip, a caviar ser- vice, the requisite over-the-top seafood tower and oysters on the half-shell by the dozen with fresh varieties that change daily. We didn’t order any oysters on this day, but the family next to us enjoyed their oysters, which were served in a large ice-filled bowl with lemon wedges and sauce. We started with a warm crab and arti- choke dip, which arrived with house-made kettle chips that proved to be the perfect de- livery device for the cheesy mixture of Fresno chili, chunks of crab topped with lemon gremolata and chopped chives. The chili provided a slight spice profile that en- hanced the dip. Other starters include fried calamari, steamed mussels and oysters Rockefeller. Next up was a small house salad of wa- tercress and frisée dressed with a light vin- aigrette. It was crunchy and cool and provided a good transition between the dip and mains. Our first main was actually an appetizer: little fried grouper sandwiches. These ar- rived three to an order, tall and stacked fish sliders with slaw, tartar sauce and horserad- ish pickles. The fish was perfectly cooked, battered and fried to a crispy golden exterior that complemented the moist and flaky inte- rior with absolutely no hint of grease. Highly recommended. An order of seafood pasta followed: al dente bucatini pasta with lobster, jumbo lump crab, large gulf shrimp and confit to- matoes with chili garlic butter and topped with toasted bread crumbs. Extremely good and perfectly presented. The sauce was rich yet not overstated, and again the slight kick from the chili was on point as well. Other menu options include a lobster roll, fish and chips, cioppino, baked whole fish, chicken piccata, lobster and fries, and steak au poivre. Dessert options include a lemon bar, chocolate tart and sorbet, but we opted for some banana pudding and sweet banana custard served in a small jar and topped with a slice of banana and house-made vanilla wafer. It was just enough. The Knox area already has some excep- tional restaurants, and Green Point is a wel- come and worthy addition. Kudos to the Katz brothers, whose childhood memories are Dallas’ gain. 3219 Knox St., No. 100. Monday – Thurs- day, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. (bar until 11 p.m.); Fri- day – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. (bar until midnight); Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Lunch, Saturday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Lauren Drewes Daniels The Texas Sweet Heat with fresh jalapeños and hot honey. City of Ate from p13 FEBRUARY 26 HOUSE OF BLUES ENTER TO WIN TICKETS
