13 May 29 - June 4, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Style Over Substance? At Café Dior, high fash- ion meets prawns in a pamplemousse dress. BY DESIREE GUTIERREZ H igh fashion has effortlessly strutted into the food and bev- erage realm. In its U.S. debut, Le Café Louis Vuitton opened inside the Louis Vuitton flag- ship on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. The fully-booked café offers upscale bites like the monogram-branded Le Burger “1898.” Closer to Dallas, Coach launched The COACH Coffee Shop in March 2024. Dallas walked the fashion-meets-culi- nary runway on February 22, when Café Dior by Dominique Crenn opened in High- land Park Village. To understand Café Dior’s significance is to first understand Dominique Crenn. The café is the Dallas debut of ceiling-shattering French-born chef Dominique Crenn, the first and only woman in the U.S. to earn Mi- chelin’s most esteemed honor of three Mi- chelin stars in 2018 for her San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn. Globally, only 151 restaurants currently hold that distinction. Crenn is a James Beard Award winner, Robb Report’s 10th most powerful person in American fine dining and one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.” On May 17, she will be inducted into the Menu- Masters Hall of Fame. Crenn will join ac- claimed chefs like French Laundry’s Thomas Keller, 2014 James Beard Outstand- ing Chef Nancy Silverton, Manhattan’s prized Daniel Boulud and Texas legend Stephan Pyles. She is being honored for her pioneering stance on sustainable cuisine and her many accolades. CultureMap detailed Crenn’s culinary phi- losophy Feb. 7, highlighting her protest to fac- tory farming by championing meatless menus and commitment to plastic-free restaurants. Still, Café Dior’s opening received mixed reviews. One Dallas influencer called it “hyped” with a “limited menu” and “lacklus- ter” food. Others said they “left hungry.” The café confirmed that hosted dining was lim- ited due to a high demand for reservations. We scored one of the first available reser- vations back in March (but Café Dior re- quests no press photos on their menu, so we’re using theirs). The experience begins with a pre-visit call inquiring about dietary restrictions. What to Expect Café Dior sits on the second floor of the Dior boutique. Pass the $6,700 Lady Dior bags and $1,090 J’adior pumps, and head up- stairs. There, a hostess welcomes you before you step into a world as Christian Dior might’ve imagined it. The light-filled, inti- mate room is filled with refined touches such as Dior’s houndstooth motif on the chairs filled with patrons of all walks of life, an artful mirrored bar back, fresh florals and nods to the fashion house throughout. Walk- in bar seating is limited to cocktails, coffee and $175 Caviar D’or, caviar service. Much is implied in the name. It’s a café, meaning it’s a “small eating and drinking es- tablishment, historically a coffeehouse, usu- ally featuring a limited menu,” according to Britannica. Secondly, it’s Dior. Anticipate Dior-level pricing with 20% auto gratuity. And also, no photos inside. The meal begins with warm bread served alongside a perfectly rounded thick pat of herb-filled butter crowned with vibrant pet- als. It’s almost too pretty to eat. Although Crenn is the mastermind be- hind the menu, a Dallas-based company ex- ecutes the day-to-day haute cuisine. Crenn pulls from Dior’s design archive for the presentation-forward menu. The Miss Dior Consommé ($23) embodies the 1949 Trompe l’œil hand-embroidered “Miss Dior” gown. The delicate chicken broth is filled with grains and garnished with eye- catching yellow and lively purple blossoms that pay tribute to Catherine Dior, Christian Dior’s resilient sister, for whom the Miss Dior moniker is inspired. It’s a dish we imag- ine she would have swooned over. The refreshing May Hamachi ($30) evokes the 1953 silk floss on organza “May” dress. According to The Met, it’s “the most telling example is his frequent self-presenta- tion, not as a man who symbolized the au- thority of French taste, but rather as a simple gardener, farmer, and mill owner.” Pamplemousse on a Plate Marc Bohan’s 1965 Dior Haute Couture yel- low-silk “Pamplemousse” crepe dress shines throughout several dishes. The Marbella Prawns ($39) were firm and plump. If dietary restrictions aren’t con- firmed in advance, the kitchen is prepared with a vegetarian, black truffle-topped Pasta Mariniére ($36). For desserts, Crenn enlisted Atelier Crenn’s pastry chef, Juan Contreras, a two- time James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef finalist. The duo has a long history dating back to Crenn’s time at Adobe Restaurant and Lounge in the early 2000s. Contreras compiled four desserts, including La Mariée, a cultural, white Dior Cannage mo- tif-shaped hard shell filled with vanilla bean and fruit. Pair it with the $8 latte served with a choice of Christian Dior’s famed bee and rose motifs foam art. The café recently launched an afternoon tea service. For a minimum of two and $75 per person, enjoy a tiered tower of chicken salad sandwiches, caviar and watercress choux, salmon gravlax crackers, hazelnut chocolate cookies, piña colada baba au rhum and banana and sesame canelés. Teas and ceremonial matcha are available a la carte, or embrace luxury with a $25 glass of Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label. The Skinny Café Dior isn’t breaking culinary ground, but it is creating a polished culinary experi- ence. Just as Dior transformed fashion with the A-line silhouette, Café Dior transforms lunch into a memorable moment. Through the café, diners indulge in a sensorial stroll into the world of Monsieur Dior. Everything you see, touch and taste drips with elegance and refined effort down to a sip of water, served in $390 crystal art de la table. Café Dior, 58 Highland Park Village, Mon- day - Saturday, 10 a.m. 6 p.m., Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. ▼ BURGERS THE 17 BEST BURGERS IN DALLAS FROM SMASHED BURGERS TO THICK HOMEMADE-LIKE PATTIES, THESE DALLAS RESTAURANTS KEEP THE BURGER SCENE HOT. BY ANGIE QUEBEDEAUX, LAUREN DREWES DANIELS AND CHRIS WOLFGANG W e stick to Anthony Bourdain’s in- terpretation of a proper burger: good-quality beef, a soft, squishy potato bun and processed cheese for the melt factor. Of course, that’s a starting point, from which there are many paths to wander along. Our annual list of the best burgers in Dal- las has a lot more caramelized beer onions and Thousand Island dressing than a purist like Bourdain may appreciate. But rest as- sured: Most of these burgers start with qual- ity beef, mostly ground in-house, which separates the real burger champs from all the others. AllGood Cafe 2934 Main St. When AllGood Cafe owner Mike Snider started this Deep Ellum institution more than 20 years ago, he didn’t have a burger on the menu. But among Snider’s many inter- ests is an appreciation of Dallas food history, so he built AllGood’s “Best Cheeseburger In Texas” as a nod to the cheeseburger served at The Grape. Come hungry, because this 10-ounce burger doesn’t mess around; there’s melted white cheddar cheese, let- tuce, tomato, bacon and horseradish brined pickles from Hunn’s, which supply pickles to a long list of Dallas restaurants. Dijonaise splits the difference for those who prefer mayo or mustard, and a pain au lait bun does yeoman’s work in holding everything in place. Bistro 31 87 Highland Park Village Listen, we know what you’re thinking: a French bistro? Oui. When it comes to Bistro 31, you need to throw any Francophile burger qualms out the window. This Highland Park restaurant uses a blend of whole brisket and chuck, ground in-house, with some New York strips and filet mignon thrown in for good measure. And let’s talk toppings: Tilla- mook cheddar, house-made pickles, aioli, Bibb lettuce, beef steak tomato and red onion all piled high on a brioche bun from Empire Baking Co. Sure, it’ll set you back $23, but just let it happen: laissez-faire fare. Blackjack Pizza 2536 MLK Jr. Blvd. and 2120 N. St. Augustine Road Blackjack Pizza might be the ultimate sleeper hit of the Dallas burger scene, with the namesake pizza taking a back seat. These are simple burgers — chunky patties seared on a grill, then loaded with thick slices of tomatoes and onion — reminiscent of the kind Mom or Dad made over long weekends. You can get a double for less than $10, but the single patty cheeseburger is plenty for a meal and is just $6.50. Go for the side of onion rings. But don’t forget Black- jack is cash only and is closed on Sundays. Burger Schmurger 718 N. Buckner Blvd. We reported in April that this roving burger pop-up has finally opened in a proper brick-and-mortar with its name on the marquee out front. Burger Schmurger has long been a favorite since it started popping up at breweries. Smashed ground patties (made in-house), cheese and onions on a searing hot grill trap in flavor and a healthy dose of grease. Go for the Claremont Hotel with Swiss, mushrooms and bacon. Purists may want to try The Pasadena with LTO and American cheese. Nick Glover Afternoon tea at Cafe Dior | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish >> p14
