15 August 7 - 13, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Tres Doux Frenchie makes new friends in Park Cities. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS F renchie is a new restaurant at The Plaza in Preston Center near the uber popular Il Bracco where Corner Bakery used to be. It’s dressed in deep Parisian blue and when the weather calms down a bit, the pa- tio out front will be lovely. But for now, all the ladies who lunch in puffy floral dresses and those shoes that look like beat-up Con- verse but cost five times more, will have to sit inside where wood floors and brass ac- coutrements make for a lovely space. Frenchie is from, well, some Frenchies: longtime Dallas chef Bruno Davaillon and Stephan Courseau of Travis Street Hospital- ity. The duo from France has put together a string of hits; their portfolio includes Knox Bistro, Georgie, Butcher Shop, Le PasSage, Rose Cafe and Le Bilboquet. Their collective careers go back much further than that, however. Davaillon was the executive chef at MIX by Alain Ducasse before taking the same position at Rosewood Mansion in 2009. He opened the beloved Bullion in 2016, which closed in 2020, and he then joined Travis Street. I saw Davaillon before Frenchie opened and (half) jokingly asked, “Aren’t you tired of opening restaurants yet?” He shrugged and said, “Eh, it’s easy,” perhaps the most French thing ever said in a not-quite-finished restaurant. Laissez faire enough. Perhaps he and his team at Travis Street are just getting good at it. Frenchie is a hit. Not long after opening, ladies are packing the place for lunch. I sat at the bar one Tues- day around 1 p.m., surrounded by other women lunching. It’s nice to have a bar to sit at that doesn’t feel like you’re eating lunch alone at a bar. Start with the Freezer Martini made with Tanqueray 10, Nolet, Lo-Fi dry ver- mouth, Lillet blanc and (this part is impor- tant) not a damn thing else, like water. This drink shows up quickly, physically and existentially. It’s cold as ice and will have you forgetting about that expense re- port you need to finish after lunch in no time. Eh, it’s easy. Frenchie’s menu is as French as you’d expect. Oysters, charcuterie, pate, a tart and escargot are all appetizers. There’s a Nicoise salad, cheese soufflé, omelette and a quiche. I started with a plate of deviled eggs, which are served with the dressing swirled on the top, but the yolk remains in- tact in the egg. They’re not bad at all, but I wasn’t a big fan, perhaps because biting through them, the texture was different than expected. The chicken cordon bleu sandwich ($22) with celery remoulade and arugula was served with a showy cheese pull. The soft baguette-style bread played a minor role but got the job done. The chicken had a thick coating, and this was a spectacular sandwich with a light, nice salad. The dessert menu is a highlight here. In fact, one could say this could be a dessert- only date. Travis Street has hired Dyan Ng to run their dessert program, and she’s been keeping things cool at Frenchie; for now the menu is ice cream-heavy. But then there’s the pavlova, a simple dessert exe- cuted perfectly: A dome of meringue is topped with coconut cream, berries and lime. It’s $12, large, wonderful and worth getting on your own. The dessert menu haunted me, and I went back a couple of weeks later and or- dered almost one of everything, which is kind of odd; you feel like you have to explain yourself, alas, I did it. I just needed to get more of these, but stopped just short of or- dering one of everything. A peach Melba ice cream with a rasp- berry granite swirl is perfect for summer break. The nougat glace is a honey and cit- rus semifreddo formed like a loaf and has a consistency somewhere between nougat and ice cream. It’s topped with candied fruit and pistachios, served with a side of pecan praline and chocolate sauce. It’s interesting and fun. If you like coffee, get the café leigiois with espresso ice cream, chocolate crum- ble, whipped cream and caramelized al- monds. A chocolate fondant is thick and dense, almost like a brownie and served with a vanilla crème anglaise (a light cus- tard). None of these are overly sweet but pack flavor, which is very French of these Frenchies (and Ng). There’s also a cafe element here, so you can order a cappuccino along with your des- sert. If you prefer to drink your dessert, there are after-dinner cocktails like a frozen espresso martini and sweet wines. This restaurant has had no problem mak- ing friends at The Plaza at Preston Center de- spite being next to one of the coolest kids in town, Il Braco. It will soon open for breakfast (early September), offering all-day service. Prices are as of July 2025. ▼ OPENINGS NORMAN’S FINDS A HOME TEAM BEHIND THE CHARLES AND CARLOS ELEGANTE TO OPEN NEW SPOT IN UPTOWN. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T he team behind The Charles, Sister, Mister Charles and El Carlos Elegante is expanding its brood. Duro Hospital- ity is set to unveil Norman’s Japanese Grill this Friday, Aug. 1, in the heart of Oak Lawn. Duro has put together a string of hits over the past few years. Michelin’s hotel guide recommends its quaint three-room guest house, Casa Duro, along Lower Greenvile (above Cafe Duro and Sister). The interna- tional restaurant guide also recommends Mister Charles and El Carlos Elegante. This new restaurant is in the space where Homewood was previously. Inside, the design theme — which Duro is meticulous about — is decked out in heavy woods, including wood paneling and exposed beams embellished with Asian flair. Paper lantern-like pendant lights cast a warm hue on menacing steer horns hanging over the dining room. Cowboy hats are propped up near a dish depicting the famous “Great Wave off Kanagawa.” Stylisti- cally, it’s coined as “Western Japanese.” According to a press release, Norman’s is based on a story about a World War II vet- eran from Texas stationed in Japan during the postwar American occupation. Norman fell in love with the country, its art, cuisine and one woman. Duro co-founders, Chas Martin and Benji Homsey, want the space to feel like a home Norman would build over time as a tribute to Western and Eastern cultures. One note to a traditional Japanese restau- rant is a sunken bar in the middle of the res- taurant. What does all that taste like, you ask? Well, the tight menu (a one-pager) offers small plates, hand rolls, noodles, crudo and charcoal robata skewers. Bluefin tartare handrolls come with Hokkaido uni and ose- tra caviar. There’s also edamame | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Frenchie Frenchie may be in North Dallas, but the vibes are taking us all to the South of France. >> p16
