21 August 22 - 28, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Highly Trained Drifters All-Star lineup of chefs to appear at Quarter Acre’s dinner series this fall. BY CHRIS WOLFGANG I n a little less than two years since opening, Quarter Acre has racked up plenty of accolades. For chef Toby Ar- chibald, Quarter Acre presents dinner with a casual elegance, where stuffy formality is eschewed in favor of a come-as- you-are vibe and a witty attitude. In our re- view, we gushed over bites small and large, and added Quarter Acre to our Top 100 Res- taurants last year. We’re not alone in our praise: Quarter Acre is one of D Magazine’s top 50 restaurants and was named as one of Texas Monthly’s best new restaurants in all of Texas. While introducing his New Zealand- meets-Texas menus to Dallas, Archibald had plenty going on at home, as well. His wife gave birth to their first child in 2022, but their daughter was born nine weeks prematurely and spent seven weeks in Baylor University Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit before the Archibalds could bring her home. “They became part of your family for seven weeks,” Archibald says of the experience. “You would trust you were going home every night and trusting that they were going to take care of your daughter. You weren’t allowed to stay at the hospital, and there was literally nothing you could do. It was really stressful.” Archibald knew that with his upcoming restaurant, he wanted to be able to give back to the city, and the time spent in Baylor’s NICU with his new extended family reaffirmed his plans. “I told my wife — I’m literally on the drive home — I said, ‘As soon as Quarter Acre is open, as soon as we can get back to the community, I want Baylor NICU to be the first charity we donate to,’” Archibald recalls. True to Archibald’s word, Quarter Acre has announced the Drifter Dinner Series this fall, with proceeds benefitting Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, Tiniest Texans, which supports families and newborns in the NICU at Baylor University Medical Center. For Archibald, the Drifter Series is a chance for him to reconnect with chefs he’s worked with over his career, many of whom have gone on to national recognition. Much like the bond formed with the doctors and nurses who took care of his daughter, Archibald sees his fellow chefs as part of his extended family, even as their careers have taken them to different parts of the world (hence, the name Drifter Series). “One of the big reasons I enjoy this industry so much is the camaraderie,” he says. “It’s one of the reasons I stayed in this industry when you start second-guessing life choices.” The Drifter Series is stocked with heavy hitters from the culinary world, starting with chef Diego Galicia of Mixtli in San Antonio on Friday, Aug. 16. Dallas’ own Matt McCallister takes a turn at Quarter Acre on Sept. 13, followed by chef Gavin Kaysen of Spoon & Stable in Minneapolis on Oct. 11. The series will wrap up with chef Aaron Bludorn of Navy Blue in Houston on Nov. 8. The blend of regional flavors has Archibald excited at the menus they’ll come up with. The plan is for the chefs to alternate with Archibald over the eight-course meal. “Gavin’s using very Midwest ingredients and styles and both real grounding in French cuisine, and Aaron’s using very coastal Texas and Houston with that same grounding in French, so it’s fun,” Archibald explains. “But then you’ve got Diego’s obviously Mexican influences, and Matt’s as Texas as he can be, so it is very different styles.” Tickets for each dinner are limited, with seatings at 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. In- dividual tickets are $495 per person, and there’s a limit of four tickets per reserva- tion. Archibald is aware that the cost may be off-putting to some, but there’s a lot of value packed into each dinner. The meal is all-inclusive, with tax and gratuities in- cluded, and Quarter Acre’s beverage direc- tor is working with the chefs to come up with wines and cocktails that are also in- cluded in the price. And part of each ticket sold will go to the Tiniest Texans Founda- tion. “On paper you can be like, ‘Holy shit, that’s expensive,’” Archibald says. “But we are flying these chefs here, we’re putting them up in a hotel, we’re paying for their food. It’s eight courses, and then on top of that, you get beverage and tax and tip are included. Plus we’re donating some of it to a really good cause.” “We’re exposing people to these other chefs, but also we’re showing them, and this is going to sound not very humble at all, but we’re showing them what they’ve got in their city,” Archibald says. “Quarter Acre restaurant can do all of this stuff. I’ve got the background to do these things, and I’ve got the friends with these fantastic resumes and they want come and cook with me at my restaurant.” When it’s put that way, and figuring what it might cost to travel to dine at these restaurants, a ticket starts to sound like a lot for your money. Archibald would like to see the Drifter Series as an annual event at Quarter Acre. “What I love about all of the guys I asked was they said ‘Thank you.’ They said, ‘Oh, thanks for thinking of me.’ That’s awesome. Because you work with these people or you meet these people and you connect on a level of professionalism and respect, and I’m a proponent of staying in touch with people,” Archibald says. “I think it’s really important and you spend so much time in the trenches with these people and you learn from them and they learn from you. And why let that go just because you don’t work together anymore?” Individual dinner tickets, as well as sea- son passes to all four chefs’ tastings, are available now online. ▼ SUSHI ROCKIN’ ROLLS SUSHI ROCK IN DALLAS IS FULL OF HEART, SOUL AND ELEGANCE. BY MIGUEL M. VARGAS I t feels like sushi restaurants are a dime a dozen in North Texas. Whereas smaller establishments with your typi- cal assortment of nigiri, sashimi and rolls are the most common local offerings, ro- tating sushi bars are becoming increas- ingly popular. Dallas also has high-end options, like Uchi, which strive for fine- dining experiences, and still more with hi- bachi grills and chefs that entertain their guests with their displays of knife skills and cooking prowess. Some, like Sushi Rock, are able to find that rare sweet spot. We first mentioned Sushi Rock in the Ob- server in 2018 as a notable vote-getter for a spot on that year’s list of Dallas’ best restau- rants. So, Sushi Rock is not without a loyal following and local support. After our first visit, it was easy to see how it gained the re- spect of some of the industry insiders be- hind that year’s list. Housed in an unassuming building in Plano’s Pavilion Shopping Center, Sushi Rock is easy to miss. Except for large red let- ters against a black background, there isn’t much to draw attention to the place. But what it lacks in external frills, it makes up for in its welcoming vibe, warmth and, most importantly, food. True to its name, the sound of rock ‘n’ roll welcomes guests as they enter. On the inte- rior walls are displays of record sleeves and artistic depictions of rock legends. The theme, however, is not the main draw of this establishment. Hundreds of miles from the nearest coast, Sushi Rock manages to serve good sushi in landlocked Dallas by sourcing high-quality fish worth showcasing. As to be expected of fine sushi, most of the dishes are simple: thick slices of raw fish, either served alone or atop a ball of su- shi rice. Some particularly notable offer- ings are the toro, uni, Japanese seabass, unagi and scallop. The squid, which has a tender bite without the all-too-common sliminess, is also brilliant. Even most of the rolls are pleasantly subtle. Although the chefs let the seafood do the talking, every dish comes to the table with a beautiful presentation that relies mainly on layers of fish and flowers. Some of the dishes do come with additional flare. A favorite starter is the whitefish carpac- cio, which sings with elegant notes of salt, cit- rus and truffle oil. Another flavorful entrée is the house-smoked salmon, which is playfully served in a way that matches its deliciously smokey punch. The chef also offers a grill menu and noo- dles for those who prefer something more robustly savory. We found the shrimp tem- pura to be perfectly crispy, yet light, and ba- con-wrapped asparagus to be the right flavor combination of rich, buttery and salty. If those are any indication, the other savory dishes, such as the basil shrimp soba, are un- likely to disappoint. Perhaps, the most endearing draw of Su- shi Rock is the family behind it. A husband- and-wife duo operate the establishment. Chef Mark typically runs the show behind the sushi bar, alongside his son, Chef Pearce. During our first visit, we were told that “mom” was preparing the sushi that night while “Dad” was catering at a country club. Having been to the restaurant multiple times now, it’s our opinion that no matter who is behind the sushi bar, it operates without missing a beat. Their sons also play their part. While Chef Pearce is often responsible for preparing sushi, his brother is frequently in the front waiting on guests and proudly praising the culinary brilliance of his family. He gave a glowing recommendation of the sticky pudding — his brother’s recipe — which is undoubtedly worth saving room for. If it is true that the best food is made with love, then we’d guess familial love is the key behind every heavenly bite at Sushi Rock. Sushi Rock, 7601 Campbell Road, Suite 700. Tuesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 5 – 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, noon – 10:30 p.m. Emily Loving Chef Toby Archibald of Quarter Acre is hosting dinners benefiting Tiniest Texans. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish >> p22
