Prefer the food is good too.
Thanks for reccomendations in advance.
Kris
Great is subjective in Dallas. No matter where you go, expect to pay 3-4X retail for current release wines.
That is fine. Any good French lists?
I had dinner at Sachet a few weeks ago. Interesting, Med-focused wine list:
I was honestly surprised to find such diversity in selection in Dallas.
Best list in the state if not the Southwest.
+1 on what Tex said
+1. Great list, though they charge for it. I didn’t feel the prices were extreme though.
I was able to ‘poach’ a 2007 Mt Eden Cab off of that list for something like $125. I say ‘poach’ because it was the last one and actually a pretty great QPR. My dinner companions thought I was some sort of mad genius for picking that bottle at that price point and having it still deliver the goods- vs everything else on that list.
But it’s a great list. And Pappas Bros was a nice meal. Quality food and just the right level of service. ‘Old school steak house’ but not over-the-top or anything, not stale.
Pappas is the only real French list in Dallas that I have found aside from the Mansion on Turtle Creek- which still has some great wines, but has been heavily picked over and not replaced presumably given current market prices. Most of the newer restaurants, and even many of the stalwarts like Café Pacific, are heavily California focused to the extent they have high end wine at all. If you find a first growth on a downtown or Uptown wine list, it is most likely going to be a mid-range vintage of Mouton, and at an eye-opening price even by restaurant standards.
I had a quick peek at the link Bill posted since I have not been over to Pappa’s in quite a while, and honestly a number of the wines are actually quite attractively priced now in light of the surge in auction prices over the past couple of years. The burgundy section has quite a few wines, even some DRCs, that would cost you about the same as you would pay at retail or even auction. And the food is pretty outstanding too.
Looks like they have been slowing of late- after 2012 the selections thin out to some degree- and they have not re-adjusted pricing lately. So, it is a good time to hit that list before it gets too picked over.
EDIT- Almost forgot, Al Biernat’s on Oak Lawn is supposed to have a solid French selection at the upper end, and very fine food as well. But I have not been there yet.
The new Del Frisco’s in Uptown has a very nice list also and some good older French selections. Prices were high but not crazy from what I remember.
Has Lola’s gone. Had a good dinner there in 2005 with an eBob crowd.
Al Biernat’s doesnt have anything these days…Pappas is the best bet IMHO
You better hurry.
After a thread like this, Big Lumber will be landing their helicopters in the Pappas parking lot.
/i-wish-it-were-sarcasm
Long gone. Vann closed it years ago.
I would concur with Pappas, although we poached some singular gems from that list last month.
Here is Bullion’s listhttps://bullionrestaurant.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Bullion_Wine-Menu_6-4-18.pdf
Have not been here.
FT33 was great but is closing on the June 23rd
Went here last year http://gemmadallas.com/ Decent and reasonable list great food. Going back again in August.
Went here last year as well http://thegraperestaurant.com/Decent and reasonable list.Going back again in August.
Will be trying this one out for the first time. https://dallasboulevardier.com/
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there really aren’t any good wine lists in Dallas. Pappas is not bad, if picked over. The others can have the occasional interesting bottle here or there, but nothing close to what I would consider great.
With that said, there are very few good restaurants in Dallas anyway. Sorry to be such a debbie downer, but after 4 years here, I have yet to find a place that is consistently solid. Have had some good+ meals, but those experiences are hardly consistent. Some signs of brilliance in Bouillon and I see potential there. No other restaurants in Dallas have even come close to matching that ambiance and service… FT33 did great food but will be gone this week as mentioned above. The clientele in Dallas doesn’t demand it.
Gemma would be my recommendation. Always good food (IMO) and a good list of red and white Frenchies.
Thanks for all suggestions.