Oak was on John DeMers list of places to record radio in Dallas recently. Until then, I’d never stepped inside. Please know that Oak’s dining room is jaw-dropping gorgeous— a stunning spectacle of breathtaking joy. Are you with me? This was during the day. Imagine what happens when the lights go down and the atmosphere gets even more glorious.
Oak is the place a stressed out person should go to calm down. Road rage? Scary day at the office? Ex-boyfriend with a double life cheat on you with a terry-cloth-dress-wearing Hooter’s girl? Head to Oak for a drink. This kind of relaxing vibe feels as right as it possibly could. Oh, and the oak tree reflection on the wall? Enough already.
Servers were busily inspecting their sections for perfection when we arrived. At least four people could be seen holding wine glasses into the air daring a spot to exist. Not one fork or knife was out of place in the entire building. Starch was standing at attention on every server’s shirt. The bar, oh the bar. It’s hard to even talk about the bar. Gorgeous. The atmosphere at Oak has the power to force one to want more even after feeling fully satisfied.
We sat down with executive chef Jason Maddy to talk food, wine, and all that is Oak. Maddy has been with Oak since the opening a little over a year ago. There’s no chef shuffle going on around here. Does Dallas realize this chef worked with David Bouley? Pause. As the interview began, chef Maddy began explaining the goal of bringing fine dining to Dallas at an approachable price. Their guests are either from the neighborhood, foodies from around town, or those wishing to experience some kind of adventurous eating. As with FT33, basic eaters need to relax and find a way to start pampering their palates. Oak is an exceptional place to start.
Chef Maddy chose three dishes to discuss during radio— Composition of Root Vegetable, Moroccan Octopus & Pork Jowl, as well as Pacific Cod. While not knowing how the pork jowl tasted, I do know the others were amazing. The heirloom rice served with the cod surprisingly forced me to scrape the plate. Chef Maddy’s commitment to all that is Oak is a reward for Dallas. His level of technique and creativity is a talent to be respected.
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Oak‎
1628 Oak Lawn Avenue #110
Dallas, TX 75207
214.712.9700
oakdallas.com‎
Um, I’m just wondering how an employee at Groupon in Chicago (ip address 209.117.190.71) has time to write sad sad sad words about my innocent blog while working at their corporate office. Sniffle.