Matt McCallister, chef and owner of FT33 in Dallas, TX was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2014. He hasn’t been sitting on his laurels, receiving constant recognition for his abilities, recently touted as one of the 10 Best Restaurants in DFW. FT33 is a complete package. Yes the food is exceptional, artistic and creative. The drinks have won their own awards and the wine list is a unique collection, not of the common variety. The decor is sleek and modern with the favored open kitchen of today’s most trendy restaurants. However, the one thing that struck me the most was the outstanding service. Yes, Matt has not left any detail out in creating a great dining spot in this popular town!
Our table of five was well attended to in every way. The service was 5 star quality in a casual setting. Unobtrusive yet attentive. The Gold Star award goes to our server, Megan. Her ability to explain in detail, each of the dishes on the menu was exemplary. Having worked in and around the restaurant business myself for many years, I have quite a history of experiences to compare this one to. I felt as though I was listening to the chef himself, explain every nuance of each dish with careful detail and elegance. It was not wrote, did not sound memorized, but was gracefully shared as if she were expressing fine points of her own personal passion. It was actually quite remarkable and impressed us immensely!
I’m guessing it must be difficult to come up with your own sense of style and differentiation in a world of so many wonderful culinary adventures. I was impressed with some of the particulars that Matt selected such as the suede napkin rings. Very classy.
The bread was hand served and perfectly scrumptious.
My starter was a chilled dish made with charred octopus, aguachile, herb flowers and winter squash. Aguachile, as I now know, means “chili water”, kind of the spicy, tart cousin of ceviche. It’s the method of cooking where acid cooks seafood in place of heat. This was a delightfully fresh tasting concoction, very unusual and delicious!
My main entree was their Scallops with fermented kale, acorn squash and maitake mushrooms. I loved the sear on the scallops and their buttery fresh flavor. Maitake mushrooms (one of my fav’s) and the crispy kale added a nice element to the dish as did the acorn squash. A nice mix of texture and contrast. I wasn’t totally sold on the fermented kale, however. The plating was quite stunning and very inventive.
What really knocked my socks off was what someone else at my table ordered – the Vegetable Composition. It was an extraordinary group of assorted vegetables in most cases prepared or showcased in two unique versions. As I recall the vegetables prepared were shallots, carrots, squash, broccoli, celery root & okra. The display was magnificent on a freeform shaped wooden board and it looked very inviting. I’m definitely going to try to replicate something like this at my next dinner party. (Thanks Matt!)
To finish off this incredible meal, we shared two of their desserts. The first was a Warm Apple Cake with butterscotch, sour cream and pecan. The cake was yummy and I loved the fresh element and the crumb crunch. The second was their Banana dessert with chocolate, soy and vanilla. Again, a work of art with thought given to both texture, color and taste.
A wonderful evening complete with great friends, great food & wine in a perfect setting. 5 Stars from me!