by Steven Doyle
Private Social’s Tiffany Derry is definitely the sweetheart of the rodeo; well, of the Dallas dining scene. Not sure if she takes kindly to rodeos. When she sent out a press release discussing her new, fresh menu I took pause. What’s the girl got up her sleeve?
The Social menu has been completely revamped to include several sharable plates in the price range of $4 to $15. Think grilled pizza with Black Mission figs, honey and arugula; elotes with mayo, chili powder, lime and Cotija cheese; chickpea fritters with coriander, mint, cilantro, chiles and yogurt sauce; and lamb meatballs with spicy marinara sauce, goat cheese and crusted bread.
Grilled pizza with Mission figs with arugula? Sign me up.
For the Private menu, Derry has added a Hatch chili salad with butter lettuce, avocado, pickles and crispy tortilla; suckling pig with pork belly with house-made sausage, crispy pig ears, rapini and pine nuts; crispy Ruby Red trout with cannellini bean, wild mushroom ragu and charred onions; and cowgirl rib eye paired with lobster-orzo mac and cheese and Spicer’s greens.
This new menu might frighten a few of her customers, but to many of the food enlightened the idea of suckling pig and crispy pig ears this menu will definitely attract some attention.
Graham Dodds recently had pig ears on his bar menu, but you will notice those have been scrubbed. Those are not necessarily dishes hungry tourists want to nosh on while sipping a cold beer or a very dry martini. But for the rest of us this should be a welcome change and lend some definite street cred to her menu.
While much of the menu has been updated to remain in-season, favorites like Chef Derry’s surf and turf sushi roll, roasted bone marrow, and duck fat fried chicken remain on the menu. The Private menu is available Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight. The Social menu is available Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
We will be checking in with Derry and her new menu very soon.
This lady is a culinary talent. I am so glad she is in Dallas.