by Jennifer Thomas
Kitchen LTO, opening July 2013 at Trinity Groves in West Dallas, invites you to MEET. TASTE. REVIEW. VOTE on Thursday, May 30th, when it will debut its chef and designer finalists for its first permanent pop-up restaurant rotation.
The event, to be held at 3015 Trinity Groves, will allow partygoers the opportunity to meet the finalists, taste-test the chefs, explore proposed interior designs and be the first to vote for their favorites. Voting will commence at the event and continue through June 10th via Kitchen LTO’s website, http://www.kitchenlto.com. Voting will be limited to one time per 24 hours, with winners announced Tuesday, June 11th.
Tickets are $25 in advance at the Kitchen LTO website, or $30 at the door. Proceeds will benefit El Centro’s Culinary Facilities.
The finalists went through an intensive screening process where a judging committee vetted qualifications. Led by Caldwell, members of the screening committee include: Chris Zielke (Owner, Bolsa/Bolsa Mercado/Smoke/Chicken Scratch), Michael Miller (Senior VP, UCR Urban), Chad Houser (Executive Director, Café Momentum), Jason Kosmas (Owner, The 86 Co.), Sharon Van Meter (Chef/Owner 3015 at Trinity Groves), Rebecca Wright (Special Events Coordinator, Trulucks), Blythe Beck (Executive Chef, Movie Lounge) and Bob Sambol (Founder of Bob’s Steak & Chophouse).
Kitchen LTO, concepted by Casie Caldwell (Founder and Owner of Greenz Salads — a Dallas based fast-casual eatery) will dramatically change every four months as a new chef rotates in and introduces a new menu concept. Simultaneously, a new design firm will reinvent the interior’s transformable elements.
“Essentially, it’s a limited time offer (“LTO”), where a new restaurant is born three times a year,“ says Caldwell. “I designed the restaurant for food lovers like myself who are always exploring new trends and searching for the next best culinary adventure. I can’t think of a better way to do that while fostering the great culinary talent available on a local, regional and national level.”
Kitchen LTO will be located at the incubator restaurant development at Trinity Groves, the newest brainchild of legendary restaurateur Phil Romano. Romano says that Kitchen LTO fits well with the overall personality of the project. Romano explains, “Just like Trinity Groves will act as an incubator for providing restaurateurs a lower cost venue for testing a concept’s viability, Kitchen LTO becomes an “incubator within the incubator” by providing a rotating home to new chef talent and their ideas.”
