by Jennifer Thomas photos by Claire McCormack
Located in the new Trinity Groves project of West Dallas, Kitchen LTO will open for dinner service on Wednesday, September 11th with lunch beginning Monday, September 30th.
Casie Caldwell, Kitchen LTO creator, has developed a restaurant business model unlike any in the country. The restaurant 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 only (“LTO”), where a new restaurant is born three times a year. Applicants enter an extensive review process with the selection committee – made up of local restaurant industry experts – choosing the finalists. At that point, the finalists are presented to the public for a vote.
Norman Grimm will hold the position of executive chef for the opening months of September to December. Grimm describes his menu as Modern French/American cuisine and explains, “My menu is a careful compilation of ideas that I have been working on for many months. I would explain it as having a heavy French influence but highlighting fresh seasonal ingredients with 23 years of cooking experience and technique.”
Dallas-based design firm, Coeval Studio won the appointment of restaurant designer for the first round. Co-owner, Miguel Vicens explains, “We applied some of the clean but strong lines and simple styling of modern design to this space as a base to showcase the food and the experience. It’s a simple space with a sculptural quality added by the design elements applied. Our approach was based on the actual theme of Kitchen LTO and the fact that it is a transforming restaurant. We want this first design to be able to have some transforming elements in itself that will be evolving during our 4-month time period.”
Caldwell explains, “We are fortunate to have such a great team, especially with all of the unknowns of first opening a restaurant. Norm has worked under some of the best in the industry and he brings a passion for his craft that he wants to share and teach to others. I won’t be surprised to see him chef his own restaurant in the very near future. John Paul and Miguel are first class designers. I love how they grabbed inspiration from nature and how their design embodies the Kitchen LTO brand. I’m excited to see it all finally come together.”
Norman Grimm, who most recently was executive chef of Acme F&B, studied at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. Grimm has worked in some of the nations best kitchens including Rubicon, Jardiniere, REDD, Tra Vigne, The Dining Room at The Ritz Carlton (all in California) along with Mercury, NOSH euro bistro and York Street in Dallas, to name a few. Grimm says he enjoys the teaching aspect of being a chef. He says, “Traci des Jardins, my first chef, taught me the value of working hard, proper seasoning, butchery, discipline and how to work efficiently. Sylvan Portay taught me extreme focus and how to achieve disciplined flavor layers. Sharon Hage taught me balance in food, acidity, fat, simplicity and complexity. Richard Reddington taught me meat fabrication, foie gras production, Asian flavors, discipline, cleanliness and utilization of everything – no waste!”
Check out the menu: DINNER MENU LTO LUNCH MENU LTO
