Junction Craft Kitchen will open Thursday, May 4 in the space formerly known as Kitchen LTO (Deep Ellum), at 2901 Elm Street. Casie Caldwell and Chef Josh Harmon have partnered to open the new restaurant serving dinner and weekend brunch.
The 7th iteration of Kitchen LTO connected Caldwell’s seasoned front-of-house team with a rising star chef and his loyal kitchen crew. The collaboration worked so well, Junction Craft Kitchen was formed to keep everyone together permanently. Caldwell says, “ I knew in the first week of opening Deep Ellum that I wanted to find a way to help Josh have a permanent restaurant space when he left LTO. After months of discussion, we decided to keep this great location and bid farewell to LTO. Junction Craft Kitchen was then born.”
In the early 1900’s, Deep Ellum, hosted the intersection of two major railroads at Main and Malcolm X, mere yards from where the restaurant stands today. The “Junction” was the gateway to business in Dallas. So important, in fact, Henry Ford built one of his earliest Model T. assembly plants nearby. Harmon says, “ It seems only fitting, with the resurgence of Deep Ellum as a cultural playground, that the spot becomes a Junction once again.”
Capturing Harmon’s love of southern and Asian cooking, Junction Craft Kitchen will serve many of his staples that Kitchen LTO diners came to love such as his Brussel Sprouts with fish sauce caramel, Hot Fried Chicken and Korean Duck Leg; but Harmon will feature many new creations such as Korean Braised Beef, Boudin Po Bao and family-style Miso Pork Belly served with steam buns and house made sauces. Brunch features playful creations such as a Captain Crunch Parfait, Kimchi Frittata and Fried Green Tomato Benedict. Harmon’s Mom and sisters will join him in the kitchen making their homemade desserts: Five-Flavor Crumble Cake, Texas Sheet Cake, and their daily pies (while the last).
Harmon says, “ My style of cooking is globally-influenced, ingredient-driven fare. I rely on my southern roots, but I love to inject techniques from all the great chefs I’ve worked for and apply those techniques to dishes I grew up with as well. Our food is a lot of fun and great for sharing and has a sense of humor. Potato sticks, Funyuns and corn nuts make their way onto my plates because they play the same role that crispy onion or fried potato would play on a dish. It’s a great way to invoke memories, make someone feel nostalgic and provides a gateway garnish to eat something you’ve never eaten before.”
BEHIND THE BAR PROGRAM
Leann Berry (most recently of Komali) has just been hired as of last week and will lead the bar program.
CART #10 – SATURDAY NIGHTS ONLY – 1 Night Only. 1 Seating. 1 Big Table.
Cart #10 is a 10-course chef tasting menu offered only by reservation on Saturday nights. The menu changes weekly. Guests will dine at Junction’s big community table reserved for 10 in the private dining room.
Reservations for Cart #10: $125pp (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity) and are awarded by phone only on a first come, first serve basis and are expected to fill up fast. Due to the special nature of this menu, a credit card hold is required and cancelations must be made 24hrs in advance to avoid charges.
ABOUT CHEF/OWNER JOSH HARMON
Born in Tennessee, raised in Texas and graduating high school in LA, he was exposed to an array of different cultures that would play a big role in the way he cooks today. Harmon has trained and staged in some of the best kitchens in the states, from David Burkes’ Townhouse, to Buddhakan in the Chelsea Market, Le Cirque in the Bloomberg Tower to Grace in Fort Worth as well as FT33 and Driftwood in Dallas.
When Harmon returned to Texas in 2012, he became Chef de Cuisine at The Milk & Honey Co. where he received multiple accolades. The Star Telegram said, “Its kitchen is turning out some of the area’s more progressive and imaginative nouveau Southern cooking”. After leaving Milk & Honey in 2013, Harmon went to Grace and worked as Chef de Partie with Chefs Blain Staniford, Victor Villarreal, and Ryan Martin. In 2014, Harmon took the Lead Cook position at Savor in Dallas with Chefs Matt Hanke and Joe Sigliano. Before becoming Executive Chef of Kitchen LTO Deep Ellum, he created the seasonally driven/globally influenced French menu at Main Street Bistro & Bakery in Grapevine.
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