Fruition Hospitality – a full-service hospitality firm founded by Chef Scott Gottlich and his wife Gina – has taken a leadership role in the daily operations of 18th & Vine BBQ located at 4100 Maple Avenue in Dallas. With award-winning pitmaster and co-owner of the well-regarded chef forward Kansas City barbecue restaurant, Matt Dallman has always been and is still in charge of anything smoked and meat.
Scott Gottlich explains, “Along with streamlining the experience, service and hospitality, we have changed the food menu and beverage program as well. Working in tandem, Gina and I are excited to see what the future holds for this special restaurant.”
Gina says, “We are making gentle but important changes. Our regulars will notice positive enhancements but nothing too drastically different than what they loved before about 18th & Vine. Plus, we look forward to introducing new guests to the restaurant as well and improving on the experience others had before. We have a great team in place and the new menus are right in line.”
The Roost (upstairs bar) remains a popular place for overflow dinner traffic, live music on certain nights and private event buyouts. The downstairs bar has become a well-liked destination for game days and group gatherings. Chef Gottlich adds, “We have become a destination for those seeking great BBQ but also other options such as salads, in-house pasta dishes, roasted salmon, smoked lobster thermidor and more chef-inspired dishes. We have also added a family-style dining option to the menu called “The Whole Sha-Bang”, where 3 starters, 3 full servings of BBQ, 3 family size sides and 3 desserts serve 4-6 people for $135. A special weekend brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 2pm. We are here to simply make things even better than they were before.”
Gottlich has developed a unique menu in a comfortable yet casually chic environment. He continues, “Traditional Kansas City BBQ will always be a part of the menu options for those interested in a pure barbeque experience. However, the collaboration between myself and Matt gives us the opportunity to combine talents and knowledge of a chef with a self-taught pitmaster to push the boundaries of what can be accomplished with smoke and other barbeque techniques.”
A portion of the menu offers traditional Kansas City barbeque plates while the other is a selection of seasonal, composed chef-created dishes. Chef Gottlich says, “It is a nice balance between the expected and unexpected.”
