District, a beloved neighborhood restaurant and bar hailing from Northern California, is set to open to the public on Friday, May 6. Located at 5100 Belt Line Rd, #544, Dallas, Texas 75254 at the Village on the Parkway in Addison, this is the first Texas location for the concept. District will be open for lunch, dinner and late-night.
The rustic yet refined concept pairs a menu of globally inspired shareable plates with an extensive and diverse wine and whiskey program. The result is a memorable tasting experience that you can share with friends and family in a place that feels like home.
Co-founder Jon D’Angelica and his partner Ryan Vance built the first District 15 years ago in San Francisco on the idea that shareable plates paired with the right wine (or whiskey) create a more intimate dining experience.
District’s Chef Partner, Aaron Staudenmaier says “The menu is designed to introduce guests to new flavors and touch back to old favorites while remaining approachable. Our culinary vision is global, pulling influence, technique, and flavors from a wide array of styles and cultures. Diners can be as comfortable, or as adventurous, as they want. The right glass of wine or perfect sip of whiskey will always be on hand to help guide them to the next dish.”
Chef Aaron Staudenmaier has an impressive culinary background with 25+ years in the food and beverage industry. His path led him through some of the finest restaurants in the country including The Mansion on Turtle Creek and the Inn at Little Washington. Staudenmaier opened Abacus with Kent Rathbun in 1999, creating an iconic Dallas restaurant. Continuing the success of Abacus, Staudenmaier worked to create the next Rathbun concept, Jasper’s. Subsequently, Staudenmaier dove into farm-to-table cooking with time at Boot Ranch, an ultra-luxury property in Fredericksburg, Texas. It was at Boot Ranch that he developed a following for his ultra-local Hill Country Farm Cuisine. Staudenmaier returned to Dallas where he opened Lovers Seafood and later moved on to become Concept chef at Whiskey Cake Kitchen and Bar.
The Food Menu
Standout shareables on the seasonal menu include Crispy Squash Blossoms – goat cheese filling, wild arugula, aleppo pepper agrodolce; Sweet Potato Pakoras – crispy chickpea batter, zucchini, sweet onion, jalapeno-lime aioli; Fontina & Spinach Arancini – crispy risotto balls and smoked tomato sauce; Hamachi Crudo – Yuzu dressing, togarashi, jalapeno, cilantro; Lamb Meatballs – Moroccan spiced lamb, chermoula tomato sauce, manchego cheese; Korean BBQ Pork Belly – gochujang glaze, kelp kimchi, grilled scallion; Ceviche Mixto – corvina, octopus, shrimp, yucca, sweet potato, sweet chile, sour orange; and Duck Confit Sacchettoni – local pasta “Beggar’s Purses”, Duck Demi, Pecorino, Fresh Herbs.
The Bar Program
The bar program at District takes center stage and showcases the concept’s love of wine and whiskey. D’Angelica explains, “Our wine and whiskey selections are curated to provide our guests with diversity in origin and flavor profile, without being overwhelming.”
District’s extensive wine program is led by Certified Sommelier, Ron Taylor and offers known favorites and boutique wines from around the world with varied styles and prices. The list is organized in a progressive format from light and fruit forward to full bodied and dry. Half glass pours are also available for adventurous guests looking to taste multiple selections.
When it comes to whiskey, D’Angelica says “anyone can go out and source hundreds of labels and let their customers browse countless pages in order to find the right one What we try and do is craft a more approachable list that covers the many styles of whiskey with producers we respect and ones who don’t take shortcuts. With the new Addison location, we are proud to have added a Texas Craft section to our whiskey list in order to feature our favorite local producers.”
Guests can also enjoy seasonally inspired garden to glass cocktails such as Pretty in Pink – Nue vodka, elderflower liqueur, fresh ruby red grapefruit, fresh lime; Come and Take It – Texas Ranger Whiskey, Cherry Heering, Amaro Nonino, fresh orange; Flock of Seagulls – Old Forester Bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse, Orange Curacao, lemon; Green Room – Ford’s Gin, cucumber simple, fresh lime, Green Chartreuse, mint.
The Space
The 3,800 square foot space offers interior seating for 94 (including bar), and patio seating for 40. District’s design is a blend between rustic and contemporary. D’Angelica says, “In Addison, the ‘bones’ of the space pay tribute to the historic brick & timber warehouse spaces we occupy in our home base of Northern California. The interior is filled with rich woods, rustic chandeliers and contemporary accents that are right in line with our design philosophy.” A combination of lounge seating, hi-top tables and banquettes, all surrounding a large centerpiece bar, will provide customers with a variety of seating experiences.
District Background
District was founded in San Francisco in 2007. It is run by founding partners and longtime friends Ryan Vance and Jon D’Angelica. Ryan’s background is in hospitality and marketing. Jon received his MBA at NYU and worked on Wall Street until 1999 when he moved to the Bay Area to pursue his dream of opening a wine bar and restaurant.
District currently has three locations all in California (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose). Addison marks the 4th location for the group and first outside of California. District will be open Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.
