Tag Archives: Bistro

A Fortunate Feast: Lavendou Bistro Provençal

Paschalby Steven Doyle  photos by Joey Stewart

A visit to a French restaurant in Dallas is certainly an experience when you realize how few of them there are in this area. Fortunately, Lavendou Bistro Provençal is one of the very best, owned and operated by one of the most amazing hosts our city has today – Pascal Cayet.

Pascal’s first job was at Tour d’Argent in Paris, overlooking Notre Dame Cathedral and arrived in Dallas in the 1980’s where he was one of the innovators for French cuisine. He was founder and owner of the famous French Country restaurant Chez Gerard on McKinney Avenue, which was one of Stanley Marcus’ favorite restaurants. It was during a period of growth that Pascal moved his restaurant north, and then it was very far north, to his location on Preston near George Bush. Thus the birth of Lavendou, this slice of France located in a cozy shopping center.

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The Grape Is Still Amazing After All These Years

luscher.jpgby Steven Doyle

Courtney and Brian Luscher are this amazing husband and wife team that make The Grape the legendary restaurant it is today. Their restaurant is 46-years old this month but have been owners since 2007. At the time they purchased the restaurant for its original owners, Kathy McDaniel and Charlotte Parker, the market crashed nearly the same day they signed papers of ownership.  Continue reading

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Some Enchanted Evening At Mercat

cocktailsby Steven Doyle

The word Mercat is the Catalan word for “market” which gives a slight foreshadowing of what diners might expect at the cozy, if not romantic Dallas Uptown bistro.  The tiny space inside gives a true bistro feel, and that same sense flows out onto the patio which overlooks the beautiful green space that is part of Mercat’s sister restaurant, St. Ann. On the evening we made our last visit, the night was simply simpatico with the the beautiful song styling’s of local crooner Hunter Sullivan. As one of our first courses arrived we enjoyed tunes from the Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett songbooks. Fireflies sparked across the lawn, and beautiful wines rushed to our heads as we smiled with the perfect dining selection for the evening.    Continue reading

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