Forty Five Years Young. Del Frisco’s Remains a Bastion of Traditional Steakhouse Excellence, and an Innovator as Well
by Andrew Chalk
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse first opened just after I moved to Dallas and has not only thrived but also spread to additional locations in north Texas (Fort Worth and Plano) and eight other states plus the District of Columbia.
I attended a recent media event at the Uptown Dallas location and came away with a heady sense that the restaurant is refreshed and vital. First, there was the enthusiasm and energy of the staff. Right from the moment we walked up to the door and a staff member promptly opened it for us, to the welcoming smiles of the hostesses at the Maitr’d stand. Then, the service from our waiter, Noah, who patiently laughed at my flimsy joke about the difficulty of parking an ark in Uptown nowadays, despite having likely heard versions of it multiple times before, to the approachability of floor manager, Matt. There was a sense of making the customer feel special, and great teamwork throughout service.
The back-of-house was on message too. Not a single thing we ordered has any preparation flaws. In an era when I have had Kevlar carrots twice in consecutive months (once at a Michelin-starred establishment) because the cook thought they could be cooked with soft vegetables like zucchini, Del Frisco’s kitchen was precise and checked its work.
Part of Del Frisco’s modus operandi is to elevate crowd favorites. Take Mac n’ Cheese. It is found everywhere from rickety barbecue stands to fine dining, and there is a version for every place. Del Frisco’s is one of my favorites because it is over-the-top. First, the menu name is Lobster Macaroni & Cheese ($28), pointing to the central place of the lobster. In addition, the cheese is Gouda, Holland’s gloriously rich cow’s milk cheese that is tailor-made for a side like this. Finally, in Texas locations only, micro-amounts of Anaheim chiles inflect the earthy flavors of the cheese with piquant flashes. I say Anaheim, despite the menu saying Hatch, because there is, in fact, no such thing as a Hatch chile, just brilliant marketing by Hatch, NM. There are hatches, and there are chilies, but no such thing as a Hatch chile.
Don’t let that detract from Del Frisco’s version of Mac n’ Cheese. It is ethereal and unforgettable. A must have, particularly as we dive into Fall.
Another example of something that Del Frisco’s could not ‘leave well enough alone’ is the Creamed Spinach ($16) side. Its soft, sweet, creamy flavors just remind you of great home cooked food. And it is a synergistic complement to not just the steak on the menu but the seafood offerings as well.
Could something as central to the Texas constitution as steak get boring? Not at Del Frisco’s. I had Japanese A5 Wagyu for the first time in too long. A5 is the highest possible quality grade given to Japanese beef by the Japan Meat Grading Association. Look at the marbling in the picture. I tried it with two types of salt but something inside me told me that was heresy and I ate most of it ‘straight’. It was cooked with a hot pan sear (meaning, the chef showed the hot pan to the steak) to preserve an animal freshness. The texture was softer than prime filet mignon. I don’t think I would even drink wine with this meat. At $30 oz. the 3 oz portion is enough to embed the memory of this remarkable food in even the most feeble memory.
Steak innovation does not end there. Matt informed us that he is a ribeye lover and on his off-days, when he comes in, he will order the Stone Axe Wagyu Ribeye ($145 - 14 oz). This Australia-sourced meat is a Full Blood Japanese Black, like the A5 that I had, and is the best ribeye he has tasted.
The other steak highlight is the aged steak. In this case 45 Day Dry Aged Prime Ribeye ($90 - 16oz), which I did not have, is a steak of another dimension. Aging essentially dehydrates a steak, concentrating flavors and adding earthy, funky mushroom flavors. It is an acquired taste, which I have acquired!
That steak sounds like a fantastic foil to the comprehensive selection of red wines on Del Frisco’s superior list (it has a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, placing it in the top 1% of restaurants for wine). Napa Cabernet is the crowd favorite in Dallas and has more selections (over 100) than the size of most restaurants’ wine lists, but Bordeaux fans will also find themselves well catered for as well. Interestingly, markups from a cursory lookup, seemed lower than many other upper-end restaurants in town. I had a glass of Chardonnay from northern Burgundy, La Chablisienne, "Le Finage," Chablis, France ($27 - 9oz) and another Chardonnay, Lange Estate “Classique”, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($22 - 9oz). I actually preferred the latter. The French wine lacked oomph in the mid-palate.
The reason for choosing white wine was my appetizer, which was Colossal Lump Crab Cocktail (MP - $36), served with a remoulade sauce. I was looking for a powerful brininess complimented by sweet flesh from the crab and it fit the bill. The Moll had Dynamite Shrimp ($19) with sweet and spicy Thai chile mayo. A much more punchy set of flavors, with an Asian accent.
For her main course, The Moll chose one of the most successful seafood dishes in Dallas restaurants, Seared Chilean Sea Bass ($59). Del Frisco’s upped their game here, producing a visual and gustatory masterpiece (see photo). Recommended, and it went well with the Oregon Chardonnay as well as her Eden Rift Pinot Noir from California’s Central Coast ($25 - 9oz).
One other specialty that I recommend. For dessert drinks order the Sweet Discoveries Flight ($28). You put it together from small samples from three of the after dinner drinks on the wine list. Thus, I had Tokaji, Madeira, and a Banyuls, a delightful selection of dessert classics with my No Bake Hibiscus and Raspberry Cheesecake ($16).
Tokaji, Hungary’s unforgettable contribution to the wine world, was insanely sweet and effusing honey flavors. Madeira had the nutty signature that makes that Portuguese masterpiece so distinctive. And the Banyuls sweet red wine was from master winemaker M. Chapoutier.
Is Del Frisco dead in the wool? No way. There are innovations all over the menu. The thing they aren’t changing is the quality service that makes fine dining fine.
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