Petra and the Beast (update), Dallas, 9/28/19

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Frankie checked the herb in the cocktail

It’s been a year since we tried the tasting menu offered only on Saturday nights. The rest of the week they serve off a chalkboard menu.  Reservations for the tasting are hard to come by, there is a waiting list for most every one of them, since the little restaurant and Chef Misti Norris have been getting lots of critical acclaim and notice in national publications.  The interior has added more tables and seats.  The little alcove that was the cocktail stand now contains tables too.  This is good for the public but it does create a lot more noise in the interior that makes conversation difficult and hard to hear any presentation by the server.  Water is still provided but if you want wine or other flavored beverage with your meal you need to bring your own.  They have opened up a few more parking spaces in an adjacent lot but a lot of guests appeared to be dropped off by a car service.  In general my impression was that the food had less intense flavor than the last visit but everything was good it just didn’t cross over to the great that I had first sensed.  I got more of that intensity when visiting other nights but the service is far less refined with most dishes being presented in plastic coated cardboard boxes.  They asked if I’d share their website, which is <https://www.restaurantji.com/tx/dallas/petra-and-the-beast-/&gt;. Continue reading

Petra and the Beast, Dallas, 9/1/18

entrance
entrance

Petra and the Beast opened last April and is two restaurants in one.  During the week (closed Monday and Tuesday)  they have a chalkboard menu where everything is a la carte for lunch and dinner but on Saturday night they produce a tasting menu for 18 lucky people.   This menu included things not on the regular menu and changes every week.  Seating was communal with 3 tables each seating 6.  It is BYOB at all times.  We were there for the Saturday evening tasting.  The building used to be a service station but chef Misti Norris has transformed the space into a pleasant space decorated with dried herbs and flowers and lots of jars of ingredients.  A high tin ceiling was above the exposed ductwork and the bare wood tables, set with metal chairs, were all slightly different.   It was a setting full of hard surfaces and so the noise level could be a bit high.  Seating was not assigned so it’s a fun opportunity to meet some new people also interested in food.  Arrival time was 7:00 but then there was a period for you to look around and enjoy a welcome cocktail, which is given to you after you’d taken care of the evening’s payment.   Continue reading