I love it when a restaurant has a strong sense of identity. When you walk in, you know immediately what it’s all about, what kind of food to expect, the experience you’re in for. That’s how I felt within minutes of stepping through the doors of Dish Society, the new all-local, farm-to-table concept in the Gables-Tanglewood complex at San Felipe near Chimney Rock.
Like that English pub or diner that you’d frequent at least once a week, Dish Society has the feel and atmosphere of a modern neighborhood eatery. Sunny, lemon yellow accents — the gingham checked custom-made shirts that the servers wear, the bright yellow latte cups and the long banquette along the back wall — act as the unifying elements that turn an almost industrial-looking space into a haven that embodies the restaurant motto of “Eat Local. Be Social.”
You can easily picture yourself hanging out while nursing a cup of coffee, stopping in for a quick bite or having a casual meal with a loved one or a friend. In fact, had they opened closer to my neighborhood, they’d probably see my face regularly. It’s that kind of place.
As it is, I’ve been telling just about everyone how charming the new place is, about the wholesome, healthy, well-priced American menu they offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast and lunch is counter-service casual, with offerings like steel-cut oatmeal with a choice of toppings, whole wheat and gluten-free pancakes, cage-free eggs, migas or the Nutella-stuffed french toast I’m dying to try.
Lunch is an abbreviated dinner menu, with entrees like cage-free grilled ancho chicken, shrimp and grits, citrus-glazed salmon and chimichurri steak; a choice of salads like a spinach berry salad or kale cucumber salad; and a choice of sandwiches from the classic BLT to a grilled pesto chicken or grilled cheese.
The dinner, or “supper,” menu focuses more on starters, entrees and salads (without the sandwiches), with a few heartier options than what is available for lunch. Our table ordered several different entrees to taste test, and the winner was definitely the pork tenderloin (photo above) — Black Hill Ranch pork tenderloin crusted with coffee and served with a Port cherry reduction, whipped sweet potatoes and sauteed collards.
Other favorites were the cage-free Dijon roasted half chicken, citrus-glazed salmon with avocado quinoa citrus relish, a chimichurri grilled flat iron steak and the daily special of whole chicken-fried quail over mashed potatoes. Everything is well-priced and affordable (entrees fall within the $10 to $15 range), astonishing for the fact that this is an all-local, primarily organic, farm-to-table menu.
Staffers have a wholesome, down-to-earth attitude that is friendly and welcoming — a reflection, no doubt, in large part due to owners Aaron Lyons and Trent Patterson, fraternity brothers during their college years at University of Texas at Austin (UT). Lyon wrote the business plan while earning an MBA at UT and found Houston to be a great fit for what they wanted to do. I couldn’t agree more.
(Aaron Lyons, chef Johnny Romo and Trent Patterson)
DISH SOCIETY, 5740 San Felipe, 832-538-1060, dishsociety.com