Spotlight On...

Knife Dallas
with Highland Dallas General Manager David Lemmond

Knife Dallas was named best steakhouse in Best of Big D 2015

Knife Dallas was named best steakhouse in Best of Big D 2015

What makes Knife Dallas stand out in the thriving restaurant scene in Dallas?
At Knife we choose to go outside the norm. We cater not only to the frequent steakhouse diner but to the foodies as well. We do this by offering our old school cuts such as ribeyes and filets, but take it a step further by serving the ribeyes and sirloins bone-in and dry-aged in-house in our climate controlled display dry-aging room visible when you walk in the restaurant. In addition to the classics you see on every steakhouse menu, Knife offers wagyu skirt steak and 72-hour sou vide short rib, which we finish off over our red oak wood fire grill. Beyond steaks we offer an incredible selection of pastas, nationally praised burgers and a variety of slabs and slices of some carefully selected pork, beef and lamb.

What is (are) the most popular item(s) on your menu?
The most popular way our guests at Knife like to start off their dining experience is with our famous bacon tasting. Guests are presented with 6 different types of bacon on a wood cutting boarding including: our house-made bacon jam, Wisconsin's Nueske's applewood and cherrywood smoked, Moody's - which does a special cure just for chef - Benton's from Tennessee and everyone's favorite - Iberico from Spain.

Another popular dish is our Longbone 32 oz. dry-aged ribeye for two, which is dry-aged in-house in our dry-age display case. Also popular is our Ozersky burger - named after John's late friend, blogger, food critic and burger expert Josh Ozersky. It is a 6 oz. ground sirloin burger from 44 Farms served on a traditional white bun with American cheese and sliced raw red onion and is paired with salsa verde french fries. It is a very clean and classic burger with every component selectively chosen to bring out the natural flavor of the amazing 44 Farms beef.

Which dish is your personal favorite?
My personal favorite is our penne pasta & black truffle essence. The hand-rolled penne pasta is imported from Italy and tossed with truffle butter monte, then garnished with parmigiano cheese and black truffle shavings. Each time this dish hits the table, everyone's head turns to catch a glimpse of what is producing that heavenly aroma.

Tell us a little about Chef John Tesar.
Three-time James Beard "Best Southwest Chef" semifinalist and "Top Chef" contestant Chef John Tesar is known for his stylish, modern American cuisine prepared with classic European techniques. His innovative culinary perspective and no-nonsense personality have garnered much acclaim throughout his 20+ years in the restaurant industry. This acclaims includes national nods from Esquire (named to Best New Restauurants for two consecutive years), Food & Wine, New York Magazine and The New York Times,appearances on The Today Show and The Early Show and winning the inaugral season of Food Network's "Extreme Chef."

Knife must-knows are?
Knife is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sundays. Knife offers the full menu for late night dining and complimentary valet is always available. Choose from a wide selection of light- to full-bodied cigars from our humidor and enjoy by the fireplace on our beautiful patio.

Are there any secrets that people should know about?
If you're calling for a reservation or looking on OpenTable for a reservation and we are fully committed, try your luck and come on in. Our open kitchen has a chef's counter where we leave space for walk-ins. Sit side-by-side as you enjoy dinner and a show at your leisure. The bar area also has two large cocktail-style tables and can seat 10 people comfortably, which are also available to walk-ins. It is a great environment with the same full-service menu we offer in the dining room.

Is Knife Dallas having any specials for Valentine's Day?
Steaks for sharing such as dry-aged bone-in Akaushi ribeye and 240-day dry-aged ribeye will both be available for dinner. In addition, we will serve a special Valentine's Day dessert from Pastry Chef Eric Cobb - a strawberry panna cotta, citrus sponge, crisped basil leaf and pistachio basil crumble.