There is something to be said for visiting a five-star restaurant
when the city is in the clutches of an ice storm: The other scheduled
patrons have cancelled their reservations to hide under quilted bed
covers nursing a hot toddy; and so the chef and his staff, having braved
the ghastly weather themselves to show up valiantly for work, will be very
happy indeed to see you there, and they will do everything short of
performing headstands to express their gratitude, serving you
outstanding meals with exemplary service.
Such was my visit, on a blustery winter day this December, to Ocean Prime,
the elegant 2006 Cameron Mitchell creation on Cedar Springs Road across
from the Crescent Court Hotel on the northern end of downtown Dallas.
The staff was so happy to see us, and our praise after an outstanding
meal was such, that while we were drinking our coffees Executive Chef
Eugenio Reyes himself came out personally to take a bow and chat with us
for a few minutes. He is a gifted artist.
It was clear upon
arrival that my dining partner and I had the place to ourselves. There
was one other table, this one with five guests, far across the room. My
host kindly picked a table far from the door and any errant blasts of
icy wind that might have eluded the doorman. Our server was Shelby
Griffing, a five-year veteran of Ocean Prime and a knowledgeable guide to dining there.
When
Shelby suggested that the chef was excited about a dish of lollipop
lamb chops (the popular American name for lamb rib chops with the bone
frenched), my ears perked up. On such a day, do you really want to order
off the menu? After all, the chef is all alone in the kitchen and is
dying to show off his favorite dish. Why disappoint him -- or yourself?
Under such conditions, go with the will of the restaurant. One ought to
listen carefully and, unless you are allergic to the special, you are
wise to select it. The chef, under these circumstances, is going to make
an extra effort to shine. Indeed, many years of high-end restaurant
dining have taught me that the best meals are to be had on those
occasions when one can "bond," so to speak, with the kitchen staff.
Never take good cooking for granted. Always listen. My father once
remarked to me decades ago that he could always assess a man's character
best by watching the way he treated waiters. So it is.
To be
frank, I am not particularly fond of lamb, in spite of my years in North
Africa, because it takes special skill to cook it properly and it is
such a staple in so much of the world that its preparation is often
indifferent. Too often, also, "lamb" really means "mutton." Mutton is
often stringy, tough, and unpalatable, the sort of meat that makes
Australians in the outback grouchy. I usually go to Ocean Prime to eat fish, since there are so few really good fish restaurants in Dallas. I am partial to Ocean Prime's blackened Redfish, which they serve with cornspoon bread and a jalapeño corn tartar. I have ordered it a half-dozen times.
But
there was something about Shelby's description of the lollipop lamb
chops that made them irresistible, and both my lunch partner and I
ordered them. To whet my palate, I chose as an appetizer a trio of
simply outstanding Vietnamese gambas, or giant shrimp, served in the traditional tomato sauce with a bit of Tabasco.
And
then came those lollipop lamb chops, five little ones served piping
hot. We were not disappointed. To begin with, the ingredients were
absolutely the best, before Eugenio Reyes performed his magic in the
kitchen. These were the finest, most tender lamb chops wild and wooly
Oregon has ever produced (as good as, if not better than, those from
Colorado, which is the usual venue for the finest American lamb). It is
so often true, in cuisine as in other endeavors in life, that the best
ingredients are more than half the battle. But the way Chef Reyes
prepared these chops was extraordinary and, in my experience, unique.
Instead
of the traditional lamb recipe, or a variation of it, in which they are
crusted with rosemary and salt, these were served in a very delicate
and slightly sweet raisin-based clear reduction. Absolutely out of this
world! The lamb chops were served with tiny potatoes the size of
marbles. I have never had lamb with a hint of sugar or raisins before,
except perhaps once or twice in Morocco. It was a treat, and one I shall
remember.
I asked Chef Reyes afterwards why these lollipop chops
are not on the regular menu, and he responded quite reasonably that it
is simply not possible to get the desired quality of chops on a daily
basis (though they are generally available) and that, too, respecting
the gastronomic leanings of his Texas patrons, lamb is not something
people in Dallas want to order every day, no matter how good it is. I
think this is wise.
We finished our luncheon with a magnificent
and very generous homemade crème brûlée with berries, rich vanilla
custard enclosed in an armor of caramelized sugar. I then had an
espresso with lemon peel.
Executive Chef Eugenio Reyes is a man of great culinary talent. Before he assumed the helm at Ocean Prime,
he was sous-chef here but with regular travel also to other Cameron
Mitchell eateries across the nation to train staff. He began his career
in Columbus, Ohio, at Mitchell's Ocean Club restaurant. After
leaving his native Mexico years ago, Reyes began life in American
kitchens at the very bottom of the ladder, as a dishwasher, dreaming of
the day when he could become a cook himself. Over a two-decade career,
he has learned more and more.
I generally avoid chains, but
Cameron Mitchell's ten locations are not really part of a chain in the
sense that each restaurant has been tailored to its host city. Mitchell
is planning to open his eleventh restaurant, this one in hard-to-please
Beverly Hills, California, in early 2014.
Cameron Mitchell's public relations team has stated that "Ocean Prime
is the culmination of a creative exercise we started in 2006 to define
the best in culinary, beverage, service and atmosphere" in Dallas, and I
think it's fair to say that they have succeeded.
Ocean Prime
is at 2101 Cedar Springs Road in Dallas (75201) at the corner of Pearl
and across from the Crescent Court Hotel. Even on days when the weather
is bad, it is always wise to make a reservation: (214) 965-0440.