The bar at Mister Charles, where the ceilings are soaring and so are the prices.
Chris Wolfgang
Online restaurant reservation site OpenTable has released its list of America’s Top 100 restaurants based, it says, “on insights and reviews from OpenTable diners like you.” Apparently, diners like you either don’t include many Dallas folk, as local restaurants come up a bit short compared with Austin, which had eight spots on the list.
Mister Charles, the elegant, pricey restaurant that opened two years ago in the spot of the old Highland Park Pharmacy, promising “an irreverent play on the classics,” is certainly a reasonable choice for Dallas’ sole spot on OpenTable’s rankings. When he visited in 2023 not long after it opened, Observer food writer Chris Wolfgang tried the uni butter carbonara for $32. “Take a firm grasp of your fork for your first bite, because the explosion of rich flavors might cause you to drop your utensil,” he wrote.
He described the coconut cream cake as “exquisitely airy and delicate, and the scoop of yogurt lemon sorbet accompanying it possessed a near magical quality of not melting while you eat it.” (Neither dish is listed on Mister Charles’ current menu online, but the selections still sound damned delicious for a splurge, if you can get a reservation.)
In the most recent Michelin Guide, Chas Martin at Mister Charles earned an Exceptional Cocktail Award.
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Coconut cream cake with a lemon yogurt sorbet is an exquisite ending to a meal.
So, bravo for Mister Charles for its well-deserved praise. Still, that 8-1 ratio had us wondering: Are we living in the dining hinterlands while Austin has become Paris on the Colorado? Maybe not.
OpenTable’s website says rewards are based on reviews from diners who have completed reservations, but not every restaurant uses OpenTable. We ran the list of Dallas restaurants praised in the updated Michelin Guide last month. Star-winner Tatsu doesn’t book on OpenTable. Dallas’ most recent star winner, Mamani, does. Of the 22 local restaurants given Michelin’s Bib Gourmand award or listed as recommended, nine don’t book reservations through OpenTable. All those that do are rated as “exceptional” with 4+ stars on OpenTable.
So take heart, Dallas gourmands. You don’t have to endure a drive down Interstate 35 or book a flight to enjoy a great meal. You might have to book a reservation yourself, though.