{"id":807746,"date":"2026-05-19T15:39:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/807746\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T15:39:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:39:17","slug":"alania-mediterranean-grill-brings-turkish-fare-to-e-dallas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/807746\/","title":{"rendered":"Alania Mediterranean Grill brings Turkish fare to E. Dallas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A new restaurant doing a tasting menu only is coming to Dallas&#8217; Design District: Called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.punknoir.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><strong>Punk Noir<\/strong><\/a>, it&#8217;ll open at 139 Turtle Creek Blvd, #130, Dallas, TX 75207 with a 20-course tasting menu and an immersive, multi-room design \u2014 smashing the conventions of fine dining, as a press release so articulately states.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s set to debut Tuesday, June 2, in time to welcome World Cup visitors.<\/p>\n<p>Led by James Beard Award-winning chef RJ Cooper, the restaurant will combine &#8220;world-class cuisine, irreverent artistry, and edgy elegance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"b4a54\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"69a92f7e43e58595ba3ea6fdbbb2f1e8\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201600%201200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779205155_450_punk-noir.jpg\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"Punk Noir\"\/> A funky, punky cocktail.Photo by  Samantha Marie Photography<\/p>\n<p>Owners are Dallas natives John McKeel and his sons Cole and Clay McKeel, who conceived the project as a passion project. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPunk Noir is a rebellion against the ordinary,\u201d Cole McKeel says in a statement. \u201cWhat initially inspired us to open this concept were our personal experiences traveling across the USA, Europe, and Japan. We\u2019ve eaten at many Michelin-starred restaurants, even some ranked among the Top 50 in the world. So many of them had amazing food, but the experience often felt flat\u2014stiff, quiet, and even intimidating. We wanted to create something different: food that is just as refined and world-class, but an experience that is unforgettable, irreverent, and full of energy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Punk Noir \u2014 which is no relation to <a href=\"https:\/\/punkroyale.com\/en\/home\/#awb-oc__202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Punk Royale<\/a>, a similar-sounding European concept founded in Stockholm in 2015 that has since opened spinoffs in Copenhagen and Oslo \u2014 will be in a 9,500-square-foot warehouse where it will host two to three seatings per night, with only 26 seats per seating.<\/p>\n<p>The space will incorporate:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ee-ul\">\n<li>a dramatic communal dining room with projection-mapped visuals and graffiti art led by a \u201cMistress of Ceremonies\u201d<\/li>\n<li>an open kitchen where Cooper presents select courses to an intimate neon-lit dining room<\/li>\n<li>the Noir Lounge, which will seat 46 guests and offer cocktails alongside \u201cmini tasting\u201d menus for those not partaking in the full experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A VIP car service option will also be available, chauffeuring guests directly to the restaurant in a black SUV and delivering them up a private ramp and into the restaurant where they will be escorted to the first room to begin the immersive dining experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"93e35\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"7599fc844273bd159b2245b5654cfafb\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201600%201200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779205155_223_punk-noir.jpg\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"Punk Noir\"\/> One of the 20 courses at Punk Noir.Photo by Amy Zawacki<\/p>\n<p><strong>The food<\/strong><br \/>The experience will consist of a 20-course tasting menu that weaves together global influences, cutting-edge gastronomy, and Cooper&#8217;s personal inspirations. The release says that diners can expect courses that are &#8220;playful and provocative \u2014 some just a single bite, others layered with theatricality and multi-sensory touches.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>From the release:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The menu will change often but the experience begins with an &#8216;agrarian prologue,&#8217; exploring the quiet intimacy of soil, root, and garden before moving toward the pull of the sea. Early courses such as camote morado with huitlacoche and blue crab with seaweed and calamansi establish a dialogue between land and ocean.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As the progression unfolds, the menu builds tension through fire and transformation &#8211; featuring dishes like scallop with turmeric and Kaluga caviar, turbot with mussel and plankton, and cod cheek with dashi. Later sample courses explore indulgence through restraint, with compositions including Peking duck, Australian wagyu, and fermented endive &#8211; each emphasizing controlled richness and depth.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The experience concludes with unexpected, thought-provoking pairings, for example, onion with Amur caviar, white chocolate with kombu, and sunchoke with ash &#8211; designed to challenge and resolve the palate in equal measure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> Ingredients will feature seasonal highlights from Italy, Japan, Central America, and closer to home. Each course will be paired with wines, cocktails, and zero-proof beverages.<\/p>\n<p>The 20-course tasting menu is $295 per person.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The chef<\/strong><br \/>RJ Cooper won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2007. His prior concepts include Rogue 24, serving a 24-course tasting menu, in Washington, D.C.; Gypsy Soul, a Southern bistro; and Saint Stephen and Acqua in Nashville. He previously worked at Vidalia in D.C. for seven years and has earned national press.<\/p>\n<p class=\"shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"50bbb\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"dfa776498f62d06d582ff6a4e83b2143\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201600%201200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779205157_597_punk-noir.jpg\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"Punk Noir\"\/> Artwork by Michael Shellis in the Noir Lounge.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography<\/p>\n<p><strong>The bar manager<\/strong><br \/>The cocktail tasting program, led by acclaimed bar manager <strong>Shane Scully<\/strong>, is &#8220;a multi-course exploration of form, flavor, and restraint &#8211; reimagining signature cocktails through a lower-ABV lens without sacrificing depth or impact,&#8221; the release says. The wine program will focus on wines &#8220;with a clear sense of place and straightforward appeal, drawing from classic and emerging regions including Champagne, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley in France, as well as Napa Valley and Sonoma in California, alongside selections from Italy and Spain,&#8221; they say.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The owner<\/strong><br \/>John McKeel shares his and his sons&#8217; vision for Punk Noir: \u201cIt is irreverent fine dining. The lounge has punk graffiti wall art and unrestrained departure from the familiar. We are here to challenge the norms of traditional fine dining, turn the Dallas dining scene on its head. We are disruptors. We are here to challenge our guests&#8217; conventions of what elevated dining should be. We provide an experience that is surprising, provocative, entertaining, and delicious.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reservations can now be booked at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exploretock.com\/punk-noir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/www.exploretock.com\/punk-noir\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>This story originally was published on September 25, 2025 and has been updated with opening date, new menu and personnel details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new restaurant doing a tasting menu only is coming to Dallas&#8217; Design District: Called Punk Noir, it&#8217;ll&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":807747,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[328517,5229,1596,11212,328518,84938,358,328519,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-807746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-alania-mediterranean-grill","tag-america","tag-dallas","tag-east-dallas","tag-east-dallas-dining","tag-mediterranean","tag-texas","tag-turkish-restaurant","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116601996447946201","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=807746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/807747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=807746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=807746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=807746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}