Eats : USA : Dallas : TX : Ellen's Southern Kitchen
Eats : USA : Dallas : TX : Ellen's Southern Kitchen
About Ellen's Southern Kitchen
Ellen’s Southern Kitchen, open since October in the West End, proves that the spirit of great Southern food is forged in the crucible of the humble fryer. Add the grace of Southern hospitality, and anyone is likely to be charmed.
At brunch time on a weekend, horse-drawn carriages amble past the corner restaurant’s big windows, and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge rises like an elegant grand dame in the distance.
Young couples sit at bar tables near the barista station that brews Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters coffee. A boisterous family chats over brunch. At night, ivory-shaded lamps create cozy glow circles on ornate black-and-white wallpaper that evokes an elegant living room.
Chef Russell Mertz (formerly of the Butcher Shop Steakhouse) elevates the menu beyond standard comfort food, with an attention to detail that brings out the best in ingredients. The pancakes are haunting me. Fluffy, with a buttermilk tang that lingers, they’re good enough to eat plain. You’ll give thanks that breakfast is served all day.
At the heart of the kitchen, the deep fryer turns out things of beauty — not greasy, but ethereal.
The first bite of fried catfish made me catch my breath. The fish is succulent under a crisp and craggy crust. The house-made tartar sauce with chopped pickle is nice and vinegary, but it’s worth taking the first few bites unadulterated. (Next to the fried version, the blackened catfish was definitely less special.)
The batters and breadings, tailored to specific dishes, raise a technical process to a culinary art. Their lightness and crisp texture enhance rather than camouflaging or weighing down. For the organic fried chicken breast, a buttermilk batter. For the fried tomatoes, a crunchy, well-seasoned cornmeal crust.
The star may be the chicken-fried steak. One Southern boy in my party declared it the best he’d ever had. The breading is toothsome — crisp and springy. The meat is tender and flavorful, the gravy velvety, perfectly peppery and studded with sausage.
These folks know their Southern classics: real food, no fuss. Sweet potatoes have a fork-mashed texture. Luxurious, skillet-cooked mac and cheese has smoked-cheddar depth. Meanwhile, subtle touches balance the familiar and soulful with the modern and fresh. Green beans retain their crispness. Salads are topped with mushrooms, blue cheese, a snowfall of shaved hard-cooked egg or house-made granola with toasted coconut.
Some things could use tinkering. The braised chard was wonderfully smoky, but the ratio of greens to thick-cut bacon was almost 1-to-1; overkill, I thought. The pork chop was dry, though I liked its fig reduction sauce.
Desserts deliver a solid Southern lineup without tooth-aching sweetness. The buttermilk pie was outstanding, with a crinkled top, luscious filling and buttery crust. And while the biscuits, when served plain, inhabited a no-man’s land (neither fluffy and airy nor dense, flaky and rich), they made shockingly good deep-fried strawberry shortcake when thrown into the deep fryer, their outer layer caramelizing and the acidity of strawberries cutting through the richness.
At Ellen’s, real care and authenticity shine. At some point during the meal, you’ve decided to become a regular. When the check arrives, you have even more reason.
Ellen's Southern Kitchen Review By Sharayah C. : Irving, TX
"BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY. Can we say WIN.
We walked in and were immediately attended to and seated. I ordered coffee (I love coffee, been drinking it since I was 5). The coffee was very good and my glass was never empty. Can we say EXCEPTIONAL service!? They also have truvia sweetener available, which gives this place another A in my book. The waiter immediately noticed I was using the truvia in my coffee and came to give me more! I ordered the "Big ol pancake breakfast" which came with 2 sausage patties (or links), 2 bacon, hash browns, eggs (I ordered scrambled egg whites), and of course PANCAKES. My husband ordered a chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries. His chicken salad was so good that he put in a league with La Madeleine's. Now that's some serious chicken salad. We sampled each others plates and EVERYTHING was amazing!
But let's get down to it... Lets talk pancake.
1. The visual- light golden brown, with fluffy air pockets on the sides.
2. The taste- true buttermilk if I've ever tasted one. This pancake was moist and light, with just the right hint of sugar. Melt- in- your- mouth buttermilk goodness.
3. The peel- now this is the true test. It's a unique test I do to all of my pancakes. A pancake just isn't quite right unless it peels. It has to be fluffy and airy enough to take a fork and gently peel the top layer off the pancake. Ellen's pancake PASSED the test. This pancake is in the running for one of the best pancakes I've ever had! YUM.
This place is a gem. I was SUPER impressed with the food, service, price, and vibe. I will be back again and again and again! New favorite for sure!"
Contact Ellen's Southern Kitchen
Website | Facebook | Email
Address : 1718 N Market St Dallas, TX 75202 | Phone : (469) 206-3339
Contact The Dallas Morning News
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email
Sources : Ellen's Southern Kitchen Photo | Ellen's Southern Kitchen Information | Ellen's Southern Kitchen Review
About Ellen's Southern Kitchen
Ellen’s Southern Kitchen, open since October in the West End, proves that the spirit of great Southern food is forged in the crucible of the humble fryer. Add the grace of Southern hospitality, and anyone is likely to be charmed.
At brunch time on a weekend, horse-drawn carriages amble past the corner restaurant’s big windows, and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge rises like an elegant grand dame in the distance.
Young couples sit at bar tables near the barista station that brews Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters coffee. A boisterous family chats over brunch. At night, ivory-shaded lamps create cozy glow circles on ornate black-and-white wallpaper that evokes an elegant living room.
Chef Russell Mertz (formerly of the Butcher Shop Steakhouse) elevates the menu beyond standard comfort food, with an attention to detail that brings out the best in ingredients. The pancakes are haunting me. Fluffy, with a buttermilk tang that lingers, they’re good enough to eat plain. You’ll give thanks that breakfast is served all day.
At the heart of the kitchen, the deep fryer turns out things of beauty — not greasy, but ethereal.
The first bite of fried catfish made me catch my breath. The fish is succulent under a crisp and craggy crust. The house-made tartar sauce with chopped pickle is nice and vinegary, but it’s worth taking the first few bites unadulterated. (Next to the fried version, the blackened catfish was definitely less special.)
The batters and breadings, tailored to specific dishes, raise a technical process to a culinary art. Their lightness and crisp texture enhance rather than camouflaging or weighing down. For the organic fried chicken breast, a buttermilk batter. For the fried tomatoes, a crunchy, well-seasoned cornmeal crust.
The star may be the chicken-fried steak. One Southern boy in my party declared it the best he’d ever had. The breading is toothsome — crisp and springy. The meat is tender and flavorful, the gravy velvety, perfectly peppery and studded with sausage.
These folks know their Southern classics: real food, no fuss. Sweet potatoes have a fork-mashed texture. Luxurious, skillet-cooked mac and cheese has smoked-cheddar depth. Meanwhile, subtle touches balance the familiar and soulful with the modern and fresh. Green beans retain their crispness. Salads are topped with mushrooms, blue cheese, a snowfall of shaved hard-cooked egg or house-made granola with toasted coconut.
Some things could use tinkering. The braised chard was wonderfully smoky, but the ratio of greens to thick-cut bacon was almost 1-to-1; overkill, I thought. The pork chop was dry, though I liked its fig reduction sauce.
Desserts deliver a solid Southern lineup without tooth-aching sweetness. The buttermilk pie was outstanding, with a crinkled top, luscious filling and buttery crust. And while the biscuits, when served plain, inhabited a no-man’s land (neither fluffy and airy nor dense, flaky and rich), they made shockingly good deep-fried strawberry shortcake when thrown into the deep fryer, their outer layer caramelizing and the acidity of strawberries cutting through the richness.
At Ellen’s, real care and authenticity shine. At some point during the meal, you’ve decided to become a regular. When the check arrives, you have even more reason.
Ellen's Southern Kitchen Review By Sharayah C. : Irving, TX
"BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY. Can we say WIN.
We walked in and were immediately attended to and seated. I ordered coffee (I love coffee, been drinking it since I was 5). The coffee was very good and my glass was never empty. Can we say EXCEPTIONAL service!? They also have truvia sweetener available, which gives this place another A in my book. The waiter immediately noticed I was using the truvia in my coffee and came to give me more! I ordered the "Big ol pancake breakfast" which came with 2 sausage patties (or links), 2 bacon, hash browns, eggs (I ordered scrambled egg whites), and of course PANCAKES. My husband ordered a chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries. His chicken salad was so good that he put in a league with La Madeleine's. Now that's some serious chicken salad. We sampled each others plates and EVERYTHING was amazing!
But let's get down to it... Lets talk pancake.
1. The visual- light golden brown, with fluffy air pockets on the sides.
2. The taste- true buttermilk if I've ever tasted one. This pancake was moist and light, with just the right hint of sugar. Melt- in- your- mouth buttermilk goodness.
3. The peel- now this is the true test. It's a unique test I do to all of my pancakes. A pancake just isn't quite right unless it peels. It has to be fluffy and airy enough to take a fork and gently peel the top layer off the pancake. Ellen's pancake PASSED the test. This pancake is in the running for one of the best pancakes I've ever had! YUM.
This place is a gem. I was SUPER impressed with the food, service, price, and vibe. I will be back again and again and again! New favorite for sure!"
Contact Ellen's Southern Kitchen
Website | Facebook | Email
Address : 1718 N Market St Dallas, TX 75202 | Phone : (469) 206-3339
Contact The Dallas Morning News
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email
Sources : Ellen's Southern Kitchen Photo | Ellen's Southern Kitchen Information | Ellen's Southern Kitchen Review
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