Murmur the name “Stephan Pyles” in any food circle, and you’ll be met with nods of acknowledgment. The Dallas superstar chef and fifth-generation Texan is synonymous with Southwestern cuisine, setting the food frontier’s pace since the ‘80s through the creation of 14 high-profile restaurants.
So, when Dallas residents Monique and Paul V. caught wind of an underground dinner coming to one of the celebrity chef’s restaurants, the rodeo-influenced Stampede 66, on September 18, they couldn’t pass up the exclusive opportunity. Along with their daughter Caroline, who happened to be visiting from New York, the family flocked to the Uptown Dallas hub to congregate with fellow food-loving locals for an intimate evening with Pyles himself.
“Tonight you’ll experience the food I grew up with,” shared the chef as he welcomed the private party to his restaurant, which is symbolic of his Big Springs upbringing and speckled with family heirlooms (a collection of longhorns included). “Everything is made from scratch and sourced from within Texas only. It’s all a taste of what I call ‘home.’”
Among the energetic crowd of attendees were other Dallas foodies—and frequent Southwest flyers—too, like Cliff C., Matthew H., Tom K. and Jay M., who collectively agreed that for one night only, Stampede 66 was the ultimate food lovers’ playground. More importantly, it isn’t every day that you can rub elbows with such a chef. (For the record: Cliff and Matthew made sure to snap a selfie with him.)
But, what’s an ultimate dinner party without the premium sips? The night’s featured wine collection in question was from Sonoma County’s 39-year-old Alexander Valley Vineyard. The award-winning winery’s founder, Hank Wetzel, arrived with his West Coast bounty for the affair too—flying Southwest like he always does. “Texas truly is a great state,” he shared. “It actually is our biggest wine market—I’m becoming a ‘regular.’” With over 200 acres of sprawling vineyards in California and a production status that maxes 150,000 gallons a year, the expert winery owner couldn’t have been more delighted to collaborate with Pyles for the night.
The end result? The heavy-hitting twosome produced an imaginative, authentic feast for the evening’s 60-something guest count, pairing Texas traditions with locally influenced sensibilities. Falling in love at first bite was easy at this exclusive experience, especially when Stampede 66 rolled out the red carpet for its nouveau cult classic—the funky “faux” gras (read: chicken liver mousse) generously smeared atop crunchy brioche and with a dollop of roasted apple butter.
As attendees became lifelong friends and the refined California wine continued to pour aplenty, a wholesome baby frisee salad dancing with a pitch-perfect sous-vide egg, slices of wine-poached pears and globs of local goat cheese hit the tabletops. The elegant greenery was crowned with fork-tender, ultra-decadent duck confit, an attractive dining mate to the ripe 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon that hosted the necessary ability to culminate into a snappy dry finish.
The evening’s culinary climax arrived by way of five family-style dinner plates circling around the communal tables, each bursting with down-home Texan staples into which we couldn’t have been more eager to sink our gluttonous forks. From tablemates breaking warmed buttermilk biscuits together (the “best” bite of the night, said Caroline V.) and wrapping their digits around insanely delicious, honey-injected fried chicken (if even dainty ladies are licking their fingers, you know it’s good) to Pyles adding personal quips as he floated around the dining room—you’ll never get a Stampede 66 visit like this. Of course, the deep red pours of Alexander Valley’s eye candy—the rich, spicy 2012 Sin Vin vintage that’s been satisfyingly produced for 35 amazing years and keeps getting sharper with age—elevated the exuberant Lone Star State celebration.
Like we were given a second wind, the chef’s grand finale was his butterscotch laced with magnificence (and lots of salted caramel too). As we scrapped every last ripple of caramel from the crunchy tart, we started exchanging emails and social media accounts. Food with a celebrity status brings new friends together, and after many bites, it was apparent that we all become part of a family.
Considering booking a flight to repeat our Stampede 66 experience and hoping to rub elbows with chef Stephan Pyles yourself? Do it; it’s worth it. Curious what else Dallas’ food scene has in store? Discover our full culinary journey to the Texas city.
Pack your forks and come hungry—Dallas is waiting for you. Eat, drink, share, repeat. Have a food city tip for PA Eats? Shoot us an email.
- Photography: Alexandra Whitney Photography
