Reviewing Harvest, Front Room Tavern and More

Leslie Brenner reviewed Harvest: Brenner takes a shine to the new "farmhouse-chic" restaurant, where "Modern Texan sensibility meets laid-back farm-to-table cooking". Leading the kitchen is Andrea Shackelford, a vet of Craft Dallas who established strong connections with area ranches and farms during her tenure. Local eggs, deviled, are "perfectly cooked and charmingly presented"; another shareable starter that comes highly recommended is a sturdy salad of baby Savoy spinach and celery leaves mixed with smoked grouper and pickled peppers atop a bed of faro. When it comes to main courses, they are "less snazzy and thoughtful"; pork enchiladas are deemed "clunky" and the pan-roasted redfish had "blurred flavors" but the Creole shrimp entree was bright spot. Three stars. [DMN]

Scott Reitz checked in on Front Room: This Park Cities hotel restaurant, plagued with a revolving door of chefs since it first opened in 2012, "really needed to get its shit together". Newly renamed Front Room Tavern, the eatery's decor has been given a warm makeover and chef Michael Ehlert (Campo, Hibiscus) is now at the helm, cooking up "modern takes on tavern fare". Reitz enjoys the greaseless pea purée fritters and gives good marks to the salmon ceviche and the chicken liver mousse but notes a few kitchen blunders, including undercooked pasta and a tough pork schnitzel. Pastry chef Alison Morse desserts are praised, including a salted caramel pot de crème that will have diners "scraping the bottom of the glass jar" to get every last bite. [Observer]

ELSEWHERE: D Magazine also reviewed Harvest Seasonal Kitchen plus Scotch & Sausage; City of Ate digs the hamburger at Digg's Tacos and DFW.com tried Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries.