Bistro 31 Alums Opening VH in Former Outpost Space

The restaurant space next door to Jonathon's Oak Cliff that previously housed Outpost is empty no longer: Former Bistro 31 general manager Victor Hugo (who also spent five years as a manager at swanky steakhouse Al Biernat's) will open the briefly named VH in the space come Wednesday, September 24, and he's also brought Bistro 31 chef Eric Brandt along for the ride.

VH's moderately priced menu looks pretty straightforward — no elaborate shared plates or "things in jars," just a traditional layout of starters, entrees, salads and sides. Prices range from $7 for calamari fries with sriracha-romesco sauce and $9 for duck and goat cheese taquitos to $22 for macadamia-crusted mahi mahi with coconut rice and citrus butter sauce and $24 for filet mignon; green chile hummus, tofu ratatouille and a $15 burger with fontina and avocado also make appearances.

Cocktails are refreshinghly affordable, mostly falling between $6 (a Pacifico michelada) and $9 (the Angry Texan with Texas whiskey, Angry Orchard cider, muddled apples and basil) with just one drink clocking in at double digits, a $10 Old Fashioned variation spiked with walnut bitters. There's also a decent selection of local beers on tap, including selections from Lakewood, Revolver, Deep Ellum Brewing, Franconia, Peticolas, and Rahr & Sons.

VH will be open for dinner only for the first few weeks, with lunch and brunch service to follow — and unlike the former Outpost, they totally take reservations.