Get ready for “Michelin-level food and service without the stiffness that is often associated with high-quality dining,” said Toby Archibald, chef and owner of the new Greenville Avenue restaurant, “Quarter Acre.”
Quarter Acre will have global menu items such as banana leaf grilled cod, smoked beef tartare, kingfish, and coconut ceviche. Quarter Acre, located at 2023 Greenville Ave., is scheduled to debut this fall.
But what does it mean to have “Michelin-level food?”
In the late 1800s, France gave away free copies of a small travel guide called the Michelin Guide, the start of what is now a worldwide system.
Edward and Andre Michelin, who started the Michelin tire company, thought of it as a way to increase sales. The guide promoted hotel and restaurant destinations to get people to travel by car.
This early history is still significant today since it influences how the Michelin system operates to locate and suggest restaurants worth visiting.
The biggest question is if places like Tampa and Orlando have Michelin-designated restaurants, why is there not a single city in Texas that does?
New Zealander Archibald intends to answer the question with “Quarter Acre.” Before coming to Dallas, Archibald trained under chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, including Cafe Boulud in New York City and Toronto and The Greenhouse in London.
He plans on marrying stellar service and food in a place where, he told The Dallas Morning News, “guests [will] feel welcome, comfortable, and in professional and extremely capable hands.”
“Top Chef” advisor and judge Tiffany Derry feels Dallas is next for the Michelin honor. Derry is the owner of Roots Southern Table and Roots Chicken Shack.
“Dallas has an amazing culinary scene that is often overlooked,” Derry told The Dallas Express. “Bringing the Michelin Guide awards to Dallas would help shine a spotlight on our food scene and recognize local eateries that offer elevated dining experiences that rival those found in top cities around the world.”