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Photography by: Rachel Cliver
There goes a saying: “The greatest among these is the one who serves others.”
Meet Kris Wood.
Kris suits up every day - coat and tie. He arrives at his "office" with his cup of coffee, just like everyone else. Yet, he’s not like everyone else…
Kris’ sole job responsibility is to serve others — All the million guests that come through the Omni Dallas hotel every year, and then some.
Kris is the head concierge at the Omni Dallas hotel. When I met Kris, I was greeted with a smile and a latte of my choice. I was surprised that he took time out of his busy schedule to just sit with me and my business partner, (#girlboss, Angela Ross). In one single meeting, I learned something from Kris —
It’s important to slow down and be present with the people you are around. I knew he probably had a million places to be, but to us, you would never know it.
A couple weeks after our initial meeting with Kris, Angela and I were asked to speak at the Dallas Hotel Concierge Association about our company and growing partnerships with the hospitality industry in Dallas. That evening, Angela and I were served exquisite food, appetizers, and wine from Fat Rabbit (located in Uptown). I commented to Kris how fantastic the food was and jokingly said, "I’m sure being a concierge, you probably know all the best places to eat and drink around Dallas.” His response was priceless:
“I do! I know everything from top 5 star restaurants to the best speakeasies in Dallas. Let me plan the best date night for you and your husband.”
I thought he was kidding.
The email sitting in my inbox the next morning — “Date Night Ideas” — told me he wasn’t kidding.
So without further ado, the best date night options presented to me by Kris Wood:
Before Dinner Drinks:
Boulevardier- Bishop Arts District
Bolsa- Bishop Arts District
Industry Alley- The Cedars
Bob's Steakhouse - The Omni Dallas
Quill- Design District
Dinner:
Wolf Gang Puck’s, FiveSixty - Downtown
Drinks after Dinner:
Midnight Rambler- The Joule Hotel
Parliament- Uptown
Standard Pour- Uptown
Cedar Social- South Lamar
Speakeasies:
Black Swan Saloon - Deep Ellum
Bowen House - Uptown (& yes, it's haunted)
As we planned out our evening, the night was a date for the books.
We selected Five Sixty, located at Reunion Tower. Once we arrived, we were greeted by name by the maitre-d, who led us to the elevator to the top of the "swirling ball". When we stepped onto the restaurant floor, we were then greeted by the manager and our waiter for the evening. Over the course of the next 3 hours… (yes, THREE HOURS), we were blown away by the incredible appetizers, sushi spreads, entrees, and desert options. My personal favorite was the sushi and wine pairing.
Ian Kostrzewski is the in-house sommelier for Five Sixty. Ian paired wines for us for all courses — White for our apps/sushi, red for our entree and desert wines for our chocolate soufflé.
In case you ever want to do Five Sixty the divine way, below are our favorites to mention:
1. The Sushi //
Meet Master Sushi Chef Hiroyuki Fujino
Master Sushi Chef Hiroyuki Fujino, Photography by: David Porche
If your are looking for the best sushi in Dallas, you might be interested to know this master sushi chef cooks for the Oscars. Anything from this menu will not disappoint.
Recommended wine pairing with any sushi choice (white):
Trimbach, Gewürztraminer, Alsace, France 2014
Since 1626, Trimbach has been a staple winery in Alsace with 13 generations of family wine making. Gewürztraminer is a highly aromatic white with ripe fruit notes of lychee, apricot, and nectarine; floral notes of gardenia, honeysuckle, and rose; and spice notes of clove, and ginger. This wine is usually paired with the dim sum. The many different characteristics of the wine can easily stand up with the many different flavors of the dim sum platter.
Photography by: David Porche
2. The Entree
We had the beef filet "Au Poivre," wok-fired field mushrooms, smoked shallot sauce.
Recommended wine pairing (red):
Justin, ‘Isosceles,’ Paso Robles, California 2014
Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The warmer climate influences the grapes to producer riper fruit conditions such as compote purple plum, stewed blueberries, and black berry jam. Full bodied, dry, and silky finish.
3. Chocolate Soufflé
I'm normally not a desert wine, girl. However, if you top off the night with the Chocolate Soufflé, you must try the following pairing wine...
Recommended wine pairing:
Fonseca, ‘Bin 27,’ Ruby Port, NV
Pared with the chocolate soufflé to contrast the dark cocoa notes, is the ruby port, ‘Bin 27’ with notes of dark cherry, blackcurrant, purple plum, and raspberry.
Enjoying my date night with my man, Photography by: David Porche
For me, I am going to take what I learned from Kris Wood that day: Learn to slow down and to be present with the people I am around - my family and friends. Thanks to Kris and the FiveSixty family, my husband and I had one of the best dining experiences we've ever had in Dallas. The rest is up to you to discover.