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Review (Courtesy of Envy Mag)

 Review From Ft Worth Star Telegram

Uptown, but not uppity

The Cape in Dallas has sophistication without snobbishness

By JUNE NAYLOR

SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM

The chef's hors d'oeuvres plate at The Cape in Uptown Dallas includes three items (fish, vegetable or meat), plus crudites and breads.

With an Uptown location and an impressive kitchen pedigree, The Cape could probably get away with acting like an uppity restaurant. I can happily report that it doesn't even try.

Opening early this year in a historic cottage across the street from the Quadrangle, and a block or two from the bricks that cover McKinney Avenue, The Cape is a seafood cafe with casual sophistication. The creativity of the menu is the inspiration of chef Truett Bishop, whose 20-year résumé includes time working in Wolfgang Puck and Stephan Pyles restaurants in Denver and Austin.

This amounts to an impressive selection of dishes, including bouillabaisse, cioppino, smoked-salmon grissini and blackened tuna with mango salsa. Not a fish eater? Bishop will spoil you with Guinness-marinated rib-eye and meatloaf with caramelized onions and wild mushrooms.

Four of us found ourselves pampered during a recent dinner visit. We began with a chef's appetizer sampler ($14), choosing from assorted fish, meat and vegetable options to compose a plate of smooth, garlicky eggplant dip, a rustic pork paté and lush tuna ceviche -- all of which disappeared rapidly.

An arugula salad with sweet grapefruit sections and black pepper vinaigrette ($7) was the perfect foil for a big iron pot filled with steaming-hot cassoulet ($18). The hearty white-bean stew held large shreds of juicy duck meat and spicy, coarsely ground grilled sausage pieces.

Halibut saltimbocca ($13 for the light portion, $18 for large) was a solid concept that turned out too dry. The thick white fish, wrapped in prosciutto, was less juicy than I'd hoped, but the truffle essence and wild mushroom risotto alongside went a long way toward compensating.

Our meat choice, the grilled pork chop ($18), was pleasing with its moist thickness and a gratifying treatment of cinnamon apple chutney; accompanying green beans were crisp, and grilled yam slices held good body.

Lighter dishes include a grilled tuna nicoise salad ($14), blackened shrimp po-boy with apple-cider cole slaw ($10) and mussels steamed with shaved fennel in Shiner Bock ($12).

On Sunday, you can eat chef Bishop's brunch all day long. That's anything but uppity.

The Cape

2704 Worthington St.

Dallas

214-720-9010

American/Seafood

$$-$$$

Details: Open 11 a.m.-1 a.m. daily. Major credit cards accepted.

Full bar. Smoke-free. Wheelchair-accessible. www.thecapedallas.com.