In late 2023, James Beard semifinalist chef Junior Borges parted ways with Meridian, the highly acclaimed restaurant built around his contemporary Brazilian cuisine. By mid-2024, the restaurant had closed. It was a temporary hiatus, albeit one that lasted more than a year.
On October 17, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Meridian re-emerged. This time, with a focus on hearth cooking to showcase its use of seasonal ingredients and quality proteins—a specialty of the “new blood” executive chef, Eduardo Osorio.
Having previously worked in catering, and for the 50 Eggs restaurant group in executive chef roles, as well as running his own in-home private dining company, Osorio enjoys the privileged opportunity to craft a menu from top to bottom at Meridian. It’s one that makes a complete 180 from the original Brazilian-inspired concept to showcase polished, modern American dishes that deliver some unexpected twist or “wow” factor via ingredients, presentation, or both.
If you’re lucky enough to snag a seat facing the open kitchen, the importance of fire in the new concept is immediately clear. Flames dance beneath and above piles of oak—their red, yellow, and blue hues reflected in the sea of stainless steel, as cooks use direct and indirect heat to prepare a variety of dishes.
Fire and smoke are a common thread through the entire menu. From cocktails, including a wood-fired Negroni, to sesame s’mores charred tableside with a red-hot piece of wood to create quite possibly the best version of the campfire treat ever, you’re never far from flame-accentuated aromas and flavors.
In between drinks and dessert, fire plays a role in a symphony of dishes, including chilled smoked clams, Wagyu tallow-seared oysters, embered maitake mushrooms, and 10 different main course selections. Among them, the Snake River white sturgeon, wood-fired half chicken, and Texas Wagyu chef’s cut genuinely showcase the skills of these fiery preparations when working with different meats. It may be the cornbread though, topped with brown butter, foie gras, and an optional bump of caviar, that may soon become one of the biggest hits.
You’ll see guests dressed to the nines, alongside others fresh from the office or residents of the Village popping over for a meal at the bar. It’s a credit to the restaurant’s design, which has been completely overhauled since Meridian 1.0, leaning into a more relaxed vibe. Lush green drapes cover the windows, while creamy banquettes and chairs offer a nice contrast. The patio has been expanded considerably, and the addition of lounge seating adds to the casually sophisticated bent.
Happy hour stands out as a reason to try out that new lounge seating if you’re not ready to commit the time or expense to an entire meal. Every Tuesday through Friday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. the restaurant offers worthy food and drink deals like $6 beer, $8 wines by the glass, $10 cocktails, and half-priced one-hitters, including the aforementioned chilled smoked clams, along with ham hock croquettes and kohlrabi pie tee, which translates to baby salad cups. Happy hour is when you can also wrap your hands around the big Buzzed & Aged burger, fresh from the hearth at the discounted price of $14, which includes fries.
Sunday Supper brings a $99 spread, including a whole fried chicken, cornbread, charred broccolini, pimento grits, and dessert. Meridian donates 20% of sales from each Sunday Supper to benefit Meat Fight, a local nonprofit supporting people living with multiple sclerosis.
Dalasites can dive right in for a taste of Meridian, with reservations available via OpenTable. Decisions may feel daunting, but it’s hard to imagine any dish here missing the mark.
Meridian, 5605 Village Glen Dr., Dallas, meridiantherestaurant.com
