Perhaps the most alluring fact about the renovated Thompson Hotel in downtown Dallas is that you can drive a car into the ballroom.
Picture this: A bride and groom dance the night away with as many as 900 people at their wedding. (Post-pandemic, of course.) Maybe they eat a several-course dinner created by a team of notable Dallas chefs. They cut the cake. And then, they hop into a convertible that has (almost) magically appeared inside the ballroom. Within a minute they’re on the streets of Dallas, taking a post-wedding drive.
It seems like a slick party trick, doesn’t it?
That air of effortless luxury is a theme at the Thompson Hotel, which opens Nov. 14. The Thompson is built into the First National Bank Tower building, a project from from architects George Dahl and Thomas Stanley that was completed in 1965 in downtown Dallas. Today, the $460 million renovated building is called The National and includes apartments, offices, a hotel and restaurants. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places three years ago.
The hotel’s restaurants are Nine, a breakfast and lunch spot on the ninth floor, and Catbird, a sexy restaurant and lounge on the 10th floor.
Nine is expected to open Nov. 16, with Catbird to follow on Nov. 27.
With COVID-19 cases at a “very dangerous point,” according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, county public health officials caution against dining indoors. Nine and Catbird will operate at 75% occupancy to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s rules, and both restaurants have outdoor seating.
Both restaurants will serve modern European food made by chefs with backgrounds in modern French cooking. Jeramie Robison is the culinary director for the restaurant and the executive chef over both restaurants. He previously worked at Uchi, Shinsei and for restaurants in two of Dallas' finest hotels: City Hall Bistro at the Adolphus and the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.
Preston Paine is the chef de cuisine at Catbird. He previously worked at Eleven Madison Park, a Michelin three-starred restaurant in New York City. Paine also worked at New Orleans restaurants Emeril’s, August and Commander’s Palace. When Eleven Madison Park closed during the pandemic, Paine returned to his home city of Dallas and lent his skills to oh-so-hot bagel shop Shug’s before landing at downtown Dallas' newest hotel.
Thompson, a boutique brand from Hyatt, has 12 hotels across the world. The caliber of its chefs is part of the allure. In New York City, the company tapped Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio to operate the bar and restaurant in The Beekman Hotel, and in Washington D.C., it snagged Shake Shack creator Danny Meyer.
Here’s a look inside both Thompson Dallas restaurants — and at each chef’s plan — before they open.
Catbird
Catbird is supposed to feel “like a private club without a membership,” says Jonathan Geffrard, the director of restaurants, bars and events at the hotel. He spent the past 12 years working for Hillstone Restaurant Group, which operates Houston’s and R+D Kitchen.
The decor inside Catbird is a feast of moody gray and tan tones mixed with natural woods. The funky furniture feels like you should touch it, and while you’re at it, run a hand along the smooth, agate marble bar top that glows when lit from underneath. The restaurant can fit an incredible 200 people, though the slinky chairs and curved banquettes make it feel more intimate.
Geffrard says it feels like “you’re in your really fancy friend’s living room,” and he’s right. The art climbs up the walls and onto the ceiling, in some cases.
For an airier setting, Catbird has two patios, both with pretty views of downtown Dallas.
The menu is focused on artful, interesting food, the chefs say. A few dishes they know will make the menu are creamed shishito dip; Wagyu tostadas; and poached king crab with cilantro stem kosho.
A rutabaga skewer, braised and prepared as if it were a piece of pork, sounds like an unexpected option, especially for vegans.
The cocktail menu will offer two versions of the same drink: classic or signature. An example might be a Manhattan, served traditionally on the “classic” part of the menu and gussied up with Cynar and Campari as a “signature." Eventually, servers will push a martini cart, offering tableside drinks with choose-your-own spirits and accoutrements like feta-stuffed olives or peppers.
“There’s something about the shake of a cocktail that adds some texture to a room,” Geffrard says.
Nine
So that Catbird and Nine don’t compete for customers, Nine will only be open at breakfast and lunch.
The ambience here is brighter, with windows focused on the pool. The air of luxury remains, however, as evidenced by the nearly $10,000 Damien Hirst artwork hanging in the restaurant.
Nine is on the ninth floor of the hotel, but taking the elevator up doesn’t mean customers are required to stay indoors. The turfed patio is begging for guests to sit there on a pleasant day.
Robison sees Nine as a spot for a “power breakfast or a power lunch.” Menu options include sourdough pancakes at breakfast and chicken orzo soup with lemon oil at lunch. The idea is to serve light, approachable food that’s (sometimes) healthy. They’re also serving housemade pasta and a po’boy stuffed with shrimp, crispy fried green tomato and remoulade.
Geffrard’s drinks are described as “refreshing”: a lemongrass cooler and a gin cocktail with basil and strawberry, to name two.
The walls at Nine are restored wood, inlaid with brass, from the original ’60s-era building. The building has been sitting vacant since 2010, and much of the exterior was restored in a 17-month-long renovation.
Robison hopes Nine and Catbird become “staples in the city, not only in a hotel, but for Dallas.” Dallasites who are not staying at the hotel or living in The National residences will have to know about the restaurants in order to visit them, however, since they hover nine and ten floors above Elm Street.
“This is not a hotel, this is not a restaurant,” Geffrard says. “This is a destination.”
Nine and Catbird are located inside Thompson Dallas (which is inside a renovated building in downtown Dallas named The National). The restaurants are on the ninth and tenth floor of the building, at 205 N. Akard St., Dallas. Nine is expected to open Nov. 16 and Catbird is expected to open Nov. 27.
