The owners of The Charles have wasted no time making their new Italian-Mediterranean restaurant, Sister, feel at home on Greenville Avenue.
It had been open less than 24 hours when I stepped inside, but it’s designed to feel like it’s been part of the neighborhood for decades. There are plates on the wall, floral wallpaper, and curved purple banquettes where groups of four can squeeze in for a cozy dinner of shared appetizers, pastas and wine.
“We wanted this to feel warm and homey. It needed to feel trattoria-ish,” says managing partner Chas Martin. They like those “ish” words: It’s an Italian-ish restaurant, run by a team of people who are not Italian but who love Italian food.
That old-is-new vibe was nearly essential in a space like 2808 Greenville Ave.: For 47 years, here stood The Grape, a lovable bistro. It closed in late 2019, and the aging building needed a facelift. Developer Mike Ablon bought the building (you know his name because he ran for mayor in 2019). The restaurant has been under construction for more than a year.
“The Grape was a cultural institution in the Lower Greenville neighborhood for over four decades. It was our intent to preserve the building and the neighborhood, and bring in the top Dallas talent to concept the space for decades to come,” Ablon says.
Sister does not have The Grape’s tight corners, white tablecloths or yellow lighting. But perhaps you can still feel its spirit.
Sister is also not a relocated version of The Charles, Martin points out: It’s in a new neighborhood, and it isn’t intended to be a see-and-be-seen place. None of the menu items at The Charles are served at Sister, so far.
Sister’s menu leans more Mediterranean than The Charles. The beets and avocado appetizer is one of executive chef Matt Gold’s favorite dishes. It’s beautiful, with a purple-colored base made of beet and tahini topped with a wreath of avocado, tomatoes and puffed wild rice.
The chefs are led by culinary director J. Chastain. In a wholesome twist, his wife Sarah was the chef de cuisine at the same address, when it was The Grape.
Chastain and Gold show their interest in reaching beyond Italy at Sister with the Turkish kofte. Each ball of beef and lamb comes with tomato-garlic stewed sauce called piperade, plus feta and jalapeño.
I didn’t try them yet, but a small menu of vegetable sides looks delightful. There are charred carrots served with dates, spiced cashews and whipped feta; broccolini with figs and pistachio; and crispy sunchokes with green goddess dressing.
Pasta is a must. Options include a lightly spicy Calabrian chili ravioli; a Bolognese made with wild boar; and pappardelle with cacio e pepe cream and mushrooms.
Larger plates like swordfish, grilled lamb collar or chicken marsala are all shareable, for those who want to eat family-style.
Interestingly, chef Gold says he’s proudest of the desserts. The double chocolate bar would be hard to skip: It’s flourless chocolate cake topped with frozen chocolate mousse, toasted meringue, cherry-mezcal purée and smoked ice cream. It is as delicious as it looks, and I can just picture East Dallasites reaching in and scraping up the last bites as they watch Greenville Avenue start to pick up after dark.
Sister is one of East Dallas’ most anticipated restaurant openings of the year, and for months, neighbors have whispered about its debut. Folks in-the-know were calling it Charlie, like it was the little brother of The Charles. And it is. But the name didn’t stick.
“This is a sister restaurant of The Charles,” Martin says. “We liked the ambiguity of Sister.”
Sister is at 2808 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Reservations recommended via Resy; bar seating is first-come, first served. Sister opened Sept. 28, 2021.
What’s opening next door to Sister on Greenville Avenue?
In late 2021, Martin and his team plan on opening an Italian cafe and market. It might be called Duro Provisions, named after The Charles and Sister’s parent company. It might not.
The teeny, 900-square-foot cafe will sell sandwiches, coffee and wine all day.
Customers can also stop in for restaurant-made pasta to make an easy dinner at home.
Duro Provisions (that’s a working name) will be at 2804 Greenville Ave., Dallas, next door to Sister.
