Where Dallas Chef Bruno Davaillon Eats on His Days Off

Chef Bruno Davaillon began his culinary career at age 16, working in a Michelin-starred kitchen in France. While running the kitchen at Alain Ducasse’s Mix in Las Vegas, the restaurant was awarded Michelin stars in 2008 and 2009. So, when Davaillon came to Dallas in 2011, he already had a career’s worth of accomplishments on his resume.

His introduction to Dallas diners was at The Mansion, the storied hotel restaurant that’s drawn and produced some of the city’s best chefs. He eventually went on to open the fan-favorite Bullion downtown, before settling into a role at Up on Knox. Recently, the restaurant was reconcepted into Knox Bistro to fully embrace Davaillon’s vision of a French brasserie, with menu inspiration derived from his roots in the Loire Valley. That means plates like soufflé au fromage, moules marinières, filet au poivre with pommes frites, and saumon cru mariné à l’aneth (salmon with lemon, dill and crispy quinoa).

Despite his top chef bonafides, Davaillon eschews most of the trappings afforded someone of his stature, choosing to stay in the kitchen and work. But the man has to eat, and when he does, you can be sure he eats well. Below, he shares five of his favorite spots for scoring meals, snacks and drinks in Dallas.

Breakfast: Georgie

“I have to admit I don’t do breakfast, just coffee usually. But, when I do, I have [my coffee] with a fresh-baked croissant from the butcher shop at Georgie.”

Lunch: Ten Ramen

“For a light, quick lunch, I usually go for ramen at Ten Ramen. But, now with the new menu at Knox Bistro, it’s going to be hard to go anywhere else.”

Snack: Botolino

“I don’t really snack, but I love to go for ice cream at Botolino. It’s the best ice cream shop in Dallas.”

Dinner: Petra & The Beast

“I really like what Misti Norris is doing at Petra & The Beast. I think the charcuterie board is a must-order, and I love every pasta dish.”

Drinks: Tei-An

“I really love the cocktail program at Knox Bistro. And I love what Best Ranglek, the general manager at Tei-An, has done with the bar program and their great Japanese whisky selections.”