Rise Salon de Soufflé and Wine Bistro was one of the first restaurants to open last year in The Shops at Clearfork. "We are 10 years old in Dallas," says co-owner Hedda Gioia Dowd, where her popular soufflé restaurant has been a Lover's Lane mainstay. Rise No. 2 is in Houston, and Fort Worth scored the third location (also known as Rise No. 3).
The uniquely French menu includes classic dishes like the Salad Niçoise - a mixed green salad tossed with roasted potatoes, haricot vert (green beans), tomatoes, caper berries, onions and salty niçoise olives surrounded by a generous serving of beautifully seared sesame-crusted ahi tuna. I enjoyed this on a previous visit and can attest that it's a filling meal. But, the fluffy, savory and sweet soufflés take center stage.
If you've ever attempted to make a soufflé, you know that it's a delicate, if not dicey, operation. Rise co-owner and chef Cherif Brahmi has perfected the process along with the custom-made, imported ovens they employ.
On our most recent visit, Rise was packed during a Monday lunch. All meals begin with a fresh, chewy baguette and creamy butter. Its house specialty appetizer is known as Marshmallow Soup ($10). The creamy carrot and tomato bisque is served with three fluffy, mild goat cheese soufflés (that look like marshmallows) floating on top and served with a side of pesto sauce to drizzle.
From the savory selections, we sampled the Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto Chevre Soufflé ($17). The perfect specimen was brown on top and bottom, with a slight greenish tinge from the pesto and tidbits of sundried tomato folded evenly throughout.
For dessert, I loved the apricot soufflé on a previous visit, served with a tangy apricot glaze. The Raspberry ($12) is one of the sweetest on the menu, served with a silken raspberry crème anglaise and sugar-crusted sides from its buttered and sugared ramekin. The dessert soufflés are perfect any time of day, even if you stop in for nothing but champagne and dessert in the evening.
Rise No. 3
Location: 5135 Monahans Ave.
For Info: 817.737.7473, risesouffle.com
What We Liked: The consistency of service, style and the simply delicious soufflés.
What We Didn't: It's a pricey lunchtime ticket since the menu portions and pricing are the same in the afternoon as they are in the evening.
Recommendations: If you're not a germaphobe, it pays to share a few dishes, giving you a chance to sample more of the flavors on the menu.
