Posted on March 18th, 2013 by Carol Shih for D magazine.

View the full article and photos here.

If you’re smart enough to hire the Plan B Group to make the restaurant of your dreams come true, from architecture to interior design and even branding, don’t expect owners Royce Ring and Alex Urrunaga to be your yes men. They call what Plan B does the “art of the possible,” but that’s only because they don’t allow budget constraints to hinder creativity. For eight years, Ring and Urrunaga have been showing clients (including nonrestaurateurs) how to push the boundaries of architecture by putting a playful spin on classically anchored elements. They’ll take an empty space and repurpose, reuse, and recycle whatever’s lying around until the restaurant has that unmistakable Plan B stamp on it: a little bit classic, a little bit funky, and absolutely savvy.

“Because we’re involved in the branding of the concept together, we try to give restaurants a voice or attitude of their own,” Urrunaga says. “We create an animal from the ground up. We’re not just putting the clothes on it. We’re creating a beast.” Urrunaga and Ring (business partners who finish each other’s sentences as well as design plans) even help restaurateurs pick what music to play as guests are wining and dining. It’s their job to know what people like. Paying attention to the smallest details and weird intricacies of human nature is what separates a successful restaurant from yesterday’s lunch. Because those curious touches are exactly what Plan B specializes in, whatever they design is usually there to stay.

WHISKEY CAKE KITCHEN & BAR 

FEATURES: Since farm-to-table food is the essence of Whiskey Cake’s menu, the Plan B Group took a small side room and converted it into an herb garden. This Plano restaurant also has four kinds of seating: booths, couches, freestanding tables, and communal tables. If you’re observant, you’ve probably noticed the solar panels on the roof, an electric car charger between the sidewalk and parking lot, and the fork sculpture in the private dining room. When Whiskey Cake inherited its space, the Plan B Group stumbled upon boxes of forks and made a “fork of forks.”

CHALLENGES: Ring and Urrunaga had to chop up the big space inside Whiskey Cake to prevent it from looking like a sea of tables. They connected the kitchen to the main room by cutting a window into the kitchen so people could peek inside, and created eight seating vignettes in the dining area.

JOJO EATING HOUSE & BAR 

FEATURES: Along the back wall of chef/owner Laurent Poupart’s Mediterranean restaurant is a wine display that plays with lines and geometry. Some bottles stand up, while others are forced to lie on their sides. There’s also an open kitchen, which doubles as a theater for guests to sit around and watch. But the patio is the most sought-after seating area, due in part to the water feature made from cypress wood cut at various lengths and placed at different angles. Ring says it looks like “a bunch of fingers with water playing over them.”

CHALLENGES: This may come as a surprise, but JoJo’s patio isn’t actually outdoors—it’s inside a parking garage. When drapes enclose the circular space, it’s almost easy to forget. The seating is comfortable, the lighting creates an amber glow, and [sic].

EAST HAMPTON SANDWICH CO.

FEATURES: People don’t usually associate sandwich shops with luxury, but Hunter Pond wanted his first restaurant to evoke the neighborhood. Urrunaga and Ring used roofing material to line the exterior side of the wall and put AstroTurf on the patio to simulate grass. Walking into East Hampton Sandwich Co. almost feels like you’re going over to a neighbor’s house for lunch.

CHALLENGES: “That space is not without its challenges in terms of columns and floor elevations,” Ring says. “Plan B Group couldn’t change the size of the columns, so we had to find a way to make them look less like eyesores. We even built a communal table around one.” The restaurant before East Hampton Sandwich Co. had a fire and left charred rafters for its new tenants. Plan B left them because “it gave the space a personality. To fix it would’ve been too buttonedup for the brand.”

View the full article and photos here.

View the original article and photos here.

When JoJo Eating House opened for business back in November I was elated. The dishes I tried were fantastic and the menu was clean and fun. For those that read my First Look, I was particularly fond of the Artichoke and Large Lump Crab Ceviche. The fresh and simple dish made me wiggle in my seat, and go back the next evening for a second round. Alas, the artichoke salad is no more, but Chef Laurent Poupart has been busy preparing a new menu for the change of seasons that are truly spectacular.

Sadly missed was the Pastry Chef, Laurel Wimberg. She is masterful in the kitchen and at the time of the opening spoke about the possibilities of opening a store front bakery to feed JoJo. That will not happen now, and she has moved on to Lark located in Klyde Warren Park which opens today.

Poupart is an engaging chef. He is best at work in his very open kitchen speaking with guests; the ones that can pick up on his fabulous French accent. It is evident that he is hard working and leads by example. Last evening we dined until it was closing time. We sat at the chef’s bar to catch all the action in the kitchen and to chat up the staff. When the last plate was expedited Laurent moved into hyper-mode scrubbing his flat top and wiping down the kitchen. This is when many executive chefs would be exiting for the evening.

What makes an amazing restaurant experience for me, besides the surrounding electric energy from a well fed room, are the starter courses. These often set the stage for things to come, and this is the time when a restaurant can shine with imagination. JoJo fulfills this promise glowingly.

The absolute star of the appetizer menu is the Big Apple Foie Gras Burger. This is seared foie that is sandwiched between two thick slices of Granny Smith that have been cooked down to a slight al dente, picking up that buttery foie flavor. The dish is hearty enough to share with several friends, and probably too rich to tackle alone. This is an amazing combination of flavor components.

Something as simple as a caprese salad with thick, fresh slices of juicy hot house tomatoes and equally as thick shards of Paula Lambert’s mozzarella drizzled with balsamic and crowned with the top of a tomato can make me smile. And it did.

Poupart does seafood really well. A perfect example is the chef’s bouillabaisse packed with assorted seafood brought in fresh that day along with clams and octopus. The large filets of fish were numerous in species making the bowl swell with flavors. Use extra bread to absorb the delicious soup.

The Citrus Seared Quail was an interesting dish, and should be ordered for the underlying mushroom risotto and au jus. The quail was cooked nicely, and deboned for easy devouring, but the chunky risotto took the prize for the plate. Smooth, creamy and full of mushrooms, the risotto is well worth a place on the menu by itself.

Perfected also are the Jumbo Sea Scallops. Served righteous with Yukon gold potatoes, a lemon ragu, wild mushrooms, asparagus, and a roasted red pepper sauce, the scallops looked well adorned, but stood proud on their own. The milky centers of the very large and fresh scallops were scented with a slight sweet scent of the sea, and melted as my fork took bait.

For those not on a seafood binge, look for some wonderful Niman Ranch steaks, all beautifully marbled and aged. And still on the menu are the lamb shank tagine, osso buco and braised beef cheeks. All these are warm and supple on a brisk Dallas evening

My artichoke salad was hardly missed, but the chef assured me with a days notice he could conjure up an entire table full of the salad that made our top dish list for 2012. Months after its initial opening and a new menu later, JoJo Eating House still has substance as much as it has style.

View the original article and photos here.

photo from Butler’s Pantry

I know. I’m also hyperventilating, too. Pretty soon it’ll be Christmas, then New Year’s, then back to work on the second. Time is flying way too fast. This means you’ve got to start making your reservations pronto before you get put on a waiting list. Rub your hands and start calling. Here’s a list of places doing special New Year’s Eve and Day dinners. If you’re still behind on Christmas,  you can check out the list of establishments open on December 24 and 25 righthere.

Asador
Bistro 31
Blue Mesa Grill
Bolsa
Bonnell’s
Boulevardier
Cafe des Artistes
Cafe Izmir
Cafe Pacific
Canary by Gorji
Cedars Social
Central 214
Chamberlain’s Fish Market
Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House
Dallas Chop House
Dallas Fish Market
Del Frisco
DISH
Driftwood
Fearing’s
Five Sixty
The Front Room: A Park Cities Diner
The Gin Mill
The Grape
Holy Grail Pub
Hotel ZaZa
JoJo
Lavendou
The Loft Restaurant
Max’s Wine Dive
Meddlesome Moth
Nobu
Nosh
Oak
Ocean Prime
Park Tavern
Princi Italia
Private Social
The Pyramid
Rosewood Mansion Turtle Creek
Samar
The Second Floor
Ser
Sevy’s Grill
Stampede 66
Steel Restaurant
Stephan Pyles
Toulouse
Urban Taco
Victory Tavern
Village Marquee
Warwick Melrose
ZEN Sushi

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JoJo Eating House, the buzzy new restaurant in the former Bella space (across from the Quadrangle at 2626 Howell Street in Uptown), opens this week with French chef Laurent Poupart at the helm.

Poupart, who lists former three Michelin star restaurant Au Crocodile in Strasbourg on his resume, returns to the restaurant business after a five-year stint as private chef.

The menu glides across much of the Mediterranean, though the region’s bright flavors seemed toned down on an early visit last week. Pizzas, housemade pastas, a smattering of seafood items (clams, mussels, fish, crab cakes, shrimp) and light, simple salads punctuate the menu.

The smart, well-chosen iPad wine list includes lots of new and old world selections, including a Numanthia Termes and a BTG Nero d’Avolo from Siciliy.

Royce Ring  of Plan B (Whiskey Cake, Bolsa, Oak) created the interior, an inviting, comfortable space that invites lingering over a glass of wine and crusty bread from Village Baking Company. French glass doors swing open to bring the outside in, while an extended patio around the side doubles the seating space. It may be Ring’s best work yet.

Read the full article and see photos by clicking here.

The updated Euro eatery, JoJo Eating House & Baropens Monday, November 19 with chef/owner Laurent Poupart at the helm. If a menu that includes lobster, oysters, tuna tartare, artisan pizzas and a salad with truffle dressing and deviled eggs doesn’t immediately grab your attention, Poupart’s resume certainly will.

The Strasbourg native began working at age 14 at Le Crocodile, a three star Michelin restaurant in his hometown. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of Strasbourg, Poupart served in the army as a private chef for the General of the French Force. The young chef went on to work at several Michelin restaurants under such Master Chefs as Gilles Goujon and Jean-Marie Gautier.

His first American venture was at Les Celebrites, a restaurant awarded the AAA Five Diamond award and “Best Restaurant Overall” in New York City by Zagat . Clientele included stars such as Pierce Brosnan, Jane Fonda and Tina Turner.  Since 2005,  Poupart has been working as a private chef for clients such as Mike Moreno (his partner in JoJo), Gerald Ford, Kevin Costner, Cindy Crawford, Kenny G, and Hollywood Producer Joel Silver.

You’d think the Big D is just lucky to add such an accomplished chef to its list of culinary masters, but for Poupart, opening a restaurant in Dallas is a dream come true.

“I have traveled a lot in my life, but when I came to Dallas 3 ½ years ago for the first time, I knew it was the city for me,” said Poupart.

Designed by the well-known restaurant design firm Plan B Group, the same group that just did East Hampton Sandwich Company, JoJo Eating House & Bar was designed using simple, sophisticated and clean lines in order to create a residential feel.

JoJo Eating House & Bar will open tonight for dinner only, with lunch service beginning mid-December. Brunch service and pizza delivery will begin January 2013.  JoJo Eating House & Bar is located at 2626 Howell Street, Dallas, Texas 75204.

You’ve got a lot on your mind right now.
The Cowboys’ playoff hopes. The  fiscal cliff. Whether or not your mom is going to use the good marshmallows on  the yams this year.
Busy week. Busy, stressful week.
So here,  let us go ahead and take care of your dinner plans tonight.
Introducing  JoJo Eating House & Bar, a bright and airy hangout for wood-fired  pizzas, pasta and seafood, opening tonight in Uptown.
This place comes  courtesy of a highly decorated French chef with a fondness for pizza and a knack  for transforming things into polished, white-tableclothed spots with open kitchens, circular booths and wood-heavy patios. Things  like the old Bella space.
Now, normally, we’d say go the date-and-booth  route here. But you’ve got a lot of meals with a lot of people coming up. So for  tonight, the simple company of a cold Kronenbourg should do. Post up at the  marble bar that looks onto the kitchen. Supervise some pizza-dough tossing. Nod  in approval. Also, do whatever nod it is that signals the chef to put tomato  sauce, white cheddar and spicy merguez sausage on that pizza.
And  beginning early next year, they’ll start delivering those pizzas straight to  your door. Which is great, timing-wise.
January is usually when you run  out of turkey leftovers anyway.

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This weekend I was an invited guest to the pre-opening festivities at JoJo Eating House and Bar, the latest restaurant to open in Dallas in a long ration of new eateries in Dallas. Some of these new restaurants will gain the ire of public scrutiny; others will be issued a blessing that few restaurants receive as they become the patina of the Dallas landscape.

JoJo will be one of the lucky restaurants to survive and for a few good reasons.

The restaurant chef-owner Laurent Poupart is uber passionate. The man can cook, which is the foundation of any restaurant. The recipes we sampled this weekend were mind-blowing, although my group only tasted a small handful of dishes.

The service seemed to be suave and over-the-top, but keep in mind I was at a soft opening. Early indicators are that the right people are in place, and I recognized more than a few souls both in the front and back of the house.

The former pastry chef at Craft, Laurel Wimberg, was hired to work her magic, along with fellow alumni Gregory Sawin who is General Manager. Look for Wimberg’s Nougat Glacé, which is a similar dessert she made at Craft. Her creations are always whimsical.

The restaurant itself is not terribly large, although with alfresco dining the space nearly doubles in size. The plating I witnessed was beautiful, many dishes served in the heavy cast iron cookware that is covered in beautiful enamel, Les Creuset.

The star for the evening was no doubt was a beautiful dish of cold, whole artichoke that was filled with sweet large lump crab meat. The table went murmuring when the dish was sent out, and gasped when we all discovered the contents inside the artichoke’s secret garden.

We will run a proper First Look tomorrow, but wanted to give you an early glimpse on this new French-inspired restaurant that opens its doors tonight.

JoJo Eating House and Bar is located across from the Quadrandle at 2626 Howell in Dallas.

See the full article and photos by clicking here.

JoJo Eating House & Bar was designed by Dallas-based restaurant design firm, Plan B Group (Royce Ring/Alex Urrunaga), with the intent of building a space with a residential feel.  Using simple, sophisticated and clean lines, the interior space includes a wrap-around chef bar experience facing the open kitchen, communal and regular seating tables in the dining room and comfortable circular booths.  A 360-degree bar with hopper windows that open to the patio and street-side dining will create a bustling bar atmosphere. The patio is an extension of the dining room with interior light fixtures, area rugs and comfortable seating including a single continuous 70’ booth around the perimeter.   Plan B Group owner, Royce Ring elaborates, “The use of wood was an important aspect of the design for JoJo.  A rare restaurant design element found in the United States, shou sugi ban (black wood), was used for the façade and interior walls, cypress was used for the patio water fountain, hickory for the bar top and mahogany for the millwork and storefront.”

Poupart, who hails from Strasbourg, the capital city of the Alsace Region in Eastern France, began working at the age of 14, at Le Crocodile.  Le Crocodile was a three star Michelin restaurant in his hometown.  In 1988, after his four-year apprenticeship there, he graduated from The Culinary Institute of Strasbourg.   After serving two years in the army as a private chef for the General of the French Force, Poupart began working as First Commis (“Young Chef”) in two star Michelin restaurant, La Palme D’or in Cannes, under Jean-Marie Gautier (MOF).  The award of MOF (“Master Chef”) is chosen by a team of world-renowned chefs every four years, and is considered the most prestigious title for any chef in France.

In late 1992, Poupart took a position as Sous Chef at l’Auberge du Vieux Puits, currently a three star Michelin restaurant, where he worked under Gilles Goujon (MOF).  Poupart was then called upon by New York City restaurant, Les Celebrites, where he worked as Executive Sous Chef under Christian Delouvrier.  Les Celebrites was awarded the AAA Five Diamond award and “Best Restaurant Overall” in New York City by Zagat. The clientele included stars such as Pierce Brosnan, Jane Fonda and Tina Turner.  After six years in New York City, Laurent moved to San Antonio, Texas to work as a consultant for acclaimed restaurant, L’Etoile. Two years later, Poupart became a partner in Albert’s Provence, a 120-seat, “5 Hats” rated restaurant in Tallahassee, Florida.

Since 2005 Laurent has been working as a private chef for clients such as Mike Moreno (his partner in Jojo), Gerald Ford, Kevin Costner, Cindy Crawford, Kenny G, and Hollywood Producer Joel Silver.

Jojo Eating House & Bar will open for dinner only, with lunch service beginning mid-December. Brunch service and pizza delivery will begin January 2013.  JoJo Eating House & Bar is located at 2626 Howell Street, Dallas, Texas 75204. Website/Phone: www.jojodallas.com 214.754.4949. Hours of operation for dinner service only, to start: Monday – Wednesday 5pm – 10pm, Thursday – Saturday 5pm – 11pm, closed Sunday. Beginning mid-December hours of operation including lunch and dinner service: Monday – Wednesday 11am – 10pm, Thursday – Saturday 11am – 11pm, closed Sunday.

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