St. Martin’s Wine Bistro, one of many solely eating places in Dallas nonetheless providing reside piano throughout dinner, will shut Could 20, 2023 on Greenville Avenue. The intimate, romantic restaurant has been open for greater than 40 years.
The lease is up, and proprietor Mohsen Heidari and his relations plan to relocate their date-night restaurant to a brand new deal with in East Dallas inside a couple of months.
White tablecloths, reside piano, candlelight … a couple of a long time in the past, these had been indicators {that a} restaurant served fine-dining meals. However the guidelines for Dallas eating places have modified drastically in 40 years. (Jason Janik / Particular Contributor)
Within the a long time that St. Martin’s served Champagne brie soup, beef tenderloin and crème brûlée, the Decrease Greenville space modified dramatically. In 1986, St. Martin’s was described as a buzzy bistro by Dallas Morning Information critic Waltrina Stovall. As St. Martin’s aged, it improved “like a nice wine,” one other critic stated 20 years in the past. The meals was “superb” and the atmosphere “splendidly reassuring” 13 years in the past, The Information reported.
Right this moment, it’s nonetheless one among Dallas’ quietest and most romantic eating places. It’s an amazing place for an anniversary or milestone birthday.
Scott Fickling and Phil Patterson opened St. Martin’s in 1980. They had been lecturers and Vietnam veterans who, within the Seventies, “knew nothing concerning the restaurant enterprise once they purchased a plot of land on Greenville Avenue,” The Information reported. This a part of Dallas was then a “bohemian” neighborhood. (Fairly a change: Million-dollar houses at the moment are inside strolling distance of the quaint wine bistro.) Fickling and Patterson opened a neighborhood bar known as the San Francisco Rose first, then St. Martin’s Wine Bistro subsequent to it.
Maybe they’d an inkling they’d be in good firm, as a result of Dallas restaurant The Grape had been open since 1972 a couple of blocks south on Greenville Avenue.
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However, look: The San Francisco Rose closed in 2017 after 40 years. The Grape closed in 2019 after 42 years. St. Martin’s made it the longest; it’ll shut in 2023 after 43 years.
Close by, Blue Goose Cantina closed on Greenville Avenue in March after 39 years.
After greater than 40 years, St. Martin’s Wine Bistro will shut 7 photos View Gallery
The St. Martin’s area has been run by a number of well-known restaurant households. Within the late Eighties, Patterson bought his share to Phil Cobb, a Dallas restaurateur who co-founded consolation meals chain Black-Eyed Pea.
(From left) John Sarvarian, Iris Haftlang, Monaliza Heidari and Omid Haftlang assist run St. Martin’s Wine Bistro in Dallas with proprietor Mohsen Heidari (not pictured). (Jason Janik / Particular Contributor)
Heidari took over St. Martin’s in 1997 and operates the restaurant with common supervisor John Sarvarian and relations Omid Haftlang, Iris Haftlang and Monaliza Heidari. A youthful technology of Dallas restaurateurs, Heidari’s sons Pasha and Sina Heidari, grew up inside St. Martin’s. Pasha and Sina now function Dallas cocktail lounge Bowen Home, fajitas restaurant Las Palmas and Cedars bar Mike’s Gemini Twin.
For years, the restaurant was open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. It was a quiet place for Ross Perot, Tony Dorsett and Ed “Too Tall” Jones to dine.
“It has been part of lots of people’s lives for a very long time,” Omid Haftlang says. He appears to particularly have cherished watching youngsters develop up, get married and convey their very own youngsters into St. Martin’s.
“I’m going to overlook this room,” Omid says as he sits on the wine bar after a Thursday dinner shift.
When the restaurant reopens, it should have reside piano and far of the basic atmosphere and menu of the unique. St. Martin’s relations wouldn’t speak concerning the new location but as a result of they wish to end their time on Greenville Avenue first.
“It’s bittersweet, for positive,” Omid says. “However I’m so optimistic concerning the transfer.”
St. Martin’s Wine Bistro is at 3020 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Dinner reservations are being accepted on OpenTable via Could 20, 2023, its final day of service.
For extra meals information, observe Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.
