Why Dallas Chef Stephan Pyles Is Opening the Seeker in a Stephenville Motel | Eater Dallas

"When I learned Stephan Pyles was developing the menu for a restaurant inside the roadside Interstate Inn in Stephenville, I was intrigued — the Seeker is projected to open in summer 2024 and Pyles says the food will lean into his Modern Texas/Modern Tex‑Mex roots while tying strongly to the local area. At the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival he’ll be serving llapingachos, an Ecuadorian potato cake he discovered on culinary trips to South America: traditionally made with a particular Andes potato (often using stale potatoes), mashed and mixed with green olives and cheese; his version uses feta, breadcrumbs, and is sautéed, then topped with a crab salad prepared like a ceviche and possibly bound with a bit of mayonnaise. He chose this dish because it’s efficient for large crowds (he expects 700–1,000 guests), can be prepared ahead and reheated while the salad is finished to order, and gives a lighter, spring-appropriate option with crab. The Seeker’s menu will mix his greatest hits with local producers (local honeys and produce for a crudité with three dips such as moutabel and labneh) and broader influences (Turkey/Lebanon), and the space will include a back room for cooking classes and weddings — a project he found appealing because of the owners’ enthusiasm and their plan to restore roadside motels to better-than-original glory." - Courtney E. Smith