Meridian
Restaurant · Lovers Lane East ·
Seasonal menu, wood-fire grill, charred maitake, moqueca, Xtudo burger
Seasonal menu, wood-fire grill, charred maitake, moqueca, Xtudo burger
"After a yearlong closure, the restaurant reopened on Friday, Oct. 17 with a renewed mission to land between fine dining and casual, creating a welcoming, community-driven spot for after-work cocktails, dinners with friends, and family celebrations. It originally debuted in 2021 under founding chef Junior Borges as a canvas for his Brazilian heritage—think chili vinaigrette-coated octopus, fluke crudo, and blue prawn moqueca—earning Eater Dallas’ 2021 Restaurant of the Year and a 2023 James Beard semifinalist nod for Borges before shuttering in mid-2024. The reinvention is led by executive chef Eduardo Osorio, a Los Angeles transplant, who leans into globe-trotting, live-fire cooking with a “finesse in simplicity” and shareable, approachable dishes that still showcase The Village’s craftsmanship and creativity. Signature plates include wagyu tallow-seared oysters with pancetta and espelette; foie and sea island cornbread with brown butter; and the Buzzed and Aged Burger with gruyere and caramelized onions. Pastas span lumache lamb bolognese, Hokkaido scallop, and pork ragu verde, while hearth-fired entrées range from Snake River white sturgeon with chanterelles and creamed leeks to a 21-day dry-aged ribeye with smoked tomato bordelaise and roasted branzino with nduja sofrito, fennel, and lemon verbena. A $99 Sunday Supper for three to four guests features fried chicken, cornbread, charred broccolini, pimento grits, and dessert, with 20% of sales benefiting local nonprofit Meat Fight." - Desiree Gutierrez
"A highly-acclaimed Dallas restaurant built around his Afro Brazilian cooking; Borges departed from there before joining forces with Nicholas Yanes." - Courtney E. Smith
"A Dallas restaurant that brought the chef significant acclaim and helped land him on the James Beard 2023 semifinalist long list; it thrilled diners with his approach to Brazilian cuisine and established his national reputation prior to his departure in October 2023." - Ashok Selvam
"This modern Brazilian restaurant has a seasonal moqueca with seafood that is always a must-order. And the Xtudo burger, created for happy hour, has become a staple." - Courtney E. Smith
"On a weekend trip to Meridian I had pork medallions served on a bed of purple hull peas that weren’t quite creamed but headed that way, accompanied by various charred peppers and a smattering of nasturtium; the dish was full of big flavors yet light enough for summer." - Courtney E. Smith