Marquee Grill & Bar

Top Chef favorite Tre Wilcox runs the kitchen at this striking Highland Park Village place with Regency-glam decor. His snazzy appetizers, like a ceviche of sweet lobster and silky squid, hot-and-cold foie gras or exemplary shrimp and grits, are show-stoppers; main courses (hickory-grilled Texas-raised rib-eye, Espelette-dusted halibut) are just plain good. As at the Cedars Social, there’s a celebrity bartender attached: Jason Kosmas creates cocktails with personality and flair.
32 Highland Park Village, Dallas. 214-522-6035. marqueegrill.com. (Full review)

The Marquee puts the lift back in “the Bubble” of the Park Cities. The Highland Park hot spot features food by Top Chef's Tré Wilcox and drinks from Jason Kosmas. The two-story establishment features three distinct dining areas and seating for about 240. A ground-floor patio and two terraces accommodate the see-and-be-seen crowd. Imbibers will appreciate the short, sharp cocktail list, including an original-recipe Manhattan. 7/28 (Full review)

Jason Kosmas’ well-conceived cocktails made the bar part of Marquee Grill and Bar, the Highland Park Village hot spot, an instant hit. A brown drink for all seasons, the Distinguished Gentleman From Kentucky (Maker’s Mark 46, Benedictine, Peychaud’s and peach bitters), is one reason. Kosmas’ tart, fruity Trial Margarita is another. It’s always fun to see what he’ll mix up. (Full review)

Highland Park has a splashy new see-and-be-seen scene: Marquee Grill and Bar. Perhaps the boffo buzz factor isn’t surprising, given the restaurant’s A-list Highland Park Village location — Marquee is attached to the Village Theatre. And considering the star attached: Top Chef favorite and former Abacus toque Tre Wilcox. (Full review)