Charlotte Magazine – August 2019

JULY 2019 // CHARLOTTE 43

CHEF TRAVIS HEARNE focuses on

one main dish (steak and fries) and

executes it well. The food tastes more

expensive than it is, but don’t expect

The Palm or Capital Grille. It’s a culinary

example of you-get-what-you-pay-for.

The bottomless truffle fries taste like

fries from any sit-down burger joint—

deep-fried and salty with just enough

seasoning to pass as gourmet. One

order is more than anyone could eat in

one sitting, so the “bottomless” bit is

subjective. Besides the steak, Hearne’s

scallops demonstrate his range in the

kitchen, and the chicken and funnel cake

on his weekend brunch menu shows

us he doesn’t take himself—or his

steakhouse—too seriously.

—Charlotte magazine sta

includes bread, a choice of soup or salad,
bottomless true fries, and a Black
Angus butter-seared sirloin steak with
your choice of sauce. Out of three sauces
oered that night—café de Paris, their
€agship butter sauce; Gorgonzola crema;
and a chimichurri sauce—I go with the
chimichurri.
The warm rolls arrive ‡rst with a side
of honey butter. They’re a bit ‡rm for my
liking but great to sop up the next course:
a caramelized leek bisque.
I would punch someone for this soup.
It’s creamy, not too thick, and both spicy
and sweet, topped with pancetta bits and
pepper. My biggest regret is not ordering
more to go.
The star of the night, the steak and
fries, comes with a generous portion of
true fries, made with white true oil
and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and
black true salt. Mine come out just the
way I like—with a bit of crunch, but not
overcooked. If you don’t get the steak

dinner, you can still order the fries o the

not-so-small plates menu ($15).

All steaks at The Dunavant are lean

culotte cuts of Black Angus top sirloin.

I order mine medium rare, and while it

comes out more on the medium side, it’s

juicy and buttery. I’m glad I asked for my

chimichurri sauce on the side, so I could

get the right amount of spice in each bite.

A—er dinner, I ask about dessert, but

there are only three choices that evening:

sorbet, crème brûlée, and ice cream. The

prices are good ($5-$6), but for tonight,

I pass.

As I ‡nish my wine and use what’s le—

of my fries to sop up the last bit of chimi-

churri sauce, I listen to the patrons around

me talk to each other about their dishes.

Before I head out, I tell the man next to

me about the leek bisque.

CRITICS’ COLUMN

The Dunavant

FOOD:

AMBIANCE:

SERVICE:

OVERALL RATING:

The Dunavant’s menu also

includes (clockwise from top

left) stuffed oysters baked with

spinach, smoked bacon, and

Parmesan; deviled eggs with bacon;

caramelized leek bisque; and veggie

risotto with mushrooms and ramps.

ERIN BREEDEN is a business owner and writer

focused on covering travel and food. Find her on

Twitter and Instagram: @erinbreeden.