Two of Dallas’ Best Restaurateurs Team Up for Ambitious Concepts Along the Katy Trail

Five years ago, Stephan Courseau connected with Capitol Ventures’ husband-and-wife duo Blake and Lindsay Bayer Shipp through mutual friends, just as their project The Terminal, a luxury residence, retail, and dining development along the Katy Trail, had begun to take shape. Once the Travis Street Hospitality founder (known for Le Bilboquet, Knox Bistro, Georgie) saw the vision, he knew he wanted to be a part of it.

Now, we’re only months away from Courseau’s trailside vision: an upscale French-Asian fusion restaurant, Le PasSage, and the wine-on-the-patio promise of the more casual Rose Café, but scheduled to open in 2024.

The Inspiration Behind Le PasSage

Inspired by The Terminal’s railroad station theme, Le PasSage is designed by Austin architect Michael Hsu (Uchi) to resemble the Orient Express, a luxury train that ran from Paris to Constantinople from 1883 through 1977. Similar to the storied train, the restaurant’s interior will include lots of bright pinks and reds with intimate “compartments” for the bar, the main dining room, and the outdoor patio.

“The layout of the space came organically,” Courseau notes. “It’s nice to have an element of discovery.”

Le PasSage’s menu, crafted by Michelin-lauded chef Bruno Davaillon, will feature creative, authentic French-Asian dishes.

“I used to live in New York where there were tons of great Asian restaurants for a big city night out,” Courseau says. “Apart from great sushi, I felt that this concept was missing in Dallas, and we could fill the void.”

Crafted by Michelin-lauded chef Bruno Davaillon (formerly at Bullion), Le PasSage’s menu will feature creative, authentic French-Asian dishes. “Bruno’s enthusiasm was so important for the project,” Courseau says.

The menu is very much in development, but there has been one menu item teased: a refreshing hibiscus lychee martini with citrus-bursting boba atop a lemon peel.

Rose Café

While Le PasSage will be Travis Street Hospitality’s largest restaurant yet, Rose Café is a smaller (and more affordable) breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot. In sync with the Le PasSage, Rose Café’s menu will also have an Asian influence. You’ll find Vietnamese bánh mìs and Japanese sandos for lunch. Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy espresso and a selection of wines to sip on the patio.

“There’s a lack of cafés on the Trail,” says Courseau. “We wanted a place for joggers or walkers to stop and sit down for a coffee or juice.”

With the upcoming Le PaSage and Rose Café, the Katy Trail is experiencing a surge of exciting new dining concepts, including Kent Rathbun’s barbecue food truck and the Harwood District’s new Tex-Mex concept, Tequila Social. A run is all the more appetizing with a hibiscus lychee martini at the end of it.