Superstar Chef Opens Highly-Anticipated New Restaurant in Dallas Cowboys Land

Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur José Andrés has officially made his Texas debut. Zaytinya, Andrés’  critically-acclaimed Mediterranean restaurant in Washington D.C., has opened a long-awaited second location at The Star in Frisco.

The upscale-casual restaurant has been a beloved staple of the D.C. dining scene since its entree in 2002. The new outpost is Andrés’ first restaurant in the Lone Star State.

Zaytinya offers a range of small plates and mezze (a trend which Spanish-born Andrés is credited with popularizing in America) inspired by the cuisines of Greece, Turkey and Lebanon.

“It’s like a window into this part of the Mediterranean – Greece, Turkey, touches of Lebanon,” Andrés says. “Today the heart of this kind of cooking is becoming as popular as guacamole.”

As American diners have built more adventurous appetites over the years, Andrés’ approach to this cuisine has evolved. But some things just don’t change.  

“When I began working on this project 19 years ago, the cooking itself was very different but the ingredients were not,” he says.

“Ordinarily you cannot bring every single trend into a dish – it doesn’t work that way. It’s good that you keep in touch with what’s happening in the world, in your hometown. I think influences are great, but I try not to be influenced by anything. I try to do what I do and not criticize what others do.”

Led by concept chef Michael Costa, the restaurant has won numerous awards and accolades, including the Bib Gourmand distinction from the Washington, D.C. Michelin Guide. Costa and Frisco head chef Jonathan Thompson have worked together to bring the concept to Texas.

Thompson, who previously opened Samar and Stampede 66 with chef Stephan Pyles, will use his expertise of local ingredients to make Zaytinya Frisco unique from its East Coast sister restaurant.

“It’s the idea of taking those traditions and taking those stories and telling them with the best ingredients that we have locally,” Costa says.

In its decor, Zaytinya channels Santorini; white washed walls and splashes of rich blue echo the domed buildings of the Greek isle. Luckily, those also happen to be the colors of a certain sports team…

The exotic cuisine may transport you to far away shores, but you can’t forget you’re in Cowboys country.

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