First Look: The Saint Opens, Adding to Dallas' Vegas-like Strip

Tucked away in a discreet location on Gaston Avenue, The Saint, an Italian-inspired steakhouse, opened just a few weeks ago. The restaurant is from Las Vegas-based Hooper Hospitality Concepts, but the focus here is on sourcing ingredients from the Texas farming and ranching community. The Saint aims to enrich the thriving Dallas culinary scene with its own brand of inventive dishes, exceptional service and a dash of Las Vegas panache.

Upon entering, visitors are greeted with a moody “saints and sinners"-inspired vibe with dark walls, muted lighting and an energizing '80s playlist that will make you feel as if you have stepped back in time into one of the hottest dance clubs in Dallas (Y’all know the one!). The atmosphere is cozy, with leather and velvet booths, intimate tables with high-back bench seating, wallpaper and artwork. During our visit, we were seated in one of the more popular leather booths, where we could watch all the action throughout the evening.
The cocktail menu offers a diverse selection, including a martini with a macchiato amaretto foam and a Negroni bramble mashup with Bramble gin and Campari. We started with a Speak of the Fennel, an effervescent cocktail with lemon and basil vodka, an herbaceous liquor called Strega, lemon fennel juice cordial and club soda; it paired with the Maine lobster arancini fra diavolo aioli. The drink is light and lemon-forward. The crispy exterior of the arancini protects chunks of Maine lobster. Don’t let the aioli scare you. Despite it being a diavolo, the heat is minimal, but the flavor is bold.
We coursed out dinner after the appetizer, starting with a wedge salad. Unlike a traditional steakhouse wedge, this preparation is a small head of iceberg that is hollowed a bit and stuffed with grape tomatoes, pancetta, gorgonzola ranch and shallot vinaigrette. The vinaigrette adds a subtle sweetness against the tangy gorgonzola ranch and slightly salty and crispy pancetta.
Keeping with the bold flavor of gorgonzola from the previous dish, we selected the gorgonzola tortellini as our next course. The house-made small, crescent-shaped pasta is stuffed with velvety gorgonzola and topped with a richly flavored spicy Italian sausage ragu. This dish is a delightful roller coaster of flavors, and it packs a substantial amount of heat that sneaks up on the back of the tongue as it’s enjoyed.

For the main course, we selected the 8-ounce prime filet mignon with a Barolo reduction and a side of creamed spinach. The filet, cooked to preference at medium, was incredibly tender and flavorful. (Chef gifted me a small tin of his steak seasoning blend to use at home.) The creamed spinach, made with a bechamel and topped with a hot pepper relish, did not disappoint.
As the perfect finisher, we indulged in a treat: buttermilk and goat cheese panna cotta topped with figs and a drizzle of burned honey. This dessert is not too sweet, and the texture is smooth and velvety. The fig adds a nice chewy bite, and the burned honey is deep in flavor and brings all the sweetness this plate needs.

The current menu was described as a base menu and will evolve. As the seasons change, so will the cocktail and food menu at The Saint.

The Saint, 2633 Gaston Ave. Sunday, 5–10 p.m.; Tuesday – Thursday, 5–10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5–11 p.m.