New Dallas restaurant Harper’s serves global menu in flashy development

The menu at Harper’s, a new restaurant in Deep Ellum, is “all over the menu,” says co-owner Imran Sheikh. There are deviled eggs, Korean fried cauliflower, pizzas (some with Mexican street corn, others with chicken tikka), Texas quail, and a long list of steaks.

“I want this restaurant to have no limits,” says Sheikh.

The Bye Bye Birdie Cocktail at Harper’s is sure to be popular.(Sarah Blaskovich / employee)

Harper’s is named after a fictional woman – an adventurer as Sheikh imagines her – who jet-setter around the globe and then returned to Dallas to serve her friends her favorite dishes. In reality, the one who masters these dishes is Chef Jacob Williamson, who has worked for Wolfgang Puck for the past decade, including the past five years at the gourmet restaurant Five Sixty at the top of the Reunion Tower until it closes in Spring 2020 became .

Sheikh hired Williamson in August 2020 and has been designing the “no limits” menu for Harper’s ever since.

The design of the restaurant is immersive and fun, the kind of place to talk loudly and bring some friends with you. Five curved niches, each with space for at least eight people, line a wall that is covered with brightly colored wallpaper covered with black velvet.

Sheikh wants Harper’s to have the feel of a bar with fine dining. It is the most exclusive restaurant in its group to date.

Her company Milkshake Concepts – which has invested heavily in Deep Ellum in particular – also owns and operates the Mexican restaurant Vidorra, the cocktail bar and restaurant Stirr, the Chicken Wing joint Dirty Bones, Serious Pizza and Sky Rocket Burger. They’re also opening a four-story restaurant / live music hangout / rooftop bar in Nashville in the fall of 2021.

And they own Citizen, a nightclub that’s a 5-minute walk from Harper’s. Citizen doesn’t open until 10 p.m. on the weekend. Harper’s first, Citizen second? That will be the route for some party-goers on Saturday night.

Harper’s crispy devil eggs are served with whipped allspice cheese and caviar. The foie gras pot stickers (back left) are served with spring onions and dried cherry ponzu.(Sarah Blaskovich / employee)

Harper’s is their 7,600-square-foot supper club, built in one of three buildings in The Epic – one of Deep Ellum’s largest construction projects to date. (This is the same development previously expected 3,000 Uber employees, although that number has shrunk since the pandemic broke out.) Harper’s was originally scheduled to open in September 2020, then March 2021, opening date through late summer 2021.

“When you’ve put so much love into a concept,” says Sheikh, “you wait until it’s finished.”

Chef Williamson’s favorite dish is corn agnolotti, a homemade pasta with ricotta and shaved black truffles. Williamson expects to change it seasonally; maybe he’ll trade for squash in the fall.

The Big Eye Tuna Sashimi at Harper’s is served with caviar and truffle ponzo. It foams when it arrives at the table because dry ice lies under the serving plate. (Kayla Enright)

His devilish eggs are fried in panko and topped with whipped allspice cheese and caviar. They’re a delicious little bite – and who knows, maybe they’re inspired by a weekend getaway Harper took to her wealthy aunt’s house down south. The Surf ‘n Turf Oshizushi, a pressed sushi dish, layers wagyu slices on top of rice with poached lobster. It’s a fun shared dish, and great: you’ll likely be dining with a group.

The pizzas are curious and tempting. Stop by the traditional margherita or hot peppers and there’s a Jamaican grill pizza; a Mexican street corn pizza; a chicken tikka pizza with jalapeños; and a braised short rib pizza with dancing bonito flakes.

We’re in Texas, so there’s a burger on Harper’s menu. This is meant to be paired with a glass of burgundy, which means it’s big, bold, and beefy. After days of “burger tastings” by staff, Williamson’s final answer is a Wagyu beef patty accompanied by fried shallots, tomato jam, rocket, truffle and mustard aioli, and a Gruyère-like cheese called Comté.

“It’s a gourmet burger if there ever was one,” says Sheikh. It costs $ 24.

One of the must-try dishes is the Korean-style beef rib. It’s rare to see a full rib of beef anywhere other than a grill restaurant. (And just so you can guess it: this is a single rib from a cow, so it’s as long as your forearm and almost as big.) Williamson’s beef rib is coated with gochujang, a sweet and flavorful red chili paste that is often used is used in Korean dishes.

Cocktails are not a minor matter which makes sense as Harper’s was designed to feel like a bar. The Bye Bye Birdie is a light pink orange-cranberry-vodka drink that is served in a bird-shaped glass with a feather on the end. Another interesting one, according to the menu, is Harper’s “Favorite”. This Tale of 2 Cities is a journey: Tequila from Jalisco, Mexico; Vanilla reduction from Madagascar; and Faust Cabernet from near Napa Valley, California.

The restaurant has an enclosed, air-conditioned courtyard with doors that can be opened when the weather is nice. This space has a rather airy feel to it, with plants hanging from the ceilings and emerald green tones instead of black, gold, and wood in the main dining room.

You won’t actually find Harper there, but you will find her essence once her restaurant opens on August 5th, 2021.

Harper’s is located at 2525 Elm St., Dallas (at The Epic in Deep Ellum). Reservations recommended.

For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter @sblaskovich.

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