Sometimes it takes just one dish to restore your faith in a restaurant. That revelation occurred when I stopped in for brunch a few weeks ago at Little Giant. I’d been many times before for dinner, but after it opened last year with a good start, the kitchen eventually lost its way.
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Sometimes all you want is a stick-to- the- ribs breakfast without frills or flourish. But the basic brunch nowadays is expected to go beyond expectations: Old school is the predictable hash browns, biscuits of some kind, breakfast meats whether artisanal or not and eggs in some fashion. But when it comes to the new rules of brunch, boundaries are challenging chefs into devising more creative dishes to serve at that no-man’s land of weekend dining from 9 AM to 2 PM. Last week I extolled the cunning virtues of brunch at Chaval. At Little Giant this past weekend I was pleased as punch as well—to enjoy a repast that had it all: sweet, savory, eggs, meat and a classic bloody Mary to pave the way.
In the bar, dining at the booths and bar; dining room is beyond
Wine dinners—and nowadays craft-beer pairing extravaganzas — that most restaurants host for visiting vineyards or local breweries showcase both the restaurant’s cooking and the winemaker’s wares. For me it’s generally too much food and wine in a progression of courses that often yields a reach for Gelusil, the iconic antacid from the last century. Yet after seeing the menu for the Wild Game Dinner with wine pairings held at Little Giant last month I learned that there was nothing diminutive coming from their kitchen.
The bar room and main dining room
The revelation was this: Little Giant’s chef Rian Wyllie—where until now have you been hiding? He came from Boston where he cooked at two restaurants that had elevated casual menus––what I call guilty of sloshing around the world cuisine orbit. His alma maters, Lone Star Taco Bar and Deep Ellum, in no way indicated the depth of this chef’s abilities that he presented at Little Giant’s recent special dinner. All six courses featured sophisticated renditions perfectly executed and paired by an unusual spectrum of esoteric wines, cordials and cocktails from Haus Alpenz distributors.
