Georgie’s New chef, R.J. Yoakum, takes the Dallas restaurant to new heights with innovative New American menu

R.J. Yoakum, the new chef at Georgie, has done the improbable: taken over a well-regarded restaurant from Michelin-starred Los Angeles chef Curtis Stone (who split from with owners earlier this year) and made it better.

This is elevated dining, with dim lighting, buttery leather seats, and seasoned operators that include Edward Goemans, who seems to recognize returning guests immediately (yet instinctively knows when to pretend he doesn’t).

Instead of Stone’s focus on beef, Yoakum’s New American menu takes cues from whatever ingredients Yoakum likes most at the moment. Right now, it’s pink snapper (pictured) uplifted with ripples of Meyer lemon and ginger, but next month it could be roasted duck enriched with mushrooms and wildflower honey. Oh, and don’t skip the complementary house-made bread and tangy butter. Like almost everything else from Georgie’s kitchen, they’re worth every indulgent calorie.

4514 Travis St., Dallas

A version of this story appears in the October issue of 360 West Magazine

photos: Georgie