Global.  That seems to have become the catch all moniker for restaurants that attempt to be a culinary jack of all trades and try to effectively prepare and present dishes from around the world.  Hmm.  Global.  Does that really just mean mish mash or is it kinda like calling a big ole dog a ‘Lab mix’ instead of calling him a mutt?  Woof.  Or maybe it is similar to a California winemaker calling his collision of red grapes a Meritage instead of a Wanna be Cab?  Yikes.  Global.  Is this really just a semantically pleasing label that comforts chefs and restaurateurs who are in an identity crisis or are commitment-phobes as to what they’re trying to accomplish and what cuisine they actually do well?  Too often, that seems to be the case.  It has almost become exotically en vogue to proclaim a restaurant as Global, appealing to the senses of us that are daring Americans but also luring in transplants that are seeking a taste of their home land.  And more often than Britney Spears appears on the E! Channel, it seems these overly ambitious restaurants fail to execute any of their cuisine particularly well.  But what about that rare restaurant that pulls off this feat and actually harnesses the flavors from around the globe offering up a menu that waltzes through Texas, salsas through South America, sails through the Mediterranean, journeys the sands of the Middle East, and bulls its way through Spain?  That, fellow foodies, is what you can truly call a Global restaurant.

Now under the day to day direction of resume rich, and braised short rib god Executive Chef Tim Byres, Stephan Pyles profiles their menu as New Millenium Southwestern Cuisine.  For those that are familiar with the famous chef, there’s no arguing he is a southwestern cuisine jedi and the lineup certainly reflects a concentrated emphasis on all things South.  Yet when you see cold water oysters, lobster with vanilla and fennel, various pastas, duck confit, Serrano ham, baklava, foie gras and Dallas Mozzarella on the menu it’s really hard to pigeon hole the restaurant with the Southwestern brand.  Perhaps this is simply a way of giving his devoted flock a heavy dose of what he’s become famous for while also allowing him to stretch his gastronomic wings to other outposts of the world.  Regardless, this planetary formula works and works very well.

Literally, every meal at Stephan Pyles should begin with ceviche.  As a stalwart on better Tex-Mex menus locally and Mex-Mex restaurants everywhere, Pyles ramps their offerings up a notch.  Check out Chilean Sea Bass with grilled tomatillos marinated in an avocado glaze with tiny dots of jalapeno.  The raw fish cooks perfectly in the marinade,   and though there are bold flavors coming from the tomatillos and avocados, you can still savor the delicate tang of the fish.  And, who doesn’t like popcorn?  What has been wildly popular in South America for years shows up on Pyles menu as a sidekick to the Ecuadorian shrimp with orange.  There’s nothing tricky or misleading about the description.  It is truly raw shrimp ‘cooked’ in citrus juices and served with tiny orange segments with a small bowl of zesty popcorn as its co-pilot.  I agree it sounds a tad odd but the sweetness and soft texture of the shrimps cross checked by the spicy and crunchy popcorn is actually a very successful mixture.  Other stellar offerings include hamachi with agave nectar and sea scallops with golden tomatoes.  You can order these stand alone or, what makes even more sense, is to order a tasting of 3, 6 or all of them.  Each serving comes in a sawed off martini glass resting stoically in a bowl of shaved ice.  Cool presentation and also keeps the fish cool.  Win, win.

Other starters from the lunch menu that had us screaming ay carramba was a nifty salad of Garden Greens with Really Good Olive Oil.  Said greens come with little test tubes of different olive oils and vinegars.  One was spiced with peppers, one had an herby bite and one was just really good olive oil, virgin-style.  Aged Balsamic vinegar and Sherry vinaigrette round out this totally tubular experience.  Accompanying the greens and oils were three tiny vats of salts.  Good ole kosher, gray smoked sea, and a charred spicy offering.  While some might find this cumbersome or hokey, I love dishes that allow you to create your own flavor profile.  Several hunks of Deep Ellum fresh goat cheese finish the transformation from staid bowl of lettuce to damn good ensalada.  Pyles feisty Caesar with jap croutons is approaching legendary status but the other salad we deemed valid was a deconstructed salad of orange marinated lobster with greens, roasted fennel, candied nuts and scraped vanilla bean.  It is quite a change of pace from the multitude of spicy profiles throughout the menu but it’s a winner just the same.

The Romesco Soup with a blue corn tortilla crusted oyster is muy bueno and I will also say the single best bowl of soup I had last year was their lobster bisque.  The decadent soup came with a lobster dumpling potsticker in the center and a scoopful of pomegranate foam over the top.  I’m one of those that is on the cusp of officially being foamed out but where many dishes use flavored foam just because, this added such a delicate contrast to the bisque that it became a meaningful part of the dish’s success.

Chicken is boring.  You’ve heard us say it time and time again.  But this bird at Pyles bucks and clucks the trend.  Half a chicken is spit roasted giving that beautiful char on the outside.  The dark jus from the rotisserie is reduced to a Thanksgiving day giblet gravy consistency and spread over the bottom of a Jethro Bodine size bowl.  The bird is laid over some nice grilled asparagus and an enormous pile of crispy pomme frites fills the rest of the bowl.  The murky sauce is perfect for swiping the chicken in before taking a bit and is also the perfect foil for the fried potatoes.  Winner, winner chicken dinner!

No question the most famous dinner entrée is SP’s Bone-In Ribeye.  Often called the cowboy cut, this dish was made famous at Star Canyon and has a herd of constituents.  It is dry aged overnight in a spicy rub, grilled and then topped with red chile dusted onion rings transcending an otherwise plain prime pound and a half ribeye into the culinary poster child for southwestern cuisine.  An earthy yet homey combo of pinto beans, peppers and wild mushroom stew completes this refined cowpoke trail dust legend of a meal.

Though the duck breast, rack of lamb, and salmon are tempting, I have a hard time passing up the whole market fish.  On our last visit this was a branzino (Mediterranean sea bass).  They take a whole fish and throw it on the wood grill for a nice char then finish roasting it in the oven.  Though they’ll carve it up for you tableside if you request it, your inner caveman will love the rusticity of taking on and taking down this mighty beast.  Served over a garlicky knoll of Israeli cous cous, this is one of the better fish dishes in the city.  There is also an extensive tapas menu for those that are big fans of small plates. 

For the most part, this menu encompasses a shrunk down version of the various ingredient combinations found on the main menus.

The desserts at Pyles offer up another marathon of flavor profiles that span the globe.  Flourless Chocolate Cake has a base of Mexican Xocopilli chocolate made with a hint of ground peppers and coriander for just a twinge of spice.  Several versions of this cake are available but our favorite comes topped with an Abeulita chocolate cinnamon ice cream surrounded by a moat of white chocolate foam.  Dense and intense, this is a feel good dessert to crown any winter meal.  Stephan’s Canyon Heaven and Hell Cake™, as you can tell by the trademark symbol, was wildly popular at Star Canyon as well and continues to be a crowd pleaser at SP’s.  A Cheesecake Factory size wedge of heavenly angel food and devil’s food cake are divided with hellish slatherings of peanut butter mousse and sinful chocolate ganache.  To complete the biblical references, this demonic and decadent dessert always leaves us begging our guardian angels to deliver us from this deliciously tortuous purgatory.

Pyles has one of the best wine lists in the city.  You can certainly get lost in the top flight offerings from France and the U.S. but it is worth your time to check out some of the more obscure and interesting offerings from Spain and Italy, many of which hover well below a C note.  Eight countries are represented on the By the Glass wine menu and upwards of 40 half bottles are available.  Diverse wine offerings with a diverse menu – it’s a good thing.

The space at Pyles is literally as eclectic as the menu.  Genius details.  Depending on which direction you sit facing - the decor evokes tones/emotions on so many levels. You have a semi formal dining area with gigantic antler chandeliers and a smattering of private booths.  The open air kitchen is fronted by a community table propped up at barstool level.  This was a first for fine dining establishments in Dallas but is a great way to meet and greet other guests.  Finally, the dining room to the left of the entry way is decked with recessed fluorescent lighting and modern décor.  It may take a few visits before you feel like you've been to the same restaurant.

Is there anything more disappointing than a restaurant whose service simply doesn’t match the quality of the food?  Not so surprisingly, the service team at Pyles is top notch.  It’s a collection of experienced industry servers and sharp up and comers, many of whom had worked for Chef Pyles at some of his previous ventures. 

Like a select few other chefs in town, Stephan Pyles could’ve slapped his name on pretty much anything and been successful.  However, his namesake restaurant was anything but a half ass effort that focused more on the branding than the cuisine.  His time off from the restaurant grind clearly gave him an opportunity to collect his thoughts and ideas for a restaurant that would immediately become a pillar in the Dallas and national fine dining scene and he’s succeeded in spades.  So, is it Global or Millenium Southwestern?  Hell, I don’t know.  Pyles kind of is what you want it to be but no one can dispute that it is on every discerning diners’ short list of great Dallas restaurants for a very good reason.