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Food

New restaurant The Theodore, with a hidden dining room, now open at NorthPark

There are a lot of interesting things -- call them strange, maybe -- about new restaurant The Theodore:

Honey grapefruit baked Alaska at The Theodore
Honey grapefruit baked Alaska at The Theodore(Rex C. Curry / Special Contributor)
  1. It's named in honor of Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th president of the United States.
  2. Filmmaker Wes Anderson's flicks such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel offered inspiration for the restaurant's design.
  3. It's located in NorthPark Center. Yes, the mall -- though the Nasher family would prefer you didn't think of it as such. NorthPark has art in it, after all.

The Theodore is expected to open Monday, Nov. 16.

Take a look inside. First up: the private dining room hidden behind a sliding bookcase.

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The Theodore comes from the well-known company behind Smoke, the restaurants in West Dallas and Plano known for their intricate cooking-by-fire methods. Chef-owner Tim Byres won a James Beard award in 2014 for his cookbook, Smoke: New Firewood Cooking, and his cooking styles have become internationally recognized.

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That team also runs Chicken Scratch, The Foundry, Bar Belmont, Bolsa and Bolsa Mercado, all of which are across-the-river eateries and bars. But just because The Theodore is opening in a less crunchy part of town doesn't mean it'll look anything like a chain restaurant. Here's why:

See the menus below.

The Theodore is expected to have hidden rooms as well as "whimsical curiosities" from fashion photographer Maxine Helfman, says a press release. "Quirky" is a word used to described the decor, and that's no surprise: The team's other restaurants are stocked with weird and fun knick-knacks. (At Smoke in Plano, there's a king-like chair formerly owned by Burt Reynolds and photos of unknown grandparents on the walls. Because why not?)

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As for Byres' menu, it's expected to "take you back to your childhood memory of meals at your grandparents and their collections of stories," he says in a statement. OK, but what's on the menu? They're not saying -- not yet. Scott Romano is the executive chef; he worked formerly for Wolfgang Puck.

The Theodore will also have a bakery operated in part by pastry chefs from Easy Tiger, a beloved Austin restaurant and bakery.

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Bar man Kyle Hilla, who worked at Bolsa for years, is moving over to the NorthPark restaurant. His cocktails will be named after national parks, "a nod to Roosevelt's conservation endeavors," says the press release.

Are they taking it too far with Teddy Roosevelt theme? Maybe. But in the hands of these seasoned restaurateurs, it might just work.

The Theodore: 8687 N. Central Expressway, located inside NorthPark Center. Enter between Nordstrom and Macy's, near Kona Grill. Expected to open Nov. 16. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m Saturday and Sunday.

Menus:

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