Hello to Lake Highlands restaurant Goldie’s, opening this week

Whispers in Lake Highlands have gotten louder, and the rest of Dallas should hear the news, too: American restaurant Goldie’s in Lake Highlands opens in late March 2024, in place of the former RM 12:20 Bistro.

Because of Goldie’s prominent place in Lake Highlands, and its aim to serve a neighborhood eager for more food, we called it one of the most exciting new restaurants opening in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2024.

Old Lake Highlands couple Brandon Hays and Brittany Grignon, alongside Casa View resident Brittni Clayton, are opening Goldie’s in the neighborhood, for the neighborhood. You will probably find them eating there.

Goldie’s has gotten a makeover from its former RM 12:20 days. Now, it has a black stucco exterior with sharp black and white awnings. Inside, it has moody red banquettes, dark-colored crocodile wallpaper, big brass light fixtures and a bar asking for you to eat there. The building has always been small, and the dining room and its attached temperature-controlled patio fit a tight 70 people.

”Everything’s 10 inches too small,” Hays said. You might get to know your neighbors here.

The menu is American food with a little zhuzh: Texas red snapper with salsa verde for $33, zucchini pasta for $21 and a burger for $18. Grignon is the founder of Session Pilates, a workout studio with a strong Dallas following, and the Session Salad with grilled chicken, apples and farro, for $24, might interest Pilates devotees because of its name and healthy ingredients.

Wistful East Dallasites will appreciate the “20 Feet fries” side, named for 20 Feet Seafood Joint on Peavy Road that closed at the start of the pandemic. (20 Feet is one of the erstwhile restaurants Dallas Morning News readers miss most, we reported in 2022.) Clayton ate those fries enough times that she was able to work with Goldie’s executive chef Matthew Perry to recreate them.

Hays thinks there’s not a restaurant in the Lake Highlands area that has a focus on service like Goldie’s will. This restaurant is a bit more expensive than some of its neighbors. Hays challenges: “We’ll be a dollar or two more than they’re used to, but three times more impressive.”

Clayton will run the restaurant. She was formerly the GM at Sister on Greenville Avenue and previously worked at Fachini and Neighborhood Services.

“This has been my dream since I was 15 years old,” Clayton said of owning a restaurant.

She was hanging some of the artwork a few days before opening. The gold theme is seen in the shiny gold wallpaper in the bathrooms, sketches of golden retrievers on the ceiling, a local artist’s portrait of actor Goldie Hawn and images of the Golden Gate Bridge and Goldilocks.

Although the bar isn’t large, the owners hope it becomes a place for martinis, Negronis and wine. This corner of Lake Highlands has plenty of restaurants, like Resident Taqueria, Shady’s Burgers, Cedar and Vine and Vector Brewing. But drinking after the kids’ bedtime? There’s room for improvement.

Eventually, the team hopes to have an after-9 p.m. food menu that might include fried rice and ramen.

Clayton assembled the wine list, which is full of labels you might not have heard of but have sentimental value to her. Ultraviolet sparkling rose is made by a female wine producer. Stolpman Vineyards’ La Cuadrilla syrah benefits the vineyard workers in the fields instead of the company owners.

No bottle is over $100, and the list includes nearly 20 wines by the glass — double what some restaurants offer.

“There’s a story with each of these wines,” Clayton said.

Hays is co-owner of other neighborhood restaurants and bars: Sfuzzi, High Fives and The Whippersnapper on and near Henderson Avenue, and Double D’s and Ferris Wheelers in the Dallas Design District. Hays and Grignon secured the lease, but they almost backed out because they were unsure who to partner with. (Clayton had already texted Hays with an offer, but Hays didn’t have her number saved. Weeks later, he found the text message, embarrassingly asked “who’s this?” and was quickly impressed by her drive and resume. They’ve been working together since October 2023.)

In Goldie’s next phase, it’ll add a private dining room. The team also hopes to turn the former garden on the side of the restaurant into a spot where customers can wait for a table and sip a cocktail.

Clayton said as the final touches were going in: “I really want to make this space a home.”

Goldie’s is at 9850 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 305, Dallas. It’s expected to open in late March 2024. Dinner only, for now. Closed Mondays. Reservations available but not required.

For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on X (formerly Twitter) at @sblaskovich.