Delicious

Bistro fare

Peak Wood Fired Grille

6135 Luther 214.361.6984 peakgrille.com

HOURS: 11 A.M.-10 P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY, NOON-10 P.M. SATURDAY

PRICE: $8-$21 FOR LUNCH, $10-$28 FOR DINNER TIP: $3 WELLS, $3 PINTS, 20 PERCENT OFF WINE BY THE GLASS 4-6 P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY

AMBIANCE: CASUAL

For more than 20 years, chef Dieter Paul whipped up veal and chicken piccata for a steady stream of regulars in Preston Center’s Cafe Expresso. When Paul retired in 2012, new owners changed the name to Bowen’s Cafe Expresso, and former “Top Chef” contestant Tiffany Derry revamped the menu. “A lot of the regulars didn’t like all of the changes,” chef Scott Hoffner says. “It was a little too foodie for the neighborhood — they funkified it.” Park Cities neighbors Mike and Jessie Lo Johnson took ownership of the restaurant, now called Peak Wood Fired Grille, in October, and Hoffner came on as executive chef in January. He says Peak’s vibe is more youthful and inviting. “It is a place where you can have a chefdriven meal — whether it’s a wood-fired pizza or ahi tuna,” he says. Hoffner wanted to stick with what the regulars liked best, so he kept the veal and piccata on the menu, adding his own twist with a lemon-butter caper sauce. The most popular menu item?

“People are freaking out about the jumbo lump crab cake,” Hoffner says. Moist and fresh — and lacking the dense bread crumbs often overused in the dish — the crab cake is served alongside a jalapeno-cilantro aioli for dipping and a fresh garden salad tossed in a wasabi vinaigrette. Having served as executive chef and general manager of TJ’s Seafood Market for two years, Hoffner is no stranger to preparing exceptional seafood. In fact, he says the wasabi dressing is a carryover from TJ’s — and something that he’s been perfecting for the past 15 years in kitchens all over the country. He’s been perfecting the menu at Peak, too, sticking with the theme of keeping the regulars happy. In July, he ditched the less popular white clam pizza and added a 12-ounce steak at the request of business diners. “A lot of the menu is health-driven with light choices,” he says, “but these Texas boys want some meat.”

—Whitney Thompson