David Orr and his team brought another set of culture and cuisine to the Dallasites and this time, it will be coming straight from Australia according to an Eater Dallas article. They say,
“Isla & Co. started as Hole in the Wall, a destination that has become one of the most popular brunch spots in NYC’s Financial District. As Orr’s team created the restaurant, they added dinner to the menu and, since it had evolved significantly, changed the restaurant’s name to Isla & Co. Isla is one of the most popular names in Australia, and is also short for “Island,” as in the island continent of Australia. “It’s a nod to our roots,” Orr tells Eater Dallas.
The goal for Isla was for it to feel a lot like Orr’s hometown in Mulwala, Australia. He determined through research that not many spots here served high-end coffee, breakfast, and brunch, with dinner and cocktails in the evening. “That, along with being connected to the local community and the people, makes for an engaging, fun environment,” Orr says. So far, the first few days it has been open have been indicative of that spirit of community, according to Orr. “We take product really seriously, but I think what will really bring people back is the Aussie hospitality,” he says.
But it’s not just the atmosphere and hospitality that are brought in Dallas because they are also bringing their entire Australian love for lamb, fish and chips as well as their special native hot dog according to a Dallas Morning News article which says,
“Executive chef Matt Foley — who is notably not Australian, he’s from Los Angeles and lives in New York — has created a menu blessed by the Aussies. The best dish we tried in a pre-opening sneak peek was braised lamb shoulder ($28) atop a smear of labneh with smashed fingerling potatoes. A dollop of spicy cilantro sauce called zhoug and some salty Swiss chard made the dish almost too delicious to share.
Lamb is commonly served in Australia, Orr says, and the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors turn this entree into a fancier version of what he would eat at home.
“Gotta have fish and chips,” Orr says. Theirs comes with yuzu kosho tartar sauce, a way to elevate it and offer an Asian spin.
He also recommends their sausage roll ($16), which is made with ground pork rolled inside phyllo dough and served with sweet chile sauce. It’s very Aussie, he says: It’s like their version of a hot dog.”
And of course, they will also be bringing the Australian love for both coffee and cocktails as they plan to serve both daily at any time of the day.