In the heart of Dallas, on lower Greenville Avenue, lies Quarter Acre – a neighborhood joint with a New Zealand twist. I first discovered it via the Tasting Collective, a community of food lovers who support independent restaurants in top cities.
Insider Tip: The Tasting Collective brings diners and chefs together so the restaurants can get feedback on new dishes or new recipes. It’s a great way to discover new restaurants and is worth the membership fee.
Quarter Acre Restaurant came from Chef Toby Archibald’s world travels and New Zealand roots. During the Tasting Collective event, he told us he wanted to introduce new food to Dallas inspired by his homeland. “The concept is meant to transport you to a different place through the food, wine, design and people,” he said.
And it does. While I was at the event, I looked through the wine list and was impressed with the range and the hand-selling that must come with offering relatively unknown wines from New Zealand and Australia. For the dinner, we chose a 2022 Devils Corner Pinot from Tasmania, which worked perfectly with the food. It made me excited that foodies were starting to embrace a new way of building a wine list. Previously Sachet Dallas was the only restaurant that truly offered a list of unfamiliar choices that paired perfectly with the food. Naturally, I was intrigued and needed to know more.
This week I talked to Jacob Fergus, beverage director, who created the wine and cocktail program. He told me when he saw the press release about the restaurant opening, he knew he wanted to be a part of this. He previously worked at Monarch as the Assistant Wine Director with a 110-page list of wines and as a Sommelier at Bullion. He told me his interest came because he wanted to “flip the Texas cabernet model on its head and offer wines that had little exposure.” He worked closely with Toby to bring the concept to life with a well-matched food and cocktail list along with wines from New Zealand and Australia.
I also found it interesting that he told me his title was beverage director vs. sommelier. It was a conscious choice. “Wearing a pin isn’t for me and I don’t want there to be any pretension with this program” he said. “I’m in a different role here at Quarter Acre and want to share my experience of introducing a new region at a neighborhood place.”
The building that Quarter Acre occupies was formerly known as Rapscallion, so keeping a neighborhood feel with great food was important.
We talked about how if Dallas is going to compete on the national culinary stage, there need to be more restaurants like Sachet and Quarter Acre and how he would like to see New Zealand and Australia represented in more Dallas restaurants. It requires both the restaurants and customers to be open to new experiences.
I had to ask. Did they offer Napa Cabernets? He told me they were on the list, but he was excited customers typically want to match their food with the more interesting wine choices. He sells less than he expected. There are a lot of reasons for that – a sense of adventure, great prices and a good pairing makes a great meal better.
Sourcing these wines wasn’t easy. It took a good distributor and some serious legwork to get those bottles across the Pacific that are accessible and exciting.
And I told you about Jacob’s background, but I can’t leave out Chef Toby’s. Most recently, he worked in Dallas as Chef de Cuisine of Bullion and then Executive Chef of Georgie by Curtis Stone. He’s also trained under chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, including The Greenhouse in London and Cafe Boulud in New York City and Toronto.
And the name reflects the vision. “Quarter Acre is a term used in New Zealand to encapsulate the Kiwi dream; it refers to a house on a quarter acre of land with space for the kids to explore and run around” Chef Toby said at the Tasting Collective event. The menu is designed with local produce and a highlight on seafood.
Jacob talked about how the wine list does well with those who have or want to travel to New Zealand. He’s likely to share the family story of the winery vs the technical details when explaining the choices to consumers. He wants to tell the story of the concept with food, wine, and beverages working cohesively together. The long-term goal is to be at around 50% Australian and New Zealand wines, which would make the restaurant the most comprehensive collection of anyone in Texas or potentially the United States.
Quarter Acre isn’t just another restaurant – it’s a testament to the power of innovation and a belief that Dallas diners are ready for new culinary adventures. Led by Chef Toby’s vision and Jacob’s wine knowledge, the experience takes guests to distant shores. With a commitment to authenticity and a refusal to conform, Quarter Acre proves that Dallas is ready to embrace new concepts.
