Colleague Chris Waits and I recently tried brunch at Elm & Good, a delightful pub-style restaurant led by Executive Chef JV Hernandez and tucked inside the Pittman Hotel in Deep Ellum. Centered on Texas beef, wild game, fish and seasonal produce, the chef-crafted menu features meant-to-be-shared dishes that have made this hidden jewel restaurant popular with locals as well as hotel guests.
Chef Hernandez is a Puerto Rico native and Dallas-trained chef who brings over 15 years of experience to Elm & Good. He grew up working on his great-grandmother’s farm, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas, and has cooked in fine-dining kitchens across the U.S. He’s worked alongside Michelin and James Beard recognized teams from Maine to Denver to Salt Lake City.
According to press releases, “At Elm & Good, he focuses on Texas-grown ingredients and a disciplined approach to flavor that draws on French depth, Italian balance, and Japanese precision. These influences show up in long marinades, slow confits, live-fire grilling and careful seasoning across steaks, fresh fish, vegetables and desserts.”
Elm & Good Chef Hernandez
“We want Elm & Good to feel like a place you can discover on a random Tuesday and keep coming back to,” Chef Hernandez says. “The food should look familiar when you read the menu, but once you start eating, there are details that stand out, whether it is a bit more acidity, a different texture or a cleaner finish. The goal is for it to feel like a neighborhood spot where you can still see the work happening in the kitchen.”
We were especially intrigued by Elm & Good’s decision to offer brunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day. We tried several items on the brunch menu, and found every item we sampled delicious and often different from expectations.
I ordered the Brisket skillet hash ($19), which was savory, filling, and loaded with tender brisket. Red pepper pops sprinkled throughout the dish made it even tastier. Chris ordered the Brisket grilled cheese on Texas toast ($19), which was also chock-full of brisket. He also tried the chicken sausage ($5) and said it was perfectly grilled and spiced.
Country-fried Duck & Waffles
Chef Hernandez gives an unexpected creative twist to many of the items on the brunch menu, such as the Country-fried Duck & Waffles ($21). I’m not a chicken and waffles fan, but after Chef Hernandez touted the dish as one of their most popular brunch items, Chris tried it. He said the duck was especially tender, and tasted like dark meat chicken. While I didn’t try the duck, which had been slow-cooked the French confit way, I really enjoyed the accompanying chive waffles with hot honey.
We shared a Cardamon Cinnamon Roll for dessert that was yummy, ooey and gooey with the sweet cardamon spice adding an unexpected dimension to the cinnamon flavor. Served warm with coffee, the cinammon roll was the perfect ending to an impressive brunch, and a terrific way to start the day.
Elm & Good Chef Dinner Menu
After discovering Chef Hernandez’ creative brunch menu, we’ve put dinner at Elm & Good on next month’s calendar (when we hope to finally escape the icy weather). Here are a few of the highlights we’ve been salivating over from their new Texas-sourced menu: Manhattan Steak ($41)-A koji-aged Manhattan cut grilled over Texas oak and served with puffy potatoes, wild mushrooms and black garlic bordelaise. Cider Braised Pork Shank ($35)-A slow cider-braised pork shank served over Carolina Gold with braised greens and guanciale, bringing deep, smoky richness to a cold-weather plate.
Puffy Potatoes ($13)-Crisp, hollow potatoes with gribiche, parmesan and chives, designed for the center of the table and quickly becoming a signature. Hamachi Crudo ($21)-Hamachi-dressed with lime leaf vinaigrette, sweet-tart kumquat, crisp kohlrabi, chili oil and puffed rice paper, leaning on citrus, gentle heat and crunch for a bright, refreshing bite. Toffee Cake ($13)-A sticky toffee cake based on Chef’s grandmother’s recipe, served warm and built to share. It nods to the desserts she made for family gatherings in Puerto Rico and keeps her lesson that “food is love” present on the menu every night.
Located inside the historic Pittman Hotel, Elm & Good is a Deep Ellum gem, just off some of the city’s busiest restaurants, bars and music venues. Hernandez’s arrival marks a new chapter aimed at putting the restaurant back on the neighborhood dining map. Elm & Good is located at 2551 Elm Street in Dallas. The bar is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant serves brunch daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., small bites from 2 to 5 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Reservations are available at opentable.com/r/elm-and-good-dallas.
