about frank.
frank. is on hiatus!
frank. was a private, invitation-only dinner party thrown by three chefs...dear friends who met on the set of masterchef and were tutored and terrorized by gordon ramsay in 2011. founded by chef jennie kelley in 2012 after years of dreaming and research, she recruited chef ben starr to join her in making frank. a reality. chef adrien nieto joined as co-chef in 2014. we've been humbled to be yelp's highest-rated dining establishment in texas for the past several years. our chefs are taking some time to reconnect with family and friends, travel, be inspired, and dream of what's next. read more about our first iteration below!
communal dining.
at frank. you'll be seated around our massive communal table, built by your chefs from the century-old floor of a demolished farmhouse. each night, our table plays host to a group of 20 diners, selected at random from our reservation lottery, all of whom share a love for fresh, local food and the fellowship and storytelling that naturally spring from the dinner party setting.
an indulgent celebration.
at frank. you’ll enjoy an hours-long, multi-course meal with complimentary wine (occasionally beer, and/or cocktail) pairings, made with the freshest local and artisan ingredients, as well as the stories behind them. with three chefs fighting to ensure every bite is sheer perfection, many diners have shattered life-long food phobias at our table. our menus range from traditional to adventurous, familiar to esoteric. but always, frank. is food...to the point. our wines are carefully selected and often come from small family-owned estates that emphasize organic, biodynamic practices. they are usually quite rare. occasionally, our wines and spirits are crafted by our chefs.
to experience frank...
get on our email list. a week or so in advance of each dinner, an email invitation will go out. the email will include the suggested donation to help cover the cost of ingredients, and will reveal the theme for the dinner. follow the instructions in the email to enter the lottery. we only notify those whose names are selected in the lottery. we humbly request 48 hours’ cancellation notice so we can fill your reservations, out of respect for the ingredients that have been sourced and prepared. cancellation seats are released first-come-first-served on our facebook page.
what does it cost?
as frank. is not a restaurant, we do not charge as a traditional restaurant would. at the end of your meal, you are welcome to make a donation to help cover the ingredient cost and time invested by your three chefs and their team. our suggested donation (normally $150 per person, and we accept cash and all major credit cards including Amex) will include a welcome drink and amuse-bouche, a multi-course meal, and generous wine pairings. gratuities are welcome and help us keep the interesting folks around who coordinate, serve, and socialize. you are free to donate any amount you feel is appropriate. most well-dined guests find our suggested donation to be far less than they'd spend at a traditional restaurant for a comparable dining experience with generous pairings of rare estate wines.
what's it like?
frank. is not stuffy, formal, or elitist. we welcome all diners to our table, regardless of your previous dining experience. you'll find the evening to be more like a casual dinner party with new friends than a somber dinner at an upscale restaurant. while some guests love to dress to the nines, other diners will rock shorts and flip flops, and we love it all. frank. is an evening-long celebration of food, drink, and life...in our home...and you're invited!