Last night, I had the chance to attend a Stoneleigh food and wine preview at the Milestone Culinary Arts Center, where David Bull presented another sampling of his Bolla dishes. The event was another opportunity for the local community to get to know the Stoneleigh management team over some modern Italian cuisine and fine wine.

I myself tried the Garlic Chive Gnocchi (described by Bull in a previous post as “homemade small potato dumplings with chives and roasted garlic purée sautéed with brown butter, paired with poached baby octopus and asparagus purée “). In my own words, its “potato-octo-garlic goodness”.

While I was there, I managed to pick up a Stoneleigh flyer that relays some specific details on what to expect on the soon-to-be-unveiled new hotel. Here’s a look:

Last night, David Bull and his team at Bolla were the guest cooks at the Maserati dealership off of Lemmon Avenue.  The special event for the evening was the grand unveiling of the the new GranTurismo.  I’ll post up some photos from the event as soon as I have a chance.  In the meantime, take a look at this Bolla press release that covers a lot of specifics about the new Stoneleigh restaurant in development.

In other news, the Dallas Morning News recently featured our blog in a story.  Stay tuned for more Stoneleigh updates and details coming very soon.

Last week, during Neiman Marcus’ 100th birthday celebration of their downtown store, David Bull was the honorary guest chef. Guests had the chance to try out some of the dishes that will be available at his Bolla Restaurant, which will open on the first floor of the Stoneleigh when the hotel re-opens early 2008.

If you haven’t had a chance to try a Bolla dish just yet, these photos will have to suffice in the meantime. The tasty-looking items above include (in order from top left) the Beet Salad, Beef Short Rib Cannelloni with Bolognese & Ricotta, Roasted Langoustine with Brown Butter, Mushroom Polenta & Rocket Leaves, and Tonno Crudo with Hearts of Palm, Persimmon, & Black Olive Oil.

Of all the upgrades in progress at the Stoneleigh, one of the most highly anticipated features is the brand-new hotel restaurant, Bolla. The new establishment will be led by Chef David Bull, who was nominated for the “Best Chef in the Southwest” in 2007 and is famous for his recent restoration of the Driskill Hotel restaurant (which soon after was ranked the number one Austin restaurant three years in a row by the Austin-American Statesman).

The new restaurant will offer modern Italian cuisine in the art-deco atmosphere of the Stoneleigh. Having grown up working in his grandparent’s Italian diner in Upstate New York, Bolla Restaurant is a chance for Bull to get back to his roots and introduce his own take on Italian dining in uptown Dallas. Options will be aplenty at Bolla, from stopping by for a quick bowl of pasta or sharing entrees and sides with the whole table to the “ultimate dining experience” 8-course meal. Also, Bolla will provide catering to every event or conference held in the new Stoneleigh Penthouse.

Here are three Bolla dishes that offer a preview, in Bull’s own words:

• Bolla Bellini - a traditional Italian specialty cocktail made with fresh peach purée and premium Italian Sparkling Wine
• Crudo - Italy’s version of sashimi complemented with fresh produce and unique presentations, Bolla will offer several different versions of Crudo
• Garlic Chive Gnocchi - homemade small potato dumplings with chives and roasted garlic purée sauteed with brown butter, paired with poached baby octopus and asparagus purée

The photo above is a shot of Chef Bull in action on the television show Iron Chef America. Here’s an article written by an Austinite about the show that aired in October 2006. Catch the episode again when it runs live on August 19th at 9PM.

Check out UnFair Park’s (Dallas Observer Blog) entry on the Stoneleigh Hotel and the great things they mention about the Stoneleigh’s new chef, David Bull!  You can see his current bio here on the Driskill Hotel website. We will be posting more on David soon.  We are excited to have him!