Dallas’s culinary scene is experiencing a delightful twist with Rye’s latest offering: the “Summer Vacation” tasting menu. Launched on May 9, 2025, this 11-course experience transports diners through a nostalgic journey, reimagining classic summer flavors with inventive flair.
Located in the Lower Greenville neighborhood, Rye has garnered attention for its boundary-pushing approach to American cuisine. The “Summer Vacation” menu exemplifies this ethos, blending playful presentations with sophisticated techniques to evoke memories of carefree summer days.
The tasting begins unconventionally with “Dessert for Dinner,” featuring three imaginative bites: kangaroo tartare, a crab and caviar cannoli, and a blue cheesecake. These initial offerings set the tone for an evening filled with surprises and culinary creativity.
One standout dish, “Corn-ucopia,” showcases corn in five distinct forms: a masa tamal, huitlacoche, grits, corn ice cream, and blue corn tortilla chips. This medley highlights the versatility of a summer staple, presented with both reverence and innovation.
Another inventive course, the “Edible Napkin,” plays with perception. Initially presented as a standard hand towel, it reveals itself as a squid ink-dyed rice paper roll filled with grana Padano cheese and porchetta rillettes, blurring the line between utility and edibility.
The menu also features a beet and goat cheese lasagna, artfully crafted to resemble a marbled cut of meat, challenging diners’ expectations and showcasing the kitchen’s ingenuity. Complementing these dishes is a miniature beef cheek taco, enriched with a beef tallow and mezcal emulsion, served on a butter-grilled tortilla.
Desserts continue the theme of playful sophistication. A chocolate espresso cake garnished with candied rosemary and spruce offers a sweet conclusion, embodying the essence of summer indulgence.
Chef de Cuisine Jay Vopatek, who joined Rye in March 2023, leads the culinary team in crafting this seasonal menu. The restaurant’s co-owners, Tanner Agar and Taylor Rause, emphasize the importance of creating an experience that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, aiming to push the boundaries of traditional dining.
The “Summer Vacation” tasting menu is priced at $185 per person, with an 8-course vegetarian option available for $125. Reservations are recommended, as the unique concept has attracted considerable interest from both locals and visitors seeking an unconventional dining adventure.
Rye’s commitment to reimagining familiar flavors through a lens of creativity and whimsy positions it as a standout in Dallas’s vibrant restaurant landscape. The “Summer Vacation” menu not only offers a nostalgic culinary journey but also exemplifies the innovative spirit that defines the city’s evolving food scene.
