1. Everything is bigger in Texas—
especially the portion sizes. On my recent
visit to Dallas, I nearly overdosed on
Texas-sized plates of food as I ate my way
around the city. But one thing is for sure,
each meal was delicious and reminiscent
of down-home, lovingly cooked meals
that are satisfying for more reasons than
because they fill your stomach.
Aside from a goosebump-inducing
mole sauce at the Mexican joint Mesa
Maya and authentic, mouth-watering
barbecue from Lockhart Smokehouse, I
found my way to one of the city’s newest
and most noteworthy spots for modern
Texan cuisine—out Dallas chef Stephan
Pyles’ Stampede 66. It hit precisely on
all points of what I think any traveler
craves—and expects—when traveling to
the heart of Texas. As soon as you step
foot in the restaurant, you’re overtaken
by aromas of homestyle cookin’ that will
quickly have your stomach rumbling in
appreciation.
What else is evident from Chef Pyles’
award-winning, created-from-scratch
restaurants—and even from the use
of his talents in the kitchen to combat
hunger in the community at large—is
that the chef who has been dubbed one
of the founding fathers of Southwestern
cuisine has a deep passion for his home
state. Among dishes like honey-fried
chicken and biscuits, Freeto-chili pie and
butterscotch pudding, it’s clear that the
cookbook author-world traveler-celebrity chef’s latest recipe for success puts the Lonestar State center stage. As he
proudly states on the menu: “When I was growing up in West Texas, my uncle had a sticker on the back window of
his Ford pick-up truck that read ‘Made in Texas by Texans.’ While I came to believe that was probably not true, I have
made every effort to make that slogan a reality through the procurement of ingredients on this menu.”
Between bites we got the chance to chat with the acclaimed tried-and-true Texan chef, who’s been doing
incredible and scrumptious things for Dallas’ food scene since 1983, about Stampede 66 and where exactly he gets
the inspiration for his culinary creations. So just go ahead and make plans now to loosen that oversized belt buckle
you’ll inevitably end up purchasing when you get there.
38 | Gaycation Magazine www.gaycationmagazine.com
Fried Chicken & Biscuits:
Chef Stephan Pyles Takes Us into the Kitchen
by Aaron Drake
2. I definitely enjoyed the comfort foods at
Stampede 66. Is there something you set out
to accomplish with the down-home feel of the
restaurant and menu?
The restaurant and the food are really inspirations
from my childhood experiences both at the Phillips
66 Truck Stop Café and at-home environment with my
extended family. Stampede 66 is what my truck stop café
would have looked and felt like had I had taste, control
and money at the age of 10. I think I am giving Dallas the
food they really want to eat.
We noticed the interior of Stampede blends
perfectly with the menu choices. (We especially
love the wall of actual Texas city names.) Where in
the process of creating a new restaurant concept
does the layout of the restaurant factor into your
planning—does it factor into the menu or come to
you afterwards?
For me, the creative process starts with an idea then
radiates out to all the components inherent in restaurant
conceptualization and execution. The functional
space—the architecturals, the interiors, the lighting—as
well as the graphics, the music, the tabletops, menu and
beverage lists are all developed with the central theme
clearly in mind. In this case it was a “bigger than life” Texas
experience featuring comfort food, Southern hospitality
and a wine list that categorizes wine from anywhere
other than Texas as imports (including California). I have
a saying that hospitality was created in the South and
perfected in Texas.
I did feel right at home. So where do you find
you get the inspiration for your dishes?
Each restaurant is different. My travels often inspire
my menus, but at Stampede 66 the inspiration really
was the food of my childhood and the foods of Texas.
There are as many as 25 ethnic and cultural influences
that have molded Texas cuisine, so there’s a lot to be
inspired by. Classic Southern, Mexican and cowboy,
or range cooking, are the most predominant styles of
cooking here.
Which dish do you recommend that diners
absolutely must try at Stampede 66?
When asked what my last supper meal would be, I
quickly answer honey-fried chicken with buttermilk
biscuits.
That was what I ordered off the menu! Any
surprising or interesting stories behind how any
of the current dishes made its way onto the menu?
I wanted to do a classic barbecued brisket but also
wanted to modernize it, so I kept the traditional methods
of dry marinating for 24 hours but then cold-smoking
it over hickory for 24 hours. Then I cook the brisket in
sous-vide for 72 hours at 141 degrees, which makes an
incredible tender product but keeps a bit of rosy color
in the center.
Delicious.Tellus,doyouhaveapersonalfavorite
restaurant in Dallas or even a guilty pleasure that
you’re willing to share?
I have to promote my protégés: FT33 by Matt
McCallister and Smoke by Tim Byers.
Gaycation Magazine | 39www.gaycationmagazine.com
5. Aaron Drake is Executive
Editor of Gaycation
Magazine. He has
contributed to The
Advocate, Out Traveler,
Man About World
and Amtrak Ride With
Pride. When he’s not
writing and traveling
the globe, you can
find him remodeling
his house with his
hubby or playing with
his two mischievous
dogs. Follow his travels and travails on Twitter and
Instagram at @theaarondrake. Share your travels
with us at editor@gaycationmagazine.com.
You mentioned your travels—we know you’ve
been around the world tasting cuisine. Are there
any countries or particular foods that you just
can’t seem to forget?
I go to Peru and Spain at least once a year. I’ve been
to Spain twice already this year. I was blown away last
month by the food in Shanghai.
Do you have anything up your sleeve that you
can share with us, whether it be a new dish you’re
working on or upcoming restaurant changes?
I’m moving my flagship [restaurant Stephan Pyles
in the Dallas Arts District] to a dynamic location across
from the Symphony Hall and Opera House later this year
when my 10-year lease is up at the current location. I
think of it as my “swan song” for luxury restaurants.
Sounds incredible and reason enough to make a
trip back soon. Lastly, what would you share with
LGBT travelers who come to Dallas to make the
most of their visit?
After eating at my restaurants, of course, they must
go to the “Crossroads” on Cedar Springs where Dallas’
gay culture began. In particular, they need to visit The
Roundup. It’s almost surreal to see hundreds of decked
out cowboys two-stepping and doing the Cotton-Eyed
Joe in tandem.
You’ll find us two-stepping the night away!
Stampede66.com
42 | Gaycation Magazine www.gaycationmagazine.com
