Jeff Bekavac, Austin Rodgers opened up Goodwins to critical success

After 15 different tests and mixing 10 cans of paint last spring, Jeff Bekavac and Austin Rodgers finally found “Goodwins Green.”

The dark, moody hue adorns the exterior of the pair’s critically acclaimed restaurant, Goodwins, on Greenville, which opened in May after months of anticipation. White molding and marble slabs liven the demure tone, while a large LED sign bearing the restaurant’s name in bright golden letters invites neighbors through its double bistro doors.

Goodwins seems like it’s been in the neighborhood for a while. But then again, that’s the whole point. It’s the sum goal of an intentional effort by Rodgers and Bekavac to give East Dallas a polished yet approachable staple where patrons seem closer to neighbors and menu items read as inside jokes.

“We knew we always wanted to be in a neighborhood spot, a great spot for East Dallas, for Lakewood, Lake Highlands, everywhere in East Dallas, very accessible,” Bekavac says. “We wanted people to be able to use it more than once a week. Three, four, twice; however many times they wanted to use it and be a spot that they could hang out and kind of call their own.”

A location-centric ethos is fitting for the restaurant. Sitting on the corner of Goodwin and Greenville Avenues, its owners’ vision for the concept is a product of its location — not the other way around. Bekavac had always wanted to open a place of his own but didn’t want to rush his moment. But when Rodgers pitched him the idea of a restaurant in the former Blue Goose space, he says he knew the moment had finally arrived.

Neighborhood restaurants, familiar local spots combining eclectic, high-quality fare with a casual yet elevated atmosphere, have been a staple of the Dallas dining scene for decades with venerable institutions like Hillstone becoming increasingly in-fashion in recent years.

“There’s always going to be a need for a neighborhood restaurant. Through the history of dining in America, people always want to have a good neighborhood spot, and that’s not going to ever die,” Bekavac says.

Bekavac helped to spearhead the movement in his time with mentor Nick Badovinus of Flavor Hook Restaurants. As culinary director, he helped define the technique-driven, protein-forward style Flavor Hook is known for with concepts like Neighborhood Services on Lovers Lane. He’s brought the same ethos with him to Goodwins, saying Neighborhood Services was used as a touch point during his and Rodgers’ brainstorming sessions.

Rodgers handles front-of-the-house operations. He also owns the Alamo Club on Greenville Avenue and previously worked with Bekavac at Flavor Hook in addition to spending time as a general manager at Nick and Sam’s.

“I think we complement each other really well,” Bekavac says. “He takes care of the front-of-the-house piece, and I take care of the back of the house. But we don’t just draw a line in the sand. We talk about the business as a whole all the time, because he’s very knowledgeable. He loves food.”

Rodgers has made Bekavac a partner at the Alamo Club and the pair already have their eyes on their next concept, signalling what may be the beginning of Dallas’ next powerhouse hospitality group. Their next business will likely be in East Dallas, with Bekavac saying plans are close to being finalized.

Bekavac says he “probably wrote 30 versions” of the menu before landing on the final assortment first offered to guests in May. It’s a reflection of his life and career, from his days growing up in Carrollton to his time churning out voodoo sauce and dry-aged steaks with Flavor Hook. Spicy tuna cones ($15), a chopped mix of smashed avocado, Kewpie mayonnaise, ginger, lime, chili crisp and wasabi tobiko, call back to Bekavac’s days as an aspiring culinary student in the Bay Area, where Thomas Keller operated the French Laundry and introduced the world to tuna cones.

Cheese beignets ($12), deep-fried balls of gruyere, white cheddar, Parmesan and chives served with a warm cheese sauce, were inspired by the cheese gougeres at Minetta Tavern in New York City but named for Bekavac’s time working in New Orleans early in his career. Mushroom and potato pierogies ($19), which come in brown butter and paprika cream, are an ode to his family’s Midwestern Polish roots.

“Both of my sisters are vegetarian, and we always eat pierogies on Christmas Eve, and it’s one of their favorite things,” he says. “And I wanted to do a vegetarian dish, I didn’t want it to just be a plate of vegetables or an afterthought. And so it became like, ‘Oh man, let’s do this mushroom pierogi as kind of an homage to my family and as a vegetarian dish too.’”

Other popular starters and light bites include rosemary focaccia ($10) and East Coast oysters on the half shell ($19/33). Bekavac says having a strong raw bar offering was important to him when developing his menu and that he still uses the same seafood supplier out of Boston as Badovinus. It appears to have been a wise decision, especially in lieu of the recent oyster and martini craze, as Goodwins sells over 1,200 oysters a week.

Bekavac’s culinary style is all about keeping center-of-the-plate proteins just that — at the center. That means quality cuts of meat or fish presented in a clean, fun yet still elevated manner. “The Big Three,” as Goodwins’ steak offering is called, consists of a center cut filet ($52), 12 ounce strip ($56) and a 14 ounce delmonico ribeye ($64), all of which come with potato pave and “fitting sauce.” All red meat at Goodwins is sourced from Allen Brothers.

“A lot of the DNA for me and what I learned was being honest with the food and not trying to present something different than what it was. Listen, if the halibut is from Nova Scotia, here’s exactly where it’s from. It’s a great piece of fish. It’s expensive. We’re not going to mask it. We’re not going to touch it a whole bunch. … Because the fish is kind of the star of the show, or the steak or the scallops, and I think people really appreciate that.”

Aside from steak, proteins offered include a bone-in dry-aged Duroc pork chop ($28), a half chicken ($27), halibut ($36) and grilled Bay of Fundy salmon ($27), which comes with toasted farro, roasted fennel, winter root vegetables and salsa verde.

The GW Burger ($19), served with charred onion, horseradish pickle, American cheese spread and dijonnaise on a brioche bun, rounds out the entrée offering alongside pastas like crab a’l amatriciana ($29) and rigatoni genovese ($24). Fresh pasta is sourced from a local vendor, although Bekavac says Goodwins may make its own pasta in the future.

Goodwins’ wine list is decidedly Old World, with Italian reds, Bordeaux blends and Loire Valley whites featured heavily. Nine wines are available by the glass, and Bekavac says Goodwins is launching a wine club soon.

“We’re gonna call it the Goodwins Wine Society, where people are gonna be able to sign up and buy wine,” he says. “We’re gonna do wine tastings, wine dinners and stuff like that. So that should be coming out here in the next month or so, because we sell a lot of wine.”

Cocktails at Goodwins pay homage to East Dallas and seemingly invite residents in with drinks like Marquita Rita ($12), Goodwin martini ($14) and Bob-O-Link’s Left Hand ($12), which comes with Knob Creek Rye, sweet vermouth, Campari and mole bitters.

Subtle tributes to the community can be found in Goodwins’ interior as well. Hats, representing local businesses like Jimmy’s Food Store, can be found within the space and the sloping archways that border its dark, moody dining room are reminiscent of the craftsman façades found in surrounding streets.

“We wanted to use a lot of wood,” he says. “There’s obviously a lot of brass in here. We wanted to feel kind of like the space has been here for a long time. And we wanted people to feel like it was nice, but also feel a little bit laid back where they were comfortable.”

Comfortability is key, with Bekavac wanting guests to be able to enjoy its atmosphere multiple times a week. Creating that atmosphere entails everything from light-hearted menu names like Lil’ Rippers and Fitting Sauce, which call back to his days with Badovinus, to encouraging waitstaff to remember neighbors and take notes on their cocktail orders.

“It’s kind of the Cheers theory. You want to go somewhere where you’re recognized,” Bekavac says. “And you feel like, if you’re bringing somebody from out of town or even another part of Dallas, you want to take them to your spot. And you want that spot to be awesome, and you want them to feel that when you’re in here.”

Goodwins will celebrate one year in Lower Greenville this May. It has been pegged as an “instant classic” by area publications and enjoyed popularity since its debut. Bekavac isn’t so quick to declare victory, however.

“It’s rewarding. It’s terrifying. It’s motivating. You know, it feels really good to get. Everybody wants praise. It’s like the like button on Instagram or whatever. Everybody wants to have as many likes as possible. It’s just human nature. But we tell ourselves all the time that this isn’t done. This isn’t a finished idea. This isn’t, ‘OK, put it on cruise control and let the car drive itself.’ The worst thing that you can do is think that you got it.”

Goodwins, 2905 Greenville Ave. 214.272.9677, goodwinsdallas.com