Former Petra and the Beast chef-owner Misti Norris has a new home in East Dallas.
Photo by Kathy Tran
Her former concept, which showcased an eclectic and sustainable culinary approach through the use of low and no-waste ingredients like pigs’ trotters and shrimp heads, closed in December after six years in the neighborhood. At the time, Norris said the concept, which was called “Dallas’ most esoteric restaurant,” had “lost the soul that made it so special.” Now, it seems as though she’s found a new laboratory for her exotic, flavor-filled experiments.
As first reported by The Dallas Morning News, Norris now has a permanent residency inside East Dallas bar St. Valentine near Jimmy’s Food Store. Her concept — Rainbow Cat — has been described as a “restaurant within a bar” and will serve food Wednesday-Sunday for dinner and late-night visitors. It started as a pop-up with a limited run in February, but now will remain as a fulltime fixture of the bar’s offering.
Rainbow Cat’s menu focuses on technique-driven “nostalgic comfort food” recipes, as Norris told the DMN. Every Thursday, the bar churns out wings heaped with pepper sambal, magic molly textures, basil and peppercorn caramel sauce. Its menu also features a house-made sausage served with crispy rice, pickled peppers and hot mustard called the ‘Unicorn Dog’. Easy and approachable fare comes with chicken nugs and house-made Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
As Norris told the DMN, St. Valentine is already a service industry bar, so Rainbow Cat is all about giving chefs something to look forward to after a shift.
“In my mind, it’s what chefs want to eat,” she said in the article.
Norris is also currently working as the culinary director for Far Out, a chic Fair Park concept that aligns with her low-waste ethos.
