John Tesar Cuts Ties with Knife at the Hilton Highland
Dallas chef John Tesar has cut ties with the Dallas hotel restaurant he opened more than a decade ago, Knife, at the Hilton Highland near Southern Methodist University.
A statement from Lennox Capital Partners, which owns the Highland hotel, confirmed its relationship with Tesar and Knife’s partnership ended March 28. Tesar told The Dallas Morning News he licensed Knife to the Highland until Aug. 31. Customers can make reservations at Knife until then.
Then, Tesar will take the Knife name with him for a new venture.
The restaurant at the Highland hotel will stay open. A new restaurateur is expected to take over the space.
Restaurant News
“We are grateful for chef Tesar’s partnership over the years and we wish him success in his future endeavors,” said a Lennox statement.
In this 2014 photo, chef John Tesar prepares to open Knife in Dallas. The menu called for nontraditional cuts of beef, many dry-aged.(Carter Rose / Carter Rose / Special Contributo)
When Tesar opened the restaurant in 2014 at the then-Hotel Palomar, he helped teach Dallas diners about dry-aged steak. Knife had a bacon tasting, too — a meaty menu item not yet popular at other North Texas restaurants.
In over a decade, Tesar expanded Knife in several ways: to Knife Burger in Plano, Knife Italian in the Ritz-Carlton in Irving, Knife & Spoon in Orlando and more.
By fall 2025, Tesar hopes to open a new Knife restaurant in Uptown Dallas. He has a location in mind, but the lease isn’t yet signed.
The Next Chapter for Knife
If all goes according to plan, Tesar wants to open a Knife steakhouse on the first floor of the as-yet-announced Dallas restaurant, he told The News.
In this 2018 photo, John Tesar stands in the dry-aged room at his restaurant in Plano.(Jason Janik / Special Contributor)
On the second floor, he wants to open a “meat omakase” tasting restaurant in a smaller space he’ll call Pocket Knife.
A third concept, a lounge called Switchblade, is slated to open at the same address.
Tesar is joining GBOD Hospitality Group and 3ntourage Hospitality Group to open the new Knife restaurants and bar. He’s a managing partner.
He wants to make Knife a “competitive and contemporary” restaurant, and he has Michelin on his mind. Knife & Spoon in Florida received one Michelin star in 2022 but wasn’t able to keep it.
The Inspiration Behind Meat Omakase
Pocket Knife is expected to be a 24-seat restaurant that serves eight to 10 courses of Kobe beef from Japan alongside Texas-raised beef from 44 Farms, Tesar told The News.
Bistecca A La Las Colinas, is a 48-0unce 44 Farms dry
