Lunch at Sachet

A Year In and Sachet is Still Going Strong

A year ago, I was beside myself with excitement. The chef/proprietors of Gemma announced that they were opening a new concept. Gemma is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in Dallas; which is saying a lot in a city full of wonderful restaurants. Their new concept, Sachet, did not disappoint. Now a year on, it continues to deliver excellence. They have not given in to the temptation to compromise. Their “Mediterranean Inspired” concept is front and center in all parts of their menu.

A Taste of the Mediterranean in a Glass

You first notice it in the beverage program. Before you even hit the wine list, your pre-meal is highlighted by Sachet’s extensive cocktail selection. There are hints of Spain with extensive gin and tonic and vermouth options. I counted ten amaro selections and a bevy of aperitifs to prime your appetite and pair with your meze.

…and Then There is the Wine

Then you get to one of the finest curated wine lists around. Since Sachet is Mediterranean focused, every wine on the list is from a wine region that actually touches the Mediterranean Sea. The wines chosen from France come from the Rhone Valley, Provence, and Corsica. Spain sees offerings from Catalunya and Valencia. There are wines from Greece, Italy. There are even areas you may have never had wine from like Slovenia, Turkey, and Morocco.

Don’t Be Intimidated, Talk to You Somm

It may seem intimidating at first, but there is always a knowledgeable sommelier on hand. They can to guide you through the list and find the best pairings for you. It is such a treat to see a thoughtful beverage program at a restaurant. Too often we see restaurants leave their wine menu as an afterthought. Wine menus that feature familiar wines that have nothing to do with the food they serve. When we look at a list like the one as Sachet, our hearts sing with joy!

You Should Really Head to Sachet for Lunch

Nestled on the edge of Highland Park and Oak Lawn, Sachet might seem too fancy for a casual weekday lunch. It does seem that people have not caught onto the idea of lunch at Sachet. They are packed for dinner service, but at lunchtime, we walked in and got a table right away. Just remember, you will need to make a reservation if you want to enjoy their meze and cocktails for dinner. The lunch menu offers a condensed list of items from the dinner menu as well as a few “lunch only” options.

Our Favorite Meze

From the Meze portion of the menu, don’t miss the olives and the beets. Nibble your olives between sips of wine. The citrus and herbs in these olives will startle you with their intensity. The beet meze is vibrant with chunks of bright yellow beets. The beets are nestled onto a plate spread thick with bright, purple, beet hummus. Bright white dollops of tangy labne (a type of yogurt cheese) round out this beautiful plate of food. You can eat this with some of their outstanding house-made pita, or not; it is delightful either way.

The Star of the Lunch Menu Though?

The Porchetta sandwich.

I am not treading new territory here. The Observer has already proclaimed that the Porchetta sandwich is a “Game Changer.” If you want to know the nitty-gritty of how the sandwich and all its components are made, their write up covers it all. Here is what I want to tell you. Run, don’t walk to Sachet and order this sandwich.

No Ordinary Sandwich

It looks like an ordinary sandwich, but if you look closer, you will see signs this is no ordinary sandwich. The bread is full of the lovely airholes that are a sign of a bread made with care and attention. You will see a line of bright green in the filling. If you didn’t read the menu carefully, you might assume that its some type of lettuce. You would be wrong. It is chopped rapini.

Savor It!

Bring this sandwich up to your mouth to take a bite. Pause for a second and breathe deep, with your mouth open and draw all that aroma into your mouth and nose. It wafts in promising all the smokey, pork goodness that can only come from that hot brick pizza oven of theirs. Then take a bite. I want you to pause for a moment here as you chew your first bite of this sandwich. The pork flavor is turned up so high; it might even make you dizzy with delight. Taste, how the bitterness of the rapini complements the fatty goodness of the pork. Notice the elegance of the little hint of Calabrian chili oil. Feel the unctuous, melting softness of the provolone.

That Bread… Sandwich Perfection

Next, observe the perfect crisp of the ciabatta crust. Sometimes crusty bread on sandwiches can be so crispy it cuts your lips. The texture of the bread is often so strong it competes with the ingredients inside the sandwich. Not so with the ciabatta at Sachet. The surface of the crust is crispy enough to crunch as you bite it. The inside is soft and chewy. It offers “just enough” chew to the sandwich. It does not compete with the salty, smokey, cheesy goodness inside. There is a side of slaw with this sandwich. It is good. But it does not matter, because that sandwich is everything you will ever need.

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