Ebony Austin does it all — or at least knows how to. And now, she is combining her skills as an entrepreneur, restaurateur, and chef to open Nouveau Noir, an addition to her existing two Georgia Restaurants under the name Nouveau Bar & Grill.
Nouveau Noir will join the Village on the Parkway in Addison, Texas by late April or early May this year. Ebony told What Now Dallas about the inspiration and aspirations for this new location.
“Dallas has always been near and dear to my heart. I attended Langston University in Oklahoma, so I spent a lot of breaks in Dallas,” Ebony told What Now Dallas. “I also have property in Dallas, so Dallas is my home away from home. Since Nouveau has done so well in Georgia, I think Dallas will be the perfect place to expand.”
Nouveau’s website describes the experience as “high quality food and entertainment,” a theme Ebony elaborated on, calling it “an entire experience.”
“My goal has always been to be the ‘Cheers’ in the community, with a twist,” she said. “I want to know the names of my customers, where their kids are going to college, what’s going on in their lives. We have repeat customers that we see three or four times per week, so we’ve really created a space that feels like the TV show I grew up watching and fell in love with how everyone knew each other and joined in and celebrated things together.”
Ebony says, like each of her restaurants, Nouveau Noir tells a story from the moment you walk in.
“Dallas will tell a story of nothing but pure luxury. It is black-themed, super elegant, but still fun and vibrant. It’s always been a vibe.” She said people always comment on “the vibe” of the place, a compliment she attributes to the shared sense of celebration. “When they have an accomplishment, we have an accomplishment. When our guests celebrate, so do we.”
In addition to the vibe, the menu will not disappoint.
“Of course we’re bringing out signature dish – we’re known for our seafood and grits that come in 24 oz martini glasses,” Ebony told What Now Dallas. “The grits come with our house sauce, bell peppers, shrimp, onions, and crab, all throughout. So every bite you get a little bit of what my grandmothers recipe would be — with a twist of course.”
Ebony said she also looks forward to bringing new items to the Dallas location, like a new Vanilla Bean French Toast, Banana Pudding French Toast, vegan wraps, vegetarian options and more.
“Our goal is to serve everyone,” she said. “It’s a place you can bring your kids, friends, family — anyone can enjoy Nouveau.”
Guests may get the chance to meet Ebony themselves, as she prioritizes the hands-on, interpersonal interaction that comes with running her businesses.
“I am the expediter, the chef at times, the hostess, and the bar tender at times. I’m very involved in my restaurant. I want to be able to do every job — not have to, but able to — I enjoy people and sometimes we’ll switch around just so we can interact with customers.”
Ebony said she is so excited to be joining the Dallas community in this way and looks forward to community partnerships, especially continuing her partnerships with historically black colleges and universities in the area. Learn more at www.nouveaubar.com.
