Give it an A: Historic Saint Ann’s School Turned Upscale Restaurant

2.8

The newest installment to the Uptown stretch around Harwood Avenue is actually not a new building. Rather, the old Saint Ann school, the first school for Hispanic children established in 1927, has had a major face lift to become the hottest new eatery in town. The digs now house a restaurant, full bar, and the largest beer garden in the city, just waiting for warmer climes to be filled with local patrons.

Inside, you are greeted by the long bar area, capped off by a bustling exhibition kitchen. Beneath your feet, you’ll notice a glass partition, displaying the original floorboards and gravel a few feet below (they had to keep these due to the historic nature of the building.) The adjoining dining room is spacious and dimly lit by chandeliers, and up the wood paneled staircase you’ll find a gallery displaying The Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Art Museum, now showcasing one of the largest samurai art collections in the world.

The menu, written on ruled notebook paper (nice touch) is fairly diverse and extremely affordable. I went for the hummus, served with light, slightly crunchy pita strips that almost reminded me of the rich texture of polenta. The Neopolitan-style pizza runs a mere $6.50, but I was looking for a few more topping selections (olives? artichokes?) Next time I head to St. Ann’s, I think Ill be torn between the Steak + Frites, with a grilled baseball sirloin and shoestring potatoes, or the Everything but the Kitchen Sink Salad. My final score: an A-.

Saint Ann’s, 2501 N. Harwood Ave, 214.782.9841, www.saintanndallas.com