Clifton Club on Fitzhugh offers immaculate service, good food
Arriving at the bodacious bungalow that is the Clifton Club entrance, I feel like a VIP immediately — and kinda sexy. I’ve always thought this; I’ve been here a couple of times before — once when it first opened and another time with my beautiful mother for happy hour. I was casing the joint, ok?
This third time, I was joined by local celebrity and prudent Dallas City Councilman Chad West. Suffice it to say I had a blast, and I always have at Clifton Club, formerly Zippers (if you know, you know).
The energy in this place is amazing, and the service is immaculate. While the food is good and has great presentation value, I do think they can make some improvements. Other than that, there is no reason you shouldn’t go check out Clifton Club for yourself. Like, now.
Photos by Monika Normand
I want to start off with the decor. As I said, as you’re walking in, it kinda makes you feel like you’re one of the cool kids walking into the cool kids’ club. I think that’s what Greg Katz is going for.
Greg used to be my boss’ boss’ boss when I was just a wee little host at CBD Provisions downtown in the Joule Hotel.
He’s always had great charisma, great taste and great humor — one of the coolest, friendliest guys I’ve ever met. And his personality shows through in the ambiance at Clifton Club, from the tasteful brass accents to the molded ceiling, painted in a beautiful, sophisticated green. Chad West, my tasting partner for the evening enthusiastically agreed.
Speaking of charismatic characters, this was my first formal meeting with Councilman West, and I don’t think I could have picked a better guest. He came in chipper, smiling and excited to be a part of a Dallas Voice scoop. There’s little more I can say about Chad other than he is just simply salt-of-the-earth nice and genuine, and he knows how to have a good time.
Photos by Monika Normand
After talking and getting to know him for a bit, I was delighted to learn he comes from a rural upbringing. So I knew he knows good cookin,’ and that he wouldn’t hold back in his opinions about the food.
The first time I ate at Clifton Club, I had a falafel-type dish with a green garbanzo hummus base. While it was good, and I could tell there was a good amount of thought put into the spices and flavor profile, it lacked the salt necessary to carry the flavor. I don’t mean it wasn’t made with enough salt but rather that even just a garnish of some coarse kosher salt would have rounded out the dish.
(This is a comment I’ll be making a lot in this review.)
Since the pieces of coarse kosher salt are individually larger than grains of common table salt, the flavor lasts longer in your mouth, giving the optimum taste-to-low-sodium ratio.
People act like they don’t like salty food, but then they go to a chain restaurant and get the bottomless dish offered and, little do they know, one of the reasons they like it is because it has so much salt cooked into the sauce. Well, salt and sugar. But I digress. By no means do I think the chef should compromise his recipes in this way.
Photos by Monika Normand
I also got the chocolate mousse on that first visit which was absolutely fabulous — at the time.
The next time I went, my mom and I got the whipped ricotta, the deviled eggs and the three mini wagyu smash burgers.
As far as the whipped ricotta goes, I think the confit tomatoes were a succulent addition. But I do wish they were chopped so you could mix it together and get a little bit of everything in one bite. It also could have benefitted from a little kosher salt.
I’d say the same for the deviled eggs, although I think the smoked trout roe was an attempt at adding that salty, briny-ness we love in deviled eggs. I think it just needed an additional touch. Still tastes amazing though.
Everything is good here; I just think there’s opportunity to balance the cuisine a tad bit more.
The wagyu smash burgers were to die for, honestly — to kill and die for. The pickle-and-pepper relish is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy, minimally spicy goodness that just makes a burger slay the house down, bootz, Mawma! No other way to say it.
The seatings at Clifton Club are always quick, which tells me the host stand is run well. You should never have to sit there and think about where to seat a guest while they’re in front of you. So it was no shock when I showed up for my third visit, and my table was immediately ready for me. Not long after, Chad West entered, and we began our culinary experience.
We started off with the crispy chicken skewers, the brussels sprouts and the shrimp tempura. My tasting partner pointed out the chicken skewers were TOO salty, and I happen to agree. Although I think we both liked the way the way the herb yogurt mellows it out.
The brussels sprouts were pretty wonderful, although we thought they were a little too soupy and gooey. Really reducing that miso butter glaze into a true glaze would make the dish much more appetizing.
The shrimp tempura was our least favorite of the three dishes. I think when someone sees that kind of thing on the menu, they think “flavor,” and these were just bland. I’m not really sure what the squid ink salsa does for it but maybe …. if there’s that kosher salt garnish, I’d eat more than two.
The councilman and I talked politics for a bit until deciding to split the steak frites — a phenomenal choice. We were both eyeing it the whole time.
This I have no notes on, just compliments. The peppercorn sauce is divine and pairs well with the buttery cut of the filet.
The fries are nice and crispy with a zesty little seasoning. So as not to look completely pig-like, I did not eat the plate clean, even though I want to.
Lastly, we HAD to get the chocolate mousse. It came out looking beautiful, garnished with whipped cream and a toasted cookie crumble. While we were initially satisfied, we noticed that we were mainly gleeful about the garnish rather than the “mousse” itself. I’m not sure how far in advance it is prepared, but the texture was more like a pudding or a thin custard — not the same as when I first had it.
But again, it’s good, and, after Chad left, I ate the rest of it!?
I have to say, I had such a wonderful time, and the service at Clifton Club is just simply what you want when you go out to eat. As one of my mentors used to say, “Everything they need, and nothing they don’t.” I love the music and the little piece of experimental sculpture that sort of ornaments the room in a playful way. The moody flower textiles on the back of the bar seats give me something pretty to look at while sitting at the table.
There’s something really special at Clifton Club. I hope you get to experience this space for yourself soon.
Clifton Club is located at 3333 Fitzhugh Ave. in Dallas. Buen provecho, ciao!