The Ranch at Las Colinas
The Ranch at Las Colinas, a farm to fork restaurant known for using local ingredients, celebrated their 10-year anniversary late last year, marking a decade of providing chef-driven dishes to their guests.
Quickly after opening in 2008, The Ranch at Las Colinas became a haven for nearby diners who were hungry for quality Texan flavors and were tired of driving into Dallas or Fort Worth to find them. Over time, chef John Franke grew The Ranch at Las Colinas’s brand by using locally sourced ingredients and providing something distinct from what was available in the local dining industry.
Chef Franke started out in the restaurant world at the age of 15. His first job was busing tables at a New York style deli. He then found himself in the kitchen as a dishwasher and onto the line just before he turned 16. While it was often chaotic, he knew he didn’t want it any other way.
“There was never a question in my mind from a young age that the madness of a kitchen was a place I would call home for the rest of my life,” chef Franke says.
When opening his own restaurant venture in Las Colinas, chef Franke came in with a specific vision, to offer a True Texas dining experience to locals and tourists alike, which made the restaurant distinct from what others in the area where doing at the time.
“I think the Dallas dining community and restaurant scene has evolved for the better over the past 10 years,” chef Franke says. “This was the land of chains, and Dallas has really come on the culinary scene as a city that holds its own creatively.”
Over the past ten years, chef Franke has held onto his commitment to serving Texas dishes using local ingredients, which he says is much easier now than it was in the restaurant’s early days.
“When we opened there was very little in the way of fresh Texas beef; local Texas liquors were harder to find; the only local soda was Dublin Dr. Pepper; local farmers were there but in smaller supply, etc.,” chef Franke says. “The ‘local scene’ has exploded, which has enabled us and other restaurants to stay strong in the commitment to buy local.”
We can’t wait to see what else chef Franke and The Ranch at Las Colinas team can accomplish in the coming years. Looking back at the last 10, we expect nothing but greatness.