DINING FEATURE
BY KAREN CHANEY
SAY ‘BON APPÉTIT’ Owner and Executive Chef Erin Willis picked her dishes that most often impress customers. 1 RM 12:20 kale salad ($9) comes on its own or with chicken (add $4) or shrimp (add $6). 2 Chicken paillard ($23) is a pressed and lightly fried chicken breast with arugula and au jus. 3 Twice-baked Gruyere sou e ($16) is made with artichokes, leeks and Gruyere.
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“EVERYBODY CAN REMEMBER A PARTICULAR RESTAURANT WHERE SOMETHING SPECIAL HAPPENED, AND I WANT THIS TO BE THAT PLACE.” ERIN WILLIS, OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF
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Describing the ambiance, Owner Erin Willis said RM 12:20 Bistro is a quaint, romantic date night destination. She points to the white tablecloths, ower baskets and herb garden as lending to its French bistro experience. (Photos by Karen Chaney/Community Impact Newspaper)
RM 12:20 Bistro Lake Highlands eatery serves French cuisine with a Southern air W hen Erin Willis opened RM 12:20 Bistro in 2018, she brought three decades of experience in the restau- rant industry to the table. Willis shadowing a chef. “When I was in France, it was some of the best food I ever ate,” Willis said. “Not all French food is fancy. I think they get stereotyped give him something to drink.” “My whole thing with this is whatever di erences you may
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have with somebody, when you sit down with them for a meal that is all forgotten,” she said. Although Willis is appreciative of the support she has received from the community, she recently asked her followers to rally behind RM 12:20 Bistro because the combined e ects of COVID-19, unbearable heat, supply chain issues and in ation have left her in need of help. “I want this place to be around forever,” Willis said. “Everybody can remember a particular restau- rant where something special happened, [and] I want this to be that place.”
RM 12:20 Bistro 9850 Walnut Hill Lane, Ste. 305. Dallas 214-238-2919 www.rm1220bistro.com Hours: Tue.-Thu. 5-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m., Sun. open for brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Mon.
said her passion for cooking started as a child when her grandmother Hannah Sadler taught her to cook. Although she did not have money to attend culinary school, Willis said she made up for it with years of working in restaurants. She said she is grateful to benevolent chefs who were willing to teach her everything she needed to know. When Willis chose to open a French bistro in Lake Highlands, she did so because there were not any such restaurants nearby and because of her experience in France
on that type of food. It’s not all froufrou; that’s why we call [our food] rustic.” Willis said she also added a “Southern air” to some of her menu items. “Chicken paillard is typically not fried like I fry it,” Willis said. “We lightly fry it, and usually [in France] it is pressed and grilled. This paillard … people go goo-goo for it.” Willis said she based the bistro’s name on the Bible verse Romans 12:20, which reads, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty,
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LAKE HIGHLANDS LAKEWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2022
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