Whiskey Cake

Opened Nov. 29, 2010.

a self-described farm-to-kitchen restaurant and bar in Plano at the tollway and Parker in the former Plano Tavern space.

Co-chef John Franke says the emphasis is on local/regional, as opposed to the big Texas flavors of sibling Ranch at Las Colinas, where Franke was most recently. (This restaurant group is also behind Twin Peaks.)

A Pappas Bros. thread definitely runs through Whiskey Cake, with several alums in the mix. Before the ranch, Franke did R&D for Pappas. Chef T.J. Lengnick, most recently Shinsei chef de cuisine, also has a Pappas entry on his resume, as does chief of operations Judd Fruia, who's done recent stints at Tre Amici and Bailey's Prime Plus.

For now, the team is doing dinner only, with the plan to expand to lunch hours later. (With a name like Whiskey Cake, don't you know a bunch of people will think it's a bakery?)

-Kim Pierce / The Dallas Morning News Eats Blog